Customer Reviews

Dead in the Water

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is the first book I have read by Mr. Woods. The plot combined with Mr. Woods writing style made for exciting reading. I found it extremely hard to put down. I often found myself feeling sorry for Allison and Stone as well as thinking "She Did It", only to find myself a few pages later thinking "She Didn't Do It". Later in the book I found myself thinking, "Insurance Scam". I won't spoil the book by telling you what happens or if she did or didn't do it. What I will tell you is that this is definatly a must read book with a fantastic ending. Being the first book I have ever read by Mr. Stuart I was plesantly surprised to find that there was nothing about this book I didn't like. Easy, smooth flowing reading. I will definatly be reading more of Stuart Woods writing. Even though this book is not listed as a legal thriller, I would rank it right up with authors suchs as John Grishim and Brad Meltzer's"Dead Even". Let me take a minute and reiterate that this is a great book and a must read for any avid reader.

I was very pleased to see someone else comment on the slow dim dialogue in this book - it was PAINFUL. Page after page was spent on such exciting things as preparing a Caesar salad and other exciting tangents. The story moved slooowly and the plot, characters and ending were all terribly lacking. None of these lacked as much as the motivation for ANY character. I was so moved by how poorly this book ended that I had to come here and "warn" others! I am not a tough critic, but this book was a stinker.

Stuart Woods' novel Dead in the Water is a suspenseful tale of murder, romance, and deception. Woods has crafted a story that captures the reader's attention from the opening paragraph until the closing lines. Never is there a dull moment in this thriller. The reader follows the adventures of Stone Barrington, an ex-cop turned lawyer who is intriguing yet refreshingly real. Stone's tropical vacation is interrupted when he meets murder suspect Elizabeth Manning. Through his own good will, he decides to defend this mysterious beauty who stands to lose her life if found guilty. The case has a new twist at every corner, and somehow it never manages to get dull. The story rises to higher levels of suspense as Stone and his client become romantically and passionately involved. The characters develop nicely throughout the novel. As the story line progresses, the reader develops a seemingly intimate relationship with the novel's protagonists and exhibits genuine concern for their well-being. Woods should be commended for this stellar literary accomplishment. By constantly introducing new elements into the complexity of the plot, Woods manages to keep the reader guessing. In fact, the novel's outcome is not clear until the final pages; therefore, no reader can willingly put it down without finishing. The story's conclusion is slightly far-fetched but enjoyable and ironic nonetheless. Woods' endeavor is a page-turner extraordinaire and a treat for anyone lucky enough to pick it up. Dead in the Water receives four out of five stars. Highly recommended.

Stuart Woods' gifts as a writer are primarily in storytelling. His writing style isn't particularly exceptional and his characters are woefully one-dimensional, but he can spin a tale that'll keep you turning the pages. His Stone Barrington series is sort of the literary equivalent of an enjoyable-but-mediocre TV detective series. With "Dead in the Water," though, he drowns his story in bland dialog and meaningless detail (glad I'm not the only one annoyed that Woods chronicles the making of a Caesar salad, which was slightly more exciting than Stone Barrington's adventures in an earlier chapter making linguine and clam sauce). Though the state of journalism has declined to a degree that I could believe reporters could be goaded by a PR firm into flocking to an island resort to cover the plight of a rich housewife, the journalists in "Water" are never believable as journalists. Or as people. In fact, it's hard to believe any of the people in "Water," with all the characters shallow and broadly drawn. I never pick up a Woods novel with high expectations, but "Dead in the Water" leaves readers splashing around in a wading pool.

I was walking and reading this book on tape. It concluded with Stone hailing a cab to scuttle off to LA because his former girlfriend was pregnant and he'd gotten a call from her new husband????? That's it????? Why should I ever read another Stone Barrington story if it doesn't conclude!

This is my first novel by Stuart Woods and I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. I sat down Saturday night at 10:00 to read a few chapters only until my husband came in from the garage with the intention of then watching a movie that I had taped. Needless to say 3 cups of coffee and 4 hours later I finished the book and we never did start the movie.The novel moves quickly and there is no unnecessary detail to skim over.It has lots of plots twists and I had fun trying to figure them out(even though I was only partially right)My next book is "Swimming to Catalina" which is where this novels ends. I look foward to it and I hope it is as enjoyable as this one has been.

ok, that title's a little cliched, but it pretty much sums up this book..

stone barrington returns for another great whodunnit penned by stewart woods..and this is my favorite of his books so far...

there's more than a few jaw dropping moments in this one...and the ending will have you wanting to read the very next book (which I plan on doing very soon)

very good read for fans of stone barrington, stuart woods, or good crime novels in general

Stuart Woods has quickly become one of my all-time favorite authors, however, I found this Stone Barrington series to be a little bit far-fetched and not so good (as compared to his others in the series). Woods does a great job of maintaining a great character in Stone, I just did like some of things that Stone did in the book. He is supposed to be madly in love with Arrington, yet he keeps finding comfort in the arms of others. I guess it goes with Stone's character loving many different women. The ending was very far-fetched and kind of a letdown. If you have never read Woods before, I would suggest that you not make this your first novel of his that you read. Instead, go with "New York Dead," "L.A. Times," or "The Run". Not that this book isn't good, it is just definitely not his best.

I had the fortune of listening to this book as read by Richard Ferrone. What a build up! What characters! What a scenario! Too bad none of it goes anywhere. Of course, I cannot go into too many narrative details but suffice to say the ending is very disappointing...and things you felt should have happened didn't. Perhaps the greatest disappointment of all was the author using the ending as the beginning of another book...as though I want to read something else equally as dissatisfying?

Stone Barrington, who is supposed to be on vacation, finds himself trapped in a murder trial. He has to learn to keep his professional and personal lives separate in this suspencful novel. I recomend starting with New York Dead. It is the first in the series, and you can then get the entire picture, and learn the background of Stone Barringon. Thank you for anther great book Mr. Woods! Please, keep them coming!