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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This was probably the best Stuart Woods book I've read, which isn't actually that much of a recommendation. It again features Stone Barrington who, as I've commented before, doesn't ever seem to do very much.
In this story, he's sent to London on an unlikely mission for somebody who lies to him from the beginning about almost everything. Barrington acts like an innocent abroad, making elementary mistakes and displaying moments of sheer stupidity - right at the start he's apparently unable to read the word 'Concorde' on his airline ticket and goes to the wrong terminal in New York, and arrives in Britain with a passport that expires in a matter of minutes. He obligingly totes a satellite phone around, given to him by the villain of the piece, and it never dawns on him that the unit might be bugged, despite the fact that the bad guys unaccountably always seem to know exactly where he is.
Stuart Woods seems to be a big fan of coincidence, a trait I've noted before in his books, and this one is no exception. Almost as soon as Barrington arrives in London he's surrounded by old flames and people he knows and, as usual, ends up staying in the best hotels, drinking the world's most expensive and exclusive wines, and being invited to country houses for weekend parties. And despite acting as a veritable sexual athlete in previous books, and indeed in this one at various times, he also finds himself unable to perform more than once a night when that's necessary for dramatic reasons. It's all very unlikely.
The author comments in the acknowledgements at the end of the book that it was the first manuscript he'd produced that didn't need editing. In my opinion, his editor let him down badly, because the book would certainly have been better with some judicious editing to correct the numerous mistakes. For example, I have never heard any Englishman use the verb 'gotten', though Americans use it all the time; Heathrow Airport doesn't have an 'international departures' terminal, and so on.
The best Stuart Woods book I've read - yes. A good book? No, not really.
In this story, he's sent to London on an unlikely mission for somebody who lies to him from the beginning about almost everything. Barrington acts like an innocent abroad, making elementary mistakes and displaying moments of sheer stupidity - right at the start he's apparently unable to read the word 'Concorde' on his airline ticket and goes to the wrong terminal in New York, and arrives in Britain with a passport that expires in a matter of minutes. He obligingly totes a satellite phone around, given to him by the villain of the piece, and it never dawns on him that the unit might be bugged, despite the fact that the bad guys unaccountably always seem to know exactly where he is.
Stuart Woods seems to be a big fan of coincidence, a trait I've noted before in his books, and this one is no exception. Almost as soon as Barrington arrives in London he's surrounded by old flames and people he knows and, as usual, ends up staying in the best hotels, drinking the world's most expensive and exclusive wines, and being invited to country houses for weekend parties. And despite acting as a veritable sexual athlete in previous books, and indeed in this one at various times, he also finds himself unable to perform more than once a night when that's necessary for dramatic reasons. It's all very unlikely.
The author comments in the acknowledgements at the end of the book that it was the first manuscript he'd produced that didn't need editing. In my opinion, his editor let him down badly, because the book would certainly have been better with some judicious editing to correct the numerous mistakes. For example, I have never heard any Englishman use the verb 'gotten', though Americans use it all the time; Heathrow Airport doesn't have an 'international departures' terminal, and so on.
The best Stuart Woods book I've read - yes. A good book? No, not really.
Format:MP3 CD
I was first introduced to Stone Barrington, the hero who always gets the lady and his man in `COLD PARADISE'. I started in the middle of the series because the premise of that particular book interested me but once I finished, I was hooked on the series. Stone Barrington is a 007 type of agent minus the flashy equipment, but he is every bit as much the ladies man. In `THE SHORT FOREVER' Stone is hired to watch over the niece of John Bartholomew, a very rich and very influential man who supplies Stone with only the best while under his employ, a room at the best hotel in London and an unlimited supply of cash. However, Stone soon finds out that there is more to this case than meets the eye and it turns out that Bartholomew may not be who he says he is. Now with English federal agents on his tale he must try to piece this case together while trying to stay on the good side of one agent in particular, the beautiful and mysterious Carpenter.
The Stone Barrington books are perfect summer reads, great for a relaxing day at the beach. If you are looking for something with a little intrigue, a little sex and a lot of glitz and glamour to let your imagination run wild this is the series for you.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
49 reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
The Short Forever
3 Jun 2002
Format: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.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
action packed and fast-paced tale
12 April 2002
Format: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
Welcome Back Stone
29 April 2002
Format:Hardcover
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.
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