Lucid Intervals: A Stone Barrington Novel

I recently started reading Wood's Barrington books and I really enjoy them. Sometimes a little far fetched but I keep coming back for more. I've read at least six of his book and could probably read the entire series. I even bought a bottle of his favorite, Knob Creek bourbon -- potent stuff!

Stuart Woods give us the eighteenth edition of the Stone Barrington series. Come on, they have to be read in order. In this one, set in New York City Barrington is hired for two jobs at once, reoccurring Herbie Fisher has come into money and hires Barrington to keep him out of trouble and series readers know how hard that is. Barrington is also hire by reoccurring Felicity Devonshire of British Intelligence to track down a man in New York. Both cases provide interesting twists and turns. I say again...Stone Barrington books are beach reads. Read the series for fun. RECOMMENDED

I have read 20 Stone Barrington series books and can't wait to finish the entire series. Stuart Woods is one of my favorite authors. Each new book builds from the previous story and I highly recommend reading this series in order.

Stuart Woods writes great books and I love the series. I have read others then the Stone Barrington and Holly Barker ones he writes books you can't put down! Can't wait for the next Stone Barrington book to hit the shelfs (or my Kindle Store).

Stone Barrington is no Spenser and Stuart Woods is no Robert B Parker. The one-liners and the repartee fall far short of expectations.
This story is divided into three boringly repetitious events: eating & drinking, flying/learning to fly, or spending time in bed, (with prose that really doesn't enhance the moment).
Oh and there's a plot in there somewhere as well. When it's finally wrapped up in the office of the Prime Minister of England you feel embarrassed by the way it's done and glad that it's over.
Please try harder next time Mr. Woods, your readers deserve it!
Last but not least, sadly it is available on Kindle as well.

This is the first total Stone Barrington book I have read in a long time. It was a pretty good book, easy read & it flowed as Mr. Woods books always do. Felicity is not someone I have read about before but she was not particularly likeable. Everyone else is good. The sex scenes are not necessary at all to the story but Mr. Woods seems to need to write them now. They were the reason I haven't read the Stone Barrington books but since I have read all of Mr. Woods other books I have decided to try them. This story was nothing exciting but is a very easy book to read. That is the best thing about Mr. Woods books.

Stuart Woods recreates the elite lifestyle of lawyer Stone Barrington in LUCID INTERVALS. Stone's tastes put him in a difficult financial position when he looks at seemingly endless red ink in his checkbook. His enterprising secretary, Joan Robertson, has his best interests --- and his bank account --- in mind when she ushers in Herbie Fisher, nephew of a good friend but a monstrous pain. Herbie, an Internet-degreed attorney, has won a $30 million lottery. He is certain that someone is out to kill him, and so he wants to hire Stone to represent him. Sure enough, gunshots shatter glass in Stone's favorite restaurant, Elaine's, when Herbie approaches him. Stone turns him down, but Joan accepts the $1 million retainer behind Stone's back in order to pay his bills.

Stone's next client, British intelligence officer Felicity Devonshire, is an old acquaintance of the intimate type. She's investigating the whereabouts of a former British agent believed to have left the intelligence service with information for sale to the highest bidder, and enlists Stone to verify his appearance in the United States. Under the Official Secrets Act, she asks for his help, promising a hefty retainer in British pounds. The elegant Felicity, chauffeured to Stone's office in a slightly elder Rolls Royce, accepts an offer to stay at his house. His libido is satisfied by the insatiable appetites of his British guest; tastefully written, the sexual scenes are as much innuendo as reality.

Throughout, Woods uses the setting of Elaine's as a rendezvous for his characters. Stone's former cop partner, Dino Bacchetti, proves useful when an official investigation is necessary. Dino's access to police records is invaluable when it comes to searching for Stanley Whitestone, the elusive British agent. Herbie wanders in and out of Elaine's when seeking advice from his reluctant attorney; his adoration of Stone borders on hero worship.

Woods, himself a pilot, writes his passion for flying into LUCID INTERVALS when Stone meets a third client, Jim Hackett, a naturalized U.S. citizen and owner of a successful security conglomerate. Jim wants to hire Stone and offers him flight instruction in piloting a small corporate jet. Felicity believes that Hackett is Whitestone's assumed identity, but Stone disagrees until further sleuthing can satisfy both their reservations. Meanwhile, Herbie prances through the plotline and becomes involved in a murder investigation when he is accused of killing his prostitute girlfriend. Stone abruptly leaves the Whitestone case to bail his wealthy client out of jail.

A third subplot involves a young woman intent on killing Stone and anyone close to him. She is Dolce Bianci, Stone's brief commitment to marriage. Dolce's rich father has restrained his psychotic daughter, but she has escaped with the intention of stalking her former husband.

LUCID INTERVALS contains sufficient humorous episodes when Herbie is present to take an edge off the cloak and dagger effects of Stone's relationship with Felicity. This latest installment is a must-read for Stone Barrington fans, and I wonder if Dolce will be given a meatier role in future books. I certainly hope so.

I haven't really enjoyed the past few Woods offerings in the Stone Barrington or Holly Barker series. Found them low on plot and heavy on fine dining and bedroom antics. Those things are fine but I always enjoyed the novels because of the rapid fire dialogue between Stone and Dino and the mysteries they found themselves in. Lucid Intervals seems to be a return to form of the Barrington series as well as Woods as an entertaining author.

Contracted by ex aquaintance/lover, british intelligence officer Felicity Devonshire, Stone is tasked with finding out if the reported sightings of a missing and traitorous British Agent are indeed true. Mr. Whitestone just happened to leave the Service under less than appealing circumstances and decided he'd sell information to the highest bidder.

Not to have that as the only complication in Stone's life, a familiar thorn in his side, one Herbie Fisher, decides to hold Stone as his attorney for a handsome retainer of $1 million. Why? He's convinced someone's out to kill him. The fact that Herbie is a new millionaire courtesy of the New York Lottery Commission and he's had bad dealings with bookies over the years doesn't help his paranoia at all.

In addition, Stone is also offered a job by Mr. Hacket of a private security firm which doesn't make Bill Eggers of Woodman and Weld very happy, however it makes Felicity happy. You see, she thinks Hacket may actually be Whitestone.

So, what we get is a fun spy mystery of sorts in the Stone Barrington style. The interplay between Stone and Dino is there in spades, the high living on the edge of his income on Stone's part is there. Yes, Stone gets lucky in more ways than one, quite often as a matter of fact, but at least it's not from a long line of beautiful, successful and loose cardboard women that have been a staple of the series for the past several books. And that's a good thing.

It's not the deepest read you're likely to encounter but it's fun and fast paced and feels like a return to the old Stone Barrington novels where character interplay and story were the focus.

Each year, when the mercury rises so high it blows the top off outside thermometers, I know it's time for a hot, new Stone Barrington book.

Barrington, author Stuart Woods' alter ego, lives the good life in New York. He's a former cop who was wounded, went to law school and hung out a shingle from an inherited brownstone that he completely - and beautifully - restored.

His law practice is secondary to his sleuthing skills. Barrington spends most of his time looking for bad guys, sometimes with violent results. When Barrington is on the case, people die.

Barrington's favorite hangout is Elaine's restaurant, where his drink is poured and delivered before he sits down at his favorite table.
Women come and go in Barrington's life. Few stay for more than a couple of books, but some - like ex-wife Dolce - haunt the margins of his life.

In "Lucid Intervals," the 19th book in the Barrington series, Woods puts his hero in the midst of an international manhunt, complete with beautiful British intelligence agent Felicity Devonshire, who hires Barrington for the job.

While tracking down the elusive Stanley Whitestone, Barrington is forced to walk a thin line, professionally.

In his spare time, Barrington is "of counsel" to a large law firm. When one of the firm's biggest clients also asks Barrington to find Whitestone, the plot thickens and the ethical lines begin to blur.

For levity, Woods has created a hapless character named Herbie Fisher, an inept lawyer who drops $1 million, literally, in Barrington's lap one night at dinner.

Fisher's antics, including an affair with a hooker, the purchase of a penthouse apartment and his brushes with the mob, provide moments of hilarity rarely found in a Woods book. I hope Herbie hangs around for a while.

I don't pick up a Stuart Woods book thinking I'm going to get great literature. I read Woods to escape into a gilded world of restored brownstones, fine dining, yachts, private aircraft - and pillowtalk - because well, Stone is a bachelor and something of an alley cat.

Some of the story's twists and turns don't quite add up, but "Lucid Intervals" is not a bad way to spend a sultry summer evening -- or two.

Stuart Woods give us the eighteenth edition of the Stone Barrington series. Come on, they have to be read in order. In this one, set in New York City Barrington is hired for two jobs at once, reoccurring Herbie Fisher has come into money and hires Barrington to keep him out of trouble and series readers know how hard that is. Barrington is also hire by reoccurring Felicity Devonshire of British Intelligence to track down a man in New York. Both cases provide interesting twists and turns. I say again...Stone Barrington books are beach reads. Read the series for fun. RECOMMENDED

Does this author read his reviews? I would have to think not. He continues to write awful books, ripping off unsuspecting readers with glitzy summaries. There are so many things wrong with this book it isn't worth the time to divulge. Suffice it to say if you have read one book in this series, you have read them all.

Unfortunately when I first started this book I thought I had read it before - that is the whole problem. Having loved Stuart Woods books for years I feel what has happened - he's not really writing anymore, it's almost like he wrote all his books on a computer and then told the computer to write a book. Nothing new, nothing different, same old same old stuff. Is it my imagination or is Stuart Woods aging and that's why the sex has gotten so explicit in his last few novels - Stuart we want the mystery, adventure/action - we don't care about your sex life. No more Porn books please.

Lawyer Stone Barrington and his former partner when he worked for NYPD Dino Bachetti are at Elaine's when Herbie "the loser" Fisher enters carrying an attache case. He rushes over to Stone hiring him on the spot to be available when he needs an attorney. Stone and Dino knows something is bt off in the universe when Herbie pays Stone $1 million as a retainer. Herbie explains he won several with the lucky lotto, but the lawyer and the cop are skeptical.

Soon afterward British intelligence officer Felicity Devonshire retains Stone to find vanished former operative Stanley Whitestone, who disappeared a dozen years ago, but remains a person of interest by his former agency. Apparently, he was seen in New York recently. Jim Hackett, owner of a large private security firm, also employs Stone, who believes there is a reasonable chance he is Whitestone. Like a bad penny, then there is Stone's crazy ex-wife Dolce Bianci causing havoc. In his life.

This is an entertaining Barrington thriller that is filled with action and increasingly peril for the hero, but also somewhat tempered smoothly like good bourbon with jocularity. The two cases are fun and Dolcie brings her usual insanity to the mix as she is Loitering with Intent. As expected even the British spy joins the great Kisser for some boudoir activity as Stuart Woods provides an enjoyable blending of babes, bourbon and sleuthing in his latest Barrington tale.

Harriet Klausner

Stuart Woods' Stone Barrington books are known for their delightful, humorous, crisp writing, quirky characters, beautiful women, lots of sex, and Stone sailing through episodes with cleverness and luck. His friend, the police detective Dino, usually gets involved, and the two are usually eating supper at Elaine's, with Stone generally drinking a Knob Creek on the rocks, Dino a "princely Scotch," and Elaine complaining about something. All very familiar and predictable, like a Jack Benny routine, and a lot of fun to read. This book is no exception. An example of the writing style and the sex is:

"When did you arrive in New York?"
"About an hour before dinner," she replied, "and I am quite shattered." I've been
traveling since dawn this morning, London time."
"Then we must put you right to bed," Stone said.
She placed a hand on the inside of his thigh and squeezed lightly. "I should
bloody well hope so."

The woman is Felicity Devonshire, a lovely high official of British intelligence. Felicity hires Stone to find an ex-British-intelligence officer without telling him why, and parks herself in Stone's bed every night until the job is done. The job is not easy because the agent does not want to be found and he is an expert in disguises.

There are other women, of course. Stone's ex-wife Dolce is determined to kill him and almost slices Felicity with a knife. Stone attends a dinner given by the British Ambassador and is propositioned by the Ambassador's wife, who is quite persistent. He is also propositioned by an assistant DA, but has to put it off for a couple of weeks because Felicity is still around. Then when Felicity is not around, he finds another woman. "He didn't see why he should spend his evening in London alone."

Then there are the quirky clients. Herbie Fisher from a previous Woods novel reappears. He just won millions in a lottery and feels certain that someone wants to kill him. Herbie fulfils all the requirements to be a meshugana, schlemiel, and a schlimazel, a fool that became a lawyer by means of an internet course, an idiot who wants to marry a prostitute without a pre-nuptial agreement, a dupe who supposes he can hit a police officer because he has money, a boy-man with only lucid intervals. He gets into problem after problem and, although Stone does not want the job, he saves him repeatedly because of a million dollar retainer. Stone needs to defend him against a murder charge.

Then there is the suspect, a man who might be the ex-agent, who wants to hire Stone to represent him for an enormous fee, including giving him a jet plane.

All in all, this is a fast paced, ever-interesting, delightful novel, whose last 50 pages are quite exciting, a more than 70 pages an hour hard to put down book that readers need not take seriously, but enjoy for lots of fun.

I have read all the Stone Barrington books & maybe I'm being picky but I have two questions: Why keep bringing back Holly Barker, Dolce, Herbie Fisher (who always remind me of the guy in the Lethal Weapons movies), Arrington (who has Stone's son & who Stone NEVER talks about, the son I mean) and why does Stone never have any money????????? He always has to take jobs to pay his astronomical bills. Even Dino who got a lot of money in his divorce has money (& Stone always pays for him). The books are pure fluff but I just felt the need to ask these 2 questions.

I really like short sentences. That's what makes this book so great to read. The author takes a very basic plot, with a limited number of characters, and then uses only short direct sentences. That makes for a fun book.

This is obviously not great literature but it's certainly fun to read.

I forget how many of these Stone Barringtons I have read but this one may be the worst. Not saying that it was too bad, just needed some more substance. This is one of those books that felt like the author had to contractually produce something so he did. Then he had to create filler material, which he did. Then he had to remind us of past characters which, again, he did. It was a quick read but one I was glad to be through. I hope the future Stone Barringtons have more mystery substance and less drinking and flight school lessons.

I recently started reading Wood's Barrington books and I really enjoy them. Sometimes a little far fetched but I keep coming back for more. I've read at least six of his book and could probably read the entire series. I even bought a bottle of his favorite, Knob Creek bourbon -- potent stuff!

Anyone who listened to actor Tony Roberts narrate any of these Stone Barrington novels will be in for a treat, not really a shock.

These novels are not formula and yet you the listener will feel a kinship with them. The characters will become like a familar well wore pair of loafer that you love to wear. Roberts's narration is crisp and full of vocal bag of tricks. Each character has his or her own special voice and you will know them.

This novel involves the British Government and a search for a missing man. He is ask to find this man and in steps a web of cloak and dagger with pomp filling. It has three storylines running withing this novel and they intersect so well at the end.

This audio novel is a pleasant shock we love to get like credit on an account. Woods work in my book is already paid in full. Start this series soon and enough them

So until next time, I will be under the headsets

Bennet Pomerantz
Audio

The quality of the Stone Barrington novels by Stuart Woods continues to go downhill. These books are a nice way to pass the time on a cross country flight but they really have become hugely "formulamatic". Stone and Dino eat a Elaine's, an old client/character is somehow always involved, Stone hooks up with an old flame but his eyes are always wandering, he and his partner end up "exhausted and sweaty" and "sleep til noon. Helene send up breakfast in the dumbwaiter", etc., etc., etc. It seems that Mr. Woods was up against a publisher's deadline since the entire plot gets wrapped up in about 2 pages at the end. A disappointing read. Mr. Woods should consider writing one or two good books per year vs. pumping out three or four repetitive, predictable and boring reads.

E
Another Stone Barrington novel that once I began to read that I could not put down. Stone seems to be able to juggle several cases t one time and before you get to the end he seems to have resolved them all.

Very well written. Kept my interest because I read the book in one day. I'm glad that the book expanded on Herbie Fisher's life and his interactions with Stone. It have me a little different perspective on Herbie. Plus we weren't dealing with the same 'ol characters to a large degree.

Great job as usual! You can always count on Stuart Woods to provide good reading!

FYI- If the store had a place we could write to and complain about the lack of some novels availability then we wouldn't have to write it here!

After reading "Kisser" I vowed that I was totally done reading the Stone Barrington series. Now after reading several reviews I think I will stick to that vow. I used to really enjoy these books. At one time they had a bit of substance. And Stone did seem to have a kind of class at one time also. Not anymore. I like reading good sex scenes etc., but he has gotten totally "slutty"! Woods must have fun writing these scenes - it is purely a "guy" fantasy to get layed every time he turns around. And the girls are not even likable either!!! So what's the point anymore. Too bad.