Quicksand

by William P. Wood

As head of California s task force on narcotics and organized crime, Brock Andrews has earned his reputation as a tough, no-nonsense law enforcement agent. With his hardball tactics and skillful handling of informants, his team has successfully brought down some of the country s most violent and powerful criminals. But it s Brock s superior who s about to become his greatest adversary. Her name: Alison Andrews, First Assistant United States Attorney . . . and Brock s wife.

Publicly, Alison and Brock Andrews are a dynamic power couple at the pinnacle of federal law enforcement. Privately, their marriage is on the rocks. And the growing tension between them has only worsened with Alison s release of Edward Nelson, the disgraced CIA employee and international arms dealer Brock arrested months earlier in the biggest bust of his career. What Brock doesn t know is that Alison has recruited Nelson as her most important undercover operator in a plot to ensnare a ring of domestic terrorists smuggling arms overseas. Nelson, a master manipulator skilled at deadly games, has a plan of his own to turn Alison s undercover operation inside out, unleash a secret army of heavily armed militiamen, and target Washington s high-powered political arena for a terrorist act of unparalleled proportions.

Nelson is once again number one on Brock s most wanted list. But with Alison protecting him from arrest, the only way to get to him is through an informant Brock has taken into custody. And while crucial information from this secret source helps Brock put together the pieces of Nelson s insidious plan, it lays open more questions and even more disturbing possibilities, including Alison s complicity in criminal activity. Soon, Brock finds himself deep in a morass of shifting loyalties, outright betrayals, and hidden agendas that leave him running out of trust and time. One thing is certain. Each hour matters, as Brock sets a dramatic trap to capture Nelson . . . and stop a terrifying attack on the heart of the nation. But first, he has to uncover the most dangerous truth of all . . ."

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

WILLIAM 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.

Reviews

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intricate tale of deception, insurrection, murder, & the law. It has taken me more than a year to finish this book because I lost interest. The book became hard to put down somewhere between the 18 - 23 chapter.

A highly established legal couple, Allison & Brock, wants the same man but for separate reasons. Allison wants him as an informant & Brock wants him behind bars. What escalates this story is the war this situation raises. Trust is now broken & secrets are being kept.

I'm not a fan of the espionage books and so my interest was late in peaking. In the end, it was a good book to read.