Customer Reviews

Dirty Work (Stone Barrington Series)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

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!

Stone Barrington is back, and this time he is on the loose in New York City.

Assigned by his law firm to aide a client in the dumping of her unfaithful husband, Stone thinks this case to be "dirty work", but when a dead body turns up he realizes there is more to this case than meets the eye.

As Stone begins looking for answers he runs into Carpenter, the beautiful British agent he met while in London. Carpenter is in New York for her own investigation, on a case she is not willing to discuss, but the deeper Stone probes the more he gets the feeling her case is related to his.

Teaming with his ex-partner Dino, Stone hits the streets of Manhattan in search of a very dangerous woman with the answers to a bizarre and complicated crime.

`Dirty Work' is a fun, enjoyable novel...one that will keep readers guessing. The Stone Barrington bestsellers are mysteries filled with surprises, sexy vixens, rogue heroes and intriguing plot lines, and this is one of the better entries in the series.

Stuart Woods can always be depended upon to create an original, fast-paced thriller, and `Dirty Work' is a great way to spend a few hours in an easy chair.

Expect to see this on all the lists.

Nick Gonnella

Stuart Woods never wastes words. Take Stone's description of Herbie Fisher.."He was small, ferret-like, sleekly dressed, and annoying." I would know Herbie in any crowded room and there's the power of Stuart Woods.

I read Woods less for plot, more for Stone's familar style, and knowing that I will be rewarded with his unique sense of morality. And face it, he's a women's man with constant character...and, heck, he's even a man's man which he proves time and again in his relationship with the ever-present, long-suffering Dino. There are two great scenes with Dino - one, in a hotel restuarant in St. Thomas where their squabbling is even better than any characteristic married couple; and, when they lock themselves on the rooftop and debate on who will slide down the drain pipe.

Plotting is probably predictable and simplistic. Stone takes on the dirty work of providing physical evidence that a rich woman's husband is cheating to invoke a pre-nup clause. Said cheating husband, a former British agent is killed, thus bringing the beautiful British agent, Carpenter, to NY city and Stone's bed. This is "spy light" because Carpenter would never have divulged her operation quite as openly, especially given Dino's position in the NYPD. But Stone is never ordinary or predictable and proves yet again that he's no one's yes-man.

Dialogue is crisp, wity,and fun. Even though it's as quickly paced as Woods' other books, it doesn't diminish the story line. He sticks to the point, doesn't digress unnecessarily and when it ends, there's always something left for Stone's next adventure. Will Arrington return? Will Stone stick with spy light? Will he be in NY or in Europe next time? Will Carpenter reappear? I for one can't wait for the next episode!

I read "The Short Forever" first and thought it wasn't a bad story. I particularly liked the Carpenter character and wanted to read more about her. I also liked the detective, Dino. Stone Barrington was the least favorite of the characters I liked. I found him very shallow and too far left for my tastes, but in "Dirty Work", I was so disappointed I had to write this review. I should have read the reviews before I wasted my time reading it. Newt Gingrich had a great review and I could not do better than him. I would like the readers to understand I purchase books to get enjoyment out of them rather than watch TV or see movies. I do not purchase books to get some moral lesson from a far out leftist who doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground. Stone Barrington's defense of a sadistic killer who murdered innocent people to achieve her agenda of killing all the British agents who had anything to do with her parents death is appalling. He even went so far as to say he ADMIRED her. That did it for me. I believe Mr. Woods is letting his own ideology overtake his writing and therefore destroying any enjoyment I could ever get from reading his books. Therefore I will be eliminating Mr. Woods from my list of authors to read in the future. Sorry folks, but if you're not a dyed in wool liberal, you won't enjoy this one.

"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!

Few protagonists in the thriller/crime genre have proven to be as popular as Stone Barrington, once a lawyer now a cop. He's sophisticated, sexy, smart - everything readers could want. And he's given a voice laced with all of those qualities by able performer Tony Roberts

Stone is hired to catch Lawrence Fortescue in the act - the act of being unfaithful to his wife, a rich-as-all-get-out woman who wants photographic proof of her mate's infidelity. To this end Stone hires a photographer who turns out to be a bumbler. The cameraman falls through a skylight onto the wandering husband who is then declared dead.

Problem is he was poisoned, his playmate disappears, and the photog is charged with murder.

The only pleasant surprise for Stone is running into Carpenter, the gorgeous British agent he met in past adventures. She's now in the Big Apple on an assignment of her own. Before long we learn that her life is also on the line.

Stone Barrington and Stuart Woods - what a pair! Imaginative, woven with surprising twists and turns, "Dirty Work" is enthralling listening.

- Gail Cooke

In "Dirty Work", the ninth in the cop turned lawyer Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods, Stone stays close to home...no gallivanting to jet set hot spots.

Stone is assigned by the Woodman & Weld law firm (where he is of counsel) to get proof of an unfaithful husband. Seemingly routine, this assignment leads Stone into the murky world espionage going back to murders (assassinations)at least a decade old.

In this domain, the "good guys" are treacherous and the "bad guys" earn your compassion...and a deadly female assassin bent on revenge appears far more sympathetic than the MI-5 agent hunting her.

Mr. Woods has crafted another entertaining Stone Barrington installment with lots of sex appeal, intriguing plot and subplots with not a word wasted. The story moves at a lightning pace.

Stone's former cop partner Dino is prominent throughout and remains one of fiction's strongest supporting characters.

As always, Stone is a captivating, engaging, witty bon vivant with enough panache for a dozen men. Easy to enjoy without requiring a lot of time.

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.

You sort of knew everything that was coming .... I was a bit
bored ...read it in an afternoon -- not a "page turner" ...
better luck next time Mr Woods

I like all of Stuart Woods' books. They are so much fun. This one is no exception and has all the intrigue you could ask for in a light, beach book. If you're going to start with these, start at the beginning and just keep going.