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Choppy Water
(Stone Barrington #54)
by
In this exhilarating new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stuart Woods, Stone Barrington must go up against an enemy with deadly intentions–and ideologies.
Stone Barrington and his friends are vacationing in Maine when their leisure is suddenly disrupted by extreme weather. To make matters worse, the inclement conditions allow for a menacing adversary to s ...more
Stone Barrington and his friends are vacationing in Maine when their leisure is suddenly disrupted by extreme weather. To make matters worse, the inclement conditions allow for a menacing adversary to s ...more
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Hardcover, 323 pages
Published
August 11th 2020
by G.P. Putnam's Sons
(first published August 4th 2020)
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Start your review of Choppy Water (Stone Barrington, #54)

There's a strong pattern of dullness and repetition with Stone B0rrington. This read requires a complete waste of your time. 0 of 10 stars
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I am a fan of the Stone Barrington series. I’m willing to suspend disbelief and enjoy the adventures, however unlikely. During this time of Covid, this was a great read to take my mind off the problems. This was just a fun romp with characters that are old friends.
Some of these books are better than others and this was a good Barrington read. With his girlfriend, Holly Barker as president elect, the predictable mayhem follows. Though the plot line can be expected, it takes the reader through th ...more
Some of these books are better than others and this was a good Barrington read. With his girlfriend, Holly Barker as president elect, the predictable mayhem follows. Though the plot line can be expected, it takes the reader through th ...more

Holly Barker wins the Presidential election, and decides to hide out with Stone Barrington along with a skeletal Secret Service staff before she is inaugurated. There is a determined right-wing fanatic, who wants to prevent her from assuming office. Several attempts are made on her life, which are thwarted due to mostly luck and circumstances, but also because there are moles in the Colonel's camp. I liked the part where Holly (and readers) meet her double and everyone is figuring out how to avo
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I suspected a DNF fate for this ridiculous book after five chapters. The same old, boring plot as previous books in this series. Product placement, food, liquor, security systems, houses, planes, sex and mind numbing chase senarios are the only props the author seems to know for a plot. When the first woman POTUS had an appointment with Ralph Lauren to pick out a new decor for the White House and a new wardrobe, I had reached my DNF threshold. This author is among the most prolific of fiction wr
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Ha HAAA! Stone Barrington's plot keeps getting more ridiculous as the series progress. In this one Stone's long time fling became President-elect. While waiting for her inauguration ceremony she escaped multiple assassination attempts. Lucky for her Stone has tremendous resources to keep her safe! There are new characters, wonder if they will be new recurring cast?
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I always start by saying that I have been from the beginning a big Stone Barrington fan but many of the most recent books have been horrible. It’s probably time for the author to hang it up on this series. Like I mentioned before, Stone Barrington has to be in his 70s by now. I know I have to relax a little bit because it is not a serious book but it has become a very bad soap opera type. And this one, it started out real bad but I do have to say since I have nothing else to do today the middle
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First of all the cover of this book that has a boat in the middle of a storm has nothing to do with this book.
There is barely a story. The most interesting thing happens in the first 5 pages of this book. And you don't have to be a genius to realize that the leak is from the inside. And then nothing happens for the entire book until the end. But by the time you get to the end (if you get there) one is so bored that one doesn't care what happens. ...more
There is barely a story. The most interesting thing happens in the first 5 pages of this book. And you don't have to be a genius to realize that the leak is from the inside. And then nothing happens for the entire book until the end. But by the time you get to the end (if you get there) one is so bored that one doesn't care what happens. ...more

Amazingly, Barrington only slept with one woman through the entire book!
It’s stretches the imagination that the United Secret Service would take direction from Stone Barrington. That he would suggest ways to protect the President-elect and the USSS has never had that thought before? It just stretches all imagination. It was nice to have the storyline focus on other characters than SB, though.
It’s stretches the imagination that the United Secret Service would take direction from Stone Barrington. That he would suggest ways to protect the President-elect and the USSS has never had that thought before? It just stretches all imagination. It was nice to have the storyline focus on other characters than SB, though.

Gone are the days of Stone Barrington's extremely clever plots and devious actions which kept us readers in suspense. Currently, his greatest plot seems to be how many Knob Creek drinks and how much sex can he have on any given day. I think they should reclassify the Barrington series genre from thriller to romance. (And a bad one at that). I recommend passing on this book and any future books in this series.
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A lot of new characters in this book. The more I read, the more I thought a new series was in the offing.

When I first started this book, I was worried they were going to somehow, put the whole book on a small boat in the ocean. I wasn't looking forward to that at all.
Instead, it's a roller coaster ride, picking up with Holly just winning the election and her time as the President-Elect. There's a plot against her, of course, and she and Stone have to rely on a team to keep her alive across several attacks.
If you've read the other books in the series, then you'll want to read this one. It's a pretty ...more
Instead, it's a roller coaster ride, picking up with Holly just winning the election and her time as the President-Elect. There's a plot against her, of course, and she and Stone have to rely on a team to keep her alive across several attacks.
If you've read the other books in the series, then you'll want to read this one. It's a pretty ...more

Stuart Woods never fails me. No matter how depressing the world is, e manages to tell me a crime fantasy with beautiful women, excellent food and adventure that doesn't stop to catch a breath. I wish there was a new one every week. Those of you who think these books are from a formula miss the point. Great food comes from a great recipe and great ingredients combined with skill and taste That's Stuart Woods to a "T."
The fact the democratic president elect is a single woman is just a little frost ...more
The fact the democratic president elect is a single woman is just a little frost ...more

As some others did, I rate this 0 of 10, only can't show it on the stars rating.
I read about half way through and gave up, as Woods didn't engage this reader with enough character development or motivation.
It gets tiresome to hear an author promote one party or one side of the USA political argument. But if you're going to do that, at least give characters on both sides enough development we understand why they are doing what they are doing.
Here, aside from the usual talk about spending lots of ...more
I read about half way through and gave up, as Woods didn't engage this reader with enough character development or motivation.
It gets tiresome to hear an author promote one party or one side of the USA political argument. But if you're going to do that, at least give characters on both sides enough development we understand why they are doing what they are doing.
Here, aside from the usual talk about spending lots of ...more

I don’t usually take the time to write reviews, but this book was so bad I had to make an exception. I have read every Stewart Woods book and have been a fan for years. By default, I order every new release. No more! His writing, plot development, and entertainment level has been decreasing for 2-3 years. I keep thinking that maybe the next book will get better and resume the old magic. Nope. He is now spiraling down to just bad stories and bad books. Very disappointed that what used to be such
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SUBJECTIVE READER REVIEW WITH PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOWS:
'Choppy Water' was a slight step up from brain candy we've gotten so used to in Woods'4-a-year contract with Putnam. Holly Barker's won the presidential election, but her transition period as President-Elect goes anything but smooth. Instead of making targeted public appearances, two attempts to assassinate her within two days remands her 'transition' to hiding out until hopefully the assassin can be found and eliminated. Kinda different story ...more
'Choppy Water' was a slight step up from brain candy we've gotten so used to in Woods'4-a-year contract with Putnam. Holly Barker's won the presidential election, but her transition period as President-Elect goes anything but smooth. Instead of making targeted public appearances, two attempts to assassinate her within two days remands her 'transition' to hiding out until hopefully the assassin can be found and eliminated. Kinda different story ...more

This book was mildly disappointing in that it was more predictable than expected even for a Stone Barrington novel. Holly is now the president elect, Stone is still jetting around his many homes and the bad guy is a white supremicist with a senator in his pocket. Some of the main characters of a Stone novel made cameo appearances and it was disappointing not to have them as integral to this plot. But as usual, the good guys win out in the end and the bad guys are gone. The real disappointment? S
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Wow!...Everything has become political...After reading Time Magazine's Molly Ball's article bragging about the election, and the Democrats, Mainstream Media, cultural elites like Woods & secret a cabal of wealthy and politically connected elites, "Fortifying" the DEFEAT of Trump & his brand of "Populism," I've gained some respect for those labeled as "Conspiracy Nuts...Especially, after observing the efforts, of this same cabal, to censor and deplatform conservative voices following the January
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I read these books because they’re totally unrealistic and unlikely-sometimes I need a break from more intense reading, you know? I adore the characters as well, and I look forward to “seeing” them again. But for goodness sake, Mr. Wood! This ENTIRE book reads like, and is even formatted like, a freakin’ outline! Did we LITERALLY phone this in during this pandemic, perhaps? Whatever. Disappointing, not fluid at all; maybe call it “Choppy Reading” instead. Sigh. I wish I didn’t love Stone and Hol
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Stone Barrington remains one of my favorite characters to read. This is book 50-something, so the plots are getting a little crazier every book. This one is a bit out there, but great fun in any case. Can't wait for the next one.
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