Stone Barrington, Stuart Woods's suave, urbane series hero, is approached by an enigmatic new client, John Bartholomew, who hires him for what looks like an easy assignment: find his young niece, who's living somewhere in London with a shady character liable to involve her in his illegal activities, and persuade her to return to New York with Barrington. Handing him a ticket on the Concorde and an unlimited expense account, Bartholomew sets Stone on a chase in which identifying who's the predator and who's the prey turns out to be the key to solving a puzzling mystery involving two American spies and a great deal of money.

As usual, Stone wraps it up without getting his tuxedo nearly as wrinkled as the sheets on his bed, which he shares with a bevy of beautiful women including two old girlfriends and one new one. Woods is a lively, engaging, and reliable writer whose bestselling thrillers feature plenty of eye candy, brand names, and plots that don't tax the brain but do make the most of his narrative gifts. Look elsewhere for high art, but this is high entertainment. --Jane Adams


From Publishers Weekly
In recent Woods bestsellers like Cold Paradise, N.Y.P.D. detective-turned-PI Stone Barrington has gone upscale in lifestyle, international in expertise. This time, mogul John Bartholomew hires Stone to fly to London and persuade his niece, Erica, to leave her cocaine-smuggling boyfriend, Lance Cabot, and to make sure Lance winds up in jail. Dapper Stone charms Erica, who offers to set him up with her sister, Monica, and then introduces him to Lance. With help from two British investigators, Stone learns John Bartholomew is not who he seems: not only is he not Erica's uncle, he's really CIA biggie Stan Hedger. Confronted, Stan owns up, revealing that Lance is an ex-CIA agent who blew ops, ran with cash and nearly killed him. Meanwhile, Monica asks Stone to a country weekend with Lance and Erica at what turns out to be the manse of his old flame, Sarah Buckminster, who previously dodged a New York bombing and is now engaged to a megatycoon. The fog thickens when Stone's N.Y.P.D. pal Dino Bacchetti flies over to smooth out the beating death of one of Stone's investigators and Scotland Yard brings in MI6, who suspect Lance is after a top-secret military device for a Mideast client. Woods may have left behind the police action of L.A. Dead, but he churns up plenty of conflict and twisted plotting in this speedy tale. Several bombshell revelations and multiple resolutions combine with the cinematic plot for a perfect flight or beach read.


From Library Journal
Woods's recurring hero, former NYPD detective and now private investigator/lawyer Stone Barrington, has been hired by the mysterious John Bartholomew to go to London to find his niece. Apparently the beautiful twentysomething Erica is in a relationship with alleged cocaine smuggler Lance Cabot. Not only does Stone find the girl, he discovers that she is not John's niece. With the aid of a couple of local London P.I.s and a contact back in the states, Stone finds that John is really a former CIA bigwig and that Lance, too, is a former agent who went astray, fleeing with money that wasn't his in an operation in which both men were involved. Woods's plots and subplots are well developed into a good story that holds the listener's interest. Robert Lawrence's narration and well-done British accents add to the entertainment; a good addition to mystery collections.Steven J. Mayover, formerly with Free Lib. of PhiladelphiaCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Woods picks up his popular Stone Barrington series where he left off in Cold Paradise [BKL Mr 1 01]. Stone's much younger lover, Callie, dumps him, leaving him depressed, but a new assignment soon piques his interest. John Bartholomew asks Stone to find his niece, Erica, and separate her from her paramour, Lance, whom Bartholomew claims is a drug dealer. Although Stone has his doubts, he heads off to London where Erica and Lance are living. He soon meets up with the pair and begins observing them. His doubts intensify when he spots Bartholomew in London and discovers that the man is using a false identity. But other distractions impede Stone, such as the reappearance of his former girlfriend, Sarah Buckminster, who is now engaged to a wealthy wine seller. After her fiance dies in a suspicious boating accident, she begins to pursue Stone. As if that weren't enough to contend with, Stone runs into Arrington Calder, the love of his life, at a diplomatic dinner. Meanwhile, Stone discovers Bartholomew's true identity and realizes he's been drawn into a major international scandal with incredibly high stakes. Filling his story with enough twists and turns to dizzy even the most seasoned reader, Woods keeps the tension high until the last page. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

Stuart Woods￯﾿ﾽs suave, globetrotting cop-turned-lawyer, Stone Barrington, is back in this topsy-turvy caper involving false identity, a suspicious boating accident, a couple of ex-girlfriends, and plenty of red herrings.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Stone Barrington uncovers the puzzling — and deadly — rivalry between two American spies.

FROM THE CRITICS

People Magazine

Woods's effortless,crisp writing and nimbly staged action make this a breezy read.

Publishers Weekly

In recent Woods bestsellers like Cold Paradise, N.Y.P.D. detective-turned-PI Stone Barrington has gone upscale in lifestyle, international in expertise. This time, mogul John Bartholomew hires Stone to fly to London and persuade his niece, Erica, to leave her cocaine-smuggling boyfriend, Lance Cabot, and to make sure Lance winds up in jail. Dapper Stone charms Erica, who offers to set him up with her sister, Monica, and then introduces him to Lance. With help from two British investigators, Stone learns John Bartholomew is not who he seems: not only is he not Erica's uncle, he's really CIA biggie Stan Hedger. Confronted, Stan owns up, revealing that Lance is an ex-CIA agent who blew ops, ran with cash and nearly killed him. Meanwhile, Monica asks Stone to a country weekend with Lance and Erica at what turns out to be the manse of his old flame, Sarah Buckminster, who previously dodged a New York bombing and is now engaged to a megatycoon. The fog thickens when Stone's N.Y.P.D. pal Dino Bacchetti flies over to smooth out the beating death of one of Stone's investigators and Scotland Yard brings in MI6, who suspect Lance is after a top-secret military device for a Mideast client. Woods may have left behind the police action of L.A. Dead, but he churns up plenty of conflict and twisted plotting in this speedy tale. Several bombshell revelations and multiple resolutions combine with the cinematic plot for a perfect flight or beach read. Agents, Morton Janklow and Anne Sibbald. (Apr.) Forecast: Though some fans miss the more rugged Stone of earlier novels, Woods is eternally in bestseller mode and this title should be no exception. Major ad/promo; author tour; Putnam Berkley audio. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Woods's recurring hero, former NYPD detective and now private investigator/lawyer Stone Barrington, has been hired by the mysterious John Bartholomew to go to London to find his niece. Apparently the beautiful twentysomething Erica is in a relationship with alleged cocaine smuggler Lance Cabot. Not only does Stone find the girl, he discovers that she is not John's niece. With the aid of a couple of local London P.I.s and a contact back in the states, Stone finds that John is really a former CIA bigwig and that Lance, too, is a former agent who went astray, fleeing with money that wasn't his in an operation in which both men were involved. Woods's plots and subplots are well developed into a good story that holds the listener's interest. Robert Lawrence's narration and well-done British accents add to the entertainment; a good addition to mystery collections.-Steven J. Mayover, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews