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

"just a bad MEMORY"~ 5 STAR Linda Howard Thriller

Lizette suddenly is remembering her secret past~

Lizette is very ill and takes a day off work. What she cannot explain is why she does not know her own face. She is awere of having some very interesting hidden "talents" and is aware she is being "monitored" finding some bugs in her home and GPS in her car. She just is not sure WHY. As the cloud of her memory "clears" she is suddenly in danger. Using her HIDDEN TALENTS she flees for her life. Hot on her trail is Black Ops Xavier who has also been monitoring Lizzie and is now her protector. ** SPOILER** DO not read this unless you want to learn the plot*** Lizzie was part of an ultra secret detail of the President and first lady. When a murder happens Lizzie has her memory "erased /wiped" and is given a new life. but the MEMORY WIPE is not perminent as they planned. now someone is out to kill Lizzie to make sure all her memories "die with her". On the run and Xavier hot on her trail has Lizzie eluding both a KILLER and Xavier. This is a first rate plot right down to the killing and cover up. As well as the "memory" erase. Lizzie is one of Howards BEST heroines and Xavier is her match in every way. This one is excellent and one of the better Howard books. I give this one 5 STARS for PLOT, 5 STARS for READER ~ Carrington McDuffie is first rate and holds us following the facinating look the world of Black Ops. EXCELLENT.

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.

I loved this book!!

What did you love best about Shadow Woman?

This book kept me guessing for the first half. And not being able to figure things out right away was very nice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadow Woman?

The moment the romance truely started.

Any additional comments?

I will lesson to this book again it was that good, the romance is later in this book so in that way it is not a traditional romance. Very fun book.

Had potential, but lost steam.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I wish I hadn't wasted a credit on it. It started out fairly well, but ended up being totally unbelievable. And really did there have to be so much dreaming about sex and having sex with detail that seemed unnecessary? These people are running for there lives for goodness sake! Kind of silly, like it was thrown in to add something... it didn't work.

Has Shadow Woman turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, I like a good mystery thriller.

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

The performance was as well as could be expected given the content.

Was Shadow Woman worth the listening time?

No

Any additional comments?

I found this story to be silly, and a bit immature. it rally could have been a great story.

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.

What a Disappointment

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Not sure, it just did not come up to the high standard Linda Howard has had in the past. The story line not credible, drags, character building not her usual and she has always put humor in her mysteries and this has none.
Her usual fans will not be those who enjoy it more so not sure who it would appeal to.

Would you ever listen to anything by Linda Howard again?

Yes, this has to be one of her total disconnects.

What aspect of Carrington MacDuffie’s performance would you have changed?

Not sure it was her performance or just how much the story line dragged.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It was finally over. If people like super secret spy agencies working outside of protocol this might appeal.

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.

Romance meets political thriller disaster

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Romance listeners.

What was most disappointing about Linda Howard’s story?

The total unbelievability of the plot line

What three words best describe Carrington MacDuffie’s performance?

She did well with what she had to work with.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None

Any additional comments?

Will strike Linda Howard off my potential reading list

Watch out if you dont enjoy expletives!

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I bought this going by the review. The story was interesting, but what really put me off is the amount of expletives/four-letter words liberally sprinkled throughout the narration.
It really marred any possibility of me enjoying the narration as I don't live in an environment where expletives/four-letter words are used so liberally.
I suggest Audible warns members/listeners which books are full of such four language.

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

Predictable

You know a story is being padded for length when..

"He decided to make some coffee. He selected a pod. He put it into the coffee machine. Then he pressed a button. There was a sputter and spurt, and then hot coffee began to fill the cup." Pedantic, much?

Linda Howard's latest reads like a short story that was made long enough to be marketed as a novel, by the laziest of means: describing the minutiae of each character's every thought and action, from "then she changed her underwear" (I am not making that up) to a study of how the heroine orders breakfast when she's running for her life. Apparently she is reluctant to try grits, and wonders what else she should have instead. The suspense was killing me! When the waitress suggested hash-brown potatoes as an option, and the heroine agreed that yes, she would like to have some potatoes, I could breathe again.

Whew!

There's also quite a bit of another syndrome that bugs me as a reader: an author labeling a particular line of dialogue or internal monolog as "sarcastic" or "wry" instead of the more difficult alternative, which is writing a line that is clearly sarcastic or wry, coming from a well-drawn character. Even more egregious, when you're writing romantic suspense, is announcing to us readers that a couple have sexual chemistry, instead of creating that chemistry with a build-up of tension relieved by an explosive scene. The sex scenes here read like a sports play-by-play combined with a medical manual.

Am I ranting? You bet. When I pay to read, or listen to, lazy writing, I feel ripped off. If you feel the same way, save a credit and give Shadow Woman a miss. Anne Stuart's Ice series, this isn't.

How does she do it!

I received the book yesterday morning and, even though I am rationing my time on it, am over 40% into it, on Kindle. Linda manages to come up with fantastic plots and likeable characters - even though at first you may not be taken with them. I like this so much that I have now bought the audible version to follow up the Kindle version - I hear parts that I have missed in reading. I like to have all my favourites in both versions. Can't wait for the next book.