Hothouse Orchid

I found Hothouse Orchid to be a very fast-paced read. I finished reading the book in one day. Stuart Woods is one of my favorite authors and he doesn't disappoint in this new book.

Teddy, the former Tech that started murdering the bad guys, is back. This Stuart Woods piece is a fun read and you end it with a smile. My kind of book!

He's in fine form with the newest Holly Barker book, and it's just wonderful. Finally ditched the Holly + Stone Barrington combo, which never worked for me. Brought back an old nemesis, and a really exciting story line with terrific supporting characters from previous Holly Barker novels. An excellent read!

If you have ever read a Stuart Woods thriller featuring Special Agent Holly Barker, then you know that vacation is not a word or concept that you associate with her. But when her boss mandates that she take one month off after letting international terrorist Teddy Fay slip through her fingers, Holly is forced to retreat to her home in Orchid Beach, Florida. The break is short-lived, though, when bodies of raped women begin appearing all over town, thrusting Holly back into her old job. And to make matters worse, she learns that her nemesis from her Army years, James Bruno, has taken over her old position as police chief. Bruno is a despicable man who had tried to rape her once. Shortly after settling in to her home, Holly suffers another attempted rape. Is this all a coincidence? Bad luck? Or is it all connected somehow? Whatever the case, she soon decides that she must do something fast; the bodies are piling up, and she may be next. The perpetrator of these horrendous acts, we soon learn, is either a cop or merely posing as one. This role allows the man to stop his prey in a secluded spot when they have some kind of car trouble. After he does so, he administers a date-rape drug, disarms his target, and from there continues with his disgusting deed. And like many serial killers, he keeps souvenirs. As the victims start to amass, the murderer is becoming bolder, self-assured, and, worst of all, fearless. However, Holly's problems don't end there, as Teddy Fay appears in Orchid Beach under the assumed name "Jack Smithson." When his new girlfriend, local realtor Adele Mason, is suddenly raped and killed, eyes turn to Fay as the most likely suspect of the killings. It's almost as though Orchid Beach is a haven for damaged individuals, or perhaps it's just a magnet for intrigue. But whatever the case, big things are going down there, and forces are about to collide. The author of 42 books, 40 of which are fiction, Stuart Woods has penned five thrillers featuring Holly Barker. I am impressed with how HOTHOUSE ORCHID flows. It is jam-packed with conflict, characters you can believe, and plenty of page-turning action. There are more twists and turns here than Lake Shore Drive in Chicago before they removed the S-curves. This is a book that you can (and probably will) read in one sitting; I double-dog dare you to try to put it down. --- Reviewed by Marge Fletcher

Stuart Woods is my favorite author when it comes to mystery suspense, and creating a story, that I can rarely put down, until I am done with it. It is a shame that some so called reviewer can only complain about price and inaccurately give a one star review to a book written by one of the best story tellers of all time. I actually picked up a copy in the library, the same day that comment was made and that complaint over pricing, can not be considered an actual review. She has not even read the book. Since the story line has already been stated in ACTUAL reviews on this book, I will not repeat them again. But, if you have read Stuart Woods in the past, and enjoyed his incredible abiity to weave very interesting yarns, then you will like this book also, and it is well worth reading.