Dirty Work

Don’t waste your time. I gave up halfway through when it seemed I was reading the same thing over and over. Couldn’t believe how ignorant the characters were, yet seemingly proud of it.

"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!

Brilliant dialogue, seamless plot transitions and Stone Barrington. What more could you want? Keep up this level of storytelling, Mr. Woods. With great writing like this you deserve to be the number one bestselling novelist.

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!

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!

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.