Copyright 2015 by Stuart Woods. Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
This is one of Stuart Woods’ many books featuring Stone Barrington, lawyer superhero. There are a bunch of these and this is #35 in the series.
I am somewhat facetious when I call Stone a “lawyer superhero.” But his character approaches superhero stature. He is, besides a lawyer, an investor, a pilot, a detective and a lover. In this book he plays piano. I suspect that if the situation needed him to weave a Hopi rug, he could do it.
And that is the problem. He is just not believable. Yeah, I know – I am a fan of Jack Reacher and John Puller who come pretty darn close to superhero status. But the difference is this: they don’t get calls from a cardinal, the head of MI6, the Director of the CIA and the President of the United States offering their assistance in resolving Stone’s problem. And the director of MI6 is one of his lovers. She had better take a number, apparently.
So I didn’t much care for the character. What else didn’t I care much for? Oh, yeah – the plot.
Stone is an investor in a hotel project in Rome which is being shaken down in a protection racket by an Italian mafioso recently booted from the United States. Now it is not clear what this guy expected to get out of this pretty penny-ante scheme. Certainly nothing to justify kidnapping Stone’s current squeeze. Certainly no benefit that justified killing a couple of guys that he thought might sell him out for the reward that Stone posted. Certainly nothing that justifies the intense pressure placed on him due to the concerted efforts of all of Stone’s friends in high places.
And yet he persists. But Stone takes him down in the most ridiculous way – by posing as a pianist in a jazz quartet playing at the bad guy’s party. The takedown consists of calling the guy onto stage, pointing a gun at him and arresting him. Where is the drama in that?
This is the first Stone Barrington novel I have read. And probably the last.
3 out of 10.