• Below the Belt

  • A Stone Barrington Novel
  • By: Stuart Woods
  • Narrated by: Tony Roberts
  • Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (820 ratings)

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Below the Belt  By  cover art

Below the Belt

By: Stuart Woods
Narrated by: Tony Roberts
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Publisher's summary

Stone Barrington lands in hot water in the new adventure from the celebrated author of more than 50 New York Times best-selling novels.

Newly ensconced in his Santa Fe abode with a lovely female companion, Stone Barrington receives a call from an old friend requesting a delicate favor. A situation has arisen that could escalate into an explosive quagmire, and only someone with Stone's stealth and subtlety can contain the damage. At the center of these events is an impressive gentleman whose star is on the rise and who'd like to get Stone in his corner. He's charming and ambitious and has friends in high places - the kind of man who seems to be a sure bet. But in the fickle circles of power, fortunes rise and fall on the turn of a dime, and it may turn out that Stone holds the key not just to one man's fate but to the fate of the nation.

©2017 Stuart Woods (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Woods keeps the suspense high all the way to the dramatic conclusion.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Compulsively readable...[an] easy-reading page-turner.” (Booklist)

What listeners say about Below the Belt

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Stuart's Liberal leanings much too obvious

What disappointed you about Below the Belt?

I always knew Woods was a "flaming" liberal but in most of his other books his leanings were bearable, not so here. Obvious mean spirited jabs at a Trump like character were crude and unworthy of such a brilliant writer. He may loose a large share of his fans especially when he takes aim at low hanging fruit.

Has Below the Belt turned you off from other books in this genre?

No just this author

Any additional comments?

Understand Woods liberal leanings but he needs to less verbally abusive.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

What a waste of a credit

I was s Stuart Woods fan. I loved Chiefs and the sequel. I even kind of liked my early Stone Barrington novels, but this last one, Below the Belt, is a complete waste.

Several times I felt Woods was padding with meaningless dialogue about stuff that truly had NOTHING to do with the plot and was of no interest. I mean dialogue that didn't move the plot ahead AT ALL. Like, a weather report. This happened several times. I found myself wondering if Woods actually wrote it or had an intern do it in his name.

And Stone's "love interest" adds zero to the story. She disappears midway through the book, never returns and it makes no difference whatsoever. She's the frickin' national security advisor but Woods just treats her as a piece of ass for Stone. Insulting. Give me a break.

And Tony Roberts shows that a good actor can be a dreadful narrator.

I think to like this book you have to be about 80 years old and male. I won't wast another credit on Woods/Roberts book unless the reviews just blow
Me away.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Person political view point

Would not recommend to anyone other than a liberal. Find the political view boring and not to my liking, thus taking me away from the story line

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Couldn't even finish this selection.

Although I have enjoyed Stuart Woods and his Barrington Stone, this story was a waste of money and time. The story is uninteresting, plodding, and pretentious and read in a monotone. Below the Belt was relinquished to the recycle bin with 4 hours of listening remaining. This is one time when I would get my money back, if I could.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Tired of Woods political diatribes

My husband and I had listened to all of the Stone Barrington books, but I think we have done our last one. I think it is funny that Woods would paint the Republicans as bad guys when in real life the Democrats are the ones who deploy the dirty tricks and can't accept the fact that the people who live in the fly over states saw through them and elected a president who can't be bought or controlled. What a shame since he is a good author.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Worst Stone Barrington ever! Waste of time.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Nobody that has read any of the other Stone Barrington novels.

Would you ever listen to anything by Stuart Woods again?

No, never!

What aspect of Tony Roberts’s performance would you have changed?

Nothing. Tony Roberts is great. It's the material that makes it bad.

What character would you cut from Below the Belt?

Several of the thinly veiled characters he used to slam the Republicans.

Any additional comments?

I have read ALL of the other Stone Barrington novels and am usually a big fan. Unfortunately, the last 2-3 Stone Barrington novels are so full of fluff and Stuart Wood's obvious political views that he has ruined his Stone Barrington franchise. I read books (and listen) to escape real life including all the political crap we have had to endure these past few months. Now Woods has tried to push his obvious contradictory liberal views on us, his readers, in the last few books.

This latest drivel is really over the top, bad. Very weak plot all designed so that Woods can expose his political views and make his "Hollywood" statement.

Woods might do well to remember that it's us, his loyal readers that pay a pretty high price to escape and enjoy his stories. We have provided him with his elite lifestyle and don't want to hear his political views in a work of fiction.

His thinly veiled characters are just too thin for me. I'm done and if you are smart, you will not waste any more of your money on this "no plot" series. Woods has ruined his golden goose - Stone Barrington.. I guess he has run out of good ideas.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing

This was one of Woods best plots in a while. I love the combination of Stone Barrington and Tony Roberts it's always a treat! Good characters, very little sex and not terribly convoluted. I enjoyed it very much. I'm still rooting for Stone and Holly but I wonder what happened to Anne as a result of her boyfriend's death.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another out of the park homer for Woods !

Excellent story ! intrigue , imagination and enough twists & turns to keep things interesting :)

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Page turner

Woods turns up the intrigue with this Stone Barrington novel. I like the twists and turns.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A more realistic storyline

This book didn't seem as rushed as the previous few. I appreciated the plot. Fabulous read.

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1 person found this helpful