Severe Clear

July 9, 2012
Bestseller Woods’s 50th novel, the 24th entry in his Stone Barrington series (Unnatural Acts, etc.), boasts an all-star lineup, from series fixtures such as Lt. Dino Bacchetti and lawyer Herbie Fisher to Woods’s other series leads, notably U.S. president Will Lee and Holly Barker of the CIA. The event that brings everyone together is the opening of the Arrington, the palatial Bel-Air hotel named for Stone’s late wife, Arrington Carter. The glittering assembly of guests, including Lee and the Mexican president, makes the affair a prime terrorist target. Hints of a clever plan for a horrific attack reach members of various security agencies, who scramble to prevent it. Meanwhile, Stone and his guests try to enjoy the opulent setting with their usual accompaniments of good food, good drink, and good sex. Woods expertly mixes familiar ingredients to produce an intoxicating cocktail that goes down easily. Agent: Anne Sibbald, Janklow & Nesbit.

May 1, 2013

Following the rather flat Unnatural Acts, Woods returns to form in his 24th Stone Barrington mystery, also his 50th novel. The New York attorney is primarily a supporting character as several figures from previous books try to head off a terrorist attack on a Los Angeles hotel where the presidents of the United States and Mexico are meeting. Excising much of the flab and needless repetition of his recent entries in the series, Woods juggles his large cast expertly, avoiding in his well-drawn main villain the cliches usually associated with terrorists. Inspired by the hectic pace, Tony Roberts offers an even livelier reading than usual, reducing the archness that occasionally creeps into his performances. VERDICT Severe Clear should delight fans of the series as well as thriller fans generally. [The Putnam hc was a New York Times best seller.--Ed.]--Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr., New York

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