Synopses & Reviews
Small-time operator Bobby Carnes took a shot at a big score, setting up a major drug sale with some high rollers in Marina del Ray. He went in with a few bags of crank-methamphetamine and a .44 and walked out a stone-cold killer: a suitcase full of cash in his hands and four bodies in his wake. Now Carnes is up for trial, and Los Angeles County District Attorney George Keegan has decided to prosecute the case himself, prompted by his own private anguish. It's a move that guarantees him media coverage in a brutal reelection campaign--a strategy that could easily backfire. For Keegan's star witness is running scared, and if he loses the case, a brutal murderer will go free . . . and all of George Keegan's dreams will turn to dust.
Review
For Sudden Impact: Wood's engaging investigative thriller starts off with a bang, as beloved Sacramento police officer and local hero Tommy Ensor is killed in a late-night hit-and-run in front of the California state capitol building. The driver is charitable and good-natured Judge Frank Stevenson, who happens to be preparing for a meteoric rise through the ranks of California's justice system at the time of the accident. With so much to lose, Stevenson exhausts every available option at his disposal in an attempt to cover his tracks, but detectives Terry Nye and Rose Tafoya-along with the rest of the city's police department-are determined to track down the assailant. Meanwhile, assistant chiefs of police Jerry Nishimoto and Lou Altlander vie for the soon-to-be-vacated spot at the head of the department, threatening to turn the investigation into a political charade. Wood (Stay of Execution) is a must-read for those who love a classic, hard-boiled detective novel. (Feb.) Publishers Weekly
Review
New designs: Stay of Execution has been redesigned with a thematic cover, branded with Wood's remaining titles, which will be released throughout 2014. Wood's newest title, Sudden Impact, was released in February 2014. International Success: Wood's books have been translated into a number of foreign languages including French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Greek, and Polish. Feature Films: Broken Trust was filmed by Jane Fonda Films for TNT and starred Tom Selleck and Academy Award nominee Marsha Mason. The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and her husband John Gregory Dunne.
About the Author
WILLIAM WOOD is the bestselling author of eight novels and one nonfiction book. As a deputy district attorney in California, he handled thousands of criminal cases and put on over 50 jury trials. Two of Woods novels have been produced as motion pictures, including Rampage, filmed by Academy Award winning director William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist, Rules of Engagement), and Broken Trust, filmed by Jane Fonda Films with the screenplay written by Joan Didion and her husband John Gregory Dunne. Woods books have been translated into several foreign languages including French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Greek, and Polish. He lives in Sacramento, California.