Reviews for Indecent Exposure

by Stuart Woods

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

When Democrat Kate Lee wins a second term as president in bestseller Woods's slow-simmering 42nd Stone Barrington novel (after Fast & Loose), Stone's old flame Holly Barker becomes secretary of state. Unfortunately for the debonair New York attorney, his rekindled relationship with Holly means unwanted publicity. In particular, he becomes the target of ambitious reporter Gloria Parsons, to whom he grants an interview for Just Folks magazine, a decision he soon comes to regret. Gloria later becomes seriously involved with New York governor Benton Blake, who resigns his post after he and his estranged wife reach a divorce settlement. Benton plans to run for the senate in two years, but Kate's charismatic son, Peter Rule, is also planning a run for that seat. That Peter's new wife once had a brief fling with Benton promises complications down the line. A late threat of violence against Stone adds the only real suspense, though its aftermath serves to bring him closer to Holly. Readers will look forward to seeing how Stone and Holly's romance develops. Agent: Anne Sibbald, Janklow & Nesbit. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

New York attorney Stone Barrington beds still another unsuitable partner and suffers the consequenceswell, almost suffers.Considering what catnip Stone (Fast and Loose, 2017, etc.) is to the ladies, he doesn't always choose his conquests as wisely as he might, and when gossipy reporter Gloria Parsons, of the beguilingly named Just Folks, presses him for an interview about his relationship to Holly Barker, the new secretary of state and one of his long-term lovers, he can't resist her 6-foot frame and other assets. Soon they're making sweet music together, but remarkably soon after that, an admiringly smarmy description of him in her story sours it all, and Stone cuts her off. Gloria, not one to take rejection lying down, plots to reopen the murder case of Arrington Calder Barrington, the long-ago lover whose death left Stone filthy rich, so that she can smear Stone in the pages of Just Folks. When Stone finds an unexpectedly simple way to neutralize that threat, Gloria raises the stakes further, and so does Stone. As New York Gov. Benton Blake, the replacement lover Gloria seduced into commuting the sentence of her friend Danny Blaine when Stone declined to exercise his own influence on Danny's behalf, gets ready to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, Stone manages to wreck his plans as well, and without even leaving his fingerprints on the wreckage. It's only a matter of time before Gloria's resentment boils over to inspire the ultimate threat of revenge, and it's the least convincing one of all. Woods, who's never been shy about recycling material from his hero's earlier adventures, here reprises the plot of Carnal Curiosity (2014) and manages to resurrect some much older matter as well. The fade-out, however, promises new developments that follow a predictably inflated curve. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

In the latest in Woods' long-running series, following Below the Belt (2016), former First Lady Kate Lee is now President Kate Lee, and Stone Barrington's girlfriend, Holly Barker, moves up to Secretary of State. Stone fits comfortably into the world of heightened security and protocol, and he and Holly attend White House soirees and functions, including a clandestine trip to Cuba for diplomatic events. Problems arise, however, when Stone's brief dalliance with Gloria Parsons, a reporter from the sleazy Just Folks magazine, stirs up gossip and controversy. When Stone cuts off the affair and rebuffs the writer, she is determined to get revenge, recruiting ex-cons for help. Stone, in turn, puts his own men on Gloria to limit the damage and protect Holly's now very public persona. There are a lot of underhanded schemes and sexual exploits but not many thrills in this installment. Still, fans of the series will want to check in with the former investigator and revel in this inside look into the glitz and glamour of Washington's politics.--Smith, Candace Copyright 2017 Booklist