Criminal Mischief

Stone Barrington #60

by Stuart Woods

"After a dangerous adventure has him traveling up and down the coast, Stone Barrington is looking forward to some down time at his Manhattan abode. But when an acquaintance alerts him to a hinky plot being hatched across the city, he finds himself eager to pursue justice. After the mastermind behind it all proves more evasive than anyone was expecting, Stone sets out on an international chase to places he's never gone before. With the help of old friends-and alluring new ones-Stone is determined to see the pursuit through to the end, even if it means going up against a foe more unpredictable than he has ever faced.."--

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2021

About the author

Stuart Woods was an American novelist best known for Chiefs and his long-running Stone Barrington series. A Georgia native, he initially pursued a career in advertising before relocating to England and Ireland, where he developed a passion for sailing. His love for the sport led him to write his first published work, Blue Water, Green Skipper, about his experiences in a transatlantic yacht race.
His debut novel, Chiefs, was inspired by a family story about his grandfather, a police chief. The book, a gripping crime saga spanning several decades, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was later adapted into a television miniseries. It launched Woods' career as a novelist, leading to a prolific output of thrillers.
Woods' most famous creation, Stone Barrington, is a former NYPD detective turned high-profile lawyer who navigates elite circles while solving crimes. The series became a bestseller and remained a staple of his career, often featuring crossover characters from his other books, such as CIA operative Holly Barker and defense lawyer Ed Eagle.
Beyond writing, Woods was an experienced pilot and yachtsman. He maintained homes in Florida, Maine, and New Mexico, where he lived with his wife and their Labrador, Fred. His literary career spanned decades, with dozens of bestsellers to his name.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's time to take a break from Stone Barrington's new release after book #60. His earlier books have a deeper storyline, good mysteries, and humor.

Recently the story always starts with sex, food, more ladies, then some scam on the rich which triggers a reason for Stone to use his Gulfstream either to escape or capture the bad guys. In Criminal Mischief it's a Ponzi scheme that leads Stone and friends to the Middle East.

I'll do some catch-up with Woods' older works which are less formulaic and more entertaining!

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Back to the old Stone sleep with every woman nonsense. 0 stars

[Catherine Dority · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I am a devoted fan of Stuart Woods but this one fell way short. It is so rushed and was super confusing to keep up with. I love that Stone is a chick magnet but the number of hook ups in this one is extremely far fetched. This book felt very forced. Hate to give him a bad review but I wish I had skipped this one.

[Skip · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simply awful. Non-stop sex with multiple partners for Stone and no plot. Ostensibly, Stone is chasing the mastermind of a Ponzi scheme all over the planet, seeking a $10 million reward for his capture. Even I lost track of whose Gulfstream was whose, and whose girlfriend was whose.

Is 0 stars possible? Ugh.

[Ted Barringer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stuart Woods is a little man, he obviously needs psychiatric help. He must be addicted to sex, and yet, probably never has sex. He lives vicariously through his main character, Stone Barrington. I knew we, as readers were in trouble when in the first few pages Stone meets yet another beautiful woman, and in less than 24 hours later he guarantees her purchase of a $266,000.00 Bentley. What!? The only person on the planet that has to use his money more to get a little something, something than Stuart Woods himself, must be Stone Barrington. And seriously, what Car Dealership lets you "buy" a car based on your word that you will cover a check by someone no one even knows who in the hell they are? Stuart slow down, the real world doesn't work as you portray it. I can only assume you were raised dirt poor, with a massive case of penis envy of the boys who grew up on the other side of the tracks from your broke ass family. Now you seemingly have a little money, although why your publishers continues to inflict this crap on us and pay you for it is way beyond me. Good Reads reall needs to consider a special Stuart Woods rating of ZERO, NIL, The Empty Set, Zilch, Nada, Horrible, Pitiful, Worst Ever, Worthless, Time Waster, IDK, take your pick.

[BonnieM☂️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quit at 85%, on the last disc. It's very boring and I don't care how it ends.

[Sharon Shirlen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I love Stuart Woods books, but this one was disappointing. Stone slept with 3 women, and the description of his sex acts was way too descriptive, almost pornographic. He needs to focus on the plot more, and less on what Stone does with the women he meets. Maybe his next book will be better.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stone rarely bathes before his trysts 🤢

[Dorothy Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another rather unbelievable tale with Stone Barrington involved in international intrigue. I used to really enjoy these books, but Stone has become quite the snob and, I am no prudes, but sleeping with three women in almost as many days and acting so nonchalant about it is getting boring. I wish tpStuart Woods would go back to when these books were believable……

[Richard Guerrero · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the description it said “in this exhilarating number one book“, really??? This was absolutely horrible, I wish I could get this part of my life back from reading it. I have mentioned in the past I’ve been a loyal stone Barrington fan from the beginning but it’s been on a downward spiral for a while. This reminded me of an old Scooby Doo show, stone Barrington being a cross of Fred and shaggy with Scott bales black saggy eyes and then Dino being Scooby Foo. I just do not know how this author can continue this way. He already screwed up holly barkers, the Lee’s, and Ed Eagles characters. I wish he would’ve left them alone and never combined it. One last thing, don’t forget stone Barrington should be at least about 85 now. He did inherit his money from his ex-wife which she received from a 50s movie star that was roughly Stones age. I know, I know too much about this, it’s like me having a conversation about young and the restless.

[Gerri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Minus 0 rating. OMG…..worst Barrington novel to date. The last 6-8 have been bad but this one was unbelievably horrid. Should have stopped reading at Chapters 4 & 5. Have to agree with fellow Goodreads review who rate this 0; I’m giving it a minus 0. Should have read their reviews before investing time on this one. Became a DNF at Chapter 6.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of SW's best efforts.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I typically enjoy the Stone Barrington novels and have read or listened to most of them. This one was one of those occasional misses for me. It drags on a bit too much for me. Stone does bed at least 3 women though, so kudos to him! He is getting older after all.

[Aniruddha M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Stone Barrington thriller (number 60) to end the year 2021. A Ponzi scheme fraudster, Viktor Zanian is trying to abscond after milking millions from unsuspecting investors. When one of them approaches Stone to help her out, Stone cannot look away. He, therefore, invests his limitless resources in tracking down and apprehending Zanian, with the FBI in tow.
As the chase hots up between the continental US onto Hawaii and then to a monarchy in Middle Eastern Asia, Stone and his band of merry cohorts jet across the planet to bring closure to many investors. Hang up your rational boots and follow this merry chase for a lighthearted but lightning-fast read!

Please read my detailed review from the link below:

https://www.aniblogshere.com/book-rev...

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[Lacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my first and last Stone Barrington book. And probably Stuart Woods as well. Stone is condescending towards every woman in this book, and the offhand comments made throughout made reading this fairly repulsive. I don’t know many women who would submit to the kind of misogyny Stone puts out there. In addition, these women he has nondescript sex with who spend half a day with him are saying things like, “oh, I’ve never seen you so tense.” Girl, you ain’t even seen him in the daylight before. There is no basis of these relationships, and Stone’s ability to pave through any obstacle with money and connections and I guess a condescending one-liner here and there is ridiculous at best. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been there for the previous 59 books (!), but I definitely did not like this enough to entertain picking up an earlier one. There are many, many, better books out there.

[Gail Yarborough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuart Woods last several books have gone downhill for me. They seem rushed, lazy, and far too focused on Stone's sexual escapades - which are entirely too graphic. I don't know that anyone reads these books for the ridiculous encounters Stone has with multiple women in the most unbelievable circumstances. These books used to be fun with a bit of intrigue. The relationship between Stone and Dino, and their back-and-forth banter was always interesting with a comedic splash now and then. Although I have read ever book Stuart Woods has written, this may be my last. I don't want everything I read to be interjected with political views - there's enough of that on the news. This book seems like the musings and fantasies of a lazy author.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's book 60 and 2022. Stone sees a woman and there is no mystery - they have immediate sex. Why are we flying all over the planet for 10 mil? He's giving half to Dino and he clearly doesn't need the money. And women. Can I say, women who are just fine with a night or a weekend and then just go away? Zero emotion. Long list of highly paid escorts. B o r i n g. Was there a ponzi scheme plot? Or name dropping of Bourbon, Scotch, rare wines and dinner foods. Shame on me for continuing to read these.

[Anne Wisniewski Vogt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Same old same old. Stone seems to get lucky with every woman that just looks at him. Getting old and the plot line was really weak. I think I'm done with Stone. Stuart used to write books that were good now he just churns out anything.

[Reva · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't normally write reviews in general, let alone for book 60 in a series, but I feel strongly about a few things and Stoney BeeBop (as I have nicknamed him).

FIRST OF ALL: I am not here to be the sex police, but the series has turned in to him banging chicks the same night he meets them. 1-3 per book. And we are to believe, if there is any sort of time passage in this series, that he is in his late 50s probably and still bags ladies in their early 30s while having the stamina of a 21 year old. Furthermore, according to all of his conquests, he is perfect in bed, 10/10, no notes. This leads me to posit that Stuart Woods is not a real good sex person so made up a character who is.



SECOND: The money stuff. He meets side piece #1 at a bar and takes her home the same night. The next day, he takes her to buy a Bentley and vouches to the salesman that her check will clear. It does not. Now he is on the hook for $266,000. He pays it but is super pouty about getting paid back. We have been led to believe he is worth a considerable amount of money, like hundreds of millions, so 266K should not make him turn in to Mona-Lisa Saperstein.



SECOND, PART TWO: This whole book is him chasing after a Ponzi schemer to get a $10 million dollar reward from the FBI, which he DEMANDS A GUARANTEE IN WRITING, before the guy is even caught. I don't know what happens because this was about five pages before I 1-starred this bullshit and punted. And yes, he sexed up the FBI lady.

THIRD: It is so confusing. He is chasing this guy, literally around the world instead of just letting law enforcement handle it.

FOURTH: This shit was just straight up boring, especially all the back and forth dialogue. I returned the remainder of the library books I had, 61-64 because I need a break!!

[Kym Gamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one from Stuart Woods in the Stone Barrington series. This time Stone is drawn into a situation where a con, who preys on uninformed people, sets up a Ponzi scheme and takes all of their money and won't pay it back. After Stone gets involved the con goes on a multi-day, race to get away from the FBI and Stone himself. More fast-paced than many of this series, this kept my interest and I kept wanting to go back to it as it was an interesting story.

[Carole · Rating 2 out of 5]

not my type of book. I have read others with Stone Barrington.

[Sheldon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stone needs a rest. This story losses something in the telling, like a coherent story. I’m amazed Stone is full of stds. Other than that this story is another of Woods Ho hum pieces. Well it kills a part of a day with omicron swirling everywhere if nothing else.

[Cheryl Barajas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woods needs to put this series to rest….

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not going to bother to get heavy into the details, but it basically starts with a character named Tink, who Stone meets out and the introduction is basically, "I'm Tink, and these are my breasts.", then they go back to his place, and he's doing her in short order. Her character is basically irrelevant after that. Then the next day Viv has him meet a friend of hers, and it's the exact same thing, practically word for word. We all know Stone is a man whore, but this man whorishness isn't even well written. The rest of the story gets even more ridiculous as it unfolds.

I have a feeling that Stuart Woods has fallen into the same process that a lot of big name authors have lately, of having ghost writers write their books just to get something out there. His last several books don't really have the same flow of a Stuart Woods book, and this is the worst one yet - and I'm a big Stuart Woods fan, and have read them all. If he IS using someone else to write these, he should let the fans know - if he's NOT, then he should probably step away from Stone Barrington for a while, then revisit the characters with a fresh mind.

[Daniel Erspamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps the most ridiculous plot of any Barrington novel to date. But a fun read, nonetheless, and I'll be right there to read the next one when it comes out.

[Carole · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be fair I cannot give this more than 2 stars. At this point, I know what I'm likely to be reading. This book though, was one of the less good ones, and none are actually good.

Sometimes the dated almost anachronistic 'witty' repartee that passes for dialogue is unbelievably annoying. Yes, I enjoy reading about a lavish lifestyle, but don't try to act like the guy is cool/hip/whatever the current slang is for it. Stone is an old dated misogynistic fart. Dino should have been fired by the NYPD a long time ago. The plot was ridiculous, and that action throughout was just plain silly.

At least he spared us from having sex with Holly in this one since he was with three other women that he just met -- who then say things after knowing him for less than a week, such as, "I've never seen you this nervous" etc. Just silly. Sometimes they're better than this one.

[Sue Dyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually enjoy Stuart Woods' books, especially when I want a mindless quick read. And, indeed, mindless this book is! Rather than much of a plot, Woods seems to be concentrating more on presenting Stone as a man-whore whose sole purpose in this book was to get laid and fly all over the world in his Gulfstream to catch a Ponzi scheme investor. It really is too bad that Woods pushes out new Stone Barrington books on a regular basis with pure junk. Oh for the days when his books were ones I really looked forward to!

[Jake Chavez · Rating 2 out of 5]

As per usual, an anticlimactic ending with a storyline that's kind of all over the place. Stone meets a girl named Tink Dorsey, who literally is irrelevant after the first chapter.

Then we go from Stone avoiding another angry ex-husband, to him overseas handling diplomatic foreign affairs.

He sleeps with four different women. Which I'm sure was thrown for the hell of it.

Nothing exciting. Wondering how many more till Woods calls it a wrap on Stone Barrington.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh!...Just another so-so episode of Stone Barrington's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," by Stuart Woods...However, as they no longer create inspiration, they're definitely read as a guilty pleasure for me...In this one, Barrington becomes a "high priced" bounty hunter, chasing the architect of a Ponzi scheme, worth Billions, all over the planet, in hopes of netting a $10 million reward ...The usual horn dogging and bountiful feasting for all!

[PSBTWO · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just plain goofy


This book was GOOFY. The basic plot was OK, but thats where it stops. Felt like I was reading a Comp 101 compilation of chapters, where each chapter was written by an individual student following a story line, but no cross communication. Stuart better get back on track....
There's more to life than continuous sex and Gulfstreams!!