All the Queen's Men [Hardcover]

Linda Howard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 1999

In six "New York Times" bestsellers, including her smashing hardcover debut "Now You See Her," Linda Howard has seamlessly melded thrilling sensuality and heart-pounding dramatic tension. Now she brings back the elusive hero who first appeared in her acclaimed page-turner "Kill and Tell" -- in a new blockbuster that is part suspense, part passion, and pure Linda Howard. No one can get close to John Medina, the CIA's legendary Black Ops specialist who works in the shadows of the government's deadliest missions. He is a virtual invisible man, with no friends, many enemies, and a cloud of suspicion surrounding the death of his wife. And no one knows the dangers better than Niema Burdock. A sharp, steely nerved communications expert, Niema and her husband, Dallas, worked side by side with Medina on an explosive mission that went tragically wrong. "She could hear it all play out, horribly, on the radio: Dallas set off the detonators at John Medina's command -- and found himself trapped in the crossfire. In a shattering blast, Niema's hope and her love were destroyed..." Now Niema has withdrawn to a quiet Intelligence position, and a safe -- if predictable -- existence that has helped her heal her scars from five years ago. And she never planned to see Medina again. But now John Medina needs her... A French arms dealer is supplying international terrorist units, and John Medina must infiltrate his compound and crack the deadly ring. But only Niema can plant the undetectable bugs needed to nail the wary and well-connected dealer -- a feat that begins by going undercover and winning his trust. Working her way into his glamorous world of embassy galas and exclusiveparties, Niema steps carefully across a minefield of intimate secrets, luring the Frenchman while inviting disaster with every subtle and seductive play. But when their careful strategy begins to crack, Niema and John take flight in a strange land -- and find their partnership sparking with an erotically charged, unquenchable electricity. In a world of deception, one thing is clear: John Medina has once again set Niema on a freefall into danger and desire -- and one can't exist without the other.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Setting: contemporary Virginia, France, Iran
Sensuality: 7

CIA agent John Medina and electronics expert Niemi Burdock share a violent past: the two were part of a covert operation that went tragically wrong, resulting in the death of several people. Now, five years later, their paths cross again and John, whose love for Niemi has only grown over time, is determined to keep her in his life for good. Having spent the intervening five years living a solitary, staid existence--due to feelings of guilt over the ill-fated operation--Niemi is somewhat reluctant to reenter the shadowy world she once inhabited. Still, she can't resist the lure and excitement of danger when John asks her to join him on his latest mission to discover the origins of a deadly new explosive already in use by terrorists.

Concocting a plan to reveal the source of the explosive, the two enter into a dangerous masquerade, walking a tightrope between safety and death, while passion boils beneath the surface. Unaware of John's feelings, Niemi fights her physical response to the legendary agent as her emotions, in frozen limbo for the last five years, thaw with astonishing speed.

First introduced in Kill and Tell, agent John Medina is as intriguing as the perilous world he operates in. Watching him in action, à la James Bond, is exhilarating--as is the single-minded intensity of his feelings for Niemi, whose ability to hold her own with John--on both a personal and professional level--and with the host of terrorists, spies, and double-dealers the pair encounter is impressive to say the least. Throw in a couple of chilling chase scenes, some romantic interludes hot enough to peel paint from the walls, and one or two bigger-than-life internationally connected characters, and you've got the latest from Linda Howard--a romantic thriller that's sure to be coming soon to a bestseller list near you. --Lois Faye Dyer

From Library Journal

Niema Burdocks husband was killed on a CIA mission managed (or perhaps mismanaged?) by John Medina, who now wants her help in cracking an international terrorist ring. From the author of best-selling romantic thrillers like Kill and Tell.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1ST edition (August 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671034413
• ISBN-13: 978-0671034412
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (182 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Howard is the award-winning author of many New York Times bestsellers, including Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, and Dying to Please. She lives in Alabama with her husband and two golden retrievers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read!, May 28, 2000

By 

Susan Shams (West Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All the Queen's Men (Hardcover)

I must say, that I totally enjoyed this novel. It was a great escape. I actually could not put it down!

I have never read a Linda Howard novel before, and I am pleasantly surprised. This book has it all. Romance, action, suspense and adventure. The characters are totally believable, and their chemistry together sizzled.

The novel was extremely fast paced. There were no boring scenic descriptions or mundane musings that make a person want to skip the whole thing and say to "heck" with it.

I found the heroine, Neima, to be bright and funny. You find yourself feeling for her. And what can we say about the hero, John Medina, except - Love Him! He is the perfect guy. Strong, yet sensitive, tough, yet gentle, hard, yet vunerable. Plus, his looks are not too bad either.

I found the CIA field agent angle to be refreshing in a romantic novel. It was interesting, not to read the same old story once again. The so called "bad" guy, was no such thing. I wonder if there will be a story involving him in the near future.

The only thing I did not enjoy about this book was the ending. It was left too open. We do not know what is the outcome for the future of Neima and John. What role will they continue to play for the CIA? There are some steamy parts to the end, (which were a little to "high octane" for me) but what do you expect in a romance novel? All in all, I truly recommend this book. It was an extremely well written, fast paced read.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Missed opportunities but a great read nonetheless!, April 20, 2005

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All the Queen's Men (Mass Market Paperback)

In a covert operation in the mountains of Iran, mission leader "Tucker" gives Dallas the go ahead to detonate explosives that will result in Dallas' death. Dallas' new wife, Niema Burdock, is an electronics expert on the same mission, and tearfully assumes the guilt over his death for the next five years, living a quiet and solitary existence in an unassuming position at the CIA. When Tucker is re-introduced into her life, she discovers that he is actually John Medina - an elusive black ops agent (first introduced in the novel "Kill & Tell"). Niema doesn't know that over the last five years, John has silently watched her life from afar, hoping that she can move on with her life and find someone new to love. Since she hasn't, John decides it's time to make his move. But John, who has spent his life in the shadows, assuming one identity after another, has no idea to go about getting close to her. He resorts to what he knows, and convinces her to join his latest mission to capture a French arms dealer. She goes undercover to befriend Louis Ronsard. When introduced into Louis' life, she finds that he's not what she expected at all.

The characters are charismatic, but there are so many unexplored chances that could have been fleshed out to make the story more interesting (like the tension between them as they trained for the mission, and the unexplored relationship between Niema and Louis). Overall a good read, despite a love scene that borders on rape and might bother some readers.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her best work, thrilling, intense, well-written, May 23, 2000

By 

Shannon "jfaction" (Lafayette, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Queen's Men (Mass Market Paperback)

This might just be Linda Howard's best work yet. I wanted to reread it as soon as I reached the last page!

All the Queen's Men plunges the reader into the world of CIA secret missions. In a refreshing turn, the heroine Niema Burdock is as adventurous as her male agent counterparts. No reluctant heroine proclaiming her inexperience and shying from challenges here. If you like strong, unapologetic - and believable characters - you will love Niema.

And Howard outdoes herself creating the hero, John Medina. He is one of the CIA's most legendary agents (was a character in Kill and Tell), yet Howard creates a superb balance of the self-confidence and coolheadedness required of an agent, with the vulnerability that is a logical result of living a solitary and hidden life.

Niema and Medina are well-matched in their spy competencies, and in their intense sensuality. The plot is one of the best Howard has created, with in-depth and complex characters. The love scenes are incredibly intense without being cloying. No annoying euphamisms or "falling back to earth" - Howard doesn't need them.

This is an amazing, intense, and exciting read. The cool assurance and attitude of taking initiatives that the characters exude (without being superhuman) rubs off on the reader. Reading the book made me want to get out and get started with several projects, sports, and/or other activities. Which created a conflict with my great desire to sit down and start the book over!

A quality of a good book is that when you finish it you wish for just a few more pages. This is one of those books.