Sex, Lies & Serious Money

October 3, 2016
Hitting the lottery jackpot can be a lot of fun, as shown in bestseller Woods’s satisfying 39th Stone Barrington novel (after Dishonorable Intentions). Laurence Hayward, an Eton schoolmaster with American roots who has won $612 million playing Powerball, turns to New York lawyer Stone for guidance on spending his fortune on such items as a Manhattan apartment, a Bentley, and a new wardrobe. At a Ralph Lauren store, Laurence falls for his beautiful personal shopper, Theresa Crane, whose brother, Butch, has recently been released from prison, where he served time for bank fraud. Butch is determined to go straight, but he has a buddy also released from prison, known as Curly for his resemblance to the Stooge, who wants Butch to help him steal money and valuables from Laurence and Stone. The mostly low-key action builds to a violent showdown that promises complications to come in this irresistible, luxury-soaked soap opera. Gun control advocates will approve
of Stone’s advice to Laurence not to buy a handgun. Agent: Anne Sibbald, Janklow & Nesbit.

October 15, 2016
The title says it all. So do New York's tabloid headlines: "LIMEY POWERBALL WINNER LANDS IN BIG APPLE, LIVES LARGE."Laurence Hayward taught at Eton, his old-school old school, until a $612 million lottery win made it impossible to go home, or almost anywhere else, without attracting the unwanted attention of paparazzi. So he flies to New York to consult Stone Barrington, who introduces him to his junior partner Herbert Fisher, investment banker Conrad Trilling, and Ralph Lauren personal shopper Theresa Crane. Laurence relaxes enough to spend several million dollars on three cars, two apartments in the same Park Avenue building, and an extensive selection of Lauren clothing. Unfortunately, purchasing his wardrobe under the expert advice of Theresa soon brings him into contact with her kid brother, Butch, recently released from stir and eager for a score. Together with his prison pal, the even more recently sprung Curly Jones, Butch quickly hatches a scheme to separate Laurence painlessly from $300,000. But that's not enough for Curly, who loses his share on the ponies and leans on Butch to go back for another round. When Butch, whom Theresa has insinuated into Ralph Lauren without knowing about his partnership with Curly, turns him down, Curly sets his sights a little lower, resolving to clean out Stone's own apartment in Turtle Bay. Stone, who's busy finding two new bedmates, is oblivious, confident that the security personnel of Strategic Services are looking out for him 24/7. Or are they? Reads like a remake of Family Jewels (2016) with nary a homicide until very close to the end. Not much sex, no more lies than usual, but some very serious money does indeed get spent on every possible status symbol you can imagine.

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