The third in the Teddy Fay series finds the master of disguise infiltrating an endangered-species convention in Paris. Formerly on the CIA's most-wanted list, Fay is now working for the agency and charged with determining why so many bad guys are convening to learn about spotted owls and panda bears. As with Woods' popular Stone Barrington novels, the pure voyeuristic joy of this series lies in Fay's remarkable skills and the abundance of gadgets and resources at his fingertips: burner phones, computer hacks, corpse disposal all in a day's work. The more improbable the plot becomes, the more fun it is to read. A galloping good read for those who check their disbelief at the door.--Karen Keefe Copyright 2019 Booklist

The CIA calls on its favorite rogue ex-operative, Teddy Fay (The Money Shot, 2018, etc.), to flush out a mole in its Paris office.Agency director Lance Cabot makes no bones about how serious the problem is when he reaches out to Teddy, aka film producer Billy Barnett, aka stunt man Mark Weldon, demanding his help and offering in return no money, precious little logistical support, and not even the pretense that Teddy owes his country something. In fact, the problem's even more serious than Lance knows: Syrian strongman Fahd Kassin can already listen in on Lance's phone calls, and soon enough his operatives have drawn a bead on Teddy's communications as well. Uncertain exactly what Teddy's charge is or how he plans to fulfill it, Kassin dispatches a series of assassins to neutralize the threat, but through a combination of experience, sharp instincts, physical conditioning, and dumb luck, Teddy (spoiler alert) manages to stay a step ahead of them, outwitting some of them and killing the others. Arriving safely in Paris under still another alias, reactivated CIA agent Felix Dressler, he introduces himself to members of the staff, takes the best-looking one to bed, and roots around till he comes across something that makes his antennae bristle: the participation of several world-class scientists in a hush-hush, invitation-only session of the Endangered Species Preservation Conference. Ignoring Lance's directive about how to proceed, Teddy, who "couldn't recall an operation where there had ever been so much at stake," pretends to have left the country, disguises himself yet again as big-game-hunting Texas oilman Floyd Maitland, and talks himself into that secret session, whose rationale is almost worth the price of the book.Once again, Woods-plus-collaborator is Woods-plus. The high body count is utterly weightless, and the identity of the mole will surprise only fifth-graders reading their first volume from the adult section, but the influence of Hall guarantees a plot that's coherent, ingenious, and even somewhat consequential. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

At the start of bestseller Woods and Edgar finalist Hall's breezy third Teddy Faye novel (after 2018's The Money Shot), Lance Cabot, the head of the CIA, orders the ex-CIA operative, who knows disobeying Lance isn't a good idea, to leave his Hollywood home immediately for Paris, where he's to uncover a mole in the CIA's Paris station. Meanwhile, scheming Syrian strongman Fahd Kassin, who has bugged Lance's phone, starts to monitor Teddy's calls. Fahd orders his henchmen to kill Teddy before he reaches Paris, but the resourceful Teddy manages to turn the tables on all his assailants. Once in Paris, Teddy sets about identifying the mole, but news of a rare animal convention in the city, which is to be attended by Fahd, distracts him from his mission. Disguised as a loudmouthed Texan, Teddy attends the convention, where he soon gets wind of a plot that's far more sinister than the illegal sale of endangered animals. The ingenious ways in which Teddy outwits his adversaries is a large part of this entry's appeal. Series fans will hope he has a long career. Agent: Anne Sibbald, Janklow & Nesbit. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.