Shadow Woman

A Novel

By: Linda Howard

Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

From Linda Howard comes a thrilling and sensual new novel of romance, suspense, intrigue...and memories that can kill.

Lizette Henry wakes up one morning and makes a terrifying discovery: She doesn't recognize the face she sees in the mirror. She remembers what she looks like, but her reflection is someone else's. To add to the shock, two years seem to have disappeared from her life. Someone has gone to great and inexplicable lengths to keep those missing years hidden forever. But the past always finds a way to return.

Strange memories soon begin to surface, and, along with them, some unusual skills and talents that Lizette hasn't a clue about acquiring. Sensing that she's being monitored, Lizette suddenly knows how to search for bugs in her house and tracking devices in her car. What's more, she can elude surveillance - like a trained agent.

Enter a mysterious and seductive stranger named Xavier, who claims he wants to help - but who triggers disturbing images of an unspeakable crime of which Lizette may or may not be the perpetrator. With memories returning, she suddenly becomes a target of anonymous assassins. On the run with nowhere to hide, Lizette has no choice but to rely on Xavier, a strong and magnetic man she doesn't trust, with a powerful attraction she cannot resist. As murky waters become clear, Lizette confronts a conspiracy that is treacherous and far-reaching and a truth that, once revealed, may silence her and Xavier once and for all.

©2012 Linda Howard (P)2012 Random House Audio

a great read and it will keep your attention!

This is a hard book to put down, or push pause. This book had me from the very beginning. I loved the story. I loved the drama. I loved the mystery. I loved thenarrator. Perfect listen!

Memories

This book may well become one of my favorites by LH.
Good narration, excellent story, well written.
Happy with the ending.

Very good will listen to this one again

I always listen/read her books and found this one to have the same 4 star rating. I also enjoy Carrington MacDuffie as a narrator.

Not one of my favorites

Not that the story was bad it just wasn't as good as some of the old Linda Howard I remember. Killing seems to be okay and as normal as eating lunch or dinner and doesn't seem to bother anyone. I also didn't feel the attraction between the main two characters was well developed. I couldn't decide if it was the author or the narrator but in the end I decided it was both. I didn't hate it but could have done without it.

Totally Absorbing - Great Performance of Narration

What happens when you wake up, look in the mirror and don’t recognize the face staring back at you? For Lizette Henry, not only does she not recognize her face, but it appears she’s also misplaced two years of her life. When she also comes to the conclusion that she is being spied on, she institutes some subconsciously natural acts to get to the bottom of who and what she really is?

*** One thing for sure, Linda Howard is my go-to author for intelligent, sharp and exciting romantic suspense thrillers. After the shock of seeing a strangers face in her mirror, and becoming deathly ill whenever she tried hard to recall events from her past life, Lizette was terrified with numerous scenarios that ran through her mind as to what was going on in her life.

Ms. Howard keeps the tension high and even with the prologue which, by the way, threw me off completely as to who Lizette truly was [quite a red herring there] I was hooked! I had as great a need to know who Lizette was as much as she did. Especially when so many people were spying on her!

The biggest mystery was Xavier, a man who seemed a lone wolf; totally on the outside but having the best pulse on what was going on with Lizette. Xavier seemed like the most pivotal of all ‘watchers’ who were keeping their eye on Lizette and as the story continued - the reader must question why Lizette was so important to have so many watchers.

Basically the thrust of the story pivoted on the small snatches of memories that started coming back to Lizette and how much one person was determined that she never regain those memories - so much so that action was taken to eliminate Lizette entirely. However eliminating Lizettte was not sitting well with Xavier who do all in his power to keep her safe.

Bottom Line: SHADOW WOMAN is just one more example of fabulous writing and expertly brought to life by the narration and performance of Carrington MacDuffie. A superb book and rendition that is highly recommended.

Marilyn Rondeau

Not Ms Howard’s Best

As a 20 year fan of Miss Howard, this book is quite disappointing. There’s been a few that were in this same caliber and this one seemed convoluted and quite frankly, l doubt that Miss Howard wrote it. Narrator voice fairly deep for a woman So you would think her male voice would be great, not so. This was a two for one credit and quite frankly a waste. My all-time favorites shades of twilight and after the night from this author are not to be missed. If you have read those, you too may wonder what happened to authors good plot line?
Were my comments of help?

Beware the mind wipe

If you could sum up Shadow Woman in three words, what would they be?

Linda Howard rocks

What other book might you compare Shadow Woman to and why?

Pursuit by Karen Robards because in that book the First Lady died and the hero and heroine were being chased by all types of bad guys.

What about Carrington MacDuffie’s performance did you like?

I felt like I was inside the action, very suspenseful.

Great

Once again Linda Howard has managed to grab my attention and keep it. It was worth my credit...my last credit. Ms. MacDuffie was simply beautiful. She brought Linda Howard's novel to life. Also she made me laugh.

OK, but just a variation of her other books

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, but I would first recommend some of her older books.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The same as all her other endings.

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

I liked the narrator. I thought she did a good job without being distracting with her voices.

Was Shadow Woman worth the listening time?

Yes, but I thought it could have been shorter

Any additional comments?

I like Linda Howard, but I definitely enjoyed her older books more. She seems to have run out of fresh ideas and just combines elements of her other books into her new ones. I haven't really enjoyed her last four or five books that have come out.

Disappointed

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It started out well but lost something as I got further into the book. Maybe a little too much intrigue for my taste in books. Usually like all of this author's books but disappointed in this one. Took too long for main characters to actually interact.

Would you ever listen to anything by Linda Howard again?

Yes but hopefully not like this book

What about Carrington MacDuffie’s performance did you like?

I think the narrator did a GREAT job

Did Shadow Woman inspire you to do anything?

Stay away from "spy-type thrillers"!!

Any additional comments?

I prefer romantic, funny, happy books. Life today & the nightly news are serious enough!