UNBOUND: STUART WOODS

UNBOUND: STUART WOODS

Lethal, deadly, unrelenting and no sign of ever being remorseful there’s revenge on his mind and until the victim is deposed or disposed of rest will not come in the near future or anytime soon. The rich are bound by their own rules and often skirt the law when crimes are committed using their influence, power, money and connections to get their own vindicated of heinous crimes. Dax Baxter is a movie producer who seems to think that he’s beyond the law and when his wife mows down an innocent woman due to being in a drunken stupor, he neatly tucks her away in a rehab center, gets her treatment and goes about his nefarious life as if nothing ever happened. But, the man whose wife was killed has something special in mind for this man and the end result will prove that Billy Barnett/aka Teddy Fay/aka Teddy Shirley is creates his own rules and is totaled UNBOUND !

Sally is astute and smart and realizes that Teddy/Billy is not who or what he appears to be and within the back of his mind after meeting Dax and getting to know the job and the crew, his fake ID works to a point until she calls him on it and the trust issue comes to light as for some reason even though he misses Betsy and mourns her death, Sally seems to be a frontrunner for his heart.

Baxter is filming his next movie and gets himself hired as an assistant production manager under Dan Waters and from there he is unstoppable. Stone Barrington the main star of all of Stuart Woods novels takes a bit of a back seat when Teddy shows up in Santa Fe in the company of Barrington and his friend Ed Eagle who introduces him to Ana a hot real estate agent who keeps him occupied for most of the book.

Ted Shirley comes to life as he enters the studio and has an interview that lands him the job and his own love interest in Sally Ryder. Dax is like a huge child in an adult body who demands loyalty, obedience and whose receptionist and AKA/ girl Friday Chita seems to deal with him by just saying GOT IT but things within the organization change when Chita meets Carlos Rivera who is now on the case of finding out who is behind several murders that happen since Teddy has arrived and threats are made to his life and Dax hires a Russian hit man to take him out.

Dax Baxter becomes aware of Billy/Ted and hires a Russian to take him out but warnings might alert someone that they had better take these threats in hand but when Cupie is called by Dax to learn more about Stone Barrington and gather some dirt on him, just whose side is he on and will he live to tell it another day? The Russian and someone named the Bear are hired to take out not only Teddy but Sally too but when the Russian makes his move on Teddy his hospital stay and the end result should have taught this goon a lesson but these guys never quit when somewhat ahead. Bear and the Russian are hired to deal with not only Teddy and Sally but are confronted by Carlos Rivera and his partner Joe Rossi now on homicide duty whereas before dealing with stolen cars. Revenge is in the air and Dax being paranoid wants his obstacles removed and Billy/aka Teddy is his target. When the police question him about his wife’s alcohol habit and where she might be he’s not that forthcoming about the fact that she killed someone and the remorse are not there and the wife is neatly tucked away. Billy is smart and when attacked he manages to take on the Bear and the Russian but someone is right behind them to take their place while Stone and Ana get to know each other but his relationships are superficial and although he seems to like her a lot she wants her to live on her own turf and New York is not it. Children go one for one when they want to get even but watch what Billy does when doing the same. Stone is connected and has a lot of power but when Dax meets with Ben Bacchetti the police commissioner of New York’s son, he’s unpleasantly surprised at the end result.

Dax is paranoid and after Ben turns down his offer to produce movies in his studio and letting him take charge he takes his car and drives it out and brings it to a carwash and leaves it there and reports it stolen. Teddy listens to the Russian’s end of the conversation why he used the knife that is binding him to undo the tape on his angles and get free as the Russian captures him and Sally and the Bear but their end result is not exactly what Dax expected. Dax approaches this supposedly deserted house that they think he owns and what he sees will haunt him forever as the body count rises and Carlos and his partner try to find out more about the Russian but things don’t go as he planned. Chita Romero and Carlos are close and when the cleaning lady finds the bodies in the house and calls 911 Dax is now front page again in the news. Although Chita works for Dax she is loyal to her boyfriend and tells all when needed as Carlos is now part of homicide and everyone thinks Dax is dead but is he? Detectives Jensen and Reeves were investigating the murders at Dax’s house to encounter the brother of the Russian and wind up added to the body count. With Cupie as his spy Stone is able to warn Teddy of any incoming danger but Teddy seems above the law and even more dangerous than his enemies. With the star of the movie drunk and Teddy convincing him not to quit but to complete the movie and get paid and then Sally in his corner the killers on his tail just what will his fate be and will he enact the revenge on Dax that has formulated in his mind?

Dmitri Kasov is the Russian and Sergei is his brother that wants to take revenge on his brother’s killer. From Las Vegas, to Sante Fe, New York to New Mexico the cast of this book travel in many different circles as one man is out to take down Dax Baxter in due time whose wife in a private facility drying out.
Things heat up between Sally and Teddy but staying in one place is out of the question and Stone provides a haven for them at his Arrington Property food, maid service, cars and all. But, Teddy manages to get questioned by the police about the deaths of the two henchmen and seems above the law. Sgt. Carlos Rivera is out to prove himself worthy of a promotion but when his partner enters what appears to be where one of the henchmen lived his whole perspective might change. Carlos no longer with auto theft and gets into the mix and the danger rises you root for the good guys but this is Stuart Woods and he throws in some surprise curve balls.

When the final scene is played and the end is revealed author Stuart Woods creates a controversial murder that lets readers know that sometimes power wins, revenge reigns and the unexpected changes it all. When Carlos is seriously injured and his partner is hit with no hope to save him, what will Carlos do to avenge his death and will he remain in homicide? The scene created in chapter 59 will give the reader chills and make you wonder what kind of justice if any was enacted. One man who raged a one man war and hoped that he would have the advantage and win his own battles but in the end you the reader decide if there was really a winner! Teddy Fay/Billy Barnett is smart, dangerous, resourceful and I am sure he’ll be back again along with Stone, Dino, Peter, Ben and maybe even Sally with someone knew in Stone’s life. Once again Stuart Woods leaves readers wondering what’s next for Stone and will Teddy/Billy remain in the crossfire of danger?

Let’s give this one FIVE GOLDEN AIRPLANE WINGS FOR STONE’S NEXT SAFE FLIGHT!
Fran Lewis: Just reviews/ MJ Magazine