Santa Fe Dead by Stuart Woods Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Santa Fe Dead
Book Review: A Sizzling Read
Summary: 5 Stars
It grabbed me on page one and I couldn't put it down. The author has a super way of recapping the events of the story as as the plot continued.
I couldn't help but try to cast which star would be best if I were directing it as a movie.
Book Review: Looks to be a vacation favorite for the summer
Summary: 4 Stars
Attorney Ed Eagle relaxes in his Los Angeles hotel room while waiting for the summation and the jury's verdict in his former wife's murder trial. She had targeted him for extinction but mistakenly shot and killed the occupants of an adjacent hotel room in San Diego. A slight possibility exists that someone besides Barbara is responsible for the deaths. Readers will be hooked at the end of the first chapter when informed that Barbara has escaped from a court conference room. Ed is once again in line to become SANTA FE DEAD, an appropriate book title.
The action switches to Barbara's whereabouts. She has undergone a hair and makeup makeover and is lounging by the pool at a private spa. She's on the prowl for a new provider, a man with a hefty bank account. An excellent prospect turns up poolside --- wealthy widower Walter Keeler. Using her utmost feminine charms, Barbara becomes the next Mrs. Keeler, heir to his fortune.
Meanwhile, Ed and his girlfriend, actress Susannah Wilde, gear up for a confrontation with his former bride. With Barbara, threats are second nature, and Ed knows she'll follow through. Susannah's ex-husband poses an additional danger. To complicate matters, the jurors in Los Angeles have acquitted Barbara of the murder charges. Ed hires private investigator Cupie Dalton to locate his ex-wife and carries a gun for protection. But livelihood calls and Ed takes on a new client, Don Wells.
Don is a Hollywood producer and owner of numerous residences, with one in Santa Fe, Barbara's hometown. His wife and son are reported to be kidnapped, and he calls Barbara from Rome to check out the Santa Fe residence. "It smelled like a butcher shop" is the chilling description that author Stuart Woods uses to paint the scene. Donna Wells is heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, but she and her boy are very dead. Police focus on her husband for a motive, yet his alibi is solid.
The novel moves back and forth between major characters and various locations, yet interest remains strong because of masterful writing. Near-sympathy is achieved for Barbara when her new husband is killed. But she does not disappoint when her ulterior motives resurface. Her attorney throws a wrench into her plans when the will is read, putting her rich-widow status in doubt.
SANTA FE DEAD moves quickly through its clever storyline and strews numerous bodies in the path to its conclusion. Personalities become entangled when complications link greed, murder, cover-ups and intrigue. The author streamlines the action and interlaces some romance with a bit of homicide. His storytelling ability surpasses the mundane detective/lawyer mysteries common to the genre.
From California to Mexico to Santa Fe, Stuart Woods describes colorful settings with an economy of words. His experience as a pilot is clear when he puts his characters in the air. He has researched the movie industry and displays his knowledge in writing about stunt men and back lot scenes. Less than 300 pages, SANTA FE DEAD is a quick read and looks to be a vacation favorite for the summer.
--- Reviewed by Judy Gigstad
Book Review: ANOTHER AWESOME BOOK BY STUART WOODS!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is another can't-put-it-down book by Stuart Woods. His writing style & ability to intertwine the characters & story lines from his various novels is incredible. I travel a lot for business and rely on his books to make the air travel more bearable. Thank you Stuart Woods! Keep cranking out the great reads!Book Review: Santa Fe Dead
Summary: 5 Stars
It was one of the best....I love all of Stuart Woods works but this one really kept my attention. I enjoyed every page...couldn't put it down.Book Review: Good plot but rushed!
Summary: 3 Stars
Lately, at least with the last half dozen Stuart Woods efforts, things seem to be uneven, going from terrific to mediocre and back again. "Santa Fe Dead" pace feels rushed. The plot is strong but unfolds too fast with the author simply "telling" instead of the more entertaining "showing." Dialogue is so flat it is predictable and weak as it telegraphs the unfolding plot with cliches and an over abundance over triteness and overwriting in places.
I wouldn't usually recommend that an author write more in order to make a better story but I feel that the pace would have worked much better if things unfolded slowly and that not all the red herrings end up being exactly what they are presented as. there are few if any real surprises to keep a reader guessing. I truly feel that this manuscript went to the editor too soon and didn't receive the work it needed to be a great Stuart Woods. When Woods was writing one very good well thought out effort every year to year and a half they were much better, but now it seems that there are two or three every ten to twelve months and the speed shows and the results are very disappointing. That such a good plot, and interesting resurrected characters are used in the way they are in "Santa Fe Dead" is a shame. My suggestion is for Stuart Woods to take more time and explore more fully realized plots, settings, characters and action. For those introduced to Woods with such a great book as "Chiefs" this is even more of a disappointment for long time fans.