Stuart Woods' Smolder (A Stone Barrington Novel)
“a clever and entertaining novel that readers of the series will likely enjoy.”
For fans of the late author, Stuart Woods, Smolder will feel comfortingly familiar. Written by Brett Battles, Smolder is the latest addition to the very popular Stone Barrington series, originally created by Stuart Woods.
A former New York City police detective, Stone Barrington is now a full partner with the prestigious Manhattan law firm Woodman & Weld. Loyal readers of the series will recognize some recurrent characters in Smolder: Stone’s close friends, New York City police commissioner Dino Bacchetti and his wife Viv; friends Kate and Will Lee; colleague Herb Fisher; and of course Joan, Stone’s longtime secretary and confidante—just to name a few. And, in keeping with Stone’s reputation as an unabashed ladies’ man, his occasional lover Holly makes an appearance, as does a new paramour, Monica.
Typical of all Stone Barrington novels the plot is face paced and cluttered with a large cast of characters that at times are difficult to keep track of as Stone mingles with friends and foes from all walks of life. With twists and turns Smolder delivers an engaging mystery that finds Stone the victim of an angry man out for revenge. Winston Petry holds Stone responsible for a petty humiliation, as well as for being part of the legal team that found him guilty in a case that destroyed his business. Now, Petry is out to get Stone Barrington.
With the help of his unscrupulous lawyer, Nico Savage, Petry develops a scheme to even the score with Stone by hitting him where it hurts . . . stealing and destroying valuable paintings created by Stone’s late mother, Matilda, which are sentimentally precious to Stone.
Smolder captures the essence of the Stone Barrington series in a style very similar to Mr. Woods, though perhaps a bit overwritten in his attempt to do so, especially the dialogue, where the repartee seems a slightly exaggerated version of Mr. Woods’s style. Still, the finished product is a clever and entertaining novel that readers of the series will likely enjoy.