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The Bribe
When a war hero and a member of Congress is brutally murdered after making a speech blasting corruption in Washington, police detectives Terry Nye and Rose Tafoya have twenty-four hours to find the truth with the help of acting District Attorney Dennis Cooper. Original.
278 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2014
13 people want to read
About the author
William P. Wood
24 books19 followersWILLIAM P. WOOD is the author of nine thrillers and one nonfiction book. As a deputy district attorney in California, he handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from disturbing the peace to murder. He served as chief counsel to the Secretary of State of California, the Commissioner of the California Department of Corporations, and the Undersecretary of the Office of Secretary of State.
Wood's literary works include "Rampage" (1985), "Gangland" (1988), Fugitive City (1989), "Court of Honor" (1991), "Stay of Execution" (1994), "Quicksand" (1998), "Pressure Point" (2004), and "The Bribe" (2006). His latest book is "Sudden Impact."
A nonfiction book, "The Bone Garden" (1994), is the definitive account of serial killer Dorothea Puente, who was the subject of a nationwide hunt after nine bodies were dug up from her Sacramento, California yard. Wood earlier sent Puente to prison for drugging and robbing the elderly.
Many of Wood's novels have been optioned for film/TV and two were produced. The first, "Rampage" was directed by Academy Award-winner William Friedkin ("The French Connection" and "The Exorcist"). "Court of Honor" was adapted into the TV-movie "Broken Trust" by Jane Fonda Films, starring Tom Selleck and Elizabeth McGovern. The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and her husband John Gregory Dunne.
Upon the release of "Sudden Impact" many of Wood's previous and acclaimed titles will be released in paperback during 2014.
Caliban’s Flight (Willowbank Books), an international suspense thriller is his latest novel. Turner Publishing has reissued all of Wood’s earlier works in paperback and as audible books. He currently lives in Sacramento, California, where he is working on his next novel. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
Wood's literary works include "Rampage" (1985), "Gangland" (1988), Fugitive City (1989), "Court of Honor" (1991), "Stay of Execution" (1994), "Quicksand" (1998), "Pressure Point" (2004), and "The Bribe" (2006). His latest book is "Sudden Impact."
A nonfiction book, "The Bone Garden" (1994), is the definitive account of serial killer Dorothea Puente, who was the subject of a nationwide hunt after nine bodies were dug up from her Sacramento, California yard. Wood earlier sent Puente to prison for drugging and robbing the elderly.
Many of Wood's novels have been optioned for film/TV and two were produced. The first, "Rampage" was directed by Academy Award-winner William Friedkin ("The French Connection" and "The Exorcist"). "Court of Honor" was adapted into the TV-movie "Broken Trust" by Jane Fonda Films, starring Tom Selleck and Elizabeth McGovern. The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and her husband John Gregory Dunne.
Upon the release of "Sudden Impact" many of Wood's previous and acclaimed titles will be released in paperback during 2014.
Caliban’s Flight (Willowbank Books), an international suspense thriller is his latest novel. Turner Publishing has reissued all of Wood’s earlier works in paperback and as audible books. He currently lives in Sacramento, California, where he is working on his next novel. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 21, 2021
This starts intriguing before a steady decline to the end. 4 of 10 stars
January 27, 2021
Pretty good story, no great plot.
December 25, 2023
This book wasn’t the best I’ve ever read but it wasn’t the worst either. It did keep me engaged the whole time though!
April 15, 2010
When a controversial California Congressman and a cab driver are killed in front of an apartment building, where the Representative lives with his mistress, things may not be as simple as initially thought. After a possible robbery or car-jacking gone wrong are ruled out rumors begin circulating. Finally, Homeland Security and the White House announce that this may be a terrorist act. Things quickly become more difficult for two Sacramento homicide detectives and the Deputy District Attorney.
As the investigation continues, Detective Terry Nye and his partner, Rose Tafoya discovers that the FBI is not being totally forthcoming with certain information. They find on their own that the Congressman has been taking bribes and that his announcement that he was calling for legislation to stop this type of thing may have led to his murder. From the Congressman’s greedy wife, who may have political ambitions of her own, to his secretive head of staff and a shady, lobbyist with ties to the current D.A. there is no shortage of suspects.
Wood alternates the narrative from that of the detectives to that of Deputy D.A. Cooper as each begins looking into the career and private life of the dead Congressman. The trail leads from the former haunts of the one-time military hero turned politician to the halls of Congress in D.C. and back again. His mistress fears for her own life and everybody from the wife to the Congressman’s ‘business associates’ are hiding things from the police. Barred by the FBI from investigating certain aspects of the case, Cooper, Nye & Tafoya must follow the limited leads they do have before things spiral out of control and the case is taken out of their hands.
With a dozen different suspects and the personal lives of the lead characters to follow Wood doesn’t make it easy for the reader. Some aspects of the case go back several decades and it becomes obvious that, just as the detectives, we aren’t privy to every angle. As Joe Bob used to say in his video reviews, there’s way too much plot getting in the way of the story. I don’t want to accuse writer Wood of padding, but I think the tale could have been told in a swifter fashion.
Overall a good book with a successful outcome, and I enjoyed the digs along the way at the current political climate and jabs at the ‘war on terror.’ While I liked the main characters and would like to see them return in another book, I think the author might want to pare things down the next time around. I believe that choosing to focus on either Cooper or the two detectives would help things along.
If Good Reads allowed half-stars I would knock off a half because of some obvious padding.
As the investigation continues, Detective Terry Nye and his partner, Rose Tafoya discovers that the FBI is not being totally forthcoming with certain information. They find on their own that the Congressman has been taking bribes and that his announcement that he was calling for legislation to stop this type of thing may have led to his murder. From the Congressman’s greedy wife, who may have political ambitions of her own, to his secretive head of staff and a shady, lobbyist with ties to the current D.A. there is no shortage of suspects.
Wood alternates the narrative from that of the detectives to that of Deputy D.A. Cooper as each begins looking into the career and private life of the dead Congressman. The trail leads from the former haunts of the one-time military hero turned politician to the halls of Congress in D.C. and back again. His mistress fears for her own life and everybody from the wife to the Congressman’s ‘business associates’ are hiding things from the police. Barred by the FBI from investigating certain aspects of the case, Cooper, Nye & Tafoya must follow the limited leads they do have before things spiral out of control and the case is taken out of their hands.
With a dozen different suspects and the personal lives of the lead characters to follow Wood doesn’t make it easy for the reader. Some aspects of the case go back several decades and it becomes obvious that, just as the detectives, we aren’t privy to every angle. As Joe Bob used to say in his video reviews, there’s way too much plot getting in the way of the story. I don’t want to accuse writer Wood of padding, but I think the tale could have been told in a swifter fashion.
Overall a good book with a successful outcome, and I enjoyed the digs along the way at the current political climate and jabs at the ‘war on terror.’ While I liked the main characters and would like to see them return in another book, I think the author might want to pare things down the next time around. I believe that choosing to focus on either Cooper or the two detectives would help things along.
If Good Reads allowed half-stars I would knock off a half because of some obvious padding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2016
This is a fast-moving story about people who are not what they seem to be, about disillusion, good vs evil stryggle--a good read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews