Two-Dollar Bill

July 11, 2005
Fans of Woods's ex-cop turned lawyer, Stone Barrington, will not be disappointed in this latest entry in the series. This time out, Stone becomes involved with a loud-talking Texan improbably named Billy Bob Barnstormer. It isn't long before Stone regrets ever being introduced to Billy Bob, especially when he leaves a dead body in Stone's guest room. But that is only the beginning of a tale that finds Stone, along with his best friend, Dino Bacchetti, following a twisted trail as they attempt to capture Billy Bob, who, it turns out, is much more dangerous than Stone could ever have imagined. Narrator Roberts slips comfortably into his performance, bringing a nice, down-to-earth quality to his portrayal of Stone. He is equally at home in his characterizations of Stone's recurring circle of friends, giving each a distinct voice and personality. Roberts's slightly over the top, good old boy portrayal of Billy Bob works well, and he nicely shifts his performance as the likable, backwoods-sounding Texan changes and his true sociopathic tendencies rise to the surface. Roberts is also adept at handling Woods's dialogue, providing some laugh-out-loud moments in his delivery of the banter between Stone and Bacchetti. Simultaneous release with Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 28).

February 28, 2005
Woods's latest winner opens with a banner week for ex-cop turned sophisticated New York lawyer Stone Barrington: he lands a $50,000 retainer from fabulously wealthy Billy Bob Barnstormer and a date with a beautiful, blonde U.S. Attorney for New York, Tiffany Baldwin. The date with Tiffany pans out, but his relationship with Billy Bob sours when a dead prostitute turns up in Stone's spare bedroom, where his client has been staying. All the usual characters are on board, including CIA officer Lance Cabot and Stone's ex-partner, NYPD Lt. Dino Bacchetti. Billy Bob goes on the lam, and Stone learns that his client is also known as Rodney Peeples, a used-car dealer from San Mateo, Calif.; a CPA from Enid, Okla.; and a wanted man. Billy Bob attempts to kill him, an X-rated video of Stone and Tiff appears on the Department of Justice Web site and former long-term girlfriend Arrington Carter comes to town with her nine-year-old son, Peter. Danger mounts, but as luck would have it—and luck always has it in a Stone Barrington novel—things work out in the rather protracted end. Woods introduces a late twist that may signal a major change in Stone's life, one that will have faithful readers tuning in to the next installment of this excellent series to find out if Stone will have to curtail his man-about-town lifestyle. Agent, Anne Sibbald.