The Short Forever (Stone Barrington) (Paperback)

by Stuart Woods (Author) "Stone Barrington sipped his third Wild Turkey and resisted the basket of hot sourdough bread that the waiter had just placed on the table..." (more)
Key Phrases: short forever, cellphone number, two racks, New York, Lance Cabot, John Bartholomew (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Stone Barrington, Stuart Woods's suave, urbane series hero, is approached by an enigmatic new client, John Bartholomew, who hires him for what looks like an easy assignment: find his young niece, who's living somewhere in London with a shady character liable to involve her in his illegal activities, and persuade her to return to New York with Barrington. Handing him a ticket on the Concorde and an unlimited expense account, Bartholomew sets Stone on a chase in which identifying who's the predator and who's the prey turns out to be the key to solving a puzzling mystery involving two American spies and a great deal of money.

As usual, Stone wraps it up without getting his tuxedo nearly as wrinkled as the sheets on his bed, which he shares with a bevy of beautiful women including two old girlfriends and one new one. Woods is a lively, engaging, and reliable writer whose bestselling thrillers feature plenty of eye candy, brand names, and plots that don't tax the brain but do make the most of his narrative gifts. Look elsewhere for high art, but this is high entertainment. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
In recent Woods bestsellers like Cold Paradise, N.Y.P.D. detective-turned-PI Stone Barrington has gone upscale in lifestyle, international in expertise. This time, mogul John Bartholomew hires Stone to fly to London and persuade his niece, Erica, to leave her cocaine-smuggling boyfriend, Lance Cabot, and to make sure Lance winds up in jail. Dapper Stone charms Erica, who offers to set him up with her sister, Monica, and then introduces him to Lance. With help from two British investigators, Stone learns John Bartholomew is not who he seems: not only is he not Erica's uncle, he's really CIA biggie Stan Hedger. Confronted, Stan owns up, revealing that Lance is an ex-CIA agent who blew ops, ran with cash and nearly killed him. Meanwhile, Monica asks Stone to a country weekend with Lance and Erica at what turns out to be the manse of his old flame, Sarah Buckminster, who previously dodged a New York bombing and is now engaged to a megatycoon. The fog thickens when Stone's N.Y.P.D. pal Dino Bacchetti flies over to smooth out the beating death of one of Stone's investigators and Scotland Yard brings in MI6, who suspect Lance is after a top-secret military device for a Mideast client. Woods may have left behind the police action of L.A. Dead, but he churns up plenty of conflict and twisted plotting in this speedy tale. Several bombshell revelations and multiple resolutions combine with the cinematic plot for a perfect flight or beach read. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Signet (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451208080
• ISBN-13: 978-0451208088
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,314 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #42 in

  Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( W ) > Woods, Stuart

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Short Forever, June 2, 2002

By	Ricky C. Nelson (Commerce, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Short Forever (Hardcover)

"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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars action packed and fast-paced tale, April 12, 2002

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Short Forever (Hardcover)

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

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Short Forever......zzzzzzz, May 9, 2002

By	Sean C. Patton (Sahuarita, Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Short Forever (Hardcover)

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!