The Short Forever (A Stone Barrington Novel Book 8)

This is the first of two books, written in sequence, that delve into the world of espionage. Having said that, one of the main characters in this story is Sarah Buckminster, an old girlfriend from a previous story in which her New York art gallery is blown up which scares her and makes her run off to her parents in England just after she completes the decoration of Barrington's Connecticutt house which he bought mainly to please her. This story is complicated because Barrington's mission is to find the young niece (Erica) of British Spy John Bartholomew and return her safely to the US. Trouble is Bartholomew is not his real name (it's the name of a legendary and fantastical British spy) and he does not have a niece! Stone conveniently bumps into Erica his first evening in London as she and her boyfriend, Lance, just happen to eat supper in the dining room of Stone's hotel. She takes a little bit of a liking to Stone and lets him walk her home while her boyfriend does other things. But then she tells Stone he should really be dating her older sister Monica. So he does that even though he does not know how or if she figures into his mission. But she is as pretty as Erica though closer to Stone's age. She gets Stone to go with her for a weekend of sailing off in the a remote coastal area. On the way she tells Stone that "by the way my friend, Sara Buckminster, is getting married this weekend. He becomes alarmed that this is the same Sarah he knew in New York and decides he really does not want to crash her wedding party. Monica talks him into proceding to Sarah's home and to the party. Boys and girls use separate bedrooms in the huge huge Buckminster mansion and sneak into each other's rooms after "lights out." Stone things he is visited by the lovely Monica but it is actually the lovely Sarah who visits him! She does not have a firm relationship with her fiance.The next day they all go out on Sarah's sizable yacht. Her fiance knows little about yachts. Stone has quite a bit of experience with yachts. he recognizes when Sarah is heading toward a dangerous jibe and warns her about it. She blunders into it and the swinging boom hits her fiance right on the head. That's a neat trick that requires some planing. Jibing is all too easy but hitting someone in the head is not that easy. I blundered into a jibe the first time I took my wife for a pleasant afternoon sail in our new 28-ft yacht. Fortunately my wife was short enough so that when she sat in the cockpit, the boom passed right over her without contact. She was also smart enough to stay seated when she saw me messing with the sheets as the wind swapped direction. Sarah's fiance, James, was taller and dumber and got knocked off the boat into the Solent unconscious. Stone dived in and tried to save James but could not get him and had to return to the boat empty-handed.No one else on the boat was experienced at sailing. Erica's friend Lance thought Sarah did it on purpose. There was an inquiry into James' death and the Court believed Stone when he said the jibe seemed accidental, not mentioning that he had warned Sarah.Stone manages to get himself into trouble trying to find out who Bartholomew really was, who Lance really was (ties to CIA) and what he was supposed to do. Along the way he meets a couple of real British spies (mason and Carpenter, a nice-looking lady in whom Stone was interested who help Stone find out Bartholomew's real name. I never did figure how everything related to Stone's original mission but the activity was interesting and somewhat suspenseful. Erica did return to New York with Stone. Carpenter did too and became a figure in the next installment of this two-part series - "Dirty Work." Stone made a lot of money from Lance's investment scheme though he was supposed to just show everyone what illegal activity Lance was engaged in.

This is my fourth stone, Barrington book, and I must say I’m intrigued. The author keeps your attention the whole time and stones become my hero. I can’t wait to read the next book on the list and see how many times stone makes it with some new lady. Enjoy Stuart woods books

I liked this book since the protagonist is bit less of a sex maniac in this particular installment,Not that I have anything against sex but making Mr. Barrington a sexual athlete that gets all the girls is odd at the his nominal age - he was supposed to be born in 1952 and kind of fifty something in all books published by Woods after 2000.There are few other things I liked about the book. One little detail: there was, indeed, a military language school in Monterey, California, and my sister in law (no 3, my current sister in law is No 4) taught the Slovak language there for years. The school was closed in 1989 for obvious reasons.Woods writes in this comments at the end of the book that this was his first book that virtually did not need editing of its substance. Perhaps some typos - I did not find any in this ebook.The plot is definitely plausible with a killer properly killed before the book end while his adversary who does not kill but just steals can live for years to come.Of course, stealing a strategic 'object' from UK government is rather vague, in a book by another US author an ingot of almost pure Uranium 235 (less than needed for a nuke) is bought in South Africa and used rather convincingly.Woods, fortunately, does not pretend he understands anything of a technical nature, he is obviously an expert on good food, good drinks and easy women.Altogether a fairly believable story using little bit of UK English (boot instead of trunk, lorry instead of truck, for instance) and with a true affection for the city of London.Recommended for people of 14 years of age , there is not much of adult stuff there. Four stars.

Great sequel

I like to read Stuart Woods because its like eating candy. I can't eat candy so I get it through books like Stuart Woods. Its amazing how his characters always seem to be made around sex and money and chicanery. Not a lot of substance but a lot of fun to read.!!

Within I have read at least the large majority of Stuart Woods books, especially Interesting and quick reads on his characters I am familiar with.seems this new book was not so new as advertised so certainly the facts on the characters were not in since with my current knowledge of them and their positions in the book were outdated. I wouldn't had paid top do?Mar for this book.I thought I would Never Finish it. So personally disappointed.

A bit of a change for Stone, and a nice one. International intrigue, with a bit of James Bond flair. I will admit that there was some confusion for me for awhile due to duplicate names for same person, but then it all fell into place. Poor Stone, his choice of women are not good ones. And even though he was supposed to be a very good detective, he's pretty dumb at times. However, these books are still a fast and very fun read. This was nice with the international flavor and he wasn't sleeping with every skirt he met. Very refreshing.

"Elaine's, late." Gotta love it! I was reading Stuart Woods's books haphazardly and realized I was missing all the back stories so now have gone back to the first - New York Dead - and am going forward. One has to suspend all sense of reality - but that is the fun of the books! Arrington pops in everywhere for "dinner"! Her daughter became a son and two years older in a flash. First class air or private Gulfsteams, suites in the finest hotels, envelopes full of money, women from his past, present and future popping in for a pop, so to speak. The Short Forever introduces Lance Cabot and the CIA - more intrigue and impossible connections weaving through future stories. Keep them coming, Mr. Woods!

I read this book years ago and have recently got my husband into reading Stuart Woods' books (Stone Barrington series). We both now enjoy the books and I've started buying the books that I haven't got. I've also started reading the books from the beginning.Thoroughly enjoyable and mysterious.

Great book

Very interesting all the way to the end

Excellent Story.