Quicksand

Despite its somewhat ludicrous premise--a husband-and-wife team of assistant U.S. attorneys (she's his boss) who lie to each other, withhold vital information and then wonder why their marriage is in trouble--Wood's (Broken Trust) new thriller offers a great deal of action and a worthy villain. Arms dealer and former CIA agent Ed Nelson is a credible and deadly combination of softness and guile. He's more than a match for Alison Andrews, the ambitious first assistant U.S. attorney general, and her tougher, more pragmatic husband, Brock, who work out of Sacramento, live in a restored mansion where nude swimming keeps their sex life active and generally share everything but the important stuff. ""Perhaps,"" Alison wonders, ""they no longer shared the same dreams."" In fact, Alison has been arm-twisted into letting Nelson walk after Brock and his team risked their lives to nail him. Justifiably miffed, Brock keeps secrets from Alison about his ongoing investigation into one of Nelson's associates--another believably weak but dangerous con named Denny Lara. In fluid prose, former deputy district attorney Wood is at his best showing how government operatives often trip over their own guns. He's on much shakier ground trying to make us care if the Andrews marriage can or should be saved. (Sept.)