Skin Game by Stuart Woods

Skin Game by Stuart Woods
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When Teddy Fay receives a freelance assignment from a gentleman he can’t refuse, he jets off to Paris on the hunt for a treasonous criminal. But as Teddy unearths more information that just doesn’t seem to connect, his straightforward mission becomes far bigger–and stranger–than he could imagine. The trail of bread crumbs leads to secrets hidden within secrets, evildoers trading in money and power, and a global threat on an unprecedented scale. Under the beautiful veneer of the City of Lights, true villainy lurks in the shadows…and Teddy Fay alone can prevent the impending disaster.

Teddy Fay is given a freelance assignment from a powerful man he never thought would need his kind of help. Sent to Paris undercover to unearth a mole, Teddy figured it’ll be a quick and easy break – easily handled and shortly over. When one thing leads to another Teddy soon realizes there’s far more at play than any of them originally realized.

I’ve read plenty of books by this author and while I always enjoy them greatly, I strongly feel readers need to know this author always falls solidly into the “disengage your brain” style of story. Forget logic. Ignore reality. Just have a lovely large drink, sit back and follow along for the ride. There are a good cast of interesting characters who all know each other well and work together delightfully. There is an outlandish, but fast moving and interesting, plot that hooked my attention within the first few pages.

Readers looking for an action packed, light espionage style of story should feel this really fits the bill for them. There is a very light hand with the plot that I feel this author always does amazingly well. With enough plot and subterfuge to keep my interest, there nevertheless is no doubt this is not an intricate or complicated style of story. Readers looking for a fun summer read, or a quick and enjoyable escape from reality should find this mystery/espionage style of story is a delightful way to spend an easy and relaxing weekend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this full length novel and am looking forward to reading more by this author.