Stuart Woods opens his latest Stone Barrington thriller in Wichita, Kansas, where our hero takes delivery of his new Citation M2 airplane. Woods gives detailed descriptions about the Cessna’s capabilities, a tribute to his own experience as a pilot. Pat Frank, the ferry pilot from the factory, will check Stone out when he assumes command of his latest acquisition. He’s surprised when Pat turns out to be a blond, slight and attractive young woman, a contrast to his six-foot athletic frame.

Through casual conversation between the two, Woods introduces snippets of background from each, an easy transition to a new personal relationship. Coincidentally, Pat tells him that she is beginning a business, the Pat Frank Flight Department, that will handle the mountains of paperwork required of owners/pilots. Stone signs on as her first client and makes his initial landing at Teterboro, outside New York City. He insists that she stay in one of his guest rooms.

"HOT PURSUIT demands attention as the story boomerangs back and forth between Holly’s search for three Arab conspirators and Stone’s quest to identify and capture Pat’s predator. Romance, action and mystery give the book a high rating as a summer must-read."

Woods maintains the high-profile life that Stone lives as an expensive legal mind, but never flaunts the inheritance received from his dead wife’s legacy. He remains loyal to best friend Dino Bacchetti and Dino’s wife, Viv. Dino has risen from beat cop to police commissioner of New York City. At dinner, along with Dino and Viv, Stone meets Senator Ev Salton, who later hosts him at a private elite gentleman’s club and secures his membership there.

Leaving Pat to unpack and settle into her new quarters in New York, Stone calls Holly Barker to confirm arrangements for their flight to Washington, D.C. to attend Kate Lee’s presidential inauguration. He had contributed a large sum to Kate’s campaign and remained a good friend to both her and her husband, President Will Lee. An excited Holly tells Stone that she will be an assistant to the President for national security affairs and have a seat on the National Security Council. With his connections, Stone secures a prime apartment for her in Georgetown. The two attend a lavish dinner at the home of Senator Salton and his wife, Alexandra, in honor of the new President. Across the room, Holly spots a tall, dark young man with a large diamond in one earlobe. She is certain she has seen him before but cannot pin it down.

Stone checks on Pat’s apartment and gives her a housewarming gift of French wine. Later, after dinner, wine, sex and sleep, he dresses and lets himself out quietly. He notices a foreign sedan parked outside, with exhaust running on the dark street. On instinct, he walks toward the large man in the driver’s seat. Abruptly, the driver gears up, pulls out of the parking space, switches on bright lights and blows past Stone. The next morning, Stone confronts Pat about the man. Initially she is silent but eventually identifies him as former lover/partner and pilot Kevin Keyes. She insists he’s harmless. They discover that Kevin has flown a client there like Pat has done for Stone: the trial flight and check-off of a new airplane for Paul Reeves.  

Two subplots unfold to move the story along. The first is a search for Middle Eastern terrorists intent on launching a plot against the U.S. run by Holly and her enthusiastic young assistant, Millicent Martindale, with help from the FBI. The second is a cat-and-mouse air race between Stone and Paul. Where one appears, the other follows.

HOT PURSUIT demands attention as the story boomerangs back and forth between Holly’s search for three Arab conspirators and Stone’s quest to identify and capture Pat’s predator. Romance, action and mystery give the book a high rating as a summer must-read.