My first Stuart Woods book was called White Cargo, back in 1988. It was an exciting jungle adventure, and it still has a place in my heart ~ along with the second I read called Deep Lie, an exciting submarine adventure. Under The Lake was written before White Cargo, and is also pretty good. His first novel Chiefs was a successful TV miniseries and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel.
He was a favourite author of mine and I read all his titles as soon as they came out until Palindrome in 1991. This was the year he also published New York Dead, with his detective Stone Barrington.
And so began the slide into manufactured novels. Woods joined the trend where authors like Clive Cussler and James Patterson (among many others) were contracted to come up with outlines for other novelists to write. It's not a new idea - serial writers have been around for decades. When VC Andrews died, they continued writing her series, written by (?) with just VC Andrews on the cover. A name like Robert Ludlum or Clive Cussler sold the book, and no one asked about the co-author name in smaller print. James Patterson says he has too many ideas to write them himself. I guess this is accepted practice, though it does piss off the reader. There is no author voice.
Stuart Woods began several series in the early 90's (Will Lee, Stone Barrington, Holly Barker, Ed Eagle and Rick Barron) and immediately the quality went South. His unique voice of his writing disappeared and the stories became generic Summer reads ~ a new one appears every few months. In 2009, he had at least book from each of his five series published, and the Stone Barrington novels come out about four a year. If it's possible to write all these himself (as he doesn't credit a co-author) the fast pace leaves little of interest behind. I find it irritating. I liked him as a writer. He has over 60 novels though, and is very popular at Costco.
So why review Run Before The Wind now?
It was his second book written in 1983, and with his sailing background, it seemed like he put a lot of personal experiences into it. I always imagined it would be closer to his true writing, and while I was disappointed to lose an author I liked to the crap machine, I harboured a nostalgic hope that I would return in time and read him as I did when I discovered him.
Series regular Will Lee is at loose ends after taking a break for law school. He goes to relatives on the coast of Ireland where he befriends an English couple building a luxury sailboat for their benefactor Derek Thrasher, an international philanthropist. In this small town, there are IRA sympathizers with long memories, who see all English as the enemy, and are ready to sabotage, kill, or destroy. Will they get the boat finished without getting blown up? Who are the IRA among their group? Will they win the sailing race?
It's an OK story, with the usual Woods characters I remembered instantly. Thrasher is a multi millionaire who becomes instant friends with Will, leading him right into the inner circle of society, no security worries. All the women he meets are attractive, sexually free, and surprising him with a bottle of wine and no panties. Will begins dating Irish Connie within days, has no problem having an affair with his friend's wife Annie, as well as an affair in London with Lady Jane, yet is offended when they won't be monogamous with him. With all the time spent in Ireland on the boat and in London, he still leaves for law school again in the US as he can't decide where he wants to be.
It's a bit of a mess plot wise, but still an OK read. If you are into boat building and sailing you might enjoy it more that I did ~ There is plenty of sea action in the Channel, some spy action to divert your attention.
Am I recommending it, No. But it wasn't a terrible read. I could see the same devices that appealed to me in his earlier books, and it was only his second book so I give him a break. Not a classic, but I'm happy to have read it. I read a lot of junk fiction, but I'll just stay away from his other crap.
1983 / Paperback / 483 pages
Comments