Rating: 
Summary: Not his best work
Review: I think it is time for Stuart Woods to invent another set of characters for his books. Cold Paradise was a true dissapointment from such a talented author.
Rating:
Summary: Stuart Woods at his Worst...
Review: Stone Barrington, that sexy hunk of a cop turned lawyer finds himself an interesting assignment when Thad Shames, a young, exorbitantly rich software mogul hires him to locate a young woman he met at a party. All Thad can tell Stone is that she's thirtyish, brunette, of medium height with blue eyes and her first name might be Liz. And, he has a feeling that she might be in Palm Beach, where, of course, Thad has a palace of a home and a yacht. But never fear, Stone takes the corporate jet, and by page fifty has found this elusive damsel, who by coincidence he knows very well from a previous novel, Dead in the Water. Mr Woods now has 275 pages to fill and he does this by chronicling the very vacuous and decadent lives of Stone and company. We get to see them all eat beluga caviar and drink Krug champagne, loll around on the yacht, drinking and snacking, shop for expensive, custom made clothes and jewelry, drive expensive cars to golf outings and go to elegant, black tie dinner parties with the other rich and famous. And, of course the book is full of beautiful, desirable women, all fighting over Stone, so his sex life is never lacking. Cold Paradise is a novel with absolutely no substance or merit. The plot is thin, really almost nonexistent and predictable, the writing poor and uninspired and the characters, many back from previous Stone Barrington adventures, one-dimensional caricatures. It's nearly impossible to connect with and care about these people and what is happening to them. Stuart Woods wrote many good thrillers earlier in his career, Chiefs and Palindrome being among his best. But not now. Do yourself a big favor and skip Cold Paradise. It's definitely one of this year's worst!
Rating: 
Summary: I'm pretty disappointed
Review: I love Stone Barrington as much as any Woods' fan. I have enjoyed all Stone's many escapades with Arrington and the gang, but I really think it might be time to let Stone take a much needed and uneventful vacation. Woods needs to invent a new character -- maybe revise that wonderful woman from ORCHID BEACH -- with new adventures. I found several editing errors in this new release and I thought the short chapters were proof positive that Woods has retreated to the comfort zone of writing just a bit a day and not staying with the storyline long enough to see it develop other than in fits and starts. Woods has talent with great stories to tell.....he shouldn't be wasting them on jaded themes. Let's hope he turns his pen to more interesting work next time around.
Rating: 
Summary: A STELLAR READING OF A SENSATIONAL THRILLER
Review: Broadway, film and television actor Tony Roberts offers a sensational reading of the latest thriller by Stuart Woods. With a skill born of confidence and experience he easily segues from character to character in this suspense riddled mystery. With "Cold Paradise," lawyer cum private investigator Stone Barrington returns - this time to the gilded streets of Palm Beach where he eventually confronts old friends and foes. Mega rich Thad Shames has asked Barrington to go to this playground for the wealthy to trace a woman Shames met at a party. There are a few perks on what initially appears to be a routine assignment, including a yacht stateroom and Shames' beguiling assistant, Callie. Barrington locates the woman in short order but is surprised to find that she is Allison Manning, now known as Liz, the same person he defended against a murder charge on a Caribbean island in "Dead In The Water" (1997). Allison is in almost as much trouble now as she was a few years back. She turns to Barrington for protection and to help find a mysterious man who is stalking her. Never mind the insurance fraud charge she's trying to outrun. Barrington calls in his partner, Dino, for help as they track the elusive stalkert from Manhattan to the luxurious manses dotting the Gold Coast. What a page-turner, what a setting, and what a reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Beige Paradise a more appropriate title
Review: The bad phrasing and uninspiring writing style made this one the worst reads of the millenium. I strongly advise against any literature by Stuart Woods.
Rating:
Summary: ANOTHER GREAT STONE BARRINGTON MYSTERY!
Review: In "Cold Paradise," New York private lawyer and ex-cop, Stone Barrington, is back and is in Palm Beach, Florida! He has been sent there by technology millionaire, Thad Shames. Stone's job is to try and find a gorgeous woman who Thad saw a couple weeks earlier. She told Thad her name was Liz, but left no number or address. Stone finds Thad's mystery woman coincidentally. Her real name is Allison Manning! For all you Barrington fans you'll recognize that name from "Dead In The Water," previous Stuart Woods novel. Stone had a relationship with her in St. Marks and she was found guilty of a crime and sentenced to be hung. Somehow Allison got off and has returned to the states. Stone is shocked to see her and is even more shocked to hear that her husband Paul Manning, who was presumed dead in St. Marks is stalking her! Paul was have thought to have been killed and thrown overboard on the Manning's private yacht in St. Marks. Both Mannings participated in an insurance scam, which Allison ended up getting. Weird, huh? Anyway, while Stone is trying to protect Allison from crazy Paul, he also has to keep control of his hormones. Callie, a striking beautiful woman, who works for Shames, is totally infactuated by Barrington and good old Arrington, (Stone's ex-wife), also shows up in the picture, like she always does. If that isn't confusing enough, our favorite little lady, Dolce Bianchi, returns. Dolce is Stone's other ex-wife, who is extremely psychotic. The ending of this novel was very exciting and very well written. The only reason I gave "Cold Paradise" four stars instead of five was because I thought that the way Stone met up with Allison was extremely too coincidental. I thought Mr. Woods could have made that part more believeable. Overall, this is a fun, worthwile read!
Rating:
Summary: STONE IS BACK IN A WEAK NOVEL
Review: Millionaire Thad Shames needs the help of ex-cop - turned lawyer Stone Barrington. After meeting the woman of his dreams a party, Thad is immediately infatuated, but after she disappears, Thad enlists the help of Stone to find the mysterious woman known only as 'Liz'. Stone looks at his new assigment as a vacation, go to the ritzy Palm Beach; look for this woman named 'Liz', get paid, and go home. But shortly after arriving in Palm Beach, his vacation is turned into a nightmare, when a client from his past appears. Allison Manning was a client of Stone's (Dead In The Water), being accused of murdering her husband Paul, and insurance fraud, Allison had Stone defend her, and unfortunately she was found guilty and sentenced to death, but fortunately she got off, only to disappear...and then re-appear (a few years later) in Palm Beach, this time around she goes by the name 'Liz'. Shocked by seeing Allison, Stone is about to enter into a maze of deception. It seems Allison needs Stone's help, once again, to settle some old business, business that comes in the form of her supposed LATE husband Paul, who also happens to be in Palm Beach. Stone must help Allison settle the score with Paul, and this will prove to be a difficult task, for Paul is a three time murderer, and he has attempted to kill Stone in the past. Stone must use his razor sharp wit, and with the help of his detective friend Dino, he has to stay one step ahead of everyone, because one wrong move could be his last. 'Cold Paradise' is a weak entry in the bestselling Stone Barrington series. Combining too many characters, and plot themes from previous novels, 'Cold Paradise' becomes hard to follow, and the plot twists are so transparent you can see them coming a mile away. Stuart Woods, being one of my favorite authors, has written much better novels; where most of his novels are suspenseful, this one is silly; with characters, and plot twists that are too conveniently connected. 'Cold Paradise' will disappoint fans of Mr. Woods previous thrillers. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: Stone Barrington is back and better than eve
Review: Former police officer turned lawyer Stone Barrington agrees to help a client's love life if he can. Thad Shames, a Gates-like billionaire, met Liz at a Long Island house party and fell in love with her, but she left before he learned anything except her name and that she lives in Palm Beach. When Stone arrives in Palm Beach, a Mrs. Harding calls because she needs his services. They meet at a restaurant where he is shocked to realize he knows her and that she fears her husband is stalking her. Stone quickly concludes that she is Thad's Liz. He reunites them and acts as a bodyguard, but has no protector from his own wife who escaped from her keepers and wants Stone dead. Stone Barrington is always a pleasure to read, particularly about his bumbling interactions with women, which make him all the more precious. The whole gang from previous tales reunites adding to the fun of an enjoyable, fast-paced story line. COLD PARADISE is an engaging legal thriller led by a huggable hunk. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: got me hooked quickly
Review: what can I say about Woods that I haven't already said? Once again he builds on what happened before, takes it further and makes it better...this book would be great on its own, but you really have to read the Barrington series in order to to get the full effect of each entry in the series...
I don't want to get into the story because I hate to ruin the experience for anyone who hasn't read it yet..but if it's been awhile since you last checked in on Stone Barrington, you should pay him a visit and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Stuart Woods always keeps you guessing and Stone Barrington is always an interesting person, who always finds himself in trouble in work and in love.
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