Dishonorable Intentions

Stone Barrington #38

by Stuart Woods

Stone Barrington gains an adversary that he can’t seem to shake in the electrifying new adventure from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author.

Stone Barrington’s latest lady friend is full of surprises, both good and ill. A sensual woman with unexpected desires, Stone finds her revelations in the boudoir extremely agreeable. But on the other hand, she also has some unfinished business with a temperamental man who believes Stone is an intolerable obstacle in the way of his goals.

In a cat-and-mouse game that trails from sun-drenched Bel-Air to a peaceful European estate and the wild New Mexican desert, Stone and his friend remain just one step ahead of their opponent. But their pursuer is not a man who can stand to be thwarted, and tensions are mounting . . . and may soon reach the boiling point.

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

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

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

[Geneva · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read all of Stuart Wood's Stone Barrington books, and most of his others. Like a couple of reviewers I am getting tired of the same ole same ole. Stone is probably in his 60's now, and no man can have that much sex!!!! I think I will probably not read any more Stone Barrington.
sorry, Stuart!

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might be time for Stuart Woods to find another plot besides the psychotic ex-husband bent on wreaking havoc on his ex-wife, who happens to be sleeping with Stone Barrington. In this case, it is Sante Fe's screenwriter Gina Wilde, and Russian film producer, Boris Titov, who is buddies with the Russian president. There are some interesting interactions with dangerous wildlife, and Stone bedding two women at once. There is something different about #38 though, Stone dumps the girlfriend, instead of being dumped.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, a disappointing and barely acceptable effort by Woods compared to some of his other works. 4 of 10 stars

[Lawrence Deering · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dishonorable Intentions" is Stuart Wood's 38th Stone Barrington novel. I have read them all and am a devoted fan. I have one word for this latest offering in the series: "yawn." Writing four novels a year in this series along with others outside the series is a monumental undertaking. That's an excuse, but this book did not live up to the author's usual high quality writing. Mr. Woods uses a plot that he has worn out; jealous ex-husband of well to do divorcee harasses his ex and her new paramour, Stone. The author had the opportunity to expand the plot by using his son, a successful movie maker and his friend, the new production head of a major studio but they added no real significance to the story. Usually there are sub-plots and intrigue. This novel had none. So, I give Mr. Woods a pass on this one because of the countless other books that I have devoured with gusto. I look forward to number 39 hoping he will return to his brilliant self.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not his best...just didn't want to hear anymore about the "Horizontal Bunny Hop"!

[Marcia Loveman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have done without 3 way sex affair.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and fun. I don't know about Stone doing 3some though. haha

[Mike French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and enjoyable as all Stone Barrington are.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enough already with the Russian connection. Now Stone has to have two women in bed? Has Woods run out of viable plots? To start with I was turned off by the books cover. I detest snakes so I opted for an audio version so I didn't have to touch or see the cover. When Ed Eagle is mentioned in the beginning, I said to myself "this is going to be good". I fell for that assumption hook, line and sinker. How dumb was I? Here we have Stone hopping from continent to continent, city to city trying to keep a woman safe from her ex. A woman we all know Stone doesn't really care about on a serious level. She's just another notch on his chick belt. And how many more connections can Stone have? Woods has the man knowing everybody. His story lines are becoming less and less viable. The three way sex was totally unnecessary. I long for the days when Stone and Dino would meet at Elaine's and Herbie Fisher was a pain in Stone's butt. I guess I'll keep reading the books in the hope that that solid writing in the beginning of the series returns. Woods does entertain but just not as good as he used to . It's like he's fallen and he can't get up again. I hope the paramedics come soon.

[ML · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book where you scream WTF like a million times. Where does Stone find these toxic women?!?

Gala is a train wreck from start to finish and has a nutso ex husband. He wants to tangle with Stone at every turn over several countries. It’s bizarre how he stalked her from Sante Fe to NYC to England. Give me a break 🙄🙄

Plus the threesome with Felicity was NOT in the least believable. A career secret agent is not going to throw away her career on a threesome with a near stranger(Gala) and Stone. Ugh 😑

Stone finally dumps a girl instead of vice versa. Shocking I know.

The only saving grace in this book is Teddy Fay, who played a pivotal role.

On to the next one because Stone is a comfort read and you don’t need to think at all as you read 🤣🤣🤣

[M. G. A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now Stone is drinking rye and having threesomes! What is going on?!?!?

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Stone Barrington is deep into another adventure. As always there's a woman and of course someone trying to kill him again. This was another start to finish fun read. You really should be reading the Stone Barrington series !

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may be my last Stone Barrington book. The series has gotten so tired and repetitive. Another Russian mobster, REALLY?! Just so disappointed in Woods' writing.

The series lacks direction and offers nothing more than Stone globe trotting to pick up his latest luxury vehicle or home.

Plus, the sex has just gotten stale, although attempts, poorly, to spice it up here.

The synopsis of the next book looks readable, but I don't know if I can continue to read this series after it has hit rock bottom.

[Jill Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Stuart Woods just dialed this one in. I've enjoyed Stone Barrington books over the years, and the stories were always interesting. This book is not. Too thick with gratuitous sex, and too thin of a storyline.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a lot of Stuart Woods' books over the years. There was a time, in his early works like Chiefs, that his writing was superb, his plots complex and his work was spectacular. The Stone Barrington series of late is so disappointing. In this novel (although you could probably edit it down to a short story), Stone and is current gal pal, Gala, travel among his and her five homes to get away from her ex-husband, Boris Tirov, who is obsessed with Gala. In between Stone, Gala, and another woman have a lot of sex, they eat out at restaurants, and friends like Dino come to visit. Snakes, bears, and other shenanigans are prominent in the plot. Come on Stuart, put some effort into this dribble.

[Gary Gallucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biggest problem with this book is that we've read it all before. Many times, in fact. Stone Barrington starts dating a beautiful woman whose former husband is crazy and wants to either reconnect with her or kill her. Barrington naturally gets involved and the former husband sets his sights on killing him instead. Ugh. Fortunately for Barrington, he has many connections with the right kind of people and is able to thwart the would-be killer. Entertaining, but already been there.

[Bernie Ideker · Rating 3 out of 5]

What this book series has going for it is it uses the same characters. This makes the reader comfortable. The storyline appears to try and emphasize Stone Barrington‘s wealth and popularity among the wealthy. I preferred when Stone was a poor and struggling attorney.

[Kym Gamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another Stone Barrington book that I have read. I am reading them in between other books. This time Stone is in the middle of a woman and her divorced husband. The husband will do anything he can to get her back (or to get rid of her). Stone becomes a target also. It was an interesting storyline and some of the characters, while this is their first real revealed in the book, are very intricate and you come to know them further. Without telling you about what happens in the book, I have to say it was exciting but a bummer in some places. Definitely worth a read.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Stone Barrington read. I always like it when Billy Barnett is involved. He is an interesting character. I say Typical because Stone meets girl, they end up having several sexual escapades. She's gorgeous. He's irresistible, blah, blah, blah. I did like the storyline, but that gets a little old.

[Donald Hahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich people are so spoiled in his books. Losing interest in his writing.

[Nathan Brant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have tremendous respect for Me. Woods' ability to crank these novels out. In this episode Stone Barrington has a threesome. Seriously. No one has more sex than this fictional attorney.

[Christopher Copelas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice addition to the series. They're focusing a little too much on his money and they should get back to what made the series good which was his legal battles. However it was still enjoyable

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just not a 4 star book for me. It was interesting and you still found yourself waiting to see what was around the corner for Stone Barrington, since he was a target of his lady friend's ex.

[Heather Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Another fast read. Sometimes I feel like he finishes the story too quickly at the end but that is why it’s such a fast read. On to the next!!

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stone's latest bed-partner comes with some serious baggage. She's got an ex-husband who becomes a real thorn in Stone's side. The guy keeps showing up wherever he and his lady friend go -- and leaving the country doesn't seem to help. Boris is everywhere -- and he has no intention of going away. As Stone's star is on the rise, Boris hits one stumbling block after the other until he finally decides it is time to get rid of Stone once and for all. Boris is clearly not finished with his ex-wife -- and it isn't really clear if she is finished with him or if she'd like to rekindle whatever flame they may have had.

The storyline wasn't bad, but Stone is still pretty dumb when it comes to women. He brings women he doesn't really know into his house, his airplane, and his bed without so much as a thought to his personal safety and whether the women are in fact who they claim to be. This novel had some added gimmicks -- live ammo on a movie set, bears being lured to his lady friend's house, and then there is the 10 foot rattlesnake that is turned loose in the bedroom. An entertaining read, but not my favorite.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#38 in the Stone Barrington series. Certainly not literature, this soap opera series remains a guilty pleasure of mine. Although any book in this series can be counted on to produce robust sexual encounters, I believe the Ménage à trois is a first for the series.

Stone Barrington series - Boris Tirov detests Stone, a suave, well-connected New York City attorney whose latest lady friend happens to be Boris's ex-wife, screenwriter Gala Wilde. Stone flies his private jet to Santa Fe, N.Mex., where Gala has a house, and later to England, where Stone owns an estate with its own airfield, but the vengeful Boris, a Hollywood movie producer with connections to the Russian mob, remains hot on their trail. The ease with which Stone keeps Boris at bay, and which Boris keeps on Stone's tail, threatens to become monotonous until Boris cuts a deal with Russian president Viktor Petrov: in exchange for Petrov quashing a long-standing murder warrant, Boris will ensure that Petrov has an intimate meeting with a beautiful American actress who's due to arrive in Moscow for a movie premiere.

[John Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does exactly what it is supposed to do, an entertaining page turner, easy, quick read. It is not meant to be great literature, just an exciting diversion. We have our rich, jet-setting lawyer, Stone Barrington and his current main squeeze, Gala Wilde and Gala's psychopath, ex, Boris Tirov, a despicable character, hated by all with ties to the Russian mob as our main characters. Barrington has connections with "everybody" from Hollywood bigwigs to intelligence officials on both sides of the pond. With several cars, planes, five houses and many employees at his beck and call, we get to witness the "high-life" of the extremely wealthy. We also witness the cat and mouse chase as Tirov tries to kill Stone and Gala, twists and turns, Hollywood backdrop, exotic animals and plenty of suspense and mayhem. Stuart Woods has several character series and has been cranking them out for a while, this being #38 in the Stone Barrington series. Enjoy!!!

[Michele A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so this book was pretty formulaic. It had Stone meeting and bedding a woman with a psycho ex-husband. Stone then finds himself in a new kind of kink with this woman that had me questioning his sanity. There were so many negatives things about Gala and Stone that I was astounded I even finished this book. Stone went out of his way to antagonize her ex-husband, Billy got involved and things still spiraled out of control. The fact that Gala waited until the end to fess up to her "behavior" was bothersome. I am not a fan of people who jump into a relationship without even knowing the first thing about the other. Maybe rich people do act differently. Aside from their obvious checkbook balances being of a significant amount, Stone and Gala were quite shallow. The bit about the actress needing to sleep with someone to ensure a success for her movie really did not sit well with me, especially in light of recent events. Not my favorite book by far.

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3). This is one of the best Stone Barrington books in a while. Action from start to finish. Stone is all over the world in this one. From New York to Santa Fe to Los Angeles to England and he is dealing the whole time. Some interesting new scenes in the bedroom for Stone spice things up but the really neat part here is a major role for our old character, Teddy Fay, who now goes by Billy Barnett. I don't know how Woods cranks out stuff this entertaining every 3 months but he does a hell of a job. Really big fun here, hard to put down.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not his best. I thought there was too little plot and too much detail about lives of the rich and famous that didn't reveal much as far as personality or motivation went. Agree with other reviewers that the threesomes seemed out of character, and thus not particular to the reader...although today's news report about orgies planned for high government officials in the US and England might lend veracity.