COLD PARADISE by Stuart Woods, Putnam, 2001, 336 pages, $24.95.

Stone Barrington fans will be delighted with Stuart Woods’ newest novel about the debonair New York lawyer.

The best-selling author has published 21 mystery thrillers since his debut novel, “Chiefs,” and Barrington is the hero in seven of them. What distinguishes the Barrington series is that he is not just an ex-cop and a solo lawyer who never has to scramble for a buck, but he’s also something of a private investigator with ethics. In short, he’s an ideal hero for escapist readers, a suave man-about-town who has trouble with his ladies but still manages to save the day no matter what.

Woods, who lives in Florida and New York, also has summered on Mount Desert Island for some years and is building a house there, south of Somesville.

In his latest thriller, Woods brings in all of Barrington’s previous lady loves to complicate his life.

The plot starts when the private eye from New York is hired by a young Bill Gates-like character, Thad Shames, to find a mysterious beauty named Liz. And off we go to Palm Beach.

The first lady on the scene there is Callie Hodges, a chef and attractive factotum to the software impresario. She and Stone bunk in Shames’ yacht, which is moored in her boss’ back yard. The two hit it off right away.

His first night in Palm Beach, Stone also sees Allison Manning, a lovely young thing he bedded – and whose life he saved – in “Dead In the Water.” Both Allison and her husband, Paul, supposedly were executed for crimes in the Caribbean. Now, she’s Mrs. Winston Harding, first name Elizabeth, obviously not dead, and as Stone later discovers, neither is her ex-husband Paul.

So Stone has found Shames’ lovely Liz and more work for himself. He now has to clear Allison (or Liz) of insurance fraud and find out who’s stalking her, while also looking out for Paul, who’s intent on murdering both of them. Paul has little to lose since he’s legally dead and a triple-murderer who has gotten away with insurance fraud.

Now enters lady No. 3, Arrington Carter Calder, once the future Mrs. Barrington and now a young widow of a movie star. She was in the last two Barrington novels.

While Stone is playing a cat-and-mouse game trying to protect Allison, there’s a whole lotta lust going on.

There are various incidents, such as slashed tires, enough to lead Stone and the Palm Beach police into trying to locate Paul Manning, who, they discover, also is being sought by the Minneapolis police. That becomes convoluted enough to bring in Stone’s old partner, Dino Bachetti, who is now a New York Police Department lieutenant.

Into this menage, comes Stone’s wife, Dolce. She is the daughter of the last don of the Mafia and is not only madly in love with Stone, but she is mad. Mad enough to be locked away, mad enough to want to kill Stone, and mad enough to do it. She escapes from her family lockup and begins hunting Stone.

So the scene is complete – four lady loves, all in close proximity with Barrington, along with at least one killer, and all scheduled to be on hand for a party celebrating the opening of Shame’s new mansion.

What will the carnage be? Will Shames and Liz live happily ever after? Can Stone protect them even as a killer and Stone’s wife stalk him?

The plot is typical of Woods – twisted, with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor, romance, and just enough action to keep the suspense high. Woods is superb in crafting his scenes and dialogue. It’s a smooth writing style that is classy and clear, sophisticated and smart.

The ending just about guarantees an eighth book in the Barrington series.

Bill Roach is a freelance writer with Maine roots who now lives in Florida.