Reviews

Below the Belt by Stuart Woods

rmarcin's review

4.0

This book was about a tv star wanting to run for president. However, unlike our current tv star president, this one was considered to be smart! However, he had some events in his past that he didn't want to come to light. He was also being controlled by some wealthy investors. One person has info on the candidate that will ruin his presidential run. Will he stay alive long enough to release the info? This is one of the more enjoyable Stone Barrington books, glad to see Stuart Woods has eased off of some of the gratuitous sex scenes that were in recent books.

shaybooks's review against another edition

4.0

This was a good book. I enjoy Stuart Woods books very much.

jpmrrtx's review against another edition

4.0

I'm a little surprised that I actually read this book. I disliked the last book so much that I wasn't sure there was a point in reading this one and I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. While certainly not the best in the series, it is absolutely the best in recent memory. If you've enjoyed the Stone Barrington books in the past, then give this one a try as it is a fun read in the same vein as many of the earlier books.

andiesmith's review

4.0

I was about to give up on this series....I think I read them out of habit. The last 10 have been written by a formula. Below the belt was different. Very much taken from the current political landscape.

xkay_readsx's review

4.0

Meh, not sure why but I can't get into this book. I normally finish a Stone Barrington book in 2-3 days.
It got better as it progresses so don't worry.

nitabee's review against another edition

3.0

SO much better than the previous book. Stone and Holly are enjoying their time in Santa Fe when they receive a call from former President Will Lee inviting them to dinner, and Will tells Stone he needs his help with something sensitive. It turns out he wants Stone to

Spoiler

retrieve a special CIA strong case from the former VP, and the case contains a lot of confidential info that a former CIA man, Ed Rawls, had entrusted in his care. Will believes there's info here that could hurt his wife Kate's chances of being elected president for a second term, and attempts are made almost immediately on Stone's life after taking possession of it. Ed becomes a big part of the story - he was an agent the same time as Kate, and he had been her mentor until the Russians tried to blackmail him, and he ultimately was imprisoned. Will pardoned him before leaving office, and so Ed is free, and resides on the same island in Maine where Stone has a house. There's a lot going on this book, but ultimately the person trying to retrieve the case is a billionaire named Christian St. Clair, who is trying to get a man named Nelson Knott to take the presidency away from Kate. Christian wants the power that would come with having the president in his pocket, and he knows the case contains info that would destroy Nelson's chances of being elected to office (such as his proclivity for raping people who worked for him, and impregnating two of these women). Ed has the info because he's been writing his memoirs, which contain a lot of confidential info gleaned from his time in the CIA, and since Ed has an amazing memory. Christian ultimately gains control of the strong case, but he doesn't know the proper procedure to open it, and if the procedure isn't followed, it blows up, so he winds up dead. Nelson commits suicide after the news is revealed, including that one of the women and a child he fathered were murdered, so no more worries for Kate. Ed and Stone make it out alive, and Stone winds up proposing to Holly. Of course, she can't take it, due to her work for Kate, but she is interested in the possibility some day down the road

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_kristiew_'s review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed the storyline in this book and the ending was great!