Public Enemy

W. Cooper #2

by Will Staeger

When quasi-retired CIA operative W. Cooper's routine of debauchery is interrupted by a request for his help in fencing millions of dollars in gold artifacts, Cooper doesn't see a downside—until, that is, everyone connected to the artifacts begins dying.

Crackerjack intelligence analyst Julie Laramie, meanwhile, is sent to a meeting with a former head of the CIA, who tells her the first case of a suicide bombing by an American citizen has occurred within the continental United States. A deadly filovirus was dispersed . . . and the "suicide sleeper" was not alone. Laramie is told to form her own civilian "counterterror unit"—and for the role of operative, she has no choice but to call in Cooper.

As the army of suicide sleepers and their leader are identified, Cooper must call upon the old-school skills he's tried for so many years to forget . . . and by the time he's dispatched for his most dangerous assignment yet, it may be too late for his mission to matter.

Genres: Thriller, Espionage

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

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

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 1st Will Staeger novel and the 2nd in a series featuring semi-retired Cooper and the brilliant CIA female analyst Laramie...I love the juxtaposition of Cooper's "Live Slow" island philosophy and the frenetic pace of the story...while not Robert K. Parkerish, the dialogue is sparkly and fun...a fun read...I will read the 1st, Painkiller

[Sbajak82 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. Suspenseful and enjoyable.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper is back with his humor, and with Staeger's suspenseful tale....it's pulled of really well. Kinda like Carl Hiaason meets James Bond. This was a timely story when it came out (2006), and too bad the author didn't continue with some more W. Cooper adventures.

[Jameson]

Great Follow Up Book

Great characters and story, driven by the likeable anti hero W Cooper. Fans of the first book will find more of the same kind of intense mystery as the first book. Only wish Staeger was able to write more with these characters, but the pair of books will have to do.

[Shira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh, so much fun! Make sure you have Red Stripe on hand to get in the mood. If you're a bit tired of the (yawn) big, bad, Middle Eastern terrorist bad guys in most spy novels post-9/11 enjoy the imaginative bad guys in this one.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is superfluous and easily ignored - instead, pick this one up for the characters and the razor-sharp dialogue.

[Orion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of action. Loved the way he combined the 2 story lines.