As he usually does, Stone Barrington leads that incredible life that we all wish we could have. While Stuart Woods' recent forays with his Teddy Fay character were pretty "golden book," Stone's continuing character makes you not only believe his story but be sympathetic as well. His enclave in NY, homes in New England and the UK, make the reader eager to envision a similar life despite the relative weakness of the plotline.

What can I say? Here we have a romp through the world of the rich and famous for the 64th time. Even with the loss of long-time author Stuart Woods last year, "takeover" author Brett Battles has continued Woods' tradition of turning banter into an art form interspersed with snippets of a plot that threatens to mess up the life of main character, New York attorney Stone Barrington. Like its predecessors, this one is mostly predictable but still fun and, dare I say, even exciting here and there. And as always, this dependably good series offers a much-appreciated break from the blood-and-guts, mess-with-my-head fare that dominates my reading list.

As often happens, this one begins with the ever-ready Stone and U.S. President Holly Barker "entertaining" one another, after which Stone joins his good friend and police commissioner Dino Bachetti for dinner, which happens with even more regularity than Stone's bedroom capers. There, they meet (and come to the rescue of) Mathilda Martin, a beauty whose date dumps her. That move, let's say, doesn't endear Stone to the guy, who clearly wants to even the score with both Stone and Mathilda. He almost does exactly that, but then Stone takes the concept of hard-headed to a whole new level.

Before long, readers meet a prodigy named Carly Riggs, who's been hired as a new lawyer at Stone's hot-shot firm, Woodman & Weld and plays a major role here. Not only does she have close to a photographic memory, she aced - meaning answered every single question correctly - the Bar Exam. And of course, she's gorgeous (and hot-to-trot for Stone's body, despite its being at least 96 years old by now).

The action turns more complex when a Russian mob honcho decides his score with Stone is uneven as well - and sets out to put the odds back in his favor. But the ever-vigil Stone and his security team get wind of the plot, "forcing" Stone to call in his old pal Teddy Fay (who now has a new I.D. and job as a film producer with Stone's son out in California). Actually, this one seems a little grittier than past stories, with Stone becoming far more down and dirty - and perhaps closer to getting bumped off - than I've seen in the past. Of course, it all works out in the end, when Stone gets back to bed (maybe with breakfast for two) and dinner as usual - and, as always, brought a few smiles to my face. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

“Near Miss” is another entry into the enjoyable Stone Barrington series by Stuart Woods. This entry, co-authored by Brett Battles begins slow with settings and developments that are all too typical for those who read every entry in the series. Wealthy lawyer Stone meets a new potential girlfriend, who has an abusive soon to be ex boyfriend.

The new woman in Stone’s life, Matilda, temporarily moves in with him. The ex in question hires a couple of thugs to carry out a hit on the pair. These events open up as Stone continues to survive and come out a victor and ultimately involve the Russian mob who Stone has also prevailed over in previous novels.
During all of these events, a character who is a breath of fresh air shows up amidst the other satisfying usuals who appear in a Stone Barrington story. Carly, a new lawyer, with her photographic memory and plenty of survival talents becomes his partner for the remainder of the book.
Carly offers a freshness that is sure to enhance the reader’s enjoyment of the story. I hope that some author, under the Stuart Woods banner, continues to develop her weather in Barrington books or her own series.

On the one hand, I am a fan of this series, however I found mostly interesting differences with one disappointment. For those who do not know, the author, Woods, recently passed away. Whether he supervised the who writing of this work or if Battle was brought in to complete it, may never be known by the reader. Still, having Stone hurt and tremendously weakened at times was new. And in a series where the reader has to suspend believability in order to enjoy it, there was one event I could not accept. For a mob family, continuously defeated when trying to kill the lawyer, to have them leave a message in his home office went a little too far. Why not kill him there?

Still, that point is small. Like the others, enjoyed this entry particularly because of the violent action build to a satisfying conclusion. I recommend this one even if you have not read any previous entries. Except for the minor differences I observed, “Near Miss” was otherwise both typical and enjoyable.

i love the stone barrington novels, and this one is no exception!

thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

Not sure how much of this book was written by Stuart Woods before his death and how much Brett Battles finished but this is a great book! Stone Barrington and the gang are back for another adventure, compete with the usual baddies, sexy woman, and snappy dialogue--and it's just as much fun to read as the previous titles..

One small change I would make if I were the publisher: keep this story to the usual 60 chapters that Woods always wrote. The 72 shorter chapters makes it an obvious fact that Woods did not finish this by himself. Otherwise, the story sounds and feels like any of the previous Stone Barrington novels.

As an educator, I would have my class compare/contrast this book style-wise with other titles in the series solely written by Woods.

As a dedicated reader of the Stone Barrington series, I would definitely continue to read future titles if they are written as well as this one!

Stone Barrington doing what he does best, again. Living richly, cavorting with numerous ladies (including the President), routinely dining with the NYPD police commissioner, and dodging bullets and bombs.
This time, its former Russian foes who want him dead. And he is dodging and ducking his way across Manhattan and his Maine abode as he tries to stay one step ahead of his assassins.
Typical Woods style: a little bit too much of everything and a lot over the top, of most.
But Stone Barrington wouldn't be Stone Barrington without all the excess.
Usual, whacky but fun read.

Great book! Involving Stone, Dino and their friends. You see more into their lives as Stone tries to figure out whose trying to kill him now. This book is set in New York City and Maine an as usual is a really great read!

Another wonderful Stone Barrington novel. It always amazes me how Stone & trouble go hand in hand. There are times when the flitting from home to home gets to be a bit much, but it's an enjoyable & light read - perfect for a weekend afternoon!

I admit I was concerned that the series would be continuing after the death of Stuart Woods, but if this is an example of what we'll be seeing, I'm in.

You just cannot go wrong with spending time every now and then with Stone Barrington and his crew!
I believe I’ve read most of this series and it’s always such a nice break—-possibly an odd thought as the body count
steadily rises and Stone, or Dino, or Madam President are threatened and yes, often shot at, but they always manage to prevail all while enjoying amazing meals, great liquor and California wines; all while dressed in Bloomies finest attire. Even the bad guys are well to do and living well- they just always seem to have their sights set on upending
The Barrington Empire, and in this book, we have a new character of affection for Stone - a drop dead gorgeous young woman with a perfect memory who scored 100% on her Bar Exam, making her, in Stone’s mind, too perfect for the family business. Turns out she’s a great addition to the family story and I certainly hope she appears in the next installment of the Stone Barrington series! I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!
My thanks to Penguin Group and Net Galley for providing this copy for review purposes.

Stone Barrington is back and trying to unwind after his latest adventure when he meets a woman while waiting for Dino. And if you know anything about Stone whatsoever, she will be in his bed by nightfall.

This woman comes with an endless supply of baggage. A boyfriend with mob connections is the main issue. And when said boyfriend decides to get rid of them both, he finds out who he is messing with.

This sets off a chain reaction of payback. Just when we thought The Greek was dead, another one pops up! And he is looking for revenge.

This one may be too much for Stone and his friends. Hopefully, he will wiggle out of this one.

I was so happy to have another Stone book by Mr. Woods. With his passing, I wasn’t sure if we would see Stone again. I’m glad to have read this one.

Well Done!

NetGalley/ June 6, 2023, Penguin Group/ Putnam

Once again, a highly entertaining and action-packed Stone Barrington novel. Beautiful women? Check. Friendship and great food? Check and check. Great fun with dashes of outrageous? Check. Near Miss, the latest Stone Barrington novel, is filled with all the things this series is known for. It is a quick yet satisfying read with a good pace. Thank you, Brett Battles, for continuing this series. I am looking forward to more in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Knowing this book is about the 63rd one in the series about Stone Barrington, but the first one I've read, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to jump in & follow the story line. That being said....I could follow along pretty well without knowing much about the characters. One recommendation...it wouldn't take much to put a list of recurring characters at the beginning of each book & that would make a huge difference for people like myself that are jumping in part way through a series.

The things I didn't like: the sex & the swearing...really? It doesn't add a thing at all & is a huge turnoff. The gratuitous sex & language are the 2 reasons I'm not really interested in reading any more books in the series or by this author.

All that aside, while the book was a pretty quick read, a lot of the talking between parties felt very stilted & it was repetitive... i.e. ..."They both hung up..." at the end of several chapters in a row.

I got through the book pretty quickly & did want to know what happened, but once it was over, I also felt there wasn't a whole lot of substance to the book.

All that to say...I'm not entirely sure why there are 63 books about this character....I'm interested to see what the early books are like; it feels like the new books are just looking for fillers & ran out of quality plot lines.

I worked at a library for several years & saw this author's books checked out quite often, but I honestly don't see the appeal if they're all like this, I'm sorry to say.

(Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher. I was able to preview this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.)

Another action-filled Stone Barrington novel, filled with beautiful women, only the best food and alcohol, more than a few close calls, the Russian mob, and bedroom escapades.

While the Stone Barrington novels, including this one, are hardly demanding reading, they are highly entertaining, a little preposterous, and great fun. In Near Miss, Stone spends considerable time with his latest love interest, a brilliant young lawyer, with his great friend Dino, and with several other characters who tend to appear in the majority of his books.

Highly recommend these novels, if you enjoy the first one you read, you will enjoy them all. So glad that the series appears to be moving on even without its originator.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. This book is a cannot put down mystery with realistic characters. This popular author is talented and gifted. Enjoy

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of the latest Stone Barrington novel. Written by Stuart Woods and Brett Battles.

Stone Barrington is the affluent attorney’ who meets a damsel in distress and Barrington rescues her from an abusive date. Unfortunately, the abuser is connected to the Russian Mafia. In a prior novel, Barrington had a run in with the leader of the Russian mob, which results in an ongoing vendetta against Barrington. The book has action, takes you from New York City to Europe and Maine in this cat and mouse romp.

The story is a typical fast reading caper, flaunting the way the top one percent lives. There are the usual bedroom scenes in the book. It’s very enjoyable and is a good read over a couple of days.

I believe that Brett Battles finished writing this book after the passing of Stuart Woods in 2022. It is a solid 4 star novel and one of the better Stone Barrington books in the series.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. I just love the fast paced tempo and how Stone gets himself into these types of situations. The whole crew made appearances and I thought it was great.

Stuart Woods’ latest novel, Near Miss, once again takes the reader into the envious world of Stone Barrington, the New York City attorney, and his surrounding cast of characters we have come to know over the years. This time around there are those who seek revenge on Stone and want to have him killed. This is only a slight problem for him and he still has the requisite time to attend his usual New York restaurants and to bed the women with whom he manages to cross paths and to travel to one of his many homes in his private plane.

The pace is non stop and very enjoyable reading. I thank NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

I read them as fast as he churns them out! So sad that Stuart Woods died last year. Brett Battles is doing a great job filling the gap. Another good one with more of the Russians! Lots of Dino, a little bit of Teddy, and a strong role for Carly. Always a fast read and entertaining.

Near Miss is the 64th in the late Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington series and Stone has not changed a bit. While he and Dino are waiting for a table for dinner, a man argues with a beautiful woman and then storms off, leaving her alone. Stone, of course, introduces himself and takes her home for a drink. This will prove to be a mistake. He’s warned off by the boyfriend, Trench Molder, who then hires one hitman after another to kill Stone. Naturally Stone easily thwarts these attempts and then naturally the violence escalates. A newly minted lawyer joins the familiar faces of Dino Bacchetti, Holly Barker and Teddy Faye. Throw in the FBI, Russian and Greek mafias, car bombs and more and you have a quick, satisfying read.

Brett Battles is definitely channeling Stuart Woods and I hope he continues to do so. While this series tends to glorify machismo, gun and other violence, it’s pure fantasy. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, Stuart Woods and Brett Battles for this ARC.

I admit I was wary, with someone else finishing up, after Stuart's untimely passing. But...this book did not disappoint! The banter, the sex, the death threats. Yep, it's the same but still works. And as a bonus, we get plenty of action from some familiar friends.