Stuart Woods keeps cranking out mystery novels at the rate of at least one a year. The latest one again features Stone Barrington. The title of the book is Worst Fears Realized. It was published by HarperCollings. This makes the fifth outing for Stone, a former NYPD detective, who is now an attorney and investigator.

Stone is suffering from a bad heartache. He let the woman he loved slip away into the arms of another man. His friend Dino is having dinner with him at Elaine's and invites Stone to a celebration party at Assistant DA Martin brougham's apartment. It seems that Martin had just won a tough case against a mob boss and was holding a party to celebrate the victory. Stone reluctantly goes to the party where he meets an interesting woman. They hit it off and she invites Stone back to her apartment for some dinner.

Susan Bean is an intriguing woman. Stone likes her immediately. At her apartment they decide on Chinese take-out food. Stone goes to pick up the food and when he gets back to Susan's apartment, he finds that she has been horribly murdered.

Stone becomes a suspect but not for long. A woman who lives across the street from Stone is murdered and he gets a glimpse of the killer. It looks like someone that Stone and Dino arrested when Stone was still a cop and Dino's partner.

After some reflecting, it seems that someone from their past is out to kill off people that are close to Dino and Stone. Dino's wife is attacked and Stone's secretary is killed. Who is the devilish person who wants to destroy those close to Dino and Stone?

Stone hooks up with an old girlfriend and everything seems to be getting better. But a bombing drives a wedge between them and she moves on. In the meantime, Stone has met Dino's father in-law, a supposed NY Mafioso. Eduardo Bianchi is somewhat removed from the daily grind of the crime world. And yet he seems to know what's going on in the trenches. He could be a very dangerous man. Behind Dino's back, he offers help to Stone to find out who is after them.

Stone also meets Dino's sister in-law, Dolce. She used to be married to a minor mafia hoodlum. She is now her father's right hand in business and heads up a philanthropic foundation. Dolce could be very dangerous herself.

Stone and Dino chase down leads and try to keeps those they care about from harms way. Every lead they follow ends up empty. Stone ends up taking Eduardo Bianchi's offer of help and finds out information that ends up helping break the case.

Worst Fears Realized is another great mystery by a top-notch writer. In each Stone Barrington book, you finish the last page and then hunger for more. I can't wait till the next one comes out.

Copyright © 2000 Bruce E. Von Stiers