Stay of Execution

by William P. Wood

Small-time operator Bobby Carnes took a shot at a big score, setting up a major drug sale with some high rollers in Marina del Ray. He went in with a few bags of crank-methamphetamine and a .44 and walked out a stone-cold killer: a suitcase full of cash in his hands and four bodies in his wake. Now Carnes is up for trial, and Los Angeles County District Attorney George Keegan has decided to prosecute the case himself, prompted by his own private anguish. It s a move that guarantees him media coverage in a brutal reelection campaign a strategy that could easily backfire. For Keegan s star witness is running scared, and if he loses the case, a brutal murderer will go free . . . and all of George Keegan s dreams will turn to dust."

366 pages, Hardcover

First published August 10, 1994

About the author

WILLIAM P. WOOD is the author of nine thrillers and one nonfiction book. As a deputy district attorney in California, he handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from disturbing the peace to murder. He served as chief counsel to the Secretary of State of California, the Commissioner of the California Department of Corporations, and the Undersecretary of the Office of Secretary of State.

Wood's literary works include "Rampage" (1985), "Gangland" (1988), Fugitive City (1989), "Court of Honor" (1991), "Stay of Execution" (1994), "Quicksand" (1998), "Pressure Point" (2004), and "The Bribe" (2006). His latest book is "Sudden Impact."

A nonfiction book, "The Bone Garden" (1994), is the definitive account of serial killer Dorothea Puente, who was the subject of a nationwide hunt after nine bodies were dug up from her Sacramento, California yard. Wood earlier sent Puente to prison for drugging and robbing the elderly.

Many of Wood's novels have been optioned for film/TV and two were produced. The first, "Rampage" was directed by Academy Award-winner William Friedkin ("The French Connection" and "The Exorcist"). "Court of Honor" was adapted into the TV-movie "Broken Trust" by Jane Fonda Films, starring Tom Selleck and Elizabeth McGovern. The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and her husband John Gregory Dunne.

Upon the release of "Sudden Impact" many of Wood's previous and acclaimed titles will be released in paperback during 2014.

Caliban’s Flight (Willowbank Books), an international suspense thriller is his latest novel. Turner Publishing has reissued all of Wood’s earlier works in paperback and as audible books. He currently lives in Sacramento, California, where he is working on his next novel. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and quirky with some wit.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of twists in this book that kept me reading until the end. Yet, I found the book to end so abruptly, it spoiled the book for me. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you like books that finish and leave you with the feeling that you missed the last chapter or an epilogue.
In my opinion, the title didn’t reflect the subject of the book at all.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story investigations and courtroom drama.