Insatiable Appetites

Stone Barrington #32

by Stuart Woods

Secrets and seduction are temptations Stone Barrington can’t resist, and in this action-packed thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, he encounters plenty of both...It’s a time of unexpected change for Stone Barrington. A recent venture has achieved a great victory, but is immediately faced with a new an underhanded foe who’s determined to wreak havoc at any cost. Meanwhile, when Stone finds himself responsible for distributing the estate of a respected friend and mentor, the process unearths secrets that range from merely surprising to outright alarming. And when a lethal beauty from Stone’s past resurfaces, there’s no telling what chaos will follow in her wake...

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

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2015

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

[Hapzydeco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weak story line, Playboy sex, skewed political agenda. This Stuart Woods’ novel needs a codicil listing his lack of effort.

[Diane Saul · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm done. I have been a reader of Woods books for years, have read all the Barrington books. Won't be wasting my money on any more books. Mr Woods writing has become stale and he is inserting way too much of his political agenda into his books. Not interested in his political beliefs. I am interested in reading a book with a good story line, not a book with the authors political agenda, regardless of what side it may be, shoved down my throat. There is enough of that on the news, I don't need it in my reading. There are many other good authors out there to spend my money on.

[George Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stuart Woods is getting stale

Either I have read too many of Mr Woods or he is grinding out lack luster works for volume; this book is uninspired and dull. Duh a new character comes from Delano a small town in Georgia. How old is this getting? This is perhaps the last of his books I'll buy. I might another out of morbid to see if he has gotten any lower in his quality of writing.
Do not buy this if you liked vintage Stuart Woods! Like an old wine he has become stale nearing vinegar.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Changed

Having read woods for years I've been disappointed in the last few. This plot was good but I actually don't like stone anymore. He's careless about other people and sleeps around in a way that just makes him much less than the man he was

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate is elected President in a very close election, but there is a meeting among leading Republicans to undermine all of her policy initiatives. A mole approaches Stone, to sabotage their underhanded efforts, and he is killed after being offered protection by Stone, leading to political and personal retribution. Meanwhile, Eduardo Bianchi passes away, leaving Stone as executor and bringing Dolce back from the monastery. There are questions as to the authenticity of certain of Eduardo's assets, and whether or not Dolce has been healed.

[Monnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

After two rather disappointing precursors to this, the 32nd Stone Barrington novel, I really wasn't expecting much from this one. But after the first several chapters, I found myself rather enjoying it. That's not to say much has changed; most of the "action" is back-and-forth banter and a ho-hum attitude to most everything that happens, including real action when someone gets bumped off ("Oh say, did you know your brother has been murdered?" "Yes, I just heard - bloody nuisance. Shall we have dinner at the club later?")

The story here, though, did seem a little more interesting to me than other recent books; based on that alone, I'd give this one 3 1/2 stars if I could. The Presidential election is over and the filthy rich attorney Barrington, who provided both funding and advice for his friend Kate's campaign, is tapped to help post-election (no, I won't reveal whether she won or lost). Then his old friend with a shady past Eduardo dies, naming Barrington co-executor of the will and millions to be distributed to various family members. One of those just happens to have had a long-ago relationship with Barrington - one that almost turned deadly - and now he has to deal with her once again. Thrown in the mix are a political expose that threatens to take down some heavy-hitters, highly valuable paintings that may be forgeries and a couple of murders.

Through it all, Barrington never fails to pair the perfect wine with dinner and match his necktie with his pocket handkerchief. If he's let anything slide, it's the frequency and number of his bedmates; I really didn't keep count, but I think only a couple got between his sheets this time. That's okay with me, since his sexploits are probably more boring than the conversation.

If you're among the throngs who have all but given up on this series, I think this one is a cut above the last few and you might consider having a go at it. But I'd also suggest waiting till the cost comes down or borrowing it from a library; even if you end up loving it, it's almost too short to be called a book and really doesn't seem deserving of a full-size price tag.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soo sooo good this one!! Dolce returns and is as crazy as ever. I throughly enjoyed this book. One thing that puzzles me is….where was Holly? Hopefully she turns up soon.

[Kym Gamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Stone Barrington book. This is probably my favorite. A man comes into Stone's office and hires him and tells him he thinks he's being followed. A gay man loses his partner and goes to see Stone. Dulce is back in the picture and is fired up as she can be. Stone becomes fearful for his life.

[ML · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. The plot was completely predictable and beyond stupid

Side note: Dolce needs to meet her maker already. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥This is getting ridiculous 🙄🙄🙄

Eduardo dies and you find out her has another child.

Kate wins the presidency. Shocker I know.

[Steve]

July 2024. East to read quickly.

2023 this 2015 has closure and ,in fact a true ending. I wish more recents Woods stories did likewise.

August 2020 still a fav.

3-17-18 Still enjoyed this story!

3-23-2016 Its taken me a long time to figure out the Stone Barrington is a vicarious way have this glamorous and globe-trotting life, including being BFFs with 2 presidents and a multitude of smart and beautiful women (seems like at least half of them get killed). It tickles me that he'd rather sell stock and assets than alter his life style until his income reaches his life style. (This would be before his unearned money from Arrington.)

2-5-15 New book to library on 12-20-2014.
Of course I like this story... it is the sequential story at the next step. Mostly the same characters. It was a very quick read. Having just retire, I've time I haven't had in years. I just finished re-reading GRASS ROOTS. On a whim, I counted words per random pages ( 115 "Insatiable Appetites" and 173 of "Grass Roots". 185 . 185 words on "Insatiable..." and 455 words per pages on "Grass Roots".
I certainly felt like a much longer and more detailed read. These latest books are more novellas than novels. And the price for the new one is $27.95 and the book from 1989 was $19.95. But I read them as soon as Woods pops them out, like an old familiar friend. thanksmmmm

Kk
Kk
September 2022 I just finished it and it is a fast read!
Kk

[Nancy Geary · Rating 1 out of 5]

disappointed again!
The plot line was decent, bringing back characters from earlier in the series. But the pace of the novel was horrid.
I suppose I'm just sick about reading more about tech specs on the various aircraft flown and/or acquired than advancing the plotline - can we say filler? Wondering if the author receives a stipend for product placement from Knob Creek as well? Every other drink is a nondescript cocktail.
Reading the series now, I get sidetracked wondering how much flight time and liquor receipts the author is writing off on his taxes.
I'm not even going into the number of sexual partners Stone acquires, except to say if he keeps this pace up, he'll need a new headboard for more bedpost notches.
Stone has come a long way since the beginning of the series, from former cop to multi-millionaire, and not in a good way. If only Mr. Woods had developed his marquee character as well as his sidekick Dino. (psst! I'd love to see him in a book of his own.)
On a positive note, it's always sunshine & rainbows for all the regulars in Barrington-land... maybe they can start selling the series in Disneyland gift shops?

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stone Barrington finds himself enmeshed in several new cases this time around. His ex wife Dolce is out of the convent in Italy and headed back to New York, his long time friend and brief father-in-law Eduardo Bianchi has involved Stone in the probate of his estate and a new Republican senator has come to Stone with information of a secret meeting of disgruntled hard line Republicans who have lost the election and are planning to thwart the new administration (gee that sounds familiar) and he wants to make it public. A dangerous proposition but he is determined to see it through with Stone's help.
Plenty of going on in this typical Barrington tale, so enjoy..

[Laura Ruetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Stone Barrington novel. These never fail to keep me engrossed in the story. The characters, the plot and the pacing are always right where they need to be. The characters are complex and are not flat so they aren't boring from book to book. Each book feels like a new book with the same characters. Highly recommend these thrillers. Great reads!

[Nancy Gockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Stone Barrington

I loved the book i have read them all and they just get better. I hope you keep writing about Stone. i am ready for the next one. would recommend all the Stone books.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUBJECTIVE READER REVIEW FOLLOWS:

To put it bluntly, I am in shock! Declaring Stuart Woods' untimely disappearance from the league of viable novelists was apparently premature on my part, and I think you'll agree with me when you read 'Insatiable Appetites.' Strangely enough, this is the second novel I've read in a row that I could not relate the title to the storyline (the other being WEB Griffin's 'The Assassination Option'). Nonetheless, this is Woods' best book since 'Kisser' in 2010. I'm almost inclined to conclude that you can teach old dogs new tricks. 'Insatiable Appetites' veers so hard back to action/adventure I am almost inclined to believe he listened to somebody finally and perhaps consulted with an editor that wasn't content with another of the comfortably numb installments. Although I've complained miserably about Woods' recycling of characters, the one that's never been recycled since she was remanded to a Sicilian psychiatric hospital is Dolce Bianchi. If this doesn't sound odd, it's been 24 Stone Barrington novels--that's right, all the way back to 'L. A. Dead' in 2000--since Dolce was put away, never to be seen again! Of all the dastardly villains, aka antagonists, introduced over the years, few can compare to the pure evil of Dolce Bianchi. I am truly impressed with the way she was reintroduced-back for her father's funeral-and the manner in which she returns to her black widow demonic self. I've gotta give Woods credit as well for the self-deprecation he inflicts on Stone at the end--with both women in his life gone, all because he screwed up and had a pang of conscience. That oughta teach him! I think you will love this book; I sure did, and I salute Stuart Woods for making it back to the starting blocks!! Here, here!

PLOT SPOILER SUMMARY FOLLOWS:

Kate Lee Wins Presidency & Eduardo Bianchi Dies. Stone is invited to the personal quarters at the White House on election night to nervous out the results with Will & Kate Lee, Kate's Campaign Manager Sam Meriwether and his top assistant and Stone's main squeeze Ann Keaton. After a series of phantom calls by the networks for Florida and Ohio, Kate prevails to become the first female president who's also pregnant. Shortly after returning to New York, Stone is invited to lunch by Eduardo Bianchi and asks if he can bring Herbie along. They have a nice lunch and take a tour of the house, and Herbie is blown away when Eduardo gifts him two valuable paintings. The next day after the Woodman & Weld partners vote Herbie in as partner, Mary Ann Bachetti, Dino's ex and Eduardo's eldest daughter calls Stone to tell him Eduardo's suffered a stroke and they rush over. Eduardo makes one last conscious effort, tells Stone it's in his hands and everything's in the safe. He and Mary Ann are co-executors of the estate and start the process, which includes eight handwritten diaries Eduardo had kept for each decade of his life. The day before the funeral, Stone gets an anonymous call from a man saying he'd attended a gathering of two dozen Republicans to plot out total and complete opposition to Kate's agenda. Stone refers the man to Clara Fontana who works for the NY Times to publicize the event. Kate attends Eduardo's funeral in NYC, as Stone is shocked to see his daughter Dolce-previously sent off to Sicily as criminally insane-but she seems normal. That night while attending dinner with Kate at her Carlyle hotel penthouse suite, Will tells Kate & Ann about the call and that he referred the man to Carla. Later that night Ann escapes the Carlyle, comes to Stone's house and they make love most of the night; neither knowing that would be their last. Carla calls Stone to tell him that Harley David, a Texas oil tycoon, had hosted the Republican strategy session at his DC house, and that he was positioning Harley Jr to be a Congressman. Unbeknownst to anyone, Father Frank Donovan, a Vatican bank manager and psychiatrist that had tended to Dolce in Sicily, fell in love and began an affair, arrives in New York to continue the affair at Dolce's apartment. She invites him to move with her to the Bianchi estate, where she proposes that he resign his priesthood, become an Episcopalian and be her husband. When he rejects her proposal she kills him, cuts him up over a plastic sheet and has Pietro dump him body in Long Island Sound. The next day, Congressman Evan Mills comes to Stone's house to meet and plead, and he's scared to death. He confesses that Bruce Willard is his lover and is afraid for his safety as a former commando Creed Harker has been shadowing them. Stone preaches caution as Mills tells him he made a recording of the meeting but has some things to do. He calls Stone back to tell him where he's staying and that's the last anyone hears from him, as he is killed in a hit and run vehicular accident on 3rd Ave. In short order Father Donovan's body is found in Long Island Sound as Dino and Stone begin suspecting Dolce. Then Stone receives a package in the mail, and its the tape recording of the Republican meeting. He and Carla become lovers and she tells him her mother is a translator/transcriber, specializing in Old Italian. Stone hires her to translate Eduardo's diaries, only to find that Anna de Carlo Fontana had an affair with Eduardo decades ago and that Carla is his daughter. Bruce Willard contacts Evan Mills' father Elton in Pennsylvania, goes there and establishes a great friendship. Elton then sets out on his own mission of vengeance-in spite of being 85 years old-goes to DC and proceeds to pull off simulated suicides of Creed Harker and the House Minority Leader that conspired against his son. No evidence links Elton to the murders, so he heads back to Pennsylvania having completed his mission. Meanwhile, Dino sends in a senior detective to investigate a painter Dolce had working in the converted barn behind the main house. Carmine Coretti, four months from retirement, makes an unsanctioned visit to the converted barn, is killed and Pietro disposes of he and the borrowed boat in Long Island Sound. Dino & Stone plan a black op to eliminate Dolce, since recovering evidence is next to impossible. The story breaks in the Times as Carla's life becomes hectic. She does not know that she is one-fourth owner of Bianchi's estate due to a codicil Stone uncovered in the diaries. Stone & Mary Ann go to the estate for lunch to discuss business, but just as he is about to inject her with the tranquilizer, Dolce slices his arm, cutting an artery. They are able to deliver Dolce to the airplane for the trip back to Sicily where Mary Ann has already had her readmitted for psychiatric care. The big story and probable Pulitzer propel Carla into finalist consideration for Executive Editor of the Times, as Stone has surgery to repair his arm. She calls when he gets home to tell him she didn't get the job and would be heading back to DC instead of taking over the Times in NY. Stone tells her life is about to change, as he's just mailed out Carla and Anna's checks from Eduardo's estate. She says she'll stick around to look after him, but Stone has an attack of guilty conscience and says he can't be true to two women in DC. She accepts this and wishes him well, unaware she is about to become a multi-millionaire. As rehab slowly returns his range of motion, Stone gets a call from Ann Keaton saying she's met another guy and wishes him well, assuaging her own guilt by saying long distance romances were impossible. So now Stone's burned the bridge to Carla, but he's got Dolce out of his life again; ambivalent bliss?

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this one and Tony Roberts makes Stone Barrington come to life.

This takes place in New York City, and a prominent Italian dies and leaves Stone to be the executor of his will. It happens to be Mary Ann Bichetti's father and Stone needs to read all the documents to see how the funds from his estate are to be distributed.

This was more of a mystery than other books and I did really enjoy it. I never liked Dolce and she is even more evil in this one.

I am giving this 5 out of 5 stars.

[Gary Gallucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

The library only had this book in large print, which worked out fine. My sight may be starting to fail me. Oh well. An awful lot happened in the long Stone Barrington saga. Stone's friends the Lees returned to the White House, his former wife and demented murderess Dolce returned to the scene, and the father of a murdered congressman decided to take revenge on those he thought responsible. Along the way, Stone has his usual dalliances with beautiful women. He's everything the rest of us males wish we could be, but only in books. I really enjoyed this book.

[Diane Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Stone Barrington episode. Not exactly sure why I continue to read them. Everyone is super rich and super attractive. Eating at the finest restaurants, drinking the finest liqueurs. I miss the depth of the older Stuart Woods such as Chiefs, one of the best mystery books ever, in my opinion.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Best news is the forever campaign is finally over with a couple political digs. The plot is weak, borderline preposterous. 3 of 10 stars

[John Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Stone looses 2 girl friends and the ex wife ta boot. Dolce goes back to the convent. Then he loses Carla and Ann. Fake art, hardly oh what trust and spin the bottle.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could not remember much about Stone Barrington, been too long since I read one of the series. But it was ok read. Not as fast paced or interesting as my current book, by Nick Petrie.

[Joanne Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good addition to the Stone Barrington series.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where do I start? There were so many things about this book that had me shaking my head. Everything just flows along for all the recurring characters with barely any problems in their lives that can't be solved with Stone's money, Stone's influence or Stone's "charm with the ladies". People complain about TV crime shows where DNA is identified in a day or two. In this book, Stone and Dino are out to dinner with their sons and while waiting for their main course to arrive Dino gets a call that a head was fished out of Jamaica Bay. Then as they are finishing their dessert wine he gets another call saying that the DNA results are in and the body has been identified - in what, less than an hour?? And the victim was not even a US Citizen and yet they tracked down his DNA in an hour. Later in the book one character shoots another and makes it look like a suicide. The body is found in a restaurant men's room, but the police almost immediately call it a suicide even though they never check the victim's hands for gunshot residue. Also, they found no prints on the cartridges in the gun. Why would a person committing suicide worry about their prints being on the cartridges of the gun they intend to use to kill themselves?? As police chief, I think Dino should be looking into giving his detectives a refresher course! And finally, in the "unbelievable rise to success" category, Dino's son Ben is offered a job as the head of production at a major Hollywood film studio when he's only been out of college for a couple of years??
People reading this and my other reviews of the books in this series may wonder why I keep reading this author's books. Frankly, I wonder the same thing at times. The only answer I can come up with is that these books are the literary equivalent of junk food. After reading a couple of other books by other authors, I read one of these which take no time at all. All of this author's books are right around 300 pages long and use a large font with a lot of space between the lines, all of which makes for a very quick read. I was surprised at the thickness of this book when I took it off the library shelf, only to discover that the reason for the extra thickness was due to the publisher using thicker paper, apparently so it would appear to be a longer book. It had almost the exact number of pages as the author's previous ten books, there are fewer lines per page than most of his prior books and the lines are narrower. It appears that the author just wants to crank out as many books as possible in the shortest time.

[Susan Swiderski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number THIRTY-TWO??? I knew this author was more prolific than most, but holy moley... that's a LOT of books for a single series. No wonder it's getting a teensy bit stale.

Still, I enjoyed it. I was a huge fan of Woods' earliest books, and my enjoyment of them prompted me to keep reading his work, even if some of the books in this series didn't float my boat. This book, however, didn't disappoint. There aren't endless blah-blah-blah specs about various airplanes, which bogged down some of the other books in this series, and the plot itself is a nice mixture of the familiar and the fresh. Some of the familiar, however, is getting a little old. I mean, is Stone EVER gonna grow up? Is he ever gonna start thinking more with the head on his shoulders than with the one that's only-too-happy to pop out of his pants in response to every invitation from an attractive woman? Is he ever gonna learn to say, "No, thank you... I already have a girl friend?"

Some readers might object to the political bent of this book, but hey! The same is true of some of his earliest... and best... books, too. Besides, you don't have to agree with his depictions; just sit back and read the book for sheer escapism. A quick read. An evening's entertainment. That's what I did.

I'd give this one three and a half stars.

[Lynn Patterson Sunday · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm finished with this book and this series. Woods thinks gratutious sex makes a novel exciting. It's actually offensive when it shows the main character to be nothing more than a whore dog. He's a weak character. Secondly, I'm sick of reading the author's political agenda in the story. It's off-putting if you're a conservative when you know everything he's accusing "us" of doing is exactly what has been going on with the Democrats for the past 4 years. I struggled thru Paris Match because of the political bias, but I can't stomach anymore. Woods can write well, but his Stone Barrington series has just sunk to the bottom for me. I won't waste my time reading anymore of his rubbish.

[Jay Dewey · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want to zip through what portends to be a mystery story, this is the book for you -- but not for me. I'm a slow reader but finished this book in four hours, during which there were four murders and a major art forgery scheme. I felt like I was reading the author's book outline, excluding a concluding wrap-up.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Stuart Woods and Stone Barrington but nothing really changes in this story. Stone is still womanizing and there is a dead person but it's the flair that Woods and Stone bring to the story that makes it great.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best books in the series. The sex scenes are toned down, which is commendable. There was a good plot with twists and turns, yet some turns didn't end the way you might have predicted. It was a good read and I finished it in just one day!

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think 32 Stone Barrington Books are one too many. I will not read anymore books by Stuart Woods. Back in 2012 he was one of my favorite authors. I feel he is writing too many books and they are not as enjoyable as his earlier ones. No more Stuart Woods for me!

[Daniel McClendon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tired of this crap

Well just when I thought his books couldn't get any more ridiculous, murder of a good republican. Don't forget the only oil billionaire is rabidly anti conservative. These books are garbage.