Dead in the Water

Stone Barrington: 3

ISBN: 0-7887-1776-6 Order from: Recorded Books

A tense drama full of fallible, not entirely sympathetic characters, with an overly extended middle and some unrealistic plot devices, which nevertheless succeeds in being entertaining.

Reviewed by David on September 20, 1999

Genre: Mystery (Court Drama, Amateur Sleuth)

Synopsis: Stone Barrington, a New York attorney specializing in unusual cases, takes a holiday on a Carribean island of St. Marks. Volunteering to help an attractive young woman targeted by the islands' biased judicial system, Stone embarks on case complicqated by corruption, ambition, greed, lust, old scores and recent deadly accidents.

Full Review: This is an unabridged recording of Dead in the Water. Following up on Dirt, this mystery is set on a seemingly idyllic island of St. Marks. The novel's main characters are full of human emotion, including a mixture of courage and apprehension, lust, greed, vanity and anger. Stone himself, intelligent and somewhat honest, is not immune to the temptation, and his fear of losing his girlfriend Arrington adds frisson to his rather mostly physical attraction to his client. While painting the main characters in colorful, at times too-colorful terms, the secondary characters are mostly shadowy stereotypes.

Little about the plot is intended to instill deep thought, but the otherwise high entertainment value is reduced by a long middle portion, where tension is maintained with some strain as little new material is introduced. The ending, on the contrary, seems a little rushed and adds an additional fillip of implausible melodrama.

On the whole, the book is fairly entertaining despite of its flaws, and provides plenty of vicarious thrills through its earthy approach to law and justice.

Overall: 5.5; Plot: 6; Characters: 5.5; Style: 5.5; World-building: 5.5; Originality: 5;

ISBN: 0-7887-1776-6 Order from: Recorded Books