Rating: 
Summary: Walk, don't Run, to get this book
Review: The Run is a very clever analysis of presidential politics. The characters, especially Senator Will Lee, the main one, are well-crafted and interesting. It is very suspenseful and the attempts on his life, though somewhat far-fetched, are well thought out and suspenseful. The banter between Will and his wife is [pretty] and smart. The problem lies in Will's nonchalant attitude of seeking the presidency after every single other candidate, this is the really maddening part, dies or comes down with a serious health problem. It is as if Lee is running only because he is the only healthy politician left. God, who knows what would have happened if the assasin had got to him too?
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting & I learned more about the political process
Review: I enjoyed the affectionate and funny banter between the main character, Will, and his wife, Kate. It wasn't as exciting as some of the Stuart Woods books I've read, but I gave it five stars because it was interesting, and it held my interest throughout. Plus, the characters are believable and realistic in this book. Tom Clancy books sometimes have parts that bore me, but Stuart Woods somehow keeps the interest high.
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable political plot by in large
Review: This book gets three stars because it's an easy vacation read and the pages turn pretty easily. I also learned some interesting trivia about the campaign world. But beyond that it's a pretty flat read, particularly for Stuart Woods. While Woods isn't likely to win a Pulitzer prize ever, his books are generally both high energy and original. This book is neither.The book is full of cliches. Will Lee reminds me much too much of Robert Redford in "The Candidate." The right wing stalker has been done over and over lately. The plotting is painfully predictible -- every crisis point has a happy ending. Even the dialogue is predictible. Do we really need to listen to the standard flight attendent speech in its entirety? Bottom-line: Not one of Woods' better efforts and there are better political thrillers out there. Still, if it's the only thing available at the airport, it'll entertain you for a few hours.
Rating: 
Summary: Where have I read this before?
Review: Political suspense novels generally suffer from one or more of the following flaws: 1) An implausibly decent hero who succeeds in politics by just being his honest, decent self. 2) A cast of unscrupulous political opponents cut out of cardboard. The conservatives are always aging hypocrites who eventually suffer glorious humiliation as their skeletons are dragged into public view. 3) Perfectly crafted assasination attempts by [right-wing/Arab/ex-commie/ex-Nazi - select one] fanatics that are foiled at the last second by ridiculous coincidences. 4) Overdone borrowing of recent headlines to add authenticity to weak story lines. 5) Last-minute, pulled-from-the-jaws-of-defeat victories, commonly found in formulaic kiddie sports movies. Congratulations to Mr. Woods for crafting a novel that does it all! What happened here? So many intriguing story lines, so many opportunities for creative twists, but The Run heads straight for the easy finish line. I must admit that I was surprised by the ending. I couldn't believe that one more cliche would possibly fit into Will Lee's charmed life. Surprise!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but not exciting
Review: If you like politics interspersed with a decent story, you'll likely feel right at home with this book. Will Lee is an upstanding, likeable Senator that plans to run for President. He has enough connections and a strong enough reputation to run and possibly win. But, not surprisingly, not everyone is happy to see him run. In fact, some people would rather see him dead. The characters in this book play their parts well -- the crafty and powerful politicians, the secret service agents, the bad guys, Will Lee and family and friends. All played believable parts and seemed "real", even though I must admit, I thought the motive for Will Lee being a target of assassins was a tad weak. However, the descriptions of the actions taken to carry out the assassination attempts was interesting, as were the interactions among the various characters. The story also had a nice pace and didn't seem to bog down in any particular area. Despite the lack of excitement, I did enjoy the story and it kept my attention from beginning to end. However, if you plan to read it, don't look for that special "something" found in other Stuart Woods books -- it's just not there.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Darned Good
Review: After reading a few lukewarm reviews here, I read this book anyway because I liked the Will Lee character and Stuart Woods style. This is definitely a quick read as it never lets up. Most of Woods' books are like this (esp. his earlier ones). "Chiefs" is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. There are a few leaps taken with "The Run", but they're very forgiveable and its a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: A great page turner
Review: Parts of this story bear a striking similarity to the our most recent election. Okay so this book does not always stand up on plausibility, but it is a facinating and fun read. Stuart Woods does a solid job of fleshing out his characters and gives them plenty to work with, using the election process and the inherent drama of a close race. Maybe a bit too conspiratorial, but that is also one of the reasons the book appealed to me. Not as much sex and overt violence as the Stone Barrington novels, but this is a great book for your airplane trip (or 3 hour delay), lazy sunny day at the beach or a quick escape to the cabin. I love how Woods is able to elicit vocal laughter in otherwise serious novels.
Rating:
Summary: Some humorous moments in light of 2000 election
Review: Another in a long line of Woods page turners. This book really grabbed me and took me on a wild and slightly implausible ride along side of a presidential candidate. Maybe it was a bit conspiratorial and unrealistic for me (although the ending seemed eerily similar to what we witnessed last fall, but when I read Woods I expect the book to be over the top. Definitely the kind of book you want to read on a 3 hour flight (so what if you get delayed, stranded or have to circle around) you have an interesting read with a fairy tale ending. Not as much sex, drugs and rock and roll as the Stone Barrington books and this may be why the characters need a bit more fleshing out as the characters are a bit shallow. Is this book going to make my top 10 list? No way, but was it worth my time, effort and $--you bet.
Rating:
Summary: Politics As Usual
Review: While exciting and a page turner in many ways, I found the book to be somewhat "un-exciting" in the way it ended. There is a lot of intrique, chases, and guess-work involved in who is running the show behind the scenes and will the favorite candidate win the presidency. But the ending could have been more dramatic or thrilling. All in all, the writing style is easy to read and polished. Recommended for casual reading.
Rating:
Summary: You wont believe what happens!
Review: Thgis could very well be Woods' masterpiece out of all of his books he has writen! Great Suspense!
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