Copyright 1991 by Stuart Woods. Published by HarperCollins, New York.
This is the first book in the series of mysteries by Stuart Woods that feature Stone Barrington, upscale cop, investigator and lawyer. This is my second Barrington book, having read Foreign Affairs first (#35 in the series). I didn’t like Foreign Affairs much (I scored it a 3 out of 10) but thought I should give this popular, long-running series another shot. Starting at the beginning seemed like the best way to do that.
As this book opens, Stone is recovering from a gunshot wound to the knee that he received on the job as detective for the NYPD. He happens to see a woman fall 12 stories, presumably to her death. He calls it in, then heads to the penthouse to investigate. When he arrives he hears the footsteps of someone – a murderer? – rapidly descending the staircase. He tries to follow but is unable, due to his injured knee, to catch the fleeing suspect.
He then learns, from a reporter who observed the woman shortly after her fall, that she was alive. Badly injured, but not dead. Survived a 12-story fall? Well, it turns out this woman was a famous television news anchor with considerable skydiving experience. Could she have used her knowledge of aerodynamics and the fortunate placement of a soft pile of newly excavated dirt to save herself? She is loaded into an ambulance, but the ambulance is struck by a fire engine on the way to the hospital. Everyone in the ambulance is taken to the hospital – except the woman, who has disappeared. Is she alive or dead?
This is the confusing start to a plot that has more twists and turns than the Mississippi River. Stone is initially put in charge of the investigation, but his belief that the woman is alive puts him at odds with the NYPD brass who want to quickly close the case. He is drummed out of the force with a medical excuse. He is given a generous disability pension but Stone can’t let the case rest.
I won’t go into all of the complications that arise but I found the plot to be complex, plausible and very satisfying. I had a hard time putting the book down.
9 out of 10. WAY better than Foreign Affairs.