All the Queen's Men

By: Linda Howard

Narrated by: Kate Forbes

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

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Now Niema has withdrawn to a quiet Intelligence position, and a safe - if predictable - existence that has helped her heal her scars from five years ago.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 dealer - a feat that begins by going undercover and winning his trust. But when their careful strategy begins to crack, Niema and John take flight - 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 free fall into danger and desire - and one can't exist without the other.

©2012 Linda Howard (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A high-suspense romance.... Howard's trademark darkly sensual style and intense, layered plot will delight her fans." ( Booklist)

"Ms. Howard has made the character [of John Medina] irresistible.... A fascinating novel of suspense and sensual tension." ( Rendezvous)

"[A] sexy thriller.... Another explosive hit.... When it comes to mixing that perfect blend of romance and danger, Ms. Howard is unbeatable!" ( Romantic Times)

John Medina~ HOT sexy CIA ops~ RUTHLESS ~ LOVER~

PLOT: 2 cia ops take on French Arms Terrorist and find desire and sexy intrigue~

John Medina and "Dallas" on a mission ends up with DALLAS DEAD~ now John is out to recruit the widow of Dallas the lovely sexy Niema Burdock~ John Medina is legend and little is known about him.He is one of the most reclusive and secret CIA spies~ With a sexy air of mystery he ruthlessly adds Neima to his team to take on a French Arms dealer who is part of a TERRORIST network. HOT and SEXY is the only way to descibe the "under cover(S) " assignment of John and Neima who over come their lack of trust and faith in each other and find a common goal to destroy some old enemies. a very early excellent story by the ever fun Linda Howard and we first hear about John Medina in Kill and Tell. This story is first rate and takes off and builds and you will want to listen to the whole thing. This is the first time the unabridged edition has been released in over 10 years. I give this 5 STARS for first rate thriller story, sexy couple and great thrills til the end of the story~ also recommend Mr. Perfect, Now You See Her and Open Season that audible have finally obtained in the last few weeks in unabridged forms~ all first rate early Linda Howard audio books~

Old Queen's Men

This is an old book of Linda Howard and not re-recorded for Audible. At one point in the story the narration stopped and the voice said it was time to "flip the tape over and play the other side." Yep, this was recorded back when cassette players were popular. Story is not as good as some of LH current work and the narrator was very unemotional so not much chemistry. I wish I had not used a credit on this one.

Finally the full story. One of Linda Howard's best

Would you listen to All the Queen's Men again? Why?

I have waited for unabridged version far too long. I have read the book multiple times!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

More romanace, than mystery. If you are a Linada Howard fan, get this one.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

not the best reader.

Enjoyable enough, but not Howard's best

Solid narration by Kate Forbes. Fair story. Nothing special, but not bad. I liked the scenes where John Medina (Tucker) was teaching self-defense to Niema Burdoch. There's explicit sex towards the end. The two protagonists did something very stupid, hanging around in France when danger clearly lurked.

Linda Howard's "CIA Spies" series get lots of acclaim, but personally, I think they are half-baked. They didn't feel complete as a romance nor as a suspense thriller.

The three books in the series, in order:

1. Kill and Tell. An old US Marine (retired) sent his "Sniper killbook" to his estranged wife and daughter. It contains evidence that would expose a corrupt senator. When said sniper is murdered, his daughter Karen turns to New Orleans PD detective Marc Chastain for help. A CIA agent (John Medina) gets involved because the bad guys also killed his father. Too much torrid sex in this one, but a decent plot.

2. All the Queen's Men (this book). Covert CIA agent John Medina (introduced in Kill and Tell) puts the sting on a deadly explosives operation, meanwhile putting the moves on CIA techno-geek Niema Burdoch. He's loved her for five years. We also learn that John Medina has a soft spot for Karen and Marc (book 1), keeping watch over them.

3. Kiss Me While I Sleep (very slight overlap with the two previous books). There is a mole in the CIA, and the highly trusted CIA director is in critical condition. Special agent Lucas Swain doesn't know who to trust, so he's on his own, bringing down a renegade operative in France. However, Lily Mansfield is more than he expected. Together, Lucas and Lily put a stop to a bioterrorism plot.

Favorite male character

If you could sum up All the Queen's Men in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing improbable romp

What other book might you compare All the Queen's Men to and why?

Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, Burn, Shadow Woman, Kill and Tell, Midnight Rainbow

What about Kate Forbes’s performance did you like?

Good strong voice. Easy to understand.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

"Le pant" and cheer

Any additional comments?

Reality isn't nearly as interesting as fiction.

overall good but...

I mean I know it's an old book but there were two pretty much rapes in it...which women accepted as ok. That just makes it kind of hard to say i love the book.

Well Done!

I love most of Linda Howard's books. This was especially good. I thought it started a little slow and worried I wouldn't like it but a few chapters in & I didn't want to stop listening! It was a great ride with adventure, romance, & great characters. This is not a mystery but it's still lot's of fun with a complex bad guy that the main characters have to catch. Howard's books have descriptive sex scenes. If that bothers you don't get the book. Writing a bad review about a book you know is a romance because of detailed sex scenes makes no sense!

The narrator was good. I always knew who was speaking and I never got distracted from the story by badly done voices that I sometimes face with other narrators.

it was okay...

usually with a Linda Howard's book, i am captivated from the beginning. This one was not that way. started and stopped this one four times before finally finishing...

Good action and romance story

Any additional comments?

This is the second book I listened from Ms. Linda Howard. She's a good story teller. This book has good action and romance. I like Ms. Howard's heroine. She always has strong and independence personality and still able to be sexy. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Classic, wonderful Linda Howard

If you could sum up All the Queen's Men in three words, what would they be?

Suspensful, Sexy, Bittersweet.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. The plot to get the bad guy was so high risk, I kept expecting them to be caught at any moment.

What does Kate Forbes bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I wasn't the biggest fan of her performance. Her reading of the female protagonist seemed off. It was not terrible, just not the best.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The beginning was very emotional.