Rating: 
Summary: The Short Forever
Review: "The Short Forever" is the eighth book in the Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods. I found this novel to be the most complex of the Barrington books to date. Stone is hired by a client of Woodman & Weld, the law firm for whom Stone does certain miscellaneous jobs. The client's name is John Bartholomew who wants Stone to go to London to break up the relationship of his neice, Erica Burroughs, and her boyfriend, Lance Cabot who Bartholomew says is a cocaine smuggler. He asks Stone to bring Erica back to New York with him, and make sure Lance Cabot is sent to prison. When Stone gets to London, he learns that Erica Burroughs is not Bartholomew's neice. Lance Cabot is not a cocaine smuggler. He also learns that Bartholomew isn't whom he says he is, but is in fact a CIA operative working in London. No Stone Barrington novel would be complete without Stone's bedding a beautiful woman. This time he sleeps with former flame, Sarah Buckminster, who has moved back to England. He also meets with his true love, Arrington Calder, but once again their wires get crossed and she returns to the States before anything can happen. I found "The Short Forever" fast-paced and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: The Short Forever
Review: "The Short Forever" is the eighth book in the Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods. I found this novel to be the most complex of the Barrington books to date. Stone is hired by a client of Woodman & Weld, the law firm for whom Stone does certain miscellaneous jobs. The client's name is John Bartholomew who wants Stone to go to London to break up the relationship of his neice, Erica Burroughs, and her boyfriend, Lance Cabot who Bartholomew says is a cocaine smuggler. He asks Stone to bring Erica back to New York with him, and make sure Lance Cabot is sent to prison. When Stone gets to London, he learns that Erica Burroughs is not Bartholomew's neice. Lance Cabot is not a cocaine smuggler. He also learns that Bartholomew isn't whom he says he is, but is in fact a CIA operative working in London. No Stone Barrington novel would be complete without Stone's bedding a beautiful woman. This time he sleeps with former flame, Sarah Buckminster, who has moved back to England. He also meets with his true love, Arrington Calder, but once again their wires get crossed and she returns to the States before anything can happen. I found "The Short Forever" fast-paced and entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Like Chinese dinner, you're hungry agin
Review: First of all, it's not a bad read. The 3 stars-4 stars-5 stars rating system removes a lot of wiggle room. So reading a Stone Barrington novel is enjoyable albeit Stone is pretty whorish, wears $300 Thomas Pink shirts, signs checks with $500 pens and flies the Concorde ("Is there another way of crossing the Atlantic?") It's just that it's so formula-driven.
The beginnings are the same. A girlfriend/fiance who was both a magnificent lover and kind to animals and . . . was going to settle Stone down (read monogamy) totally unexpectedly breaks up with him. This is at Elaine's, the fabulous New York bistro where the usual suspects gather to mock him with derisive jokes dripping with sarcasm.
What's not to like? I don't want to make fun of Stone. I want to hang out with him. Every woman wants to sleep with him. Even the ones that used to sleep with him. He has great relations with ex-lovers and future lovers. He has all the money in the world. He has status. Cool friends. He's heroic. Funny. Did I mention every woman wants to sleep with him?
Anyhow, it's all very predictable. He's James Bond without the title and with a New York attitude. He's like Jack Molloy in Mike Lupica's books, goofy but at a very, very high level.
A pleasant read but don't expect any angst, riveting dialogue or moral Hobson's choices. Light. Airy. Not substantive. 3 stars. Larry Scantlebury
Rating:
Summary: Another Fast and Chaotic Adventure
Review: For a quick evening of total diversion give me a Stone Barrington novel. They are faster, more self-indulgent, involve more chaotic characters than Robert Parker, but I nonetheless find myself liking virtually everything Stuart Woods writes.In this case Stone Barrington is asked to go to London for a client to convince the client's niece to leave a drug smuggler and return to America. Stone is also asked to try to get the boy friend thrown in jail. Once he gets to Britain he discovers the client does not have a niece, the young man is not a drug smuggler, the client is not rich but rather works for American intelligence, and the focus is not the girl but the young man who is trying to make a lot of money moving some very dangerous weapons into the middle east for a profit. All this occurs as Stone moves from old girlfriend to new girlfriend back to old girlfriend meanwhile inspectors of Scotland Yard grow tired of bodies mysteriously showing up near him. It is a fun tale that will keep you going and it ends in a way that ensures more adventures are to come. I look forward to them.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable light read mystery/suspense novel
Review: I came across this author as a member of an online book club, and was hooked on Woods' main character of Stone Barrington after reading his latest ("Dirty Work"). This book, "The Short Forever", is a very fast-paced story that manages to keep you intrigued and guessing for all of its 300+ pages. Let me tell you a few things that may help you make up your own mind about "The Short Forever" (NO SPOILERS): Though I think this is seventh book in a series with his main character Stone Barrington, I did not feel at a loss at all for not having read any of his previous books. That alone impressed me, but then add on top of that a story that grabs you and does let go until the thrilling (and surprising) conclusion. Woods combines characters that are cops, ex-cops, lawyers, British & US intelligence, and international smugglers and does it all masterfully. Pick this book up and you likely won't be able to put it back down until its over. For a light read, its very entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty [bad]
Review: I don't know what book these other reviewers were reading, but I found this to be a very [bad] effort. I read a lot of books in this genre, and I'm not usually very critical, but this mess is an exception. The whole style of writing, not just the locale, is very upper-crust British, annoyingly so. I don't really care exactly what Stone (what kind of name is Stone, anyway?) had for lunch at the Connaught grill, or how many suits his tailor made for him, ad nauseum. The plot is bad, and gets worse as it goes along. I stuck it out till the end, hoping for some kind of surprise, but it never climaxes, just fizzles out. But the biggest problems for me are the characters and the dialogue. Characters are extremely one-dimensional, and even the lead is never flushed out. And really, PEOPLE DON"T TALK LIKE THIS, and if they do, I don't care to read about them. The dialogue is simply terrible. I've given this some thought, and I came up with this comparison (maybe it's the British setting that did it). IF Roger Moore is your favorite James Bond, then you will probably like this book. Woods' writing is on a par with Moore's acting. But if you have any taste, and you like Connery or even Brosnan better, or you want something with more meat than any Bond flick, then skip this fluff, and go get some Parker (Robert or T Jeff) or LeHane, or SJ Rozan, or Connelly, or anybody, really.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty [bad]
Review: I don't know what book these other reviewers were reading, but I found this to be a very [bad] effort. I read a lot of books in this genre, and I'm not usually very critical, but this mess is an exception. The whole style of writing, not just the locale, is very upper-crust British, annoyingly so. I don't really care exactly what Stone (what kind of name is Stone, anyway?) had for lunch at the Connaught grill, or how many suits his tailor made for him, ad nauseum. The plot is bad, and gets worse as it goes along. I stuck it out till the end, hoping for some kind of surprise, but it never climaxes, just fizzles out. But the biggest problems for me are the characters and the dialogue. Characters are extremely one-dimensional, and even the lead is never flushed out. And really, PEOPLE DON"T TALK LIKE THIS, and if they do, I don't care to read about them. The dialogue is simply terrible. I've given this some thought, and I came up with this comparison (maybe it's the British setting that did it). IF Roger Moore is your favorite James Bond, then you will probably like this book. Woods' writing is on a par with Moore's acting. But if you have any taste, and you like Connery or even Brosnan better, or you want something with more meat than any Bond flick, then skip this fluff, and go get some Parker (Robert or T Jeff) or LeHane, or SJ Rozan, or Connelly, or anybody, really.
Rating:
Summary: Okay...but not the best!
Review: I gave "The Short Forever" 4 stars only because I love the Stone Barrington character a lot. Woods has always done a great job of developing Stone and growing him from novel to novel. What I didn't like about the novel was Stone's love interest just because she seemed a little bit boring and not the typical woman that he goes for. However, since this was a Barrington novel I had to give it a chance. The plot was great and some shocking things did occur, and the book was fast paced. Some of the sex scenes are very imaginative and actually funny too (as seems to be the way with Woods). All in all, I recommend this book, but also try out "Swimming to Catalina."
Rating: 
Summary: Stone Barrington, at it again!
Review: I greatly anticipated the release of this book for quite some time, and I was not let down! This next Stone Barrington book lives up tp the standards! In this book, Stone ends up overseas in London, working for a man whom he finds out he knows very little about. John Bartholomew, or if that is even his real name, has sent Stone to convince his "neice" to return home to the states. Stone's job is to separate her from her lover, Lance Cabot, who is involved in some "illegal matters". John and Lance Cabot are always one step ahead of Stone, keeping him guessing as to the truth of what they really are after. Are they really working together in some secret intelligence agency? Or are the rival enemies, both hoping to nail the other? This is what Stone must figure out. And of course, what book would it be without the appearances of Stone's old time flame Arrington and old NYPD partner Dino Bachetti. I greatly enjoyed this novel and cannot wait for the next one already! Stuart Woods cannot write them fast enough! Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Trite ,Trite
Review: I passed comment on Blood Orchid a few weeks ago. The same applies to Short Forever. Thin plot corny dialogue, boring. Bye Bye Stuart
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