D. C. Dead

D. C. Dead/Stuart Woods, New York:  Putnam Adult, 2011 (304 p.)

I finished this book in mid-January but have held off writing a review because of really mixed feelings about the book.  In my mind this is not one of Stuart Woods’ stronger works but still it does have some good points.

D. C. Dead is identified as part of the Stone Barrington series written by Woods but it could just as easily have fit in one or two of his other series.  While Barrington, a New York attorney, and his best friend, Detective Lieutenant Dino Bacchetti, appear throughout the book their roles at time seem almost minor.  They are simply included but aren’t making a strong contribution to the story line.  With this in mind, hard core Woods fans may find the book somewhat disappointing.  On the other hand, for the casual reader this book is an easy, quick read requiring minimal investment.

As a mystery, I found the book less appealing.  First, the story line seemed highly implausible.  With access to a wide variety of law enforcement and other government agencies it seems unlikely that the President would call in a New York attorney and detective to investigate a murder at the White House.  Second, unlike some of Woods’ other mysteries, I had identified the killer by the time I was about half way through the book.  My only reason for continuing to read was that I had not determined the motive.

A minor problem for me with all of the Stone Barrington series is a personal perception that I developed the first time I was introduced to Detective Bacchetti.  For whatever reason, I immediately identified him with Paul Guilfoyle (Detective Jim Brass on the television series C.S.I).  With this in mind, I often find other scenarios less plausible.

Unlike some other reviewers, I’m not ready to give up on Woods and Stone Barrington – at least not yet.  But I really hope that future volumes will return to the stronger writing seen in both the Stone Barrington series and the Holli Barker series.