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Title: Dirty Work by Stuart Woods ISBN: 0-399-14982-1 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 14 April, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.41 (34 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Maybe best Barrington yet - great action suspense & thrills!
Comment: We were growing a bit tired of Woods' Stone Barrington series, feeling that the last few were kind of lackluster -- more concerned about Stone's love life and lifestyle than delivering the suspenseful tales we have seen in numerous earlier outings and in Woods' new Holly Barker series. To our delight, "Dirty Work" brings Stone back in a great yarn -- one with such suspenseful action throughout we could hardly turn the pages fast enough. Reminiscent of John Sandford's "Mortal Prey", in which international assassin Clara Rinker is so clever and so successful we dern near wind up rooting for her instead of the good guys (!), "Dirty" features its own female assassin "La Biche", who is out to get revenge on the British secret service for offing her parents. This becomes the entree to re-introduce sexy Brit female agent "Carpenter", whom Stone met in the just prior novel "Short Forever". More than just a fun dinner (and bed) partner for Stone, Carpenter is the link between Stone's efforts as a private eye, Dino Bacchetti's (Stone's best cop friend) work to catch La Biche for the NYPD, and various FBI hangers-on. Woods' imagination worked overtime as he fills the alternating efforts of La Biche to knock off all her foes (we began to lose count she's so good) and the resolve of everybody else to nail her. Some clever work by Stone to actually engage himself as her lawyer (so that he can twist lawyer/clent confidentiality to their mutual purposes) re-surfaces late in the book as a very unusual twist at the end.
Woods is at his very best -- this is a must read not merely for his fans but for anybody enjoying a fast-paced thriller featuring clever bad "guys" and a horde of chasers. The ending brings not only great satisfaction, but who gets theirs brings ample surprise. Enjoy this great read!
Rating: 3
Summary: Quick but flawed entertainment
Comment: 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: 4
Summary: A fine Barrington, as well as the others
Comment: 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
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Title: Capital Crimes by Stuart Woods ISBN: 0399150900 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 13 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Naked Prey by John Sandford ISBN: 0399150439 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 12 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: A Cold Heart: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman ISBN: 0345452550 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 29 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: The Big Bad Wolf: A Novel by James Patterson ISBN: 0316602906 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 17 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Split Second by David Baldacci ISBN: 0446530891 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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