Rating: 
Summary: Stone Barrington¿s Appeal is Wearing Thin
Review: Stone Barrington is hired by a nerdy software billionaire, Thad Shames, to find the woman he has fallen instantly in love with after just one meeting. All he knows about her is her first name, Liz, and the fact that she has left New York to visit someone in Palm Beach. So, with this meager trail, Stone is sent on Thad's private jet to stay on his yacht in Palm Beach while looking or Liz. In one of many incredible coincidences throughout the novel he finds her right away, and she turns out to be the woman that Stone had rescued in St. Marks a couple of years ago, and who he believed to be dead. Stone helps her to settle with the insurance company who had paid the $12 million life insurance policy upon her husband's death and agrees to keep her secret from Thad. In another recurring theme, suave, sexy Stone immediately attracts Thad's private chef and assistant, Callie, into his bed. Liz has also asked Stone to help her thwart a stalker who she believes to be her ex-husband, who supposedly had died on their boat in St. Marks. Stone is also being stalked by his ex-wife, Dolce, who has become dangerously psychotic. Just to fill up a few more pages of the novel, Stone's ex-fiance Arrington, now the widow of Vance Calder, appears on the scene reminding him of how close they once were. In just one novel, four of Stone's current and former conquests vie for attention. Although I've enjoyed all of the Stone Barrington novels to date, Cold Paradise drags too many characters from previous novels into the plot and tries to find something for them to do. The coincidences and overlaps are too contrived to be realistic. It's time for Woods to retire Stone or at least let him shed some of his past and move on.
Rating:
Summary: Murder among the beautiful people
Review: Although I began to feel it with the previous Stone Barrington novel (LA Dead), it was with this novel that I definitely realized that the series is ready for either retirement or revival. There is a scene early in the book that introduces a woman named Callie. As soon as she is mentioned, along with her incredible beauty, I just knew that she was going to wind up with Stone. Why? Because every woman in this series is (a) beautiful and (b) winds up sleeping with Stone. The interesting thing in this book at least is that Stone begins to see the repercussions of all his romances as three other women from past books come back into his life and his friend Dino explains why Stone is doomed to the single life. Nonetheless, there is a predictability to this book that I know Woods can transcend. In addition, the subplot regarding Stone's ex-wife Dolce contributes nothing to the main story. The Barrington books are getting more and more like a soap opera filled with shallow romances among the rich and beautiful. While Woods is good enough that even his so-so stuff can rate three stars, he can certainly do better than this.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Read
Review: This was the first Stone Barrington novel I have ever read and I thought that it was very entertaining. There were a few too many different uneccessary story lines (as others have said) that may leave a bit to be desiered if you've never read any of the other Barrington books. However the novel did continue to hold my interest and I did find it to be an entertaining read. If you are looking for a good light beach reading book this summer this is it!
Rating: 
Summary: Time To Retire Stone
Review: This series used to be one of my favorites, but with each installment, it's gone further and further downhill, capped by this latest one. The situations Stone gets put into are so unbelievable and ludicrous that it's hard to get into it. I like the old days when Stone was a NY cop with Dino as his partner. Now he's a pompous overbearing snob who's become totally unlikeable. How come he can never work a case for a regular Joe? How come every client who hires him is richer than dirt and gives him full access to yachts, sports cars, private planes and more money than I could spend in a lifetime? This all makes it impossible to relate to the character or the situations he finds himself in. And why is it that no one in these books seems to have a brain except for Stone? Cops and FBI agents defer to whatever he says and basically let him take charge of their investigations and cases (he even tells them what they can and can't do, for God's sake!). Store clerks and hotel employees give out information to him off the street without a clue who he is. Other peoples' employees take orders from him. Friends turn on long-time friends based on Stone's suspicions the first five minutes after meeting him. People don't make a move without checking it out with Stone first, unless, of course, Stone was the one who told them to do it. It's utterly ridiculous. And while I don't have any clue at all what Stone is like physically (I've always pictured him in my mind looking like Tom Cruise, though I believe one book indicated he was a blonde), I find it a bit hard to believe that all these rich, beautiful women fall (and drop their clothes) at his feet within minutes of meeting him. I think this book set a record in that Stone only had sex with one woman (though the other offers were there). People stroll around naked, proposition him, try to get him into bed. It's way too much. And the ending is just horrible. It's not only predictable, but it's played out very lame in all the plotlines (and there were several). This is the first time I've ever read the last page of a book and turned it expecting to find another chapter, because I couldn't believe it had just ended like that. Mr. Woods is one of the few authors on whom I normally will pay full price. I'm really glad I bought this one used, however, because it definitely wasn't worth the cover price. It's time to stick a fork in Stone...he's done.
Rating: 
Summary: EASY TO READ
Review: This is the first Stuart Woods book I've read and found it to be an "easy read". Being from the South Florida area, the locale being Palm Beach also helped me get a feel for the book. Stone Barrington is a suave and urbane character, so much like Pierce Brosnan or other actor of that ilk..very GQ. All the vital elements were in place, the "beautiful people", lavish parties,
sexy ladies, romance, and of course a murder or two. I will be reading much more of Stuart Woods.
Rating: 
Summary: No Real Hook
Review: I expected better of Mr. Woods. This rambles along at a leisurely pace, introducing character after character - while the reader just waits for something to happen. Too much going on, too little excitement.
Rating:
Summary: I love Stuart Woods but...
Review: I love the stone books but this one had to many things going on. I couldn't really get in deep to anyone story because I was waiting for someone else to pop into the story. It was a easy read and it did keep my intrests but I hope the next Stone book is a little less jumbled with people.
Rating:
Summary: Too Many Story Lines
Review: Woods is an excellent writer who has finally gotten too full of himself with this one. The story line starts out great, but in the middle of the book strays too far away to keep the reader interested. The basic story is captivating, but throwing in his ex-wife and ex-lover (whose child might be Stone Barrington's, although for some reason we never get closure or even acknowledgement on) just detracts without credibly changing the atmosphere. That is, except to lead to long, boring asides, like the drifting (read: dragging) yacht scene. Stone's new love interest is an engaging character through the first portion of the book, but she inconceivably becomes background noise through the remainder. Woods needs to refocus and bring quality, not quantity.
Rating:
Summary: Stone Barrington, at it again!
Review: Stone Barrington is back again in the newest book in the series. He is again reunited with Allison Manning from Dead in the Water. She now has a new name, a new lover, and a new "plan". In this book, you will follow Stone in his search for "Liz's" husband, who is alive, regardless of what previous books have told us. Both Mannings are on the lose, and could they both be up to no good? Stone begins to wonder as the events in this book unfold, and you will too. Also, could it be that Stone and Arrington are reunited? She does make an appearance in this book, but I do not want to give away what happens in this soap opera romance. And of course Stone's old partner Dino tags along to Florida for the ride. Despite other comments, I felt this was a great book and lived up to Woods' previous work. It had the thrilling page turning excitement that I love about this author. Check it out!
Rating:
Summary: love boat: a male fantasy
Review: the world of stone barrington is from the pages of a gq with an attitude or of a remington steele episode which has gone soft porn. as slick as the pages of playboy. all bare boned action featuring cardboard stereotypes of the chichi set in palm beach. mindless entertainment.
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