From Publishers Weekly
The superb opening chapter of Howard's new romantic thriller throws the reader deliciously off balance. Milla Edge lives in Mexico, where her doctor husband, David, is posted. She has just given birth to her first child and is basking in a maternal glow when baby Justin is stolen literally out of her arms, with chilling efficiency. A decade later, Milla is divorced from David and has become the devoted head of an organization called Finders. Hunting down the cabals that carry out these crimes, she combs North America for kidnapped babies, including her own. Her sometimes reckless exploits put her in harm's way and also land her in the path of two very different powerful men. Wealthy businessman True Gallagher contributes generously to Finders and pursues Milla with every donation. The dangerous and elusive Diaz, a mercenary-or is he a government agent?-provides Milla with the name of Justin's kidnapper, and offers to accompany her on the dangerous journey to his headquarters. Both men have secret personal agendas, and Howard, perhaps unwisely, gets into their heads to reveal them; the story works best when the reader is on the emotional and physical roller-coaster ride with Milla, not a few steps ahead of her. But Howard (Dying to Please; Kill and Tell; etc.) keeps a few surprises up her sleeve and delivers a number of exciting jungle scenes. Best of all is Milla, a complex woman whose struggles will win readers' hearts.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
In a vicious attack, criminals tore her infant from Milla's arms and stabbed her in the back. Ten years later, she has forsaken all else to search for her son and other missing children. Speaking mostly from Milla's point of view, Joyce Bean captures the loneliness, as well as the passion, now governing the protagonist's life. Bean drops her voice slightly to convey male dialogue but not so far as to create caricature. When speaking in the voice of a half-Mexican tracker, Bean offers just a hint of an accent, which perfectly delivers both the character's foreignness and education. And when performing the several steamy sex scenes, the huskiness of Bean's voice speaks more than the written words. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Milla is a woman with a mission: 10 years after her baby son, Justin, was snatched from her arms, she still hunts for him every day. Her dedicated passion led her to start Finders, an agency set up to help others like her find taken loved ones. Although she has learned some sketchy details about Justin's abductors, they never led anywhere; all she has to go on is a name, Diaz. An anonymous tip about Diaz's location leads to a sighting of the one-eyed man who snatched Justin. When one of Finders' generous grantors offers a tip on finding Diaz, alleged to be a dangerous assassin, Milla takes it upon herself to seek Diaz out, only to learn that he is not tied to the abduction but can help find out who is. Would Milla be so desperate as to conspire with a known killer in order to find Justin? Without hesitation, it turns out, and a touching bond builds between the two loners. At once heart-wrenching and thrilling, this story will make you cling tightly to your children. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
“Spellbinding . . . Pulse-pounding . . . Readers will not just peruse the story of sizzling suspense, they will live it.”
—Oakland Press

“Intense and darkly mesmerizing from beginning to end, this gut-wrenching roller coaster of a book is incredible! The bestselling Howard delivers first-class terror and suspense.”
—Romantic Times

“Linda Howard is a superbly original storyteller.”
—IRIS JOHANSEN

“A real nail-biter with great characters, including a sexy, self-sufficient heroine, a hero with all the finesse of a Sherman tank, and a villain who will make your skin crawl.”
—The Oakland Press

“Stalking takes on a fresh and creepy edge in bestselling author Linda Howard’s newest thriller. Taut, electrifying, and oozing with sexual tension, Dying to Please is the latest in Ms. Howard’s unbroken string of unforgettable books.”
—Romantic Times

“Dying to Please is vintage Linda Howard. The unique storytelling elevates her to a special orbit.”
—Rendezvous

“Linda Howard meshes hot sex, emotional impact, and gripping tension.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)


Review
?Linda Howard is a superbly original storyteller.?
?IRIS JOHANSEN

?Linda Howard meshes hot sex, emotional impact, and gripping tension.?
?Publishers Weekly (starred review)



From the Hardcover edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Count your blessings; they can be snatched away in an instant. It is a sentiment Milla Edge knows too well. With an astonishing blend of savvy, instinct, and passion, Milla displays an uncanny gift for finding lost children. When all seems helpless, desperate souls from across the country come to her for hope and results. Driven by an obsessive desire to fill the void in other people's lives, Milla throws herself into every case - all the while trying to outrun the brutal emotions stemming form a horrific tragedy in her past." "Travelling to a small village in Mexico on a reliable tip, Milla begins to uncover the dire fate of countless children who have disappeared over the years in the labyrinth of a sinister baby-smuggling ring. The key to nailing down the organization may rest with an elusive one-eyed man. To find him, Milla joins forces with James Diaz, a suspicious stranger known as the Tracker who conceals his own sinister agenda." As the search intensifies, the mission becomes more treacherous. For the ring is part of something far larger and more dangerous, reaching the highest echelons of power and influence. Caught between growing passion and imminent peril, Milla suddenly finds herself the hunted - in the crosshairs of an invisible, lethal assassin who aims to silence her permanently.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The superb opening chapter of Howard's new romantic thriller throws the reader deliciously off balance. Milla Edge lives in Mexico, where her doctor husband, David, is posted. She has just given birth to her first child and is basking in a maternal glow when baby Justin is stolen literally out of her arms, with chilling efficiency. A decade later, Milla is divorced from David and has become the devoted head of an organization called Finders. Hunting down the cabals that carry out these crimes, she combs North America for kidnapped babies, including her own. Her sometimes reckless exploits put her in harm's way and also land her in the path of two very different powerful men. Wealthy businessman True Gallagher contributes generously to Finders and pursues Milla with every donation. The dangerous and elusive Diaz, a mercenary-or is he a government agent?-provides Milla with the name of Justin's kidnapper, and offers to accompany her on the dangerous journey to his headquarters. Both men have secret personal agendas, and Howard, perhaps unwisely, gets into their heads to reveal them; the story works best when the reader is on the emotional and physical roller-coaster ride with Milla, not a few steps ahead of her. But Howard (Dying to Please; Kill and Tell; etc.) keeps a few surprises up her sleeve and delivers a number of exciting jungle scenes. Best of all is Milla, a complex woman whose struggles will win readers' hearts. Agent, Robin Rue. (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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