If the characters are strong, I don’t care. I read a lot of Stuart Woods, too. I like his characters and I flit between story lines depending upon what’s available at the library or what I can find for a quarter at the thrift store.
I’ve also come to love Sunny Randall from the guy that writes the ‘Spenser’ novels. His name escapes me, of course...Grrr!
Oh! Robert Parker, LOL!
If you like Sunny Randall, try Parker’s Jesse Stone novels.
All of his characters (Spenser, Sunny Randall, Jesse Stone) are set in and around Boston. If you are familiar with the million or so Spenser novels, you will find some common characters appearing (e.g., Susan Silverman) in each of the different series.