gamblin_man's Full Review: Stuart Woods - Hothouse Orchid
Holly Barker is back as a leading character in Stuart Woods' latest novel in his Orchid series. As is Stuart Woods penchant as he writes his action/adventure mysteries, a lot of his past places and characters appear in this story of serial rape and murder.
Holly Barker had been the Chief of Police in Orchid Beach, Florida, a suburb of nearby Vero Beach. She was recruited by Lance Cabot of the CIA and has returned due to a forced vacation ordered by the head of the CIA, the wife of the current President - other characters who have had their share of leading roles in other of this prolific author's novels. She is coming to her home in Orchid Beach and her father, Ham, and his new wife, Ginny.
She is welcomed by the news that her former commanding officer in the MPs, who she had accused of attempted rape unsuccessfully, and for which she had resigned her commission and retired to the Chief's job in Orchid Beach, is about to become the new Chief of Police there. The chief who had replaced Holly is now the head of a special unit of the Florida State police. She stops to visit her dad and then, on her way to her Florida home, is stopped by an apparent police officer, rendered unconscious, and an attempted rape occurs. She is saved by a passing couple. She determines that she has become one of a series of rape/murders in the area.
In an apparently unrelated event, Teddy Fay, a former CIA operative, now retired and embarked on a career of killing those whom he deems antagonistic to America, has decided to come from the Bahamas to Orchid Beach. To further complicate the story, Laurie, who was another complainant in the rape charge against the new Orchid Beach Police Chief, has accepted a job as an investigator on the new Flroida unit headed by the former Chief. She becomes romantically involved with Teddy who is masquerading as a retired Georgia inventor.
Suspicion falls on the new chief and the force of the law, including a detective on the Orchid Beach force, goes after him. Suspicion builds even though evidence is scarce. More rape/murders take place. The suspense builds as Teddy, Holly, the Orchid Beach detective, and the Florida investigative unit try to pin the murders on the Chief.
Although this is a pretty pedestrian book of pop fiction with the requisite sex and violence, the reader is given plenty of clues to the mystery. Stuart Woods, however, does leave a couple of surprises for the climactic chapters. For those who have read many of this author's novels, there will be a sense of familiarity and continuation of his plethora of characters. For those for whom this novel is the first read, it keeps the pages turning with a rather plebeian but enjoyable read experience.
A brand-new, page-turning Holly Barker novel from perennially entertaining New York Times -bestselling author Woods--a no-nonsense, slam-bang storytel...More at Buy.com
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