Dying to Please [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Linda Howard (Author), Susan Ericksen (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2010

Loyal. Beautiful. Professional. Impeccably organized. Potentially lethal. Sarah Stevens is a woman with many distinct qualities. First and foremost a butler par excellence, skilled at running large households smoothly and efficiently, she is also a trained bodyguard and expert marksman - indispensable to her elderly employer, a courtly gentleman whom Sarah has come to respect and love. Then one night she thwarts a burglary in progress, a courageous act that awards Sarah her requisite "fifteen minutes of fame" with the local press. But the exposure is enough to catch the attention of a tortured soul who, unbeknownst to Sarah, will stop at nothing to have her for himself. Sarah's perfectly ordered life is shattered when tragedy strikes: her beloved employer is brutally murdered. The detective investigating the case assures Sarah that she is not a suspect. Until lightning strikes twice. There's a second killing - and this time, despite a lack of evidence connecting her to the crime, Sarah cannot escape the shadow of guilt. The only option left for Sarah is to carry on with her life. But she doesn't realize that a deranged stalker is luring her into an elaborate trap...one in which she, once ensnared, might never escape. For Sarah soon finds herself at the mercy of a man who will tend to her every whim, smother her with affection, and crush her in his all-consuming embrace.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When Sarah Stevens, butler and bodyguard extraordinaire, foils a robbery, she could not have predicted either the tragic chain of events that would be set in motion or detective Thomas Cahill, who responded to the first crime scene. Sarah intrigued, attracted, and aroused him, but his first marriage had dissolved in livid disgust, making him all too wary. Sarah is equally frightened of her feelings for him; she had never before felt so deeply. It might have been bliss had Sarah's employers not developed a habit of dying by murder. This story, aided by Howard's descriptive narrative, translates well to audio, with evocative visual images cascading through every scene. The author also writes the most erotic lovemaking in the business, which Susan Ericksen handles with aplomb. Careful not to overdramatize, she captures the emotional undercurrents, the mood, and tone of the tale with apparent ease. Recommended for all popular fiction collections.
Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

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


From the Hardcover edition. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged Lib Ed; Library edition (January 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1441826947
• ISBN-13: 978-1441826947
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (147 customer reviews)

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

78 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!!! Linda Howard never fails to Please!!, April 17, 2002

By 

Amber (Pennsauken, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dying to Please (Hardcover)

Make sure you start reading this book on a weekend or have some sick time at work, because you won't want to put it down! The chemistry between these characters will make you ache to see if they can overcome their obstacles and make their relationship work, and the suspense will keep you turning the pages with vigor!

Sarah is a butler extraordinaire for a retired federal judge. The judge is very sweet and he and Sarah have forged a tight bond during the three years she has worked for him. Sarah is also trained in martial arts and, along with her butler duties, she also serves as a bodyguard for the judge.

After foiling a robbery attempt at the judge's house, Sarah is solicited to do a human interest spot on the evening news, outlining her butler duties. Little did she know the publicity would lure a madman and change the course of her life forever.

Detective Cahill is an investigator on the case, and the chemistry between he and Sarah is too hot to ignore. He has been burned in a recent divorce, and is wary of trusting a woman again. I was anxious to see if he could overcome his she-demons and let himself love and trust Sarah.

Once again, Linda Howard delivers with steamy love scenes, raw emotion, and bittersweet betrayals. I highly, highly recommend "Dying to Please"!

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Heroine that Makes this a Blast!, April 21, 2002

By 

Tracy Talley "Book Addict" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dying to Please (Hardcover)

I am NEVER disapointed with a Linda Howard creation. Her latest, 'Dying to Please' was exceptional. Packed full of strong characters and great dialog along with a fast-paced storyline had me reading this in 6 hours! The not-often used story of a very intelligent and strong woman who can not only take care of herself but can also protect herself had me smiling. She is a woman butler and a bodyguard for a retired Judge! Loved it! She doesn't need any man to pick up the shattered pieces of her heart or sanity even when she is faced with a murder charge. She stays strong throughout the entire story and shows her weaknesses appropriately. Oh and the hero...Ms. Howard sure delivers on the heroes as always. :) He is strong, as strong as the heroine and Alpha male to the max. These two were explosive and made for each other. As always Ms. Howard creates a web of suspense and romance that just can't be done by many authors. And her villains are always creepy and real...in this one, the villain is definately not someone you'd want to run into anytime soon...

~Sarah Stevens is not only beautiful and intelligent, but she is the impeccably organized, efficient, professional woman butler/bodyguard for a retired Federal Judge. She takes her work very seriously. She loves her job and she adores the Judge. Thwarting a failed burgarly with her martial art skills, her life is thrust into the limelight for her '15 minutes' of fame. Not enjoying the spotlight, Sarah is disturbed when she recieves an expensive gift from someone and then suddenly finds herself the prime suspect of the brutal murder of the Judge.

Detective Thomas Cahill is impressed with the woman's training when he first meets her at the burgarly but when he is called out to investigate the murder of her employer and she becomes the prime suspect, his instincts are on full alert. Soon she is eliminated as a suspect and not a moment too soon, for Cahill finds himself fiercely attracted to her. Now as she is in the clear, he dares to persue it. Soon the trail grows cold and Cahill finds himself falling for Sarah hard. His heart shatters when yet another of Sarah's employers is murdered...did she do it after all? Is she a cold blooded murderer? How had his instincts get so clouded?

In the shadows a killer awaits...waiting for Sarah...waiting anxiously for her to finally be alone, to be his after all this time, for he is 'Dying to Please'...

...

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its murder getting good help now days., April 16, 2002

By 

JESSIE (Austin, TX, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dying to Please (Hardcover)

Sarah Stevens is a butler extrodinaire, but her current employer also hired her for her secret body guarding abilities. One night, she thwarts a robbery and gets her "15 minutes of fame" on the network news. Problem is, someone who sees the interview becomes obsessed with the need for Sarah herself; and he doesn't care who he has to eliminate to get her in his employment.

Now Sarah's 85 year old employer is murdered but her new romance interest, Dectective Thomas Cahill, assures her she is no longer suspect. However, her new employers are also murdered and it really looks like "the butler did it".

This is a great new book from Linda Howard. The love scenes were hot. I especially enjoyed the strip wrestling game. The book is definitely raunchy, fun, suspenseful. Both the hero and heroine are sharp. It was great to see a relationship where both partners are equally capable and protective of each other.

For those of you who have enjoyed Linda Howard in the past, this will be a great read for you. Read on!