Two stars. Yet another joyless slog through the unbelievable life of Stone Barrington. We have oodles of money, sex, and violence but not much of a plot to string it all together. The formula is strictly adhered to as Stone is flung from one dramatic interlude to another. The Russians are back as are many (all?) of the characters from the series. Everyone gets a line or a paragraph; with one taking on a full supporting role. As the bullets fly, the women get hotter and the story marches relentlessly forward to finally, the end. The author, Stuart Woods passed away last year and Brett Battles is apparently taking up the reins of continuing the series. So, I ‘get’ why the reader is treated to such a mishmash of a plot as Battles finds his way with the characters, etc. I’ve been a faithful (and critical) reader since book one so I have hopes Battles will be able to bring the series back to the level of some of the earlier books. There are a few gems in the series with tight plots and interesting drama-we’ll see how it all plays out going forward. I was given a copy of the book, this is my own opinion.