A SAFE HOUSE, the 61st installment in Stuart Woods’ iconic series, opens with Stone Barrington having dinner with his closest friend, Dino Bacchetti, New York’s police commissioner. They are interrupted by Lance Cabot, the Director of Operations at the CIA, and Henry Wilcox, his recently appointed deputy director, who inform Stone of a secret assignment.

Stone is to transport someone on his private plane to his residence in England and keep that individual safe until further notice. He agrees to take on the challenge, and the plan is set in motion the very next morning. Dino will be on board as well, much to Lance’s chagrin.

"The action rarely lets up in this fast-paced thriller. Both fans of the series and newcomers alike will be furiously turning the pages as they reach the explosive conclusion."

Once they clear Montauk Point, Stone introduces himself to his mystery guest, who looks very familiar to him. It turns out she is Jenna Jacoby, the soon-to-be ex-wife of Senator Wallace Slade. She admits that two attempts on her life have been made since she announced her intentions of divorcing her husband. Stone asks her a series of questions, the answers to which will help him protect her.

Why is the CIA interested in Jenna and her domestic disputes? According to her, “I was recently interviewed, at some length, by investigators from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. They wanted to know if a United States senator of my acquaintance is involved with at least one foreign intelligence service, that of the Russian government, to the extent of being a spy for them against his own country.” The senator eventually tracks them down; following an attack, they return to the U.S. and take shelter in Stone’s Maine home.

As the narrative unfolds, Slade’s enforcer, Harley Quince, becomes more involved in hunting down Stone, Jenna and their associates, who manage to outsmart him. They go back to Stone’s New York residence to fight the enemy and reinforce safety measures to protect themselves. They remain under siege, and Jenna ends up in Stone’s Florida house, but not for long. She is headstrong and independent, and insists on returning to New York to let everyone know she’s alive.

Stuart Woods never fails to disappoint, and A SAFE HOUSE is no exception. The action rarely lets up in this fast-paced thriller. Both fans of the series and newcomers alike will be furiously turning the pages as they reach the explosive conclusion.