Iron Orchid

August 15, 2005
Having ditched her Orchid Beach, Fla., police chief post, returning supersleuth Holly Barker opts for a CIA career in Woods's by-the-numbers thriller, the fourth in the Barker series (Blood Orchid
). Barely through basic training at a highly regimented CIA "training farm," Barker's class is suddenly enlisted to track down calculating killer (and opera buff) Teddy Fay (first seen in Woods's Capital Crimes
). An ex-CIA agent himself, Fay uses insider information to continue assassinating international political figures who also happen to be enemies of the U.S. Barker stakes out the Metropolitan Opera House, and narrowly misses Teddy in disguise in several contrived set pieces. The narrative accelerates from a somewhat sluggish first half when CIA operatives' solid deliberation moves Barker ever closer to nabbing the elusive Fay—who, by the way, lives mere blocks away from her. But Fay dupes the CIA again, with the help of a Santa Claus costume, and assassinates a Saudi prince before vanishing. Woods's latest lacks the urgent plotting and bracing thrills needed to make it truly memorable, and though Barker is a tough, formidable protagonist, the question remains why she, after absconding with over $5.5 million in untraceable drug money, bothers to clock in at all. Only Barker's dog, Daisy the Doberman, knows for sure.

Carrington MacDuffie continues to demonstrate why she is one of the finest audiobook readers. The title is a typical Holly Barker novel, filled with action and adventure. This time around, Barker becomes a member of an elite antiterrorist intelligence unit searching for Teddy Fay, an elusive former CIA technology guru who appears to be killing foreign officials. MacDuffie's reading is thoroughly entertaining. She uses nuance and an impeccable sense of timing to portray Barker as tough, but also as sexy, humorous, warm, and compassionate. As a result, the listener can focus on Barker and the other assorted characters rather than on the plot, which at times seems to defy reality. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine