Easy to abandon yourself in new Barrington mystery

  • By Samantha Critchell / Associated Press
  • Saturday, May 22, 2004 9:00pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

Stone Barrington, this is your life.

In “Reckless Abandon,” the 10th installment in Stuart Woods’ series about a particularly handsome, independently wealthy New York police officer-turned-lawyer-turned-private eye, Barrington encounters many familiar faces.

Some are welcome, some are not.

First there is Holly Barker, the Orchid Beach, Fla., police chief who stars in one of Woods’ other mystery series. She comes to Barrington’s New York in search of a fugitive.

Barrington and Barker met briefly in “Orchid Blues,” a 2001 novel set in Barker’s back yard. Barker interviewed Barrington after he witnessed the shooting of her fiance during a bank robbery, and they promised to keep in touch.

With Barrington being the bachelor that he is, it doesn’t seem the least bit odd that he invites Barker and her sidekick, a Doberman named Daisy, to stay at his home when she calls out of the blue looking for a hotel recommendation.

And Barrington being Barrington, it also doesn’t seem odd that he becomes intimately involved with both Barker and her cross-country quest to arrest evildoer Trini Rodriguez, who has become an FBI-protected witness since his murderous spree in last year’s “Blood Orchid.”

When our heroes need a little help working around the Feds, Barrington and Barker turn to CIA operative Lance Cabot, who re-enters Barrington’s life because he is seeking legal representation for one of his snitches, Herbie Fisher.

Fisher and Barrington are – of course – previously acquainted. Barrington and his loyal friend and former police force partner Dino Bacchetti had once chased the bail-jumping Fisher to St. Thomas.

Other familiar names in “Reckless Abandon” include real-life New York restaurateur Elaine Kaufman, who always has a cameo in Barrington books; former flame Felicity Devonshire; and Eduardo Bianchi, Bacchetti’s mafia don father-in-law.

With all of its complicated, cross-referenced relationships, foreign intrigue and deep-seeded vendettas, “Reckless Abandon” is a bit of a soap opera, and that’s OK. Soap operas are an entertaining guilty pleasure – and you usually can pick up on the main points and characters before too long.

So, even if this is your first Barrington book, you’ll probably find yourself hooked within the first few paragraphs and wonder where the time went when you’ve gotten to the last one.

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