Double Jeopardy (A Stone Barrington Novel) - book cover
Action & Adventure
  • Publisher : G.P. Putnam's Sons
  • Published : 22 Feb 2022
  • Pages : 320
  • ISBN-10 : 059318839X
  • ISBN-13 : 9780593188392
  • Language : English

Double Jeopardy (A Stone Barrington Novel)

Stone Barrington faces down danger on all sides in the latest thriller from perennial fan favorite Stuart Woods.

Stone Barrington is settling in for a stretch in New York when he receives news that demands immediate action. An old family matter has unexpectedly resurfaced, and Stone must decamp to the craggy shores of Maine to address the issue head-on.

There, Stone finds that a dual-pronged threat is hiding in plain sight among the stately houses and exclusive coastal clubs, and the incursion isn't easily rebuffed. These enemies have friends in high places, funds to spare, and a score to settle with Stone . . . and only the cleverest plot will draw them out into the open. From luxuriously renovated homes to the choppy ocean waters, the pursuit can only lead to an explosive end.

Editorial Reviews

"Stuart Woods never fails to deliver suspenseful and entertaining plots. His characters are always finely honed and his dialogue pitch perfect. This is especially true in Double Jeopardy, which makes for a clever and captivating reading experience."-Bookreporter.com

Readers Top Reviews

neil jack
Stuart wood books are becoming very repetitive in there crimes and other content
SharonLcolleen va
Same old - same old. Stone meets a woman for the very first time and the next thing she is in his bed. Story line was so so. This is the last book in this series I am going to buy.
Clifford TubbsSha
This was kind of Ho-Hum compared to other prior books. It seems Woods is running out of original material. Still a good read.
N. SoberanisTodd
I have read all 50+ of the Stone books. I enjoy the banter between Stone and Dino, Stone and Joan, even Stone and Lance. Spoiler Alert...Stone is with Holly in the beginning of the book and then with one woman the rest of the book. Being a cad is a big part of Stone's character and it's been missing in the last couple of books. Usually when Holly is going to show up, Stone ditches whomever he is with. In this book, Holly shows up unexpectedly. She actually meets the woman whom Stone is currently bedding. That situation could have played out in a number of interesting and entertaining way. Instead, Holly stated her business and then left. Boring! They introduced an interesting character at the end of this book. Hopefully, her character develops in the next books. And hopefully, the upcoming books get better than they have been
SmileyHN. Soberan
I wonder how Mr. Woods is able to the Barrington Books stand alone and believable as part of a series! Each of the books have their unique quirks to maintain the interest of the reader. He has done it again! My only concern is when is age going catch up with Stone, because based on his history as a NAM Vet, he is in his 70โ€™s! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜Ž

Short Excerpt Teaser

1



Stone Barrington walked into his office on a Monday morning and found three pink memo slips, saying that a John Keegan had called and needed to see him urgently.



Joan Robertson, his secretary, came into the room without being asked, and said, "No, I don't know who he is. He's been leaving messages on the machine since early this morning."



"Perhaps you know why there's no number to call back on these slips?"



"Oh, I just thought I'd make life more difficult for you. Isn't that my job?"



"I'm just asking."



"I can only write down the messages left," she said. "If there had been a number, I would have written that down, too. If past performance is any indication, he'll call back."



"I can't argue with that," Stone said. His phone rang. Joan picked it up.



"The Barrington Practice at Woodman & Weld," she said. "Ah, yes, Mr. Keegan, I have him right here." She handed Stone the phone with a triumphant grin.



"Good morning, this is Stone Barrington."



"Thank God," Keegan said. "My name is John Keegan, call me Jack. I need to speak to you in person as soon as possible."



"Where are you, Jack?"



"In a cab, on the way in from the airport."



"A New York airport?"



"Sorry, yes. LaGuardia. I just got off the shuttle from Boston."



"Do you have my address?"



Keegan spoke it to him.



"May I know what this is about?"



"I'll tell you when I see you. Suffice to say, it's a family matter."



"I'll be available when you get here. I hope you brought your raincoat and galoshes." But Keegan had hung up. It was pouring outside.



A few minutes later, the office doorbell rang. Stone's office was in a former dentist's office in a house that he had inherited from a great-aunt many years before and remodeled. He heard the sounds of an umbrella closing and outer clothing being shucked off.



Joan stuck her head in. "Mr. Keegan to see you," she said, "slightly damp."



Keegan walked in wearing a good suit and a necktie, and carrying an old-fashioned briefcase, stuffed. He dropped it on the floor with a thump and offered his hand.



Stone shook it and waved him to a seat. "I expect you could use some hot coffee," Stone said.



"Oh, yes."



"How?" Joan asked.



"Black, please."



"It's strong. Do you want it weaker?"



"Strong is good."



She left and returned with a steaming mug and set it on a small table beside him. He sipped it gratefully.



"You said this was a family matter," Stone said. "I have only one family member, a son, Peter, who lives in Los Angeles. Is this about him?"



"No, sorry. The other side of the family." He handed a card over: "Keegan, Kay, and Williams, Boston."



"And you're Keegan," Stone said. "Just a wild guess."



"I and my father before me. All three of us partners had fathers who preceded us in the firm."



"Neat and tidy. The other side of the family? The Stones?"



"Yes."



"They're all dead, except two of them, who are . . . unavailable."



"Mr. Barrington . . ."



"Call me Stone."



"Stone . . ." He hesitated.



"Yes?"



"I'm new to this case, and it would be helpful to me if you could recount your knowledge of your Stone relatives, particularly with regard to your residence on Islesboro."



"How far back do you want me to go?"



"Grandparents."



"My mother, Matilda, was a Stone. She and my father, a Barrington, were both from western Massachusetts, both families in the weaving business, mostly men's suitings. My parents fell in love as teenagers; she was studying art at Mount Holyoke and he, law, at Yale. Her parents objected to the pairing."



"On what grounds?"



"My father had leftist political views. He had even joined the Communist Party for a brief time, mostly to annoy his father, I think. They married anyway-eloped. As a result, they were both banished from their families: he for his politics, she for marrying him."



"Did you have any cousins on the Stone side?"



"Two first cousins, Caleb and Richard."



"Did you know them well?"



"Not until, at eighteen, I was invited to spend a summer on Islesboro with them, during a brief thaw in family relations."



"And how did you get on with them?"



"Splendidly, with Dick, poorly with Caleb, who was both a bully and an ass, as bullies usually are. I finally had occasion to punch him in the nose, earn...