Painkiller

W. Cooper #1

by Will Staeger

With page-turning ferocity, Will Staeger delivers a stylistic blend of riveting action, thrilling suspense, and starkly alluring characters in this classic tale of espionage laced with a twist of modern-day terror . . . The quasi-retired, Virgin Islands-based CIA operative known only as W. Cooper lives his life free-diving and philandering along a quarter-mile of white sand—a necessary slice of paradise for a man seeking to kill the pain of torturous memories. His life of leisure is rudely interrupted, however, when he's tapped by the local police to "dispose" of a bullet-ridden, mysteriously scarred body deposited on the island's shore by a passing hurricane. Sensing the cops are merely looking to duck the labor of a proper homicide investigation, Cooper declines—only to encounter a haunting form of déjà vu that brings with it a strange sense of comradeship with the anonymous victim. Knowing he'd be better off leaving well enough alone, Cooper decides to investigate where no one else seems willing. At CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, junior analyst Julie Laramie discovers, almost by accident, evidence of a massive, clandestine military buildup in China—and elsewhere. Alerting her superiors in her typically alarmist fashion, she's reprimanded for violating Agency protocol and told to leave policymaking to the elected officials. Like Cooper, Laramie knows she should walk away, but her gut drives her on a course toward career suicide—and a bounty of evidence only she seems to see. What she sees? A labyrinthine, untraceable terrorist plot designed to cripple the United States. Led down parallel paths littered with a uniquely dark and compelling cast of enemies—a zombifying Haitian witch doctor, a slave-trading albino serial killer, and a Creatine-boosted behemoth bodybuilder to name just three—Cooper and Laramie find themselves drawn together from opposite ends of a terrifying conspiracy. With the clock ticking down, the two realize they may be all that stands in the way of the annihilation of the existing world order. A dynamic and complex story featuring powerful writing, magnetic characters, and a terrifyingly realistic premise, Will Staeger's debut marks him as the newest star on the thriller horizon. So beware . . . like the Caribbean cocktail with which this book shares its name, Painkiller is deceptively tasty—and exceedingly dangerous.

Genres: Thriller, Espionage

496 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

William H. Staeger, Jr. is the author of Painkiller, a gritty spy thriller featuring W. Cooper, an irascible, quasi-retired CIA operative stationed in the British Virgin Islands, and his sometime partner Julie Laramie, a sharp-tongued satellite intelligence analyst. An International Thriller Writers Best First Novel nominee.

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This espionage/cloak and dagger thriller, was an exciting debut. A dash of Clancy, with some Hiaasen thrown in for good measure. Cooper & Laramie were an engaging duo. A good beach read in Feburary.

[Melissa Winberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very different than stuff I typically read but it was cool getting out of my comfort zone. The main character cooper is awesome. I liked how there were multiple story lines at first that seemed to have very little similarities but at the end they all connected seamlessly.

[Olivermagnus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Virgin Islands based CIA operative, W. Cooper, lives his life diving and hanging around with beautiful women there on vacation. One night he's asked by the local police to dispose of a bullet-ridden, scarred body deposited on the island's shore by a passing hurricane. He believes the police just want to avoid the trouble of investigating a body that's just washed up on the beach, so Cooper decides to investigate for himself.

Meanwhile, CIA junior analyst, Julie Laramie, discovers evidence of a covert military buildup in China. When she informs her supervisors she's reprimanded for violating Agency protocol and told to leave policy making to the elected officials. Like Cooper, Laramie knows she should walk away, but she can't and won't do it. Naturally, the Caribbean murder case Cooper is working on is linked to Julie’s Chinese conspiracy. The two partner up to save America from a variety of deadly outcomes.

This was the first book I've read from Will Staeger and it wasn't bad. It has lots of action, appealing main characters and a realistic premise. I would definitely consider reading the sequel, Public Enemy.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-paced conspiracy thriller featuring a semi-retired Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent known simply as W. Cooper. Based in the British Virgin Islands, where there is little need for a CIA operative, Cooper is asked by the local police to look into a murder case. Working the case, Cooper begins to detect a link between the murder and a China-based conspiracy discovered by CIA junior analyst Julie Laramie, who is in trouble with her bosses for uncovering a politically sensitive situation. Before long, the two team up to stop the plot, which includes nuclear radiation poisoning, witch doctors, and zombies. ITW Thriller Award Nominee for Best 1st Novel, 2006. One of my 9 best first mysteries read in 2005.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great introduction for character W. Cooper and I really look forward to seeing more of this character in future books. Cooper is a sorta kinda employee of the C.I.A living in the BVI, that is the British Virgin Islands and don't worry there will be more alphabet soup in the novel. This Cooper is asked to look into the murder of a man found by the local authorities and from there things will quickly accelerate. Leading her own investigation in a separate matter in Virginia is an analyst for the C.I.A. And strangely enough these two investigations will tangle into the same matter in due time. A very well written first book by a very talented writer.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the 2nd Cooper and Laramie novel Public Enemy and enjoyed the main characters and the secondary characters...enjoyed the grating conflict of "living slow" and the intense need of duty to one's mission...the plotting, not so much or I would have given it 4 stars...in this one they stop a rogue Chinese operation that threatens world peace

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a blast with this one - and the next installment, Public Enemy. Cooper is a new hero. Grab a beach chair and a drink and let yourself fall into his world.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy and out of control plot-wise, but clearly possessed of a sense of humor about itself.