Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 14

In the newest addition to the bestselling series, Stone Barrington and Holly Barker pursue a master spy and murderer in a tropical paradise where very little is as it seems. Teddy Fay, a rogue agent last seen escaping an imploding building in Iron Orchid, has been considered dead for some time now. But President Will Lee thinks Teddy may still be alive. In a top-secret Oval Office meeting, Stone learns that he and his cohorts, Holly Barker and Dino Baldachetti, are being sent to the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Marks, courtesy of the CIA, to track down Teddy once and for all. St. Marks is a vacationer's paradise, but its luxurious beach clubs and secluded mountain villas are home to corrupt local politicians and more than a few American ex-pats with murky personal histories. Stone and Holly soon discover that in St. Marks, everyone is hiding something, and Teddy Fay may just be hiding in plain sight.From Publishers WeeklyStone Barrington and Holly Barker, Woods's longtime investigative and romantic duo, search for a rogue CIA agent on a beautiful tropical island in this low-voltage thriller. At the request of U.S. President Will Lee, Barrington and Barker travel to the Caribbean island of St. Marks to track down Teddy Fay, an agent-turned-assassin who has been on the loose for years. They find a mix of luxurious beach clubs, corrupt but genial politicians and a shady expatriate community that enjoys the local government's don't-ask-don't-tell approach to foreigners. What they don't find is Fay, a master of disguise and escape. Woods (Fresh Disasters) brings in his usual cast, including Barrington's sidekick Dino Bacchetti and CIA boss Lance Cabot, and spends as much time on fine dining and vacation fun in the sun as he does on the actual mission. The plot smartly picks up momentum toward the end, and a handful of character developments will keep fans eager for the next installment. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistStone Barrington and Holly Barker team up once again in Woods' newest offering, this time to hunt ex-CIA-agent-turned-assassin Teddy Fay at the behest of the director of the CIA, Kate Rule Lee, who also happens to be the wife of President William Lee. Stone and Holly, along with Dino Bacchetti, are dispatched to luxurious St. Marks island, where they spend as much time frolicking in the ocean as they do tracking Teddy. Stone and Holly manage to strike up an acquaintance with Irene Foster, a former CIA employee who was reputed to have had a relationship with Teddy, and her current lover, Harry Pitts. But Stone and Holly soon find themselves caught up in the corrupt local politics, which stand in stark contrast to the balmy paradise the island appears to be. After the chief of police on the island is gunned down, Stone and Holly realize Teddy might be back in business, and the hunt to find him becomes even more urgent. Perennial favorite Woods certainly knows how to keep the pages turning. Huntley, Kristine