Unintended Consequences

February 18, 2013
At the start of Edgar-winner Woods’s slick 26th Stone Barrington novel (after Collateral Damage), the New York City attorney awakens in a hospital bed in the American embassy in Paris with no memory of the previous four days and no idea why he’s in Paris. Once released, Barrington accepts a dinner invitation from wealthy businessman Marcel duBois, who soon sells him a newly produced luxury automobile at the bargain price of $225,000. Further talks with duBois, including security arrangements for the tycoon and discussions of how he might be of use to new CIA director Lance Cabot, result in a trip to New York for both Barrington and duBois. A mysterious Russian named Majorov keeps popping up, and various attempts are made on the lives of Barrington and duBois, though most are quickly countered. Barrington, smooth as silk whether making a multimillion dollar deal, bedding attractive women, or acting heroically, makes everything look much too easy. Agent: Anne Sibbald, Janklow & Nesbit.

February 15, 2013
News flash: Superlawyer Stone Barrington, that sworn enemy of deferred gratification, wakes up in substandard accommodations, and he's alone! Stone is an unwitting guest of the U.S. Embassy in Paris, which took him in when he was found wandering the streets of the City of Lights in a fog. Who drugged Stone into amnesia, and why? Why does he have a dinner engagement with art curator Amanda Hurley and another with millionaire auto manufacturer Marcel duBois? What was he doing on a flight to Paris in the first place, and what happened during the four days he can't remember? These are promising questions, and in the hands of another novelist, they'd drive the story. In Woods' (Collateral Damage, 2013, etc.), however, they're just a batch of red herrings whose answers turn out to be inconsequential (Amanda Hurley, the reason for Stone's trip) or obvious (Marcel duBois, the question of who drugged Stone). Once they've been disposed of, Woods can get down to the real business at hand: a deal between Stone and duBois to duplicate the wildly successful Arrington Hotel in a dozen locations far from Los Angeles. Signing all those papers and scoping out possible locations brings duBois to America, where he and Stone can serve the infinitely less interesting function of providing target practice for the nefarious Russian gangster Yuri Majorov and his minions in between rounds of acquiring ever more creature comforts. "I will dine out on the stories for years," vows duBois as he heads back to Paris. Fans of Stone's well-upholstered, featherweight adventures can only marvel at how well this installment's title would suit them all.

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March 15, 2013

Attorney and CIA consultant Stone Barrington awakes to find he's in a cell-like hospital room with no idea how he got there. He soon learns that he is in the care of an American doctor, after having been drugged during a flight from New York to Paris. When Stone realizes he can't remember anything from the last four days, he is told it is a common side effect of the drug. Once released from the hospital, Stone has to piece together his missing memories while also trying to determine why he came to Paris. A wealthy businessman, a Swede named Helga, and the Russian mafia manage to complicate Stone's puzzling situation. VERDICT This dialog-driven mystery adds nothing new to the Stone Barrington series (after Unnatural Acts). Avid fans will enjoy the character's trademark casual, cool demeanor, but some may grow tired of seeing him in the same old predicaments. Some backstory is explained, but new readers may be frustrated because the assumption is made that they are already familiar with the character's past. [See Prepub Alert, 10/28/12.]--Vicki Briner, City Coll. Lib., Fort Lauderdale, FL

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2013
Stone Barrington finds himself in quite a predicament in Woods' latest outing when he wakes up in France, unable to remember the last four days of his life. Luckily he's been safely delivered to the American embassy, where he and his friends in the CIA begin to try to piece together what transpired to bring Stone to France. His most fruitful lead proves to be an invitation to a swanky party hosted by wealthy Frenchman Marcel duBois, who offers Stone a deal on a groundbreaking new car he's introducing into the market. He also introduces Stone to a stunning Swedish divorc'e named Helga, with whom Stone is immediately taken. Stone discovers Marcel is interested in purchasing his luxury Bel Air hotel from him, and that a former KGB agent is gunning for either Marcel or him. This new entry in Woods' long-running series starts out strong, but the seemingly endless business dealings toward the middle weigh the novel down, detracting from what could have been an engaging Stone adventure. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The usual high-tier promotional efforts will accompany Woods' addition to the megaStone Barrington series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)