Adult comic books for men. I may sound sexist, but from my experience, men usually read detective novels more than women. Women seem to prefer romance, historical fiction such as written by Ken Follett (Pillars of Giants, Edge of Eternity).
Stuart Woods writes detective novels, well enough to earn him New York Times Best Seller status. Quibble over whether it is deserved or not is irrelevant. He sells. That is enough.
I have read three of his books at the recommendation of one of my local public library staff who knows my tastes in reading. She was correct in pointing in Woods’ direction. He writes entertainingly. There is no depth, no real character development, nothing that would be labelled as cerebral, so to speak. However, his books entertain the way a comic book entertained when we were kids. It is light reading, quick, no brain teasing clues to solve, though I challenge you to pick the culprit out early depending on the book.
Woods churns out these ‘chef d’oeuvres’ as if he were making toast. I think he might even write them faster than I can read them. That isn’t a criticism. Instead, I stand in awe as to how he can do it so quickly. I suppose if you get into a pattern, you just flow with the work and it isn’t as difficult to do as a non-writer might think. I also think that as he writes one work, he jots down spin off ideas for his next work. In fact, the work that he is currently writing likely becomes the seed for the next. It’s almost like an assembly line. But who cares? At least, he doesn’t, I am sure. He just wants the satisfaction of getting something published and earning a steady income.
However, as much as I may sound as if I am criticizing Woods’ works for being linked sausages on the assembly line, I enjoy reading him. His stories move along at a steady and quick pace, his characters are engaging, his plots are plausible and his dialogues are appropriate and attention getting. I like him.
If you are a fan of detective mysteries and going on a beach holiday for a couple of weeks, bring along 3 or 4, maybe even 5, Woods novels. You’ll love ’em!
