"Barrington. Stone Barrington."

Kevin’s Corner


As many of the Stone Barrington series novels do, this one begins at Elaine’s; a restaurant Stone dines at frequently in New York City. Stone has dropped by to have a drink having eaten dinner elsewhere as had Dino and Elaine wasn’t thrilled that they were occupying Stone’s usual table on a busy night. Bill Eggers, managing partner of Woodman & Weld arrives bringing Stone a new client. Stone handles the cases and problems that would be best not handled directly by employees of Woodman & Weld, so the fact Bill Eggers has brought in another isn’t a surprise as Stone thinks he knows what to expect. Instead, the new client, who won’t say why he needs Stone having asked for him specifically, is a stereotypical Texan from head to toe named Billy Bob Barnstormer. Stone takes an instant dislike to him but can’t say no to Bill Eggers who has made it plain Stone is to handle Barnstormer.

Stone also can’t say no when Dino helpfully suggests that Stone put up Barnstormer in his house for a few days. Eggers thinks it is a grate idea so with that decided Stone and Barnstormer head out into the cold night to go to Stone’s home. Things quickly take a strange turn minutes later when someone opens fire shooting at Barnstormer and only hitting the window of his limousine. Barnstormer is ready to fire back, whipping out an old fashioned Colt Single Action Army six-shooter which Stone quickly takes away from him citing New York’s well known gun laws. Those shots and Stone’s subsequent confiscation of Barnstormer’s gun mark the beginning of a client-attorney relationship that gets stranger and stranger with Stone in more and more trouble as the pages go by.

This novel is typical Stone Barrington and as such, poses little surprise for the reader. Slightly more complex than most in this long running series, it features the studly Stone Barrington as his graphic bedroom best. Between the attentions of a beautiful Untied Sates Attorney and his old flame Arrington, Stone has his hands full with the ladies in his life. Unfortunately, he isn’t quite so adept in dealing with Billy Bob Barnstormer, a dead hooker found in his home that results in a murder investigation, and secrets from his past.

If you have read recent books in the series than you know exactly what you are getting. If you haven’t, this novel is a cut above recent efforts on the series except for a final twist that many readers no doubt surmised books ago. Despite that anticlimactic moment, the novel is pretty good and will serve readers well on their favorite beach as the summer winds down.


Two Dollar Bill
By Stuart Woods
www.stuartwoods.com
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
www.penguin.com
2005
ISBN # 0-399-15251-2
Hardback
298 Pages


More next time and as always feel free to drop me a note here or at Kevin_tipple@att.net with your comments, observations, and suggestions.


Thanks for reading!


Kevin R. Tipple © 2005