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Choke

stuart woods

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A standalone novel from Stuart Woods, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stone Barrington and Holly Barker series...

Chuck Chandler arrives in Key West, and, like many people, finds it the end of the line. He has, in turn, blown a career as a top touring tennis professional and a series of teaching jobs at plush clubs, usually because he has been unable to keep his hands off the female students, especially the married ones.

At Key West’s Olde Island Racquet Club, true to form, Chuck yields to temptation yet again, this time with the beautiful Clare Carras, who is married to an enigmatic older man with no apparent past, and who turns out to be a great deal more than the tennis pro can handle. Suddenly the easygoing Chuck is in over his head, suspected of murder and on the verge of losing not only his modest teaching career and all his possessions, but his freedom, as well.

Enter Tommy Scully, a former New York Police Department homicide detective, augmenting his pension with a job on the Key West force, and his neophyte partner, Daryl, who may be smarter than he looks. The two detectives find themselves barely afloat in a shark infested investigation that stretches from the Florida Keys to Los Angeles and back, involving not only the treacherous Clare, but a furious West Coat mob boss who is determined to get back something that belongs to him and doesn’t care who he has to kill to do it.

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1,1995

This edition

Format
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published
September 12, 1996 by HarperTorch
ISBN
9780061094224
ASIN
0061094226
Language
English

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About the author

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stuart woods

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Stuart Woods was an American novelist best known for Chiefs and his long-running Stone Barrington series. A Georgia native, he initially pursued a career in advertising before relocating to England and Ireland, where he developed a passion for sailing. His love for the sport led him to write his first published work, Blue Water, Green Skipper, about his experiences in a transatlantic yacht race.
His debut novel, Chiefs, was inspired by a family story about his grandfather, a police chief. The book, a gripping crime saga spanning several decades, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was later adapted into a television miniseries. It launched Woods' career as a novelist, leading to a prolific output of thrillers.
Woods' most famous creation, Stone Barrington, is a former NYPD detective turned high-profile lawyer who navigates elite circles while solving crimes. The series became a bestseller and remained a staple of his career, often featuring crossover characters from his other books, such as CIA operative Holly Barker and defense lawyer Ed Eagle.
Beyond writing, Woods was an experienced pilot and yachtsman. He maintained homes in Florida, Maine, and New Mexico, where he lived with his wife and their Labrador, Fred. His literary career spanned decades, with dozens of bestsellers to his name.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
35(35%)
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33(33%)
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100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
sybj
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A little different for Stuart Woods. The story is set in Key West. A professional tennis player finds himself teaching tennis at a fancy tennis club, and winds up in the middle of a mystery/who done it situation. Light reading, decent story line, does keep you guessing about the characters until the very end.
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agamswaroop
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Chuck Chandler choked on the most important point of his career as a professional tennis player. Through the years that followed, he's been slipping gradually down through the ranks, and now, at forty-four, he's reduced to giving tennis lessons at a small club in Key West. Chuck lost his last job by playing around with the wife of the club's chairman, but having not learned his lesson, he's soon involved with another married woman in Key West, the sexy and mysterious Clare Carras.

Tommy Sculley is also new to Key West. The retired NYPD homicide detective has taken a job on the Key West force and Sculley is immediately interested in Clare's older husband, Harry. Sculley thinks that there's something off about Harry and begins checking out his background. The problem is that Harry seems to have no background at all--it's as though he simply materialized out of thin air. But then Harry winds up dead, and the obvious suspect is Chuck Chandler who's been sleeping with Harry's wife.

The story unfolds from that point with a lot of twists and turns, some of which are more believable than others. The plot is not especially fresh, and the characters are somewhat thinly drawn. But the story moves quickly along, catching the reader up in the action. As a genre novel, this is a good quick read, just about right for a lazy summer day at the beach.
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HumiltyCast08
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I've read 2 other Stuart Woods books- Dirty Work- a favorite- and Under the Lake. Both were great suspense novels. This one continues to please. I read it on a plane to Florida and finished it up there. Great story, twists, suspects, and dialogue. I enjoyed it! This is a standalone and not one of Woods famous Stone Barrington or Holly Barker novels.
Chuck Chandler has come to be known as Choke since his days of choking on the pro tennis court. He since has gained a reputation for messing around with married women and now that legacy is going to get him into some very hot water. Clare Carras has plans. Big plans. And Chuck is just the right guy.
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Ren_bird
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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What a cheesy, unbelievable read. I found errors in the text as well. But it was totally mindless and my grandma gave it to me, so now we share that "thrilling" experience. It really was as bad as reality t.v., y'all.
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kintamautopia
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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It's too bad there are only glimpses of the writer Woods used to be. This '96 story has plots worth following, engaging and shady characters with interest start to finish. 8 of 10 stars
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KeanjaTaimu
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I've been a fan of Stuart Woods since reading 'Heat' back in the 90's. I've read that book 3 times and plan on doing so again in the future. I liked this book as a contemporary suspense, but it wasn't as fast-paced and taut as some of his other books.

Chuck Chandler is a one-time tennis pro who missed the big-time when he 'choked' in a match that could've put his name on the map. Now he spends time coaching tennis to the rich at a hotel in the Florida's Key West. Living on his boat, he sponges off rich peoples' money and beds lonely wives whose rich husbands have little time for their trophy wives' carnal desires.

He meets Harry and Claire Carras, a wealthy-beyond-your-dreams couple who invite him to their boat. Chuck befriends them quickly, teaching Claire the ropes on the tennis court, while she teaches Chuck the ropes in the bedroom. While on a boat trip on their expensive yacht, Harry mysteriously ends up dead, and Chuck is the prime suspect.

Detective Tom Sculley, formerly of NYPD now working awaiting his retirement in Florida, is on the case, but senses Chuck didn't do it. Only he doesn't have much time to prove his innocence as the top brass want an arrest and indictment right away. With Chuck's love interest, Meg, waiting for her not-so-faithful boyfriend to be free of this crime, Chuck struggles to find out who the killer is, and why they chose him for the pit-fall.

If you're a Stuart Woods fan you'll enjoy this book. He's a good writer and his stories and style is true to form. After reading several of his books I eventually moved on, but he remains a favorite of mine, and I admire his skill as an author.
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Mary_Poppin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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3.5 stars. I actually really enjoyed this book. Might have been 4 stars if it weren't for the cheesy near porn stuff, though it did make me kinda chuckle sometimes. Aside from that, it was a great beach read that was easy to read, flowed well, and I actually wanted to keep picking up the book and that's always a good thing.
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KaiserCva
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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This is another book, by Stuart Woods and, as usual, it’s a fantastic book. There’s plenty of suspense and action, and I read it fairly quickly. I tried to slow down my reading, of the story, so it would last longer, but that just didn’t work.
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