Fresh Disasters: A Stone Barrington Novel

I have purchased many Stuart Woods books as gifts. I have always gotten back excellent reviews from the recipicants on the Stone Barrington Novel's. They have been passed on to other readers and they are always complimented as excellent books

I have enjoyed several of Mr. Woods books and especially enjoy the Stone Barrington series. On page four of this book the Dino character fires a cheap shot at President Bush. I say put a sock in it! P.S. One star is my rating of the cheap shot...I'll keep reading this book but may not buy any others. I've done that with other authors.

I really enjoyed this book. it was an easy enjoyable read which was easy to lost in. I found myself not wanting to put it down. Stone Barrington finds himself out to dinner and drinks with friends when he finds himself in a dilemma. He gets forced into representing a sleazy but clueless con man. Which seems to be an easy case soon turns out to be a dangerous case against a powerful mob boss. This book had me turning pages faster then I could read. I want to go back and read this series from the first book to the last one.

I read Stuart Woods a long time ago, recalled not being impressed, but thought I'd try again because it's so often worth revisiting an author.

However, now if anyone ever calls women's fiction or romance novels "bodice rippers" within earshot of this reader, the fur is gonna fly. In most romance fiction there's this new fad called character development in which the protagonists actually learn something from their life experiences. They also have this other frivolous thing called... What is it again? Oh, yeah. EMOTION! And I've never read a romance novel in which the heroine thinks she's the hottest thing since Cleopatra or fruit flavored condoms, not to mention that she allows herself to be lured into bed by every man she meets.

When I think of how reviewers and critics call novels written by women(esp with happy endings) "bodice rippers" and "fluff" and "beach reading," (regardless of how poignant the story or how riveting the mystery), I get TMJ from grinding my teeth.

Many of my favorite series novels are written by men featuring male protagonists. Yet not one of those protagonists are as focused on his genitals (and how he can apply them to every nubile female he meets) as Stone Barrington. Ironically, Barrington is rarely if ever rebuked by a woman. Only in fiction.

Woods's novels seem like an ongoing description of the author's sexual fantasies with a sprinkling of mediocre mystery thrown in as a filler between sexual exploits. I have no idea why the industry finds this series so deserving of best selling status. Don't get it, never will. And that's a GOOD thing.

I began reading his books "Stone Barrington" series at the beginning. In fact the last two kept me reading, this one was either not written by Stuart Woods or he allowed someone to help him. I agree with some one who wrote the sexual stuff reminds me of an older man wanting to be wanted by every "beautiful" woman there is, in multiple numbers. First off, that is just not reality and secondly by the time you are his age you should not be such a tramp. I like his books, however I always skip the sex part because its not interesting. This book lacks, and I hope I didn't buy all the rest to read in vain...

Stone Barrington novels trigger the train-wreck reaction in me. I can't tear my eyes (or in this case, ears, from the audio CD) away even though I am seeing something horrible. As with previous books, there is no shortage of beautiful women throwing themselves at Stone, but making sure he knows they just want recreational sex-no commitment. If Stone were real, he would probably have been disbarred by now because he practices law primarily after hours of vigorous sex, when his mind is not really on his work. Of course, that may be the least of his problems as he continues to exist solely on steaks, eggs, bacon, and bourbon. The plot was, as usual, thin. However, the narrator of the audio version does manage to keep you attention, particularly on long drives. I listen to Woods' books for sheer mindlessness, but must say that he crossed the line in this one by making very light of an episode of rape. Female law enforcement officers everywhere would be outraged by his portrayal of how they approach an undercover job (the detective first wonders whether she will **** the target, and then when he sodomizes her, she essentially says that she just took one for the team). And really Mr. Woods, do you think any real police officer asks another "are you packing"?

I read Stuart Woods a long time ago, recalled not being impressed, but thought I'd try again because it's so often worth revisiting an author.

However, now if anyone ever calls women's fiction or romance novels "bodice rippers" within earshot of this reader, the fur is gonna fly. In most romance fiction there's this new fad called character development in which the protagonists actually learn something from their life experiences. They also have this other frivolous thing called... What is it again? Oh, yeah. EMOTION! And I've never read a romance novel in which the heroine thinks she's the hottest thing since Cleopatra or fruit flavored condoms, not to mention that she allows herself to be lured into bed by every man she meets.

When I think of how reviewers and critics call novels written by women(esp with happy endings) "bodice rippers" and "fluff" and "beach reading," (regardless of how poignant the story or how riveting the mystery), I get TMJ from grinding my teeth.

Many of my favorite series novels are written by men featuring male protagonists. Yet not one of those protagonists are as focused on his genitals (and how he can apply them to every nubile female he meets) as Stone Barrington. Ironically, Barrington is rarely if ever rebuked by a woman. Only in fiction.

Woods's novels seem like an ongoing description of the author's sexual fantasies with a sprinkling of mediocre mystery thrown in as a filler between sexual exploits. I have no idea why the industry finds this series so deserving of best selling status. Don't get it, never will. And that's a GOOD thing.

I began reading his books "Stone Barrington" series at the beginning. In fact the last two kept me reading, this one was either not written by Stuart Woods or he allowed someone to help him. I agree with some one who wrote the sexual stuff reminds me of an older man wanting to be wanted by every "beautiful" woman there is, in multiple numbers. First off, that is just not reality and secondly by the time you are his age you should not be such a tramp. I like his books, however I always skip the sex part because its not interesting. This book lacks, and I hope I didn't buy all the rest to read in vain...

Stone Barrington novels trigger the train-wreck reaction in me. I can't tear my eyes (or in this case, ears, from the audio CD) away even though I am seeing something horrible. As with previous books, there is no shortage of beautiful women throwing themselves at Stone, but making sure he knows they just want recreational sex-no commitment. If Stone were real, he would probably have been disbarred by now because he practices law primarily after hours of vigorous sex, when his mind is not really on his work. Of course, that may be the least of his problems as he continues to exist solely on steaks, eggs, bacon, and bourbon. The plot was, as usual, thin. However, the narrator of the audio version does manage to keep you attention, particularly on long drives. I listen to Woods' books for sheer mindlessness, but must say that he crossed the line in this one by making very light of an episode of rape. Female law enforcement officers everywhere would be outraged by his portrayal of how they approach an undercover job (the detective first wonders whether she will **** the target, and then when he sodomizes her, she essentially says that she just took one for the team). And really Mr. Woods, do you think any real police officer asks another "are you packing"?

Stone Barrington has quite a series of clients to resolve legal matters for in this novel. One gets killed but with the help of his detective friend the matter gets resolved. The other is of a person that always seem to get into problems and enlists Stone's help in getting out of them. Finally, the wife of an attorney looking to get divorced, calling it off and then realizing that she should. Of course, Stone just happens to have sex with almost all the ladies he meets, not once but as often as he wishes with the ladies who enjoy his vehicles.

While probably not the best in the Stone Barrington series, this is a fun and quick read (I went through it in just over 3 hours) and great for a light evening of entertainment.

Stone, Dino and Bill Eggers have an evening at Elaine's interrupted when Herbie Fisher stops by their table to announce he has passed the bar and is now a lawyer. A few minutes later a couple of knuckle-draggers come in, grab Herbie, haul him out the door and proceed to lay the hurt on him. Dino gets them to back off, but Herbie announces he wants to sue them for assault. Bill says he will take the case, even though Stone advises against it since the two goons are representatives of Carmine Datilla - Datilla the Hun - one of the biggest, baddest Mafia dons in the area. The next morning, apparently thinking better of the situation, Bill lays the whole thing off on Stone in such a way as to leave Stone no option but to do the suit. Of course, Herbie is a squirrelly fellow and keeps disappearing, which doesn't help matters, nor does the fact that any other witnesses keep ending up dead. . .

In the process, Stone also becomes embroiled in a divorce suit between the opposing council and his wife in an amusing side-bar, as well as a not-so-amusing stalking case with a potential new love interest, which ends badly. Woods weaves these three strands together a bit clumsily, but they still work; however, as long as this series has been going on, Stone is getting a bit unbelievable as a playboy. That, however, is my only real complaint about this story.

Overall, as I said, it was enjoyable as a light, quick read as a bit of fluff and light entertainment. There are other installments in the Stone Barrington series that are much stronger, but there is nothing wrong with this one.

Stone Barrington is eating at his favorite restaurant, Elaine's, on Manhattan's upper east side when one of his least favorite characters, Herbert Fisher, walks in with two hookers. Stone tries to brush him off and later watches as two large goons come in, take Fisher away and beat him up. This event launches Stone into a dicey entanglement with the mob as his law firm forces him to take up Fisher's case against Carmine Dattila,a mob boss to whom Fisher owes money, in order to justify the salary the firm is paying him. The story is laced with amusing conversation, colorful characters, suspense and mystery. Good fun reading.The Griffon Trilogy (Pt. I)

If Stuart Woods is going to write about lawyers, maybe he should learn some law or hire someone who knows about it.

He doesn't seem to realize that a person doesn't immediately become an attorney upon passing the bar, but that there can be a delay of many months before a person is admitted. That's especially true in New York, which waits until after an applicant passes the exam to do its background checks, character and fitness interview, and make the candidate attend an Orientation to the Bar course.

But, wait, there is an even worse error. Stone agrees to handle a divorce case for a contingency fee. Wrong! Contingency fees in general are frowned upon when a client can pay reasonable fees, and the client in this case had access to money. Furthermore, it's a serious violation of ethics (both ABA and New York) for an attorney to charge contingency fees in divorce actions (or in criminal cases).

Finally after many books Woods gets Barrington back to the legal profession and out of spy work. FRESH DISASTERS is book thirteen in the Stone Barrington series and at least some of it is new. Herbie Fisher is the central figure in this one not a spy and missing Arrington, of course, we have Dino and Elaine and Joan, Barrington's trusted secretary adding more than usual. The book isn't as exciting as some but at least, Herbie's beef with mobster Carmine Datilla sets up a different kind of Barrington story. Series RECOMMENDED

I am a longtime Stuart Woods fan and was extremely disapointed in this book! There was very little plot and I found myself skimming most of the pages to avoid the overly frequent use of sex and the F word every other page. It struck me as the work of an older man who is living out his fantasies through his writing. I mean really, every woman Stone meets can hardly wait to sleep with him, and page after page is devoted to these sexual encounters. No less than three seperate women, and the characters are simply not developed as real people. It left me uncomfortable, and I was unable to lose myself in the storyline, it was simply not believable. Very disapointing, I don't believe I will spend any more money on Stuart Woods novels. Sad because I have read all of his previous works and up until recently, enjoyed them very much.

Stuart Woods has the perfect job. Writing novels featuring Stone Barrington must be the most fun an author can imagine. Stone is classy, humorous, sarcastic, well dressed, well educated, rich, handsome, single and well heeled. It is a given that Stone will get into deep trouble without asking for it.

In FRESH DISASTERS, Stone puts himself in harm's way more times than I can count. A bonus is that we have the opportunity to eat and drink with the stars at Elaine's, and with Elaine herself, almost nightly at Stone's expense. Stone owns a boat, a plane, a special armored car, an island in Maine, an apartment in New York and a getaway country home in Washington, Connecticut. What a life!

The main plot features the nephew of a friend of Stone's. Herbie Fisher owes the mob $24,000 in gambling debts, and crime boss Carmine Datilla's underlings try to recover their "loan" in myriad ways, none of which are gentle or subtle. At one point, Stone's ego gets him in trouble as he attempts to serve a warrant to Datilla and manages to get himself thrown out a plate glass window. He doesn't take rejection well and seeks revenge. When Bernie Finger, Datilla's lawyer, gets involved, Stone really shows what he's made of.

Massage also plays a relevant role here. Stone meets two masseurs, and they both provide interesting subplots. He becomes acquainted with one of them at Elaine's over dinner. When he schedules a massage and she doesn't show up, Stone starts looking into her credentials. Seeking a replacement masseur, he comes across a more interesting and alluring (as well as statuesque) woman, Celia, with whom he develops a relationship. Of course, there is more to Celia than meets the eye. Her former boyfriend, an art gallery owner, is relentlessly fixed on hurting anyone who associates themselves with Celia. Stone feels his wrath in the form of a car bumper, though he does manage to get his revenge in a very funny scene in Connecticut.

The first masseur, Marilyn, offers to alleviate Stone's pain from his plate glass window adventure. Unbeknownst to Stone when he hired her, she turns out to be the mistress of Bernie Finger, the mob lawyer. Looking to be the second Mrs. Bernard Finger, Marilyn keeps Bernie very happy. Her Bernie-paid penthouse has a balcony, which can be seen by anyone in the vicinity who has a higher vantage point. Apparently, Bernie and Marilyn like to frolic outdoors occasionally. Stone takes advantage of this opportunity to help Bernie make up his mind about the lawsuit on his client, Carmine Datilla. It's amazing what a few well-shot photos can produce!

This is vintage Stuart Woods. He has developed Stone Barrington so well that readers who are acquainted with his writing appreciate him more with each book.

--- Reviewed by Marge Fletcher

Warning: There is one small plot spoiler in this review

The best I can say about Fresh Disasters is that it isn't the worst Stuart Woods novel I've read.

I can appreciate that people, on occasion, like to read a 'so-called' beach novel and that such novels can have plot holes and poorly developed characters, provided they are fun to read. This is where Woods has really lost whatever touch he once had. Fresh Disasters is decidedly `not fun'.

The most perplexing thing is the apparent fan-base that there is for the character of Stone Barrington. Stone is a shallow, superficial, misogynist. This wouldn't be a problem if he were charming, intelligent, witty, or in any way interesting - but he's not. Not only is he a complete bore, he has to be the most incompetent lawyer ever.

I won't point out the plot holes or mention any unrealistic scenes (they are numerous). I concede that these `come with the territory'. What I will complain about is the complete absence of a plot, and in particular, the fact that Stone does absolutely nothing to resolve anything that happens in this novel. His principal role is to go out to dinner, drink bourbon, and have sex with the store women.

The novel has two mostly unrelated story lines. Stone has a client who is suing a mob boss for having him roughed up. I won't complain about how silly this is - but I do want to point out that Stone does absolutely nothing for this client except complain about him and poorly represent him. This story line resolves itself without any help from Stone.

The second story line involves a nymphomaniac the store masseuse (a prototype that Woods seems fixated on) who is being stalked by a violent ex-boyfriend. Stone does little for the woman except have sex with her, give her bad advice, and then find her dead body. Stone plays no constructive role in catching her killer.

There are various sub plots, involving Stone's sex life and a silly divorce case, but these add little to the novel - certainly not suspense. In fact, there is a complete absence of suspense in this novel and absolutely no mystery. The dialogue can only be described as `goofy' and `juvenile'. The plot, such as it is, is little more than a backdrop for Woods' real obsessions - namely fine dining and sex, lots of sex.

The bottom line is - I don't get it. I really don't. This isn't the literary equivalent of a popcorn movie. It's a cynical novel written by an author who stopped trying a long time ago.

Stone Barrington fans are legion, but this episode is flat. It doesn't have the sparkle one expects from Mr. Woods.
"Fresh Disasters" maybe the result of deadlines, publishing contract demands, or even editor manipulations with eyes on what's selling, but it is isn't the Stone Barrington we respect and admire.
The mattress gymnastics have the reader saying come-on Mr. Woods, "You can do better than this."
If you are new to Stuart Woods, with a fantastic talent for storytelling, go to the beginning and read "New York Dead". Then follow Stone and his buddies through the series, it is an excellent reading adventure.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Writing as a Small Business."

You might consider some of my complaints as SPOILERS.

This was my first Stuart Woods book and it will be my last.

I knew I was in trouble when Stuart Woods called Stone Barrington's secretary a "pretty June Allyson look-alike". This timely reference left me anticipating raccoon coats, Stutz-Bearcats and some jitterbug dancing. Could it be possible that Grandpa Simpson had written a book?

The many, many, many sexual passages are straight out of Porky's: the hero (really should have been named Boner Barrington) has great pick-up lines - he tells a woman doctor to meet him for dinner wearing a push-up bra, or better yet, no bra at all; after his "girlfriend" is be-headed by an incredibly unbelievable villain, he immediately goes home to spend the night with another woman; when a female detective is anally raped by the same bad guy, Stone's NYPD friend tells him that "she's taking it like a champ".

There are so many dangling and conflicting plotlines that I was often confused - - - the Assistant DA discusses a murder, then a few pages later finds out about it all over again. Stone's assistant leaves town but is still at his office. Barrington hires someone to beat up a bad guy, but it is never mentioned again. There are a few references to Stone's mob-connected (former) father-in-law being brought in to help out, but nothing ever happens with this plotline either.

I did find one thing interesting. The author ends the book by telling readers that he is basically too busy to read their mail and that if they have problems with the book not to bother telling him, because he has probably already heard about it from other people.

This Stone Barrington novel is not deep, the writing won't awe you and Stone's willingness to sleep with any woman with a pulse is off-putting, but it still moves quickly enough to please. With a mob tie, a stalker and a peripheral divorce case in the mix, there are plenty of elements to keep the plot moving and Woods does keep it moving. Barrington's womanizing, however, makes sidekick Dino a much more likable character. If those caveats don't put you off, this book won't challenge you intellectually, but it will provide a pleasant interlude to a day.

This author has churned out more than 30 novels and it is obvious that he has tapped into some sort of commercialized, formulized, quick read fiction. But he writes with all the care of a drunk college student returning from a party and typing up a paper that is due in the morning. Just fill the page with words, nobody will know the difference.
First of all, our hero, Stone Barrington is the American alpha male. He loves bourbon and steak and he gets laid without really having to try for it. Women just offer themselves to him. Our hero is unafraid of danger, has a super loyal secretary who faithfully keeps his affairs in order.
Most of the story is in dialogue, and everybody sounds exactly alike. The only reason I finished the book was because I knew that this author understands what sells in the market place. It is written at a seventh grade level, the chapters are only three or four pages long. And lots of melodrama.

These books are a fast read and the characters are predictable. I don't fault if for that, but in my opinion, at least the earlier books had a plot and some suspense. Lately, the books seem to be more about how many women Stone can have sex with and it amazes me how he does this without the other women ever finding out about each other. There was one major event in this book that should have had a powerful impact on Stone, but didn't seem to bother him much at all. There was some humor with Herbie, the guy that is sueing the mob. Dino seemed rather insensitive when it came to women in this book too. On a side note, safe sex is never mentioned in Stone's exploits. It is a wonder he isn't suffering from a sexually transmitted disease by now.

For fans of the book, read it. It is light and fast, just not up to previous installments in my opinion.

Stuart Woods is a facile writer. I suspect he turns out these Stone Barrington novels in little more than the time it takes to read them. That's not a criticism. I happen to like Woods' Stone Barrington novels because they are very light, fast, purely escapist reading.

After you've read one, you're familiar with the main characters and don't have to worry about them changing. There's Stone Barrington, former homicide detective, current lawyer and bon vivant. Barrington has the occasional lucky break that brings him a bunch of money which he needs to support his lavish lifestyle which includes a Manhattan townhouse, a Mercedes, a country home in Connetticut, another in Maine, an airplane and generally the high life. There's Dino Bachetti, a NYPD homicide lieutenant, who also has a fair degree of bucks because of his one-time marriage to the daughter of a one-time Mafia biggie who went straight. Stone and Dino share a father-in-law. There's Joanne, Stone's assistant who is forever - at least once per novel - told to take a few days off because someone is trying to hunt down Stone to kill him.

And then there's Elaine Kauffman of Elaine's, the legendary watering hole of New York's glitterati. Virtually every night, Stone and Dino are found at Elaine's, often with Elaine herself stopping by to share gossip and advice. The meetings at Elaine's provide a lot of the motive power to the interactions of Stone and Dino, which are really what the novels are all about.

In this one, a nebbish by the name of Herbie Fisher decides to sue a Mafia biggie who has had him roughed up over a past-due gambling debt. Barrington gets the case since he is "of counsel" to big time law firm Woodman and Weld. In this instance, "of counsel" means getting the cases the firm wants keep at arm's length.

So Stone is up against Carmine Dattila. Everyone presumes that Herbie Fisher will soon be dead because he sued the mob boss. Naturally enough, as soon as Stone becomes more than minimally involved, odds are taken that he will wind up dead as well.

Of course, that story isn't enough, so Bernie Finger, Dattila's lawyer gets involved, with Stone arranging for him to get into a lot of trouble with his wife, who promptly hires Stone to represent her in divorce proceedings.

And Herbie, poor Herbie. Every 50 or so pages, another attempt in made on Herbie's life.

Stone does not pursue justice without getting banged up a bit, which author Woods tries to alleviate by folks telling Stone he needs a massage, which he indeed gets from a statuesque (6'4") masseur named Celia. Soon enough Celia's ex-boyfriend who is stalking her is trying to injure Stone which puts him into contact with Doctor Eliza - who winds up in bed with Stone as did Celia.

In fact, Woods this time around has women falling all over Stone, a bit of a change from earlier novels and, frankly, not a welcome one. Way too much time is spent on sex in this book.

Anyway "Fresh Disasters" is pure escapist reading. There are a few major lapses in editing, not much of a plot to speak of and the characters don't have any real depth. There aren't any real suprises and no edge-of-your seat excitement. An occasional murder or two, but you know that in the end, justice will prevail.

In short, this is perfect airplane, rainy day, lazy day or bedtime reading. If you're in search of "great literature", don't bother. If you just want a few hours of entertainment, Stuart Woods, Stone Barrington and "Fresh Disasters" are a lot of fluffy fun.

Jerry

Stuart Woods writes, over and over again, the quintessential male fantasy, that every woman he meets and beds will say to him what someone named Dierdre said on page 215: "I'm not going to cling to you, stalk you or make your life miserable. All I want from this relationship is an occasional drink or steak and a spectacular roll in the hay. We clear on that?" The only thing that struck me about this book, aside from the headless woman (maybe that's a male fantasy too) was that Stone Barrington seemed ruder, cruder, and lewder this time around--- not his usual sophisticated self, more like a dirty old man too jaded to ever take anything seriously again.

As with many 'serial authors', the more they crank out, the worse they get. I just listened to the audio version of this one, and gratefully arrived at my destination with about 1/2 the book left...it went directly back to the lending library unfinished.
CORNY is the most descriptive, clean, one-word review I can give to this POS book.
This is the guy who thinks Barrington should have married Arrington, making her......I can't bring myself to write it down. Beyond corny. Stone, another corny name from the 50's (Tab, Rock, etc). Suits the guy, tho. Corny how he has a special table at a special restaurant, gets laid with beautiful strangers he meets in every other chapter, cop buddy who had no qualms about breaking the law to help him, a loyal, ever-efficient long-suffering personal assistant named Joan...Stone and Joan, get it?
Maybe he should develop a black lead character so he can use all 99 ways to spell Antoine.
Stone and his high ranking cop buddy just can't wait to vomit out police/private/priveleged information to a total stranger (beautiful female) who sat down at the table next to them. And they keep this sort of thing up...dumb and dumber.
The first Woods book I read, years ago, was something that started with a guy waking up at home in New Mexico...I loved that book, and have read his books for years since...some good, some really good, and some bad.
This will be the last one I ever pick up with his name on it.
And BTW, Stuart, you rich doofus, I hope you read this.

The Margin

Woods gets slammed by critics in Fresh Disasters. I've said it before--reads like he's being pressured by the publisher to get another one out regardless of the quality.
I don't dismiss it categorically, as some reviewer's have, it has some redeaming points. It has a few nice twists and turns, in places it's funny and it is easy to read.

Marvin Wiebener, author of The Margin

Like several of the other reviewers, I anticipated the arrival of the new Stuart Woods novel. I, too, was disappointed. Good grief, did he change the sheets between sexual encounters? Or perhaps the sex was of no more consequence than changing the sheets. And plot. Was there a plot? There were several different story lines and sometimes they converged but mostly, they diverged. I really don't mind characters with active sex lives, but I would like a real story with character development and emotional depth. Will I read the next one? Probably, but if the series continues like this book, I'll be finished with Stuart Woods.

Like a big bowl of popcorn, this installment of the adventures of Stone Barrington delivers a lot of fun without much real substance. Since I don't read mysteries for substance it delivers exactly what I wanted. A fun fast paced read, with some of my favorite characters. All in all a good time.

Stuart Woods used to be a favorite author of mine, but his latest book, FRESH DISASTERS, is so poorly written I found myself skimming over most of it just to finish it. The dialogue is juvenile, characters goofy, and the events in the book defy belief. Mr. Woods must have churned it out in one day, if it even took that long to construct. How sad to see such a poor quality read delivered by an author of Mr. Woods reputation. Don't waste your time, or your money... this book is a "Fresh Disaster" of its own.

Attorney Stone Barrington is a counsel for the prestigious law firm of Woodman and Weld which means he takes the cases the firm doesn't want to dirty their hands with. He is eating at Elaine's with his old partner police detective Dino Bacchetti and Bill Eggers, the managing partner of Woodman and Weld. Two thugs walk into the restaurant and take small time crook Herbie Fisher outside to beat him up for failing to pay his bookie. When Dino breaks the fight up and Herbie comes back, he tells Stone that his bookie is owned by mafia chieftain Carmine Dattila.

He wants to sue Carmine for bodily injury but Stone tells him to forget it. A tipsy Bill says he will take the case but the next morning he calls Stone and tells him the firm wants Stone to take Carmine to civil court because the attorneys will get good press without taking any risks. Herbie keeps disappearing and Carmine's goon's kidnap him, beat him up and are given orders by Carmine to kill him slowly. Herbie keeps escaping the goons and Stone but there is no escaping an enraged mafia boss who wants vengeance or is there?

There is a secondary sub-plot with a stalker who is out to kill Stone because he is sleeping with the object of his affection. It is fun watching the hero care about the women in his life while dealing with an out of control homicidal stalker. A fast paced action plot and Stone's witty repartee make FRESH DISASTERS a very well written and entertaining crime caper.

Harriet Klausner

Fresh Disasters replaces The Prince of Beverly Hills as Stuart Woods' worse book. At least the latter was readable. This had almost no story and what it had was about perfectly despicable people, including the hero, Stone Barrington, who has become a rather amoral creature.

Stuart Woods has gotten progressively redundant with Stone Barrington's sexual escapades in his books. Although I don't mind a little sex in them, too much is very distracting from the mystery. Maybe, he should start writing Harlequin romances!! I doubt that I will read any more of the Barrington books even though they used to be my favorites. It's just a little too trashy for my taste. Guess I will stick with Follett or DeMille for real excitement.

This once awesome author may want to RETIRE. He has completely lost his skills of storytelling and character developement. The last few books have been an effort to read even though I have been a serious fan from the first book. I will be buying no more and suggest if a tree has to give its gifts for books the public support a real author!

IT IS REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS [..]WRITER IS THE SAME MAN WHO WROTE "CHIEFS"!! STONE BARRINGTON IS ONE OF THE MOST AMORAL MEN BEING WRITTEN ABOUT IN TODAY'S MYSTERY GENRE........ GET A GRIP AND START PUTTING MORE INTO THE STORIES AND LESS INTO THE SEX AND FILTHY LANGUAGE. BY THE WAY - I AM NOT A PRUDE, BUT GRATUITOUS LANGUAGE AND SEX IS NOT MY IDEA OF A GOOD READ.

If you like this character, you'll love this book. I have enjoyed Stuart Woods novels, especially this character, but he brings out the best in Stone Barrington. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I read the book in two days!!! Definately a must read for those who follow the series or if you like a strong character with flair. If you enjoy suspense and mystery then I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys to read.

having read all the Stuart Woods books, I cant believe he wrote this disaster! He has made Stone Barrinton into a "pussy" that gets everyone else to do his dirty work. Woods certainly named the book right, it is a disaster!