OBSESSION

4 stars out of 5

Although I've never considered myself to be a big fan of ex-CIA operative Teddy Fay (at least not in comparison to the related Stone Barrington series), this one is in my mind the best of the lot so far (it's the sixth). Teddy, who by most accounts is considered to be dead, is trying hard not to be resurrected and takes on the persona of three different characters (yes, his ability to switch identities so quickly without anyone suspecting defies rational thought), so it's sometimes a little hard to keep them all straight. But somehow, it works.

The story takes place primarily in and around Santa Barbara, California, where Centurion Pictures and a Croatian billionaire are close to a deal on a joint venture. Centurion is owned by Ben Bachetti, and a film starring Mark Weldon - one of Teddy's alter egos - is being directed by Peter Barrington (both names will be familiar to readers of the Barrington series so I won't bother with details). Early on, the billionaire's wife is kidnapped, and Teddy agrees, under one of his other identities, that his "friend" (secretly the real Teddy) will try to rescue her. Meantime, another bad guy has the hots for Ben's dazzling model wife Tessa, and his quest to win her over turns from stalking to something way more threatening.

The rest of the story follows those two themes all the way to their conclusions, with plenty of action - and a lot of help from familiar friends including Stone - along the way. One hallmark of both series is that it's rare for any of the main characters to meet an untimely end - at worst, one might get roughed up a little - so I and other readers can stay on the edge of our seats without biting our nails to the quick. While situations certainly get serious and there are several casualties of war, so to speak, things tend to work out in the end, as they do here. All in all, it's another enjoyable romp and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. 

Obsession by Stuart Woods and Brett Battles (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2023); 315 pp.

UNBOUND

3.5 stars


Teddy Fay is not a nice man. On the other hand, if you want vengeance - all the way up to and including having somebody rubbed out - Teddy's your guy. But if you need to find him, look for Billy Barnett; that's the identity he's been using ever since New York attorney Stone Barrington, his friend of sorts, finagled him a Presidential pardon for sins he committed years earlier. Billy even works at the motion picture production company run by Stone's son, Peter, with his partner Ben (another well-connected son of a filthy rich and powerful guy).

As this story begins, Billy is still mourning the death of his wife, who was run down by a drunk driver - the wife of another filmmaker, Dax Baxter, who outshines Billy in the unnice guy category. Dax also managed to use his considerable wealth and connections to protect his wife from prosecution, which understandably rankles Billy no end. As a former CIA operative back when he was Teddy, Billy is a man who tends to get what he wants - and he wants Dax's head on a platter (literally, if necessary).

Using still another identity, Billy gets hired on the set of Dax's latest movie, where he hopes to create havoc that will hit Dax where it hurts most - in the pocketbook. But Dax smells a rat, figuring out who Billy really is. Worse, he decides Billy needs to be taken out, bringing in some Russian muscle to do the job.

So since this book supposedly is about high-powered, oversexed Stone (this is the 44th book, I believe), how does he play into the story? Hardly at all, as it turns out. Mostly, he jets from place to place, talks on the phone and arranges for friends, including Billy, to stay in one of his ostentatious homes that are scattered all over the country. At least this time he settles on a single woman - a highly successful Sante Fe realtor - rather than trying to keep customers satisfied in all the cities in which he owns property.

All in all, it's not a bad story - perhaps with a bit more murder, mayhem and gore than usual - so if I overlook the fact that Stone is pretty much overlooked, I'm willing to call it a decent read (nowhere near as boring as the last few in this series, in fact). That said, I've never been a big Teddy Fay fan, and this book didn't do much to change that opinion. 

Unbound by Stuart Woods (G.P. Putnam's Sons, January 2018); 318 pp.