SHAKEUP is the 55th escapade in Stuart Woods’ long-running and popular series. Stone Barrington is a super-rich New York white-shoe attorney who has high connections, from the president of the United States to celebrities and other wealthy, well-known individuals. The book opens with Stone in Washington, D.C. getting ready to attend the inauguration of his “main squeeze,” Holly Barker, as the second woman to be elected commander-in-chief.

Stone is sitting with two of his closest friends: Dino Bacchetti, the New York police commissioner, and his wife, Viv, the COO of Strategic Services, the world’s second-largest security company. When he goes back to his hotel, he stumbles upon a corpse. Dino stops Stone from calling 911. With his connections, he can help stave off a media frenzy, thus saving their appearances at four presidential balls that evening.

"As the story unfolds and the body count rises, the plot moves swiftly. Fans and newcomers alike will find themselves enjoying the shenanigans that Stuart Woods can always be relied upon to deliver."

Dino contacts Deborah Myers, chief of the D.C. police department. He explains the circumstances to her, and she takes over. It develops that the victim is Patricia Clark; her husband, Don, is about to be the new Secretary of Commerce. At this point in the story, Stone is a viable suspect, and Myers coldly questions him. But he has an airtight alibi and a photo to prove where he was and at what time. So after jumping to an erroneous conclusion, Myers informs him that he is no longer a suspect.

The eyes of suspicion then shift over to Don, with whom Patricia was going through a contested divorce. After being dismissed from Holly’s cabinet, he arrives in New York seeking assistance in locating the person who killed his wife. However, Stone and Dino are not keen to work the case on behalf of the victim’s husband and are busy with subsequent related murders.

Stone then receives a call from one of his law partners, Bill Eggers, who needs Stone to fly him to California for a meeting. This gives Stone an opportunity to meet a new woman, Lara, an aspiring actress who has an appointment to meet the director of a new movie. Coincidentally, the director happens to be Stone’s son, and his partner is Dino’s son, Ben. Naturally she gets the part.

As the story unfolds and the body count rises, the plot moves swiftly. Fans and newcomers alike will find themselves enjoying the shenanigans that Stuart Woods can always be relied upon to deliver.