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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

D.C. Dead by Stuart Woods

Title: D.C. Dead

Author: Stuart Woods
Read by: Tony Roberts
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Length: Approximately 7.5 hours (6 CDs)
Source: Penguin Audio Review Copy – Thank-you!

D.C. Dead is number twenty-two of the Stone Barrington mysteries by Stuart Woods, and the first of these mysteries that I have read. Lawyer Stone Barrington and NYPD Detective Dino Bacchetti have been told that President Will Lee needs their “investigative talents – and legendary discretion” for a sensitive case, a murder in the White House. The two travel to D.C., meet up with the President, and proceed to bungle their way through the case. Now that Stone and Dino are in town, more ladies end up dying, and both men seemed mostly concerned with chasing the ladies.

CIA Agent Holly Barker and FBI Agent Shelley Bach help out on the case in and out of the bedroom with Stone and Dino respectively. I had a hard time with this book. I enjoyed listening to it, but it was mostly because I couldn’t help laughing at the cheesiness of it all. Whenever Stone showed up to interview a lady, she usually ended up naked and they ended up in bed. I could tell this was a novel written by a man . . . it was the perfect man story full of ladies who like sex, hate commitment, and are ready to jump into bed with whomever they find attractive. Not that I’m trying to generalize here!

The actual mystery itself was chock full of holes. It seemed like once Stone and Dino got tired of the mystery and were ready to head back to New York; they just started to throw together theories to be finished with it. Their last theory had one of the victims as the killer . . . but she was dead before the last victim and couldn’t be the killer!! It didn’t make any sense. This alone made me wonder about their “investigative talents” and the fact that they told everything to their lovers also made me wonder about their “legendary discretion.” I wondered about the entire premise, why would the President want their help at all?

I actually enjoyed the separate secondary story in this book much more than the main story. Teddy Faye is a rogue CIA agent that is being tracked by Holly Barker’s agent, Todd. Teddy Faye leads Todd on a merry chase across the country and remains mysterious and cool throughout the book. I want to find out what happens to him – it was an intriguing story!

The narrator Tony Roberts did a great job. I especially liked his gravelly voice for Dino and smooth voice for Stone. He made the novel a joy to listen to.

Would you like to listen to a Stuart Woods novel for yourself? I am giving away the audiobook of Unnatural Acts by Stuart Wood courtesy of Penguin Audio. Leave a comment at this link by Friday July 6th for a chance to win.

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