Still reeling from her mother's recent death, Karen Whitlaw is stunned when she receives a package containing a mysterious notebook from her estranged father. She has barely seen him since his return from the Vietnam War over twenty years ago and doesn't know what he could have to share with her now. She puts the notebook away and forgets about it until she receives a shocking phone call. Her father has been murdered on the gritty streets of New Orleans. At first, homicide detective Marc Chastain considers the murder nothing more than street violence against a homeless man, and Karen just another woman who couldn't take the time to care for her father. But something about the crime just doesn't add up, including the beautiful Karen Whitlaw. Far from the cold woman he expected, Karen is warm and passionate. She is also in serious danger. Karen is shocked by her immediate and unwelcome attraction to the charming, smooth-voiced detective. But when her home is burglarized and "accidents" begin to happen, she turns to him for help. Together they unravel a disturbing story of politics, power, and murder -- and face a killer who will stop at nothing to get his hands on her father's secrets

Linda Howard seamlessly melds thrilling sensuality with heart-pounding dramatic tension -- and brings back the elusive hero of her smash hit novel Kill and Tell -- in this powerful New York Times bestseller. John Medina, the CIA's legendary Black Ops specialist, works in the shadows of the government's deadliest missions. And no one knows the dangers of getting close to him better than does communications expert Niema Burdock. Five years ago, Niema and her husband, Dallas, worked with Medina on an explosive mission that trapped Dallas in the crossfire -- fatally. Although she has slowly healed from her terrible loss, Niema never planned to see Medina again. But now John Medina needs her....A French arms dealer is supplying international terrorist units, and only Niema can plant the undetectable bugs needed to crack the deadly ring. Against her better instincts, Niema infiltrates the dealer's glamorous world by going undercover. 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 electricity. In a world of deception, John Medina has once again set Niema on a free fall into danger and desire

Efficient, professional, and without apology, Lily Mansfield is a hired assassin, working as a contract agent for the CIA. Her targets are the powerful and corrupt, those who can't be touched by the law. Now, after 18 years of service, Lily has been drawn into a dangerous game that hasn't been sanctioned, seeking vengeance for her own reasons. Each move bolder than the next, she is compromising her superiors, endangering her very life. Though stress and shock have made her feel somewhat invincible and a little cocky, Lily knows that she too can be taken out in an instant. And if it's her time, so be it. She intends to go down fighting. A CIA agent himself, Lucas Swain recognizes the signs of trauma in the line of fire. His orders are to either bring her in or bring her down. Yet he too is drawn into the game with Lily Mansfield, dancing on a tightrope as he tries to avoid a major international incident while still battling a tenacious foe who is dogging their every step. Keeping laser focus on her task at hand while vigilantly watching her back, Mansfield never sees the lethal peril that lies directly in her path . . . and how loyalty has a price