Grass Roots by Stuart Woods

Synopsis

Beloved Georgia Senator Ben Carr is an icon on Capitol Hill who wants to serve one more term before using his considerable political clout to get his chief of staff Will Lee elected to take his place. But the plans go awry when the aging Senator suffers a debilitating stroke, making it impossible to speak, let alone campaign.

Lee is eventually thrust into the limelight to face off with Democratic Governor Mack Dean for the party's nomination. The winner will face-off against the evil Reverend Calhoun, the Republican television evangelist for the Presidency. A problem arises, however, when Judge Boggs commits Lee to defend a high-profile murder case that involves a young white male, Larry Moody, standing trial for the rape and murder of a black female. The racially-charged trial threatens to have a disastrous effect on the campaign of the newcomer.

Meanwhile, Stone Barrington pursues a group of white supremacists on a murder spree that targets local adult entertainment purveyors, while in the background, the mysterious Archon is pulling the strings that bring the scenarios together to an exciting finale. * * *

My Two Cents Worth

I have been a Woods fan for some time, but only recently picked up one of his earlier works of fiction, Grass Roots. I enjoyed the first half of the book, as it promised an entertaining and complex story-line, but by the time the trial was to start I grew weary of the persistent political diatribe that was blatantly slanted to the far left. If I want political commentary, it is available 24/7 on the boob tube. I do feel that in his more current works Woods has learned to tell the story and leave politics to the pundits.

I did appreciate the way the three story lines merged, and the trial was well-done and surprising. Woods is a great storyteller, who has obviously honed his craft through the years to the point that most readers can probably forgive his ego. The pace was upbeat and suffered very few lapses in the action. I must admit, too, that I was amused by the statement on the back cover offered by The State (SC), claiming " Stuart Woods is a wonderful storyteller who could teach Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy a thing or two."

Doubt it.

Paperback
604 pages
7 1/2 hours