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.
