Quicksand

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 . . .

About the author

William P. Wood, originally from Johnson City, Tennessee, was pastor of First Presbyterian Church (USA), in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 1983 to 2010, where he served with distinction in building up a thriving congregation. After graduating from Davidson College (1965) he attained theology degrees, BD, ThM, and PhD in Old Testament from Union Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. Wood was a student of John H. Leith and from 1998 to 2022 served as president of the Foundation for Reformed Theology.

Summary

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 . . .

Foreword

National and local publicity and review coverage

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Event at Bouchercon 2014 in Long Beach

Also available in ebook and audiobook

Additional text

Despite its somewhat ludicrous premise?a husband-and-wife team of assistant U.S. attorneys (she's his boss) who lie to each other, withhold vital information and then wonder why their marriage is in trouble?Wood's (Broken Trust) new thriller offers a great deal of action and a worthy villain. Arms dealer and former CIA agent Ed Nelson is a credible and deadly combination of softness and guile. He's more than a match for Alison Andrews, the ambitious first assistant U.S. attorney general, and her tougher, more pragmatic husband, Brock, who work out of Sacramento, live in a restored mansion where nude swimming keeps their sex life active and generally share everything but the important stuff. "Perhaps," Alison wonders, "they no longer shared the same dreams." In fact, Alison has been arm-twisted into letting Nelson walk after Brock and his team risked their lives to nail him. Justifiably miffed, Brock keeps secrets from Alison about his ongoing investigation into one of Nelson's associates?another believably weak but dangerous con named Denny Lara. In fluid prose, former deputy district attorney Wood is at his best showing how government operatives often trip over their own guns. He's on much shakier ground trying to make us care if the Andrews marriage can or should be saved.

Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

• Authors: William P. Wood, Wood William P.
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.01.2015
• EAN: 9781620454749
• ISBN: 978-1-62045-474-9
• No. of pages: 344
• Dimensions: 139 mm x 215 mm x 20 mm
• Weight: 435 g
• Illustrations: Illustrationen, nicht spezifiziert
• Subjects: Fiction > Suspense; FICTION / Mystery & Detective / General, FICTION / Thrillers / General, Crime & mystery, FICTION / Thrillers / Political, FICTION / Thrillers / Crime, FICTION / Thrillers / Legal, Thriller / suspense fiction, Crime and mystery fiction