Review of Standup Guy

Book #46. Standup Guy, by Stuart Woods. Unabridged audio. 

I have read all of Stuart Woods’ novels up to this one, and have enjoyed most of them, despite finding the last half-dozen or so to be a bit repetitive. This one was a return to form for Woods, as the story had more intrigue than some of the most recent books have had. It was also nice to see lead character Stone Barrington portrayed as less than the perfect super-spy he seemed to be recently.

The book starts simply enough, with Stone Barrington landing a new legal client, a man with an interesting and lucrative dilemma. It seems that he knows the whereabouts of money that was stolen many years ago. Stone recognizes that the statute of limitations on the original crime has run out, and the man seems to have legal claim to the money.

But the police officers who originally investigated the crime are still interested in finding the money. As are the mob figures who were involved in the crime. Stone finds himself in unexpected crosshairs. And when he midjudges the intentions of a woman, he may in fact be out millions of dollars, if he manages to stay alive.

Woods’ novels are always quick reads, and Standup Guy is no exception. A few ongoing subplots are accounted for, and a few members of the standard supporting cast appear, but most of the novel deals with the specific case. And that plot goes a few directions I did not see coming.

I am a big fan of Woods’ ability to create a coherent and cohesive universe for his novels. President Will Lee and his wife are players here, and groundwork is laid for further novels featuring the power couple. The story of Teddy Fay, who was an antagonist for a half-dozen novels, was brought to a close in a satisfying manner.

Narrator Tony Roberts does his usul fine job bringing life to the various characters in this novel.

source: public library. .