Grass Roots (1989)

Stuart Woods returns to the Lee family of Delano, GA, first introduced in [Chiefs] and follows Will Lee, son of former governor Billy Lee and head staffer for Georgia's senior senator, Ben Carr, as he first is recruited by the local judge to serve as the court-appointed attorney for a white man accused of raping and murdering a black woman, and then must deal with the decision to enter the senate race after Carr is suddenly incapacitated. The senate race is the main plot, and we are treated to an inside view of the Lee campaign as it becomes organized, deals with the opponents in the race, the press, financing, and the interpersonal relationships of Lee and his staff. Meanwhile, we are shown glimpses of what appears to be some sort of fundamentalist, white-supremacist, or para-military group - it's not entirely clear for a while just what they are. This group seems to be behind a series of attacks and murders that the police don't seem to be connecting. Of course, these two threads must be connected somehow, but Woods does a fine job keeping us (me, at least) in suspense until late in the book.

This book has politics, murder, intrigue, and even a little sex and scandal. It is a well-written book with well-developed characters that should have general appeal. Even though some of these characters and this location have been used in earlier books, I think Woods has done a thorough job of introducing and explaining all essential back-story issues so that a reader shouldn't feel they must go back and read the earlier books before this one can be enjoyed. This book is fast-paced and engrossing, and I would recommmend it to anyone. ( )