<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Dirty Work
Review: "Dirty Work" is the ninth Stone Barrington novel by Stuart Woods. Bill Eggers of Woodman and Weld, the law firm of which Stone is of counsel, asks Stone to arrange for someone to photograph Larry Fortescue, husband of Woodman and Weld client, Elena Marks, having an illicit tryst. Stone hires Herbie Fisher. While Herbie is photographing the encounter, he falls through the skylight onto Fortescue. When Herbie comes to, Fortescue is dead. It becomes apparent that Herbie did not kill Fortescue. Meanwhile, Carpenter, the beautiful British agent from "The Short Forever", comes to New York. She is looking for Marie-Therese duBois, a dangerous killer who has a grudge against certain members of British intelligence. It just so happens that the woman cheating with Fortescue was duBois, also known as La Biche who actually murdered Fortescue. Carpenter, Stone, and Dino Bachetti begin to search for La Biche before she can kill again. Stone always gets the girl in his books, and Carpenter is his love interest in "Dirty Work". This novel is one of the best Stuart Woods books in a long time. It is action packed and the suspense keeps the reader turning pages. This novel is highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring and Ridiculous
Review: I came across this book as a member of an online book club, and was hooked after the first two chapters. It's a very fast-paced story that somehow manages to keep you on a thrill ride for almost all of its 300+ pages.Though this is the fifth or sixth 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 conclusion. Woods combines characters that are cops, ex-cops, lawyers, British intelligence, and international assassins and does it all masterfully. Pick this book up and you likely won't be able to put it back down until its over.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine Barrington, as well as the others
Review: I have to admit that this is my first encounter with Stuart Woods and Stone Barrington, and I found them quite refreshing. It reminded me of Jeffrey Deaver in that the dialogue is crisp, the action substantial and the "New York kinda' attitude" ever present. Barrington must service the sleazier side of one of his lawfirm's clients, and while I am sure that it goes on, it might be odd that the "of Counsel" on the letterhead is tasked with this responsibility. In any event the job is botched but one poor photograph of the encounter between a straying husband (of the client) and a "masseuse" appears to be the face of an international chameleon-like assassin (get ready for the play on words) code name "La Biche." This starts an exciting ball rolling that creates a series of murders, sex, but no Rock 'n Roll. You'll have to see George Pelecanos for that. Nonetheless, while perhaps not riveting certainly a great airplane read, and at a minimum, magnetic. The only portion I found truly unbelievable was Barrington's moralizing at the end. I mean he's a lawyer for God's sake. At any rate, good stuff. I'll read more of Mr. Woods and take advantage of some of the readers' citations to other good Barrington tales. Four stars. Larry Scantlebury
Rating: 
Summary: Quick but flawed entertainment
Review: In the latest Stone Barrington mystery, Stone gets entangled with a beautiful spy from British intelligence and an international assassin who is a master of disguise. While not a great novel by any stretch, this story is distinctly better than recent ones in the series. Probably the reason for the improvement is that Stone is not as obsessed with bedding every woman he sees and instead is actually more interested in the actual mystery. Unlike recent books, Stone is practically monogamous, which in itself is an interesting change-of-pace. In fact, Stone comes off more human than usual and not always very likable, especially when he is practically ready to abandon a photographer who he has hired when his employee's mission goes awry. If this book is better, it is not without its significant flaws. Stuary Woods puts out over two books a year and his speedy writing pace often shows. This is a book that is a fast read (I can't remember the last time it took me more than a day to read one of his books), but not a very deep one. Certain plot points rely on contrived accidents, perhaps none more gratingly than when the whole story turns on an utterly minor character misplacing a fax. In the end, this is a novel for Woods/Barrington fans only. For those who find the story interesting at all, I think a better read along a similar line (main character versus a female assassin with whom he has a bond) is John Sandford's Certain Prey and Mortal Prey from his Lucas Davenport series. Dirty Work is, on the other hand, a weak three star effort.
Rating:
Summary: Quick but flawed entertainment
Review: In the latest Stone Barrington mystery, Stone gets entangled with a beautiful spy from British intelligence and an international assassin who is a master of disguise. While not a great novel by any stretch, this story is distinctly better than recent ones in the series. Probably the reason for the improvement is that Stone is not as obsessed with bedding every woman he sees and instead is actually more interested in the actual mystery. Unlike recent books, Stone is practically monogamous, which in itself is an interesting change-of-pace. In fact, Stone comes off more human than usual and not always very likable, especially when he is practically ready to abandon a photographer who he has hired when his employee's mission goes awry. If this book is better, it is not without its significant flaws. Stuary Woods puts out over two books a year and his speedy writing pace often shows. This is a book that is a fast read (I can't remember the last time it took me more than a day to read one of his books), but not a very deep one. Certain plot points rely on contrived accidents, perhaps none more gratingly than when the whole story turns on an utterly minor character misplacing a fax. In the end, this is a novel for Woods/Barrington fans only. For those who find the story interesting at all, I think a better read along a similar line (main character versus a female assassin with whom he has a bond) is John Sandford's Certain Prey and Mortal Prey from his Lucas Davenport series. Dirty Work is, on the other hand, a weak three star effort.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, terrible reader!
Review: Robert Lawrence is a horrid reader for the Stone Barrington series. His British accents are laughable, and he makes all of his characters (especially Dino, Stone's best friend) sound like morons. He even makes Stone, himself, sound like an unsophisticated jerk. I was very disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: good page turner
Review: this is the first book featuring stone barrington that I read..and do the pages ever fly by! the book starts off in a totally different place than where it ends up..it's not intitially what it seems... the characters are interesting, the action's great and the dialogue's very beleivable..a great read that I highly recommend.
<< 1 >>
| 
