Reckless Abandon (Stone Barrington)
by Stuart Woods
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stuart WoodsEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-09-28
ISBN: 0451213173
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Signet
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780451213174
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Reckless Abandon (Stone Barrington)
Book Review: Bleed-through Between Series Gives Romantic Romps & Iconic Intrigue: Florida Flows in NYC
Summary: 5 Stars
A couple of Stuart Woods recent novels had caught my eye as I was looking for something sort of similar to Robert Parker's Spenser series.
This being the first of those two eye-catchers which I read, I can say I enjoyed the easy opening of the main characters from separate series making a slow jazz, "no problem" connection. The situation, setting, and dialogue were refreshingly, realistically simple and natural. Even with periodic shocks of abrupt overturnings of a flow of events, the plotting clicked along with no reading-resistance from moi. Chief Holly Barker was clever with her quips and guts, dancing through nonchalance; and Stone Barrington was so smitten and intrigued by Holly, the two melted like butter on a hot day, sliding right into a business mixing pleasure thing based from his home.
I noticed that a few reviews don't recommend this novel as a "starter kit" for readers who haven't read most of Woods's other novels, due to the fact that this story uses a sort of patchwork quilt of past plots. So, I wondered, would I be lost?
I was carried without effort by the interaction and dialogue among characters and didn't find the brief recaps of the past to be any different than what would be necessary in any novel. No plot works without a past, and segments of that history have to be plugged into an ongoing action.
Loved the way Woods stitched the title into the book as a true and actual THEME, becoming obvious with chapter 10, in which Stone interviewed his client-from-hell, professional photographer, Herbert Fisher. Of course Herbie was not the only character for whom Woods used "reckless abandon" as an identifier of personality traits.
Feel free to buy and read the novel to do this thought-provoking discovery of for whom, what, where, when, and how this "reckless abandon" plays off, from the simplest, to the most symbolic, to the most legal of meanings.
This book had more "live in" capacity than most, like a world was opened and I could simply step in each time I opened the pages.
The relationship between Stone and Holly continued the flow established in the novel's opening, and grew easily and naturally, without the usual blocks in romance novels or other P.I. persona series. The sex scenes were simple and gutsy and were slipped within the daily doings without much difficulty or unnecessary production. It was interesting to see how a man like Stone reacted to an aggressive partner like Holly. He was just there, and certainly had no trouble enjoying the ride, taking Holly at face value, which was refreshing both ways, with the blessed absence of the usual emotional games. Jealousy was toyed with on both sides, with a realistic touch, and like everything else, the two rambled through those glitches without over concern, no growing roots for those bleeps of green.
Given the way most of us live out our days, this novel might seem unbelievable. But, having worked and lived several years on the inside of criminal justice systems, my experience confirmed that the characters, dialogue, pacing, actions and reactions, the ways of dealing with a very different system of ethics, was on target with the reality Woods was describing. Though Woods's critical slant on the FBI and CIA might be slightly skewed based on his political leanings, it's plausible that those types of casual behaviors toward killing and execution could exist in facets of such agencies and bureaus. I also know from experience, however, that a good number of honorable, admirable men take on these types of responsibilities and jobs, with a type of pride and integrity which many of us will never know or live. They're to be admired and thanked.
I'm pro President George W. Bush. Woods is not. At least he's not, based on the info on Stuart Woods's web site, which is well done and very direct and clear in exposing his opinions, his work, and his trade. He comes across to me as a crisp, to the point, no nonsense, male of the species, and I can't help admiring his candor and directness.
Lest we forget, however, RECKLESS ABANDON is a work of fiction, a well done and highly entertaining one, in which, yes, the author expresses and dramatizes his political opinions about the world. As he notes on his web site, whose opinions should he write about, other than his own?
Though the whole novel was engrossing, the last quarter of the plot kicked up in reader capture enhancement. I was in high entertainment awe of the ways Stone, Holly, Dino, and Lance extricated themselves out of several seemingly untenable, end-of-the-road, into-the-grave, impossible scenarios. There's a term for what Woods accomplished repeatedly with incredible finesse throughout the last quarter of the book:
Deux ex machina.
Though ... I'm not sure how firmly that applied there, in the meaning, "saved by an unexpected event interjected by a `Higher Hand' of a God, or The Author." In most cases one of the characters saved the situation from disaster due to tangy thinking or fluid footwork. ANYway, all snafu's were undone in very cool, ingenious ways.
Also felt right on with the way Holly and Stone handled their budding relationship, as the book's sunset arrived.
Yes sir. This is great entertainment of the purest type given just the right complexity, with subtle, interesting wisdom extended simply (without heavy agendas imposed) through character contemplations, conversations, and choices.
I'll go for more.
Linda G. Shelnutt
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