"Strategic Moves"   by Stuart Woods

A Stone Barrington Novel

2011 Book Review #23

Booklist  Review 

Stone's hapless client Herbie Fisher has married the daughter of a financier who might be guilty of embezzlement. Stone gets involved with Herbie's wife's aunt, but their relationship is cut short when she's shot execution-style in her apartment.

Before Stone can delve into the murder investigation, he's tapped by another client to oversee a joint mission with the CIA to retrieve arms dealer Pablo Estancia, who stages a dramatic escape and then turns up in Stone's office requesting his legal counsel.

 Meandering and slow moving, the story loses all its early steam when it switches gears from the embezzlement-and-murder story line to send Stone on the improbable mission to Iraq, followed by chapter upon chapter of dull negotiations with the CIA.

Woods even manages to make the usually appealing Stone unlikable when he advises his client to wait to share crucial information with the intelligence agency. Woods' recent novels have been fast paced and exciting; alas, this is a clunker.

My Thoughts:  I agree with this reviewer.  I have read all the Stone Barrington Novels and I am very disappointed with this one.  It's not Barrington's character at all!