My brother turned me onto Stuart Woods a couple summers ago when he passed on to me a box full of books he was done with (some of which I have not yet gotten around to reading), and I have enjoyed the ones I read, so I was happy to pick up four more of his books at a recent library book sale (at $3 a bagful, which I could not resist). I was then even happier to find that three of the four were Stone Barrington novels and in sequence, so reading the three of them one after the other was like reading a major-size book! I have read a couple other Stone Barrington novels, and I find them interesting as portrayals of how the moneyed people live, not to mention the inevitable fascination of young women throwing themselves at the main character. Because I have read those other books, unfortunately, I already know what is going to happen to some of the characters in this sequence, but I did not find that overly disturbing as Woods writes each novel as a compact full story.This novel starts with Stone, a former policeman/detective turned lawyer who works as a consultant for a large New York law firm, handling the cases the firm’s lawyers wish to avoid, flying off to Venice to get married to the daughter of a NYC mob boss, accompanied by his policeman friend who is married to the bride’s sister. Between the civil ceremony and the church ceremony, however, he gets a message that a former girlfriend, who had left him two years previously to marry a movie star, needs help, as she has been accused of murdering her husband. Stone flies home, his new wife becomes insanely jealous, and he gets very much involved in the shenanigans of a group of Hollywood women, with the unidentified killer always lurking in the background. This is well-written fast-turning adventures, and a good read.
I mostly liked this one, until the end. There's a whole lotta naked in this book, but not much resolution. I hope some of these things are addressed in the next book. It's weird that Stone lives in NY but it seems not many of these books actually takes place in NY. I think with each book I hate Arrington more. I hope she doesn't continue to be in Stone's life through the entire series. I'd love to see what would happen if Stone met Jack Reacher. Since I am an editor, I am very nitpicky when I read and poor editing bothers me, probably more than the average reader. I found it interesting that Stuart Woods specifically thanked his new editor in the acknowledgements because I thought this book was edited poorly. Aside from the punctuation and spelling mistakes, which were numerous, there were some plot issues that should have been fixed. For example, Stone is discussing events with Arrington's lawyer that never happened. He knew things that he had specifically not been told. And then later he asks a character if she had called the police and she told him no. He asks why not and she tells him. On the VERY NEXT PAGE she is asked again if she called the police and says no. Stone is surprised and asked her AGAIN why! I hope this guy got better in future books. Or that Woods found another new one.
What do You think about L.A. Dead (2001)?
So bad it’s good?“Never use an adverb to modify the verb,” admonished Elmore Leonard, gravely, in his 10 Rules of Writing.But Stuart Woods transgresses Leonard’s 4th Rule by daring to use lines like: “‘I can imagine,’ Arrington said tartly.”Though Woods’s prose flaunts the Rules—or maybe because it does—his story zips from point to point. He keeps it clean and simple—you can put aside L.A. Dead and pick it back up again without having to reread earlier scenes.There’s no deep meaning or moral to the story, so you can have fun with L.A. Dead and indulge your voyeuristic impulses by watching beautiful people have mega doses of gratuitous sex in aspirational surroundings. Solve a murder, too, while you’re at it.
—Mark Hepler
Gift from a friend. Actually this was the Audio book. Brilliantly read by actor Tony Roberts who did wonderful voice and accents.Story. Ex-Cop Stone Barrington is about to get married, but still in love with an ex-girlfriend who dumped him and married a movie actor. He is in Italy for his marriage, he has a civil ceremony and the church wedding is the next day. In the middle of all of this his ex-girlfriends husband is murdered, and he dumps his bride and rushes to the ex-girlfriends side.I totally did not like this character at all, Stone Barrington, he then goes on to seduce every female in the book, except the maid, and is then surprised that his bride, who he left at the alter is upset. In the middle of all of this, he does solve who dun it. Will I read any more in this series? No, did not like the main character.
—Jan
This latest installment in Woods's Stone Barrington thriller series finds the lawyer/sleuth from New York back in Los Angeles on a murder case in which everyone, even the accused, lazes along, enjoying life in sunny Southern California. In his sixth outing (following 1999's Worst Fears Realized), Barrington is surrounded by his usual cast of friends, acquaintances and casual sex partners. The biggest change here is that his ex-lover, Arrington Calder, stands accused of murdering her husband, movie star and renowned man-about-town Vance Calder, found dead of a gunshot wound in the couple's Bel Air mansion. Upon hearing the news, Barrington, in Italy for his imminent wedding to the lovely but unpredictable Dolce Bianchi, rushes to L.A. to take over Arrington's defense. Not much of substance happens next; there's plenty of rambunctious sex, lots of light banter, a few tiffs and a minimal bit of sleuthing. Barrington checks out who left the size-12 shoe imprint near the murder scene and does his best to avoid Dolce, who took exception to her fiance's sudden departure from the nuptials and is now stalking him. The whole case ends abruptly and with little suspense, and everyone goes along his or her merry way. Woods's desultory plotting it is never made entirely clear who really killed Vance Calder and chatty dialogue may not suit hardcore thriller or mystery readers, but Barrington's fans will likely welcome the detective's newest California-chic adventure
—Renee Jennings
