Customer Reviews

The Short Forever (Stone Barrington Series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"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.

Stone Barrington is a bit hung over from last night's shocker that his lover is leaving him to marry someone else. So when John Bartholomew asks for his help with retrieving his niece, Erica Burroughs, from her boyfriend, cocaine smuggler Lance Cabot, he accepts. It does help to say yes when the client offers to cover all expenses, reasonable or not, in London for Stone to bring Erica home and get Cabot arrested.

However, the simple job turns quite complicated when Stone not only learns that Erica has no uncle, but there is no John Burroughs. Erica introduces Stone to her sister and the trio attends a party tossed by painter Sarah Buckminster, Stone's former lover. As Sarah's fiancé, falls to his death, John and Lance accuse one another of being a vicious spy performing criminal acts. Stone believes both are rogue agents trying to manipulate him as he struggles with whom do you trust.

The latest Stone Barrington tale, THE SHORT FOREVER, feels as if Start Woods could not decide between a who-done-it and an espionage thriller. The story line is action packed and fast-paced, perhaps the speediest of the Barrington tales, but keeps shifting gear as the subplots never smoothly lock in place. The mystery elements feel comfortable, however the spy subplot seems out of sorts for Stone. Still series fans will find Stone, who must have scored more often than Wilt, retains his likable quality as he tries to remain alive amidst the most murky a case he ever has worked.

Harriet Klausner

I waited patiently for the next Stone Barrington book to arrive! This one was read in one day because of the easy writing style of Mr. Woods. Stone takes an unusual case from a man that sends Stone to England to retrieve the gentlemans neice. Stone soon discovers that the girl he is sent to find is not the gentleman's neice and that begins a journey into governmental spies and smuggling and illegal trading activities, along with the occaisional murders. The best part is that Stone is briefly reunited with Arrington and he also hooks up again with Sarah the artist. Dino comes to Stone's rescue (as usual) and helps Stone through some pretty scary situations. I didn't think it was one of the best Stone books, but if you enjoy the Stone Barringotn series, you will enjoy this book.

While I normally enjoy Woods' novels, I found this to
be a bit lackluster. As Stone Barrington ages, so does the plot. I must have skipped the one sentence in the book that explained what government secret was being sought. I didn't feel the tension and excitement that should accompany an author
of Woods' caliber. Also, Stone Barrington's wandering eye for
women is getting tedious. Sorry, Stuart. This just didn't
make my day.

Stuart oh Stuart where have ye gone? Please don't tell me I have to put you to pasture with the likes of Grisham and Clancy. Put Stone to rest and write something fresh. (I know that rhymes, it was not intended)

Sorry folks but this book is as predictable as the last 3 Stone B. novels. Stone finds a new squeeze...he screws it up....finds another one to pass the time...they have uninhibited sex...Arrington shows up out of the blue...messes that up....yawn. Dino comes to the rescue. (The only saving grace, except for the poor mafioso jokes)

Has the writing gone to this? Where are the thrillers like Palindrome, Heat, Santa Fe Rules, White Cargo, or Chiefs? Heck Orchid Beach is ten times better than this mind numbing drival. It kills me to type this. I LOVE Stuart Woods. But I do not think I will spend another dime on his hardbacks until Stone is gone, or at least put on the back burner for a few years. The next book will be a library rental. Please Mr. Woods prove me wrong on the next one!

When the annoying trend of product placement, which has been annoyingly prevelant in movies, finally makes it full-scale to books, Stuart Woods will be in the forefront cashing the checks. His suave and sophisticated character Stone Barrington never drops into the local fast food joint for a burger like the rest of us. Instead, he is having fillet of sole with a nice red wine in an upscale restaurant. If forced to pay, he signs the check with his Mount Blanc pen before driving off with the beautiful woman (every woman wants to be in bed with him putting it politely) in an Austin Martin touring car. Later, he will jump on the Concorde or current equivalent, before doing whatever his client needs him to do, to be followed by splitting another bottle of champagne and dancing with another lovely woman.

Following on the heels of his novel Cold Paradise, the studly Stone is back in The Short Forever. As I have noted before, if you haven't read the last several Stuart Woods novels featuring Stone Barrington, then please skip the rest of the review after this paragraph. This novel refers to the previous novel as well as some things in earlier works. Ideally, if you haven't read the works containing Stone, then you should start with the first, New York Dead. However, if that isn't possible, then you should work your way forward from Dead In The Water.

If you are still reading, you have been warned. This latest adventure finds Stone just weeks after the conclusion of Cold Paradise. Within a matter of pages as this quick read starts, Callie informs Stone that she is dumping him as well as suddenly marrying Thad James. She has decided that while Stone is great in bed, he just can't give her what she needs, financially or emotionally. Stone is pretty well off financially and one would think that by now, since he has heard this before, he would be used to it. But, he isn't and he is rather upset.

However, before he has too much time to self reflect (which would not take too long as these still waters are very shallow) he receives an urgent call from Bill Eggers. "Bill was the managing partner of Woodman & Weld, the prestigious law firm for which Stone did unprestigious jobs." Basically, a glorified troubleshooter for the messy things that the rich involve themselves in from time to time. Bill says that a man will come see Stone the next morning and Stone is to do whatever the man wants.

The next morning, John Bartholomew arrives and sits down with Stone at his home. John tells him a story involving his niece Erica Burroughs. She is in London and has suddenly dropped out of school and has involved herself with Lance Cabot, but he is not of the Massachusetts's Cabot's. That is his first strike against him as far as John is concerned. But John is more concerned as he believes Lance is smuggling small quantities of drugs into England and he wants Stone to get Erica away from him and at the same time, find a way to put Lance in jail that does not involve Erica. He will finance Stone's efforts and Stone, once he thinks he has all the facts, agrees to handle the problem. But soon, after arriving in London via the Concorde, he fins out that things are nowhere near what they appear to be.

Like most of the other books in the series, this one is extremely short on character development. Stone hardly ever contemplates his own life, the mistakes he has made, and his future. This is not a character one would ever find sitting on a porch somewhere at two in the morning wondering how the heck he had screwed up things so royally. Instead, he moves from beautiful woman's bed to beautiful woman's bed, occasionally roughed up by thugs, and always eating and drinking at the best places. Clearly, it is the good life one hears about.

However, this particular novel is considerably better than the last several. The plot is very complicated and there are several twists and turns to it all the way to the end. Like most of the others in the series, this effort is action based and as such, this one seems to have more action than normal in it. Also, as I have warned before, graphic sex is a common occurrence in a Stone Barrington novel. While several practices are hinted at different times in the novel, there are also several explicit and detailed scenes, which may offend some readers.

While it is a typical Stone Barrington novel, this one is better than most. Stuart Woods does not plow any new ground here with these characters in the terms of development, but there is quite a lot more action in this novel. This novel is an improvement as far as plot design and action upon the previous novel, Cold Paradise. Hopefully, this is a sign that Mr. Woods has turned away from the speedy production he has generated the last few years and will once again turn out the quality work that marked his earliest work. This one is a definite improvement and a pretty good read.

This is classic Stone Barrington. His adventures in this storyline are not as fun and exciting as previous novels yet it is still a decent read if you are a Stone Barrington fan.

Mr. Woods style continues to keep you turning pages and enjoying the antics of his character. If you enjoy the Stone Barrington series this is worth the few hours it takes to read the novel.

If you have never read Stuart Woods Stone Barrington novels....I suggest you read the others first. This one probably won't get you back for more...but Dead in the Water...if you're going to enjoy this series....start there or at the beginning with New York Dead.

Prolific Stuart Woods is back with his 8th Stone Barrington novel, of his 24 fictional works to date. If he had accidentally called Stone "James Bond" it would have been just as believable, as Barrington sleuths in espionage and intrigue during the day, and drinks and bed hops during the night. Traveling to London via the Concorde on an unlimited expense account, much of this book seems devoted to the lifestyles of the rich (even if not famous). Two of Stone's old girlfriends dominate much of the proceedings, even Arrington Calder herself -- the running gag being that she and Stone will never marry (they came close once before) 'cause she won't go through life as Arrington Barrington!

There was quite a degree of suspense in the 300+ pages, although to me it was as much caused by "what's going on here" than the story per se. Even when it ended, ..., we weren't sure what they did or why it mattered, despite a couple of murders, almost unconnected, along the way. In fact, it was like leaving a movie you thought was pretty entertaining but you never did figure out the fundamental plot. Even Stone didn't know whom he was working for half the time. We'd no doubt fail the quiz at the end on who did what to whom. Moreover, an appearance by Stone's old police partner Dino (still on active duty, but apparently able to travel at will to bail this guy out time after time) did little to advance the story line and thus seemed somehow irrelevant.

Thinking it might be time to let Stone "die off", we note from the author's web site two more Barrington books are in the works, as well as another featuring his newer female lead, Holly Barker. Woods claims he's writing two books per year for the foreseeable future; while still fans, we would like to see a little more substance, a little less sex, and a more cohesive plot. Woods has all the skills to pull that off and more. We're just not sure they are on display that well in the Short Forever.

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!

The Stone Barrington books are more about the coolness of the main character than about detective work or suspense. It's sort of the way you keep reading a series because you enjoy the main character, who happens to be a detective, like Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins or Robert Parker's Spenser. Stone is kind of a man's man like James Bond.

If you like Stone Barrington, you'll want to read the whole series (soon to be 11 books long) FROM THE BEGINNING. No matter what Barrington books you've read, you should go back to New York Dead and work your way through the series (New York Dead, Dirt, Dead in the Water, Swimming to Catalina, Worst Fears Realized, LA Dead, Cold Paradise, The Short Forever, Dirty Work, and Reckless Abandon, Two Dollar Bill). They're not all the same quality, but the story builds and you'll have fewer spoilers if you read them in chronological order.

If you must start in the middle, I'd suggest that The Short Forever is a good place to start because it and the two books following it (Dirty Work and Reckless Abandon) continue some of the same storyline and because The Short Forever and Dirty Work are two of the best Barrington novels. You're still going to be wondering why Dulce and Arrington are so important to Stone (both were almost his wife), which you'll understand much better if you at least go back to Dead in the Water.

If you have a chance to listen to a Stone Barrington novel in audio format, you'll really enjoy Tony Roberts' voice and reading style. I listened to my first three Barrington books before I got hooked and went back to read the books, and I still imagine Roberts' gravelly, suave voice when I read Stone's dialogue.

The Short Forever is a little different from the other Barrington novels because it has more international intrigue with spies and double-crosses and travel. However, at its core, The Short Forever is like the rest of the books in the series-it's about Stone Barrington, a former cop turned lawyer who keeps his feet on the street in investigations that always balloon into something much bigger than they first appeared while Stone tries to pursue a life of romance and style.

I mentioned this in one of my other reviews of a Stuart Woods book, but like his book, LA Times, I've found that more of my male friends like the Barrington series than my female friends (and wife). My wife thinks Stone is silly and laughs at the maleness of the sex scenes. She prefers the Lee family political series (Chiefs, Run Before the Wind, Grass Roots, The Run, Capital Crimes) much more than the Barrington series. But don't let that stop you from taking an adventure with Stone!