The Prince of Beverly Hills

 

Stuart Woods wrote 52 novels, and Prince of Beverly Hills is the seventh review of his novels in this blog, so all three of our reviewers have written positively about his stories. His first book was published in 1991 and the last one was published in 2018, and he died in 2022. This was a delightful murder mystery about Rick Barron, a Beverly Hills cop who had just been demoted from a plum detective position to a beat cop because he had gotten a young woman pregnant, and she was a relative of the police chief. Rick had been a cop for eight years and he was tired of the work and bitter about the demotion. Then, an opportunity arose.

 

The story takes place in 1939, and it had the definite feel of an old time detective story which could have been written by Raymond Chandler. Late at night, near the end of his shift, Rick was sitting at a stoplight on Sunset Blvd when a fatal accident took place right in front of it. A woman ran a red light and was instantly killed, but the driver of the other car, Clete Barrow, was ejected and only bruised. Clete Barrow was a movie star, immediately recognized by Rick, who basically got him away from the accident scene and protected from the media finding out about it. The head of Barrow’s studio was grateful for Rick’s discretion and offered him the job of being the head of security for the studio. He was initially given the task of getting Barrow to the set on time for the day’s shooting of a new and important movie, despite Barrow’s horrible alcoholism. As he babysat Barrow, he quickly was seen time and again at all the Hollywood restaurants and a newspaper gossip columnist began calling him “The Prince of Beverly Hills.” Rick learned that he was hired to fill the job of a man who, along with his wife, were recently murdered, and that was the real plot of the book.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this light read and I’ll I’d be glad to read another Stuart Woods murder mystery.

Standup Guy by Stuart Woods

Standup Guy is the latest in a long series of Stuart Woods novels featuring his Stone Barrington character.  Descriptions like hound dog, alley cat, slime ball, and lucky bastard all come to mind when attempting to characterize Stone Barrington.  Standup Guy is a continuation of the same.

John Fratelli is an ex-con who has just completed a 25 year jail sentence for armed robbery.  He visits Stone seeking legal advice on a sensitive financial issue.  Fratelli’s former now deceased cell mate gifted him the contents of a safe deposit box containing $2 million dollars.  The money was the unrecovered proceeds of a heist at JFK airport some 20 years earlier.  Stone advises that while the statute of limitations has expired on the crime, others involved in the crime may attempt to scalp a share of the ill-gotten gains.  He tells Fratelli to deposit the money in less than $10,000 increments (to avoid IRS interest) and disappear for a while.  Predictably, a secret service agent, a former FBI agent, and a couple of goons pay visits to Stone asking about the money.  The goons take shots at Stone and at Fratelli to try to intimidate their way into a share of the cache.

Meanwhile, Stone meets a new lady friend, Henrietta Cromwell a/k/a Hank that he manages to bed on the second date.  She is kidnapped while leaving his highly secured home apparently by the goons looking for Fratelli’s money.  Enter Stone’s best friend Dino (now chief of detectives for NYPD) to get her back.  In the midst of the havoc, Stone schedules a quick trip to London to visit his main squeeze the highly successful fashion designer, Emma Tweed and while in New York receives a visit from his longtime friend with benefits, Holly Barker, now a CIA operative.  Oh, and the President and First Lady involve him in a campaign to nominate the First Lady as the next Presidential candidate… all in a day’s work, I guess.

I don’t know what else to say about Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington series that hasn’t already been said.  The challenge when reading is to keep your place while rolling your eyes and thinking ‘Oh, Brother.’  Yet sarcasm aside, Woods cranks out one ridiculous book after another to a fan base that loves him.  So when looking for a light fluffy read with not much intellectual stimulation, Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington novels can fill that niche.  It doesn’t matter which one, they are all pretty much the same.

Under the Lake by Stuart Woods

Under the Lake is a stand alone novel written by Stuart Woods early in his career... before his popular Stone Barrington and Holly Barker series.

John Howell is an unhappy middle aged man.  His career as an investigative reporter has ended and as an author he has lost his inspiration.  His marriage is on the rocks.  Defeated, he reluctantly accepts an offer to ghost write an autobiography for chicken entrepreneur, Lurton Pitts.  John’s brother-in-law loans him a cabin on a man-made lake in Sutherland, GA and off he goes to churn out the book in solitude.  But the locals take notice of him.  Gruff founding father, Eric Sutherland warns him to mind his own business and Sheriff Bo Scully befriends him but appears too interested in John’s business.  John’s closest neighbor, the Kelly’s consist of a psychic older woman with healing powers and four children all with genetic abnormalities.  She tells him he is there to avenge a wrong to her family and John begins to have dreams and see visions of a ghost from under the lake.  When John tries to find out more about the history of how Eric Sutherland bought up the land in the valley, flooded the farms, and developed the town, doors are closed in his face.  No one is willing to talk about the family who disappeared under the lake 35 years ago.

Meanwhile, Heather McDonald, a young reporter from Atlanta has infiltrated the sheriff’s office as secretary, Scotty Miller.  John knew her as a reporter from the Atlanta newspaper where they both worked but manages not to expose her identity.  She is in Sutherland incognito to follow a rumored tip that Sheriff Scully is into drug trafficking.  So the picture perfect town of Sutherland is not what it appears to be.

 

John and Scotty team up romantically and professionally to unearth Bo Scully’s indiscretions and to reveal secrets buried under the lake.  Together their investigation unveils conspiracy, paranormal activities, drug smuggling, interbreeding and incest and cover-ups to protect the secrets of the town of Sutherland’s sketchy origin.  John’s search for the truth puts his life in danger but at the end of the day, saves his life by giving him new purpose.

I’ve read a lot of Stuart Woods and have come to know him as a fluff writer... something light to read when none of my favorites are available.  I rarely bother to critique him.  The Stone Barrington series with it’s conversational style is entertaining but every book is the same with no intellectual stimulation.  Woods’ stand alone books, however, are more interesting and less predictable... like he actually did some research and put some thought into them.  Under the Lake is like that.  It demonstrates that Woods has a true story telling talent... developing likable characters and somewhat believable scenarios then peeling the onion one layer at time.... building the suspense... revealing the mystery.  A fun read.  I’m glad I ventured into his earlier stuff.

Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods

This is Stuart Woods' annual contribution to the mass market pile of current fiction. He has 4 continuing characters, Stone Barrington (ex-NYPD/lawyer), Holly Barker (ex MP, ex Orchid Beach police chief, now CIA), President Will Lee, and Teddy Fey (retired CIA now making trouble eliminating politicians who don't conform to his vision of America).

Holly Barker is on a forced vacation from the CIA. She returns home to Orchid Beach for some R&R only to stumble onto a serial rapist case. She suspects the new chief, her MP nemesis from her army days and sets out to help trap him. Lauren, another local cop was also raped by this army cad. In between clues, both Holly and Lauren meet new guys (an ER doc and a retired inventor, respectively) and hop in the sack repeatedly, eat glorious meals at sunset on the beach and drink copious amounts of wine. To make a predictable story shorter, the inventor turns out to be Teddy Fey. Teddy executes the army slug, the chief of detectives (the real rapist) finds the body and plants a suicide note to hide his crimes. Holly and Lauren set a trap for the detective and spring it successfully. Lauren and Teddy run off to who knows where and Holly and the doc move back to the CIA. Yawn.

The books by Woods are always best sellers, easy travel reading, linear plots, few twists, and a reasonable waste of time while traveling or during sleepless nights with jet lag. You can't go wrong with Woods, but they are tres lightweight and won't stay with you long. Of the main characters, Teddy Fey is probably the most interesting. The rest are just too smooth to be real.

East Coast Don

Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods

Woods is a prolific writer of fluff fiction. Stories with continuing characters and decent plotting. He has 3 main continuing characters: Holly Barker, Stone Barrington, and Will Lee (there is a 4th, the Dead series: LA Dead, NY Dead, Santa Fe as well as a couple books from years past in the LA movie scene, and a couple others). He writes at a rate of about 1 novel a year. This is his current release.

This is a Will Lee story. Lee is the democratic President. This one opens up with Lee wakening from a dream of middle east terrorists and a nuke. His day when he to accept his party's nomination for another term begins with his nightmare revealed...terrorists have taken control of a Pakistani nuke base and control 2 missiles. then his VP tells Lee his prostate cancer has returned with a vengeance and is due for surgery that afternoon (he dies), and they have to scramble not only to get a running mate but a successor for the rest of the first term. then there is a problem with an actress from Lee's past wanting access for a favor...another typical day in the Oval Office. They choose the current Gov of California who, after accepting the nod, tells Lee he is in the tail end of a quiet but amicable divorce (yeah, right). The other problem that shows up is that this governor's idea of governance is focused on the gentler sex, not public policy. He can't seem to keep from tripping over his libido. Then, a character from past Will Lee novels shows up again. Teddy Fay is an ex-CIA identity expert who's idea of influencing policy is to assassinate right wing politicians, fake his own death and get away with it - the topic of 2 earlier Will Lee stories. Anyway, Fay is living the quiet life in Panama City and a chance sighting alerts the CIA and a supermarket tabloid to his existence. While Teddy tries to silence all who've recognized him, he flies back to the US and plans to kill a black candidate who threatens to sabotage Lee's campaign. A young CIA operative in Panama figures this all out and chases Fay to Jacksonville FL to thwart the attempt.

Anyway, Lee manages to get the ex-wife to quite being a creep about the divorce, convince one lady friend of the VEEP to back off, and for the VEEP to make an honest woman out of the third. Plus, he orders SEALS into Pakistan to recapture a missing Nuke. just another day as the POTUS. Our intrepid CIA agent manages to stop the assassination attempt and in doing so, shoots some holes in the gas tanks of Teddy's plane bound for Bermuda (or was it the Bahamas?) and we are left to wonder if Teddy crashes into the Atlantic (not likely) or manages to survive his predicament (very likely).

Don't go into a Stuart Woods book expecting great literature cuz that just ain't happening. There is little descriptive narrative to set a tone or mood for the story. just lots of good, quick dialogue that keeps the pages turning at a rapid pace. This is travel lit, on a plane, in the terminal, just before sleep in a hotel. if you know what you are in for, Woods will deliver and his multiple best sellers speak to his connection with his fans. I've read I don't know how many of his novels and will keep coming back. i like the Holly Barker series the best and she shows up in a supporting role here. If i'm in the need of a book, I can count on a Woods book to fill the time, I've still a number to get through when the mood strikes.

East Coast Don

New York Dead by Stuart Woods

Back in the US after 2 weeks in Senegal then Zurich and finished my 3rd book on the trip. Previously reported on The Watchman and Echo Park. This was New York Dead by Stuart Woods, long time New York Times best selling author.

Woods is, for me, like comfort food...tasty, but not all that fulfilling. WC Don might call this one of those airplane books. Easy to read, fast paced, a reliable crime story, a decent waste of time, but hardly anything resembling great fiction. when it comes to crime fiction, my tastes run more toward Pelecanos or Price.

One of the continuing characters of Woods is Stone Barrington (who names their kid that?). I'd read a couple more recent stories, but I chose this earlier copyright looking for some backstory on Barrington. Seems this guy finished law school, but went to the New York City police academy instead of the bar. worked 15y as a cop, then unceremoniously retired on a disability pension before going back to take and pass the bar. In this story, our hero is walking, a little tipsy, back from dinner, looks up to see a body falling into a construction site pile of sand. The jumper was the next network TV news anchor. Problem is that after the EMS people leave the scene, the body disappears and no one can find her. With his partner, Stone (turns out his mom's maiden name was Stone and he dropped using his first name, thus the moniker). In parallel, NYC also has a serial killer of taxi drivers. The case gets closed when a prime suspect unexpectedly commits suicide, but Barrington thinks there is more to this case. As he moves to work on contract with a legal firm, little clues seem to hint that maybe the jumper actually survived the fall and is in hiding.

Like I said, nothing spectacular, but when I've look at my nightstand and see no book, I know I can check out a Woods book from the library and get a satisfying read. He actually has 2 continuing characters, Barrington and Holly Barker, an ex-MP now police chief of a small town on the coast of Florida. I actually prefer the Holly Barker series, but there are only about 4 of them (they all have the word Orchid in the title)and maybe a dozen of more Barrington novels. Now I've read maybe 6 books by Woods and will read more, but they are strictly fillers. safe bets all.

East Coast Don

Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods

For me Stuart Woods writes basic, unspectacular mystery stories. He has 30 novels in print that use 3 main characters spread out over maybe 20-25 books: President Will Lee, FBI agent Holly Barker, and Stone Barrington.

Loitering is an easy summer read based in a tourist destination. Barrington is a trained lawyer who became a cop before being retired early due to disability. He now works for a big law firm doing things that need to be done. This one looks easy. This old guy wants to sell his company and needs to get his son's signature on the contract for the sale to go through. This trust fund baby now lives the vagabond life on his boat around Key West. Barrington takes his old partner along for a vacation. After a few days (they aren't looking all that hard. Barrington meets up with an MD who's a native of Sweden and gets laid so often he can barely walk) they find the guy, but no go on the signature. From here we learn the father has institutionalized his father (who developed the business) and may have killed his own brother. A hit man is hired over and over and over again, the kid's girlfriend is more bodyguard (guarding her investment...this son stands to gain a substantial sum). It has all the trappings of a typical Woods novel. Well heeled characters set in locations most readers will never experience, spicy short term meaningless relationships, mistaken identities, someone getting caught, a double cross, someone getting away all the while eating on the veranda sipping champagne. Even though Barrington is fictional, some guys just seem to have all the luck.

WC Don calls books like this airport books - things to read while traveling - and this would fit that mold. I dont' know how many books by Woods I have read. Maybe a dozen? I dont' know. They dont' explore the deep recesses of the deranged mind or comment on some critical social injustice. They are just relaxing books that are easy to get into, easy to read, and easy to develop a sort of kinship with any one of his three main characters. Woods' legion of fans will come back to their favorite story telling uncle wanting to sit down and be gladly entertained. On this front, Woods consistently delivers just what his fans want. Sometimes I compare his stories to Murder She Wrote for guys.

My wife goes in for a total knee replacement Monday, so i don't know if that means I will get more, the same, or less reading time over the coming weeks. Keep me posted on what looks good. I may need something for a good escape!

East Coast Don