Customer Reviews

Swimming to Catalina

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Well, Stuart Woods did it again! He provides his readers with another fast-paced page turner with his recurring character, Stone Barrington. Fans of Stuart Woods know that Stone is a retired NYC police detective turned lawyer. While he does practice in the legal profession, he never quite gets away from his past as a dedicated gumshoe and it is this combination (along with other quirks) that makes him such a fascinating character.

In this installment, Woods reprises a character from the immediately preceding DEAD IN THE WATER. That person is Stone's erstwhile lover Arrington Carter. As readers of DITW know, Arrington never joined Stone for their mid-winter Caribbean vacation. Instead, she winds up following actor Vance Calder to Hollywood and much to everyone's surprise, Stone's included, she marries him.

At the beginning of this novel, Stone is called to California by Vance Calder, ostensibly to investigate the disappearance of Arrington. being the good detective that he is, Stone complies with Vance's request. Upon arrival, he is feted by studio bigwigs and even cast as a lawyer in a movie (for which he is well paid despite his inexperience as an actor and his short time on set and in front of the camera). Stone sallies forth and encounters several young women who seem all too eager to bed him down. Being the person he is, Stone is all too willing to comply and he begins to sample the several sexual pleasures he is offered by different women Woods introduces to the story. In addition to his sexual adventures, Stone also has several that could only be called life-threatening. He meets local mafia soldiers and they proceed to try to get rid of him in a time-tested manner. After reading that scene, it becomes readily apparent how Woods chose his title. Although his escape from that precarious situation borders on implausible, I suspended disbelief, knowing that the story would have a better ending because of it.

Throughought SWIMMING TO CATALINA, Stone functions as both detective and lawyer. Toward the end of the novel, Woods gives the reader a treat as we get to see just how good a negotiator and advocate Stone really is. Stone has the opportunity to prevent his client, Vance Calder from getting into trouble with the federal government while at the same time, helping the same federal agencies crack murder and corruption cases.

During all of the wheelings and dealings, Stone also must come to grips with the fact that he is still in love with Arrington despite the fact that she is married to Vance Calder. Another complication added to the mix is that Arrington is pregnant and doesn't know whether Stone is the father or her new husband is. That mystery is not solved until the very end. Stone's reaction, while bittersweet shows that he is the better man.

Stuart Woods imbues Stone Barrington with several admirable qualities while also showing him to be a man with certain well know weaknesses. The strong qualities are loyalty, a sense of justice and fair-play and a need to see justice done. He is also not above exacting revenge when he feels it serves a purpose.

I like Stone Barrington. I believe that Stuart Woods could find many more story lines to use for him much as Robert B. Parker continues to turn out spare but faced new novels in his SPENSER series. Done right, I think Woods could keep Stone Barrington around for quite some time to come. I hope he decides to do so. If he does, I think I can safely say that the books will fly off the shelves in bookstores everywhere.

Thanks for another thoroughly enjoyable read, Stuart. Please keep Stone Barrington stories coming!

Former NYPD police officer Stone Barrington plans to rest up after returning home from his "vacation" (see DEAD IN THE WATER). However when his buddy Vance Calder, a movie superstar, calls and pleads for his help, Stone heads to California. Vance's wife, Arrington Carrington (Stone's former girl friend) has been kidnapped and it is up to the former law enforcement official to find her.

However, Stone finds himself the recipient of the VIP treatment, making him conclude that someone does not want him to investigate the disappearance of his former squeeze. Soon, Stone is told to go back to the Big Apple as Arrington has been found. Still, he cannot leave without finding out the truth about the recent shenanigans. This turns into a mistake as the New Yorker becomes the target of some questionable characters.

SWIMMING TO CATALINA is not for everyone. If someone wants a jocular, irrelevant novel in which nothing is sacred, this is the book to peruse. Stone is a typical cynical New Yorker with a slightly self-deprecating sense of humor. He is also the last of the free love characters. The story line is fast-paced and filled with plenty of action. Simply put, Stuart Woods has written another three thumbs up winner.

Harriet Klausner

Stuart Woods is an amazing author, he has never let me down. His novel Swimming to Catalina is the sequel to Dead in the Water. It is important to read Dead in the Water first to apprieciate Swiming to Catalina. Stone Barrington is the main character of both novels. He is an ex-cop of the NYPD from which he was forced to retire. Stone became a lawyer and joined a big firm in New York. In Swimming to Catalina Stone is trying to find his ex-girlfriend for movie star Vance Calder. Stone has plenty of trouble finding his ex. This was a great book just remember to read Dead in the Water first. Great job Stuart

This was the first of Woods books that I have read and it will not be the last. This book keep the suspense until the end. I would get to the next chapter and mean to put the book down and not be able to. This book focus' on real places and one can easily put themselves into the book. You feel as if you are there, especially if you are from the part of the country that the plot takes place. I gave this 5 stars.

A sequel to the outstanding Dead in the Water, this book is much more enjoyable when you know the background -- the story of Stone's unhappy romance with the oddly-named but delectable Arrington. If you've followed Stuart Woods' career, you'd know that his very first book was a sailing memoir (Blue Water, Green Skipper); it's a joy to see this author return to his boating roots in this and the preceding book. (You won't believe the scene in which Stone is thrown overboard with an anchor tied to him.) Even if you don't care beans for boats, cancel your appointments -- Dead in the Water and Swimming to Catalina aren't to be put down!!! (The title, incidentally, is a quote from Raymond Chandler: "Oh sure, I do something you don't like and I'll be swimming to Catalina with a streetcar on my back." What a combination -- an adventure/mystery writer at the top of his form, putting his appealing character on the same streets once prowled by Philip Marlowe. Stuart, THANK YOU! MORE!

What more could you want in a fast-paced novel? Stone Barrington appears again to "save the day" in this thriller set in the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles. Stone is summoned by Vance Calder to help locate Stone's former girlfriend and Vance's current wife, Arrington who has vanished.

When Stone arrives in Los Angeles and visits Vance on the set of a movie he is filming, Vance is evasive about the details of Arrington's disappearance, a walk-on part is suddenly contrived for Stone and he is groomed to appear in the movie. But just as suddenly, Vance announces that Arrington is visiting her family in Virginia, the part is reduced, and Stone is rushed out of town. He feels uncomfortable with the story about Arrington and decides to stay around until he finds her.

Then the action really starts. He is tailed, his rooms are searched, and he starts to find lots of incriminating evidence that something is seriously wrong. He believes that Arrington has been kidnapped and that Vance is in over his head. Stone has an affair with Vance's uninhibited personal secretary, Betty, who provides some more clues, but Stone later finds out that he can't trust her either.

Stone enlists the help of his police buddies to do research on some of the suspicious characters surrounding Vance Calder and stumbles across what he believes to be a huge money laundering operation run by Oney Ippolito. He receives a puzzling invitation to dine on Ippolito's yacht, but never makes it. Two goons that work for Ippolito bind his arms and legs, chain an anchor to him and dump him in the channel. He manages to dislodge the anchor and swim to Catalina.

The tale gets even more exciting after this, as the level of danger and intrigue builds. The plot is complicated, but the fast pace and attention to details keeps the book from getting bogged down. Somehow the indomitable Stone Barrington orchestrates a satisfying end to this story involving the FBI, LAPD and IRS. It's good to know that he will live on to star in another Stuart Woods novel.

OK, I have to admit it- I must be ADD because I cant't read a book if the chapters are longer than six pages. My bookcase is filled with half and fourth read books that just could not hold my attention. Not so with Stuart Wood's Swimming To Catalina. Not only were the chapters short as usual, they were true page turners- no unfinished reading here! While others have critized his current work as not worthy of previous works such as Chiefs, I could not wait for it to come out and then could not put it down. The secondary characters have the usual characteristics that I love in Woods' books- money, glamour, and a strange twist or two. Barrington maintains his cool, intuitive manner that makes the reader want to keep his appearances coming in the future. Hey Stuart- How about a story where Barrington is asked by a sitting President to investigate who is trying to frame him with an intern sex scandal?? Knowing Barrington, he would get to the bottom of the scandal but would probably make a stop in the Lincoln bedroom with the first lady! Personally, I can't wait for the next book to come out.

This is another great book from Stuart Woods. Love that Stone Barrington! I've read all Stuart Woods' books & would recommend every single one of them.

He makes the books very exciting and I just want to hurry and read it so I know how it ends. To keep a person attached to a book like that takes a lot of talent, and he's got it.

once again, Stuart Woods pens a quick page turner. After reading a few of his books they still feel fresh, unlike other authors who seem to fall into familiar patterns after a few novels have been written.

Another thing I like is the return of familiar characters from other books, much like the works of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

The only thing keeping this from getting a higher rating is the fact that it drags just a little about half way to two thirds in. But the ending picks up the pace again.

Definetly recommended for fans of stuart woods and mystery/suspense fans alike.