Rating: 
Summary: First timer, but not the last!
Review: I picked up Orchid Beach while in the airport because it seemed to be the only interesting book there. I made a good choice. I couldn't put it down, I even read it on my vacation. I liked all the characters (especially Daisy, she needed a bigger part). This is my first S.Woods book, but it definately will not be my last. Orchid Beach got me interested in the writer and I want to read more of his stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Woods Best, but enjoyable.
Review: I've read better by Stuart Woods, but Orchid Beach was enjoyable. He usually gives more depth to his plots, and this book was written as if it was an "afterthought". I did enjoy the character of Holly, and I'm guessing she will appear in future novels. Too bad he didn't focus on Daisy, the Doberman, more. There was plenty of plot to do so, but....
Rating:
Summary: Predictable, but easy summer reading.
Review: This book is an entertaining crime novel with few surprises. "Daisy" should have had a bigger part! A quick read - perfect for the airport or beach. I'll try another of his books.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst Fears Realized
Review: This book is really bad and insulting to readers. The characters have no depth -- they are cardboard cutouts.
Rating: 
Summary: Woods is still searching for his game.....
Review: While far better that "Dirt", one of the worst books ever published, Woods is still looking for the magic of "Chiefs" and some of his other earlier works. Perhaps he has really told all the good stories he has to tell. Major Holly Barker has just resigned her commission in the US Army because she and another woman had testified at the courts-martial of her commanding officer, charging him with attempted rape and sexual harrassment. The officer was acquitted. Chief Marley of Orchid beach, a good friend of Holly's father, offers her the Deputy Chief position in his police force. She accepts and all hell breaks loose in Orchid Beach. The Chief is shot and later dies. His best friend, a retired officer is also blown away. A former Miami police officer and now defense attorney,(he relates to defendants) Jackson Oxenhandler, represents a hippy couple whom the police believe are responsible. He springs the hapless duo at a probable cause hearing when it becomes clear that they are not responsible and immediately starts pursuing the rather fetching Deputy Chief. He has her in bed in nearly record time, prompting one to wonder that the courts-martial acquittal might have been the right result. Holly and Jackson start teaming up in more ways than one to find the killer(s) because she can't trust her department as there is a mole in it, according to the former Chief. She is assisted in this by a Doberman Pincher named Daisy (she belonged to the friend who was shot) who seems to transfer her loyalties faster than Bill Clinton and whose best trick is to open the refrigerator door and serve cold beer by the bottle. There is a distrustful City Council to deal with, as well as a gated community within the jurisdiction of Orchid Beach that is more heavily armed and guarded than a Colombian drug cartel. Rogue cops make up the membership of the private security force and two of them quickly become the focus of Holly's interest. The predictable surveilance, investigation and shootout occurs and all is well once again in Orchid Beach and Jackson and Holly can get back to wearing out the sheets. If anyone but Woods had submitted this for publication it would have been rejected...and so should prospective readers.
Rating:
Summary: An easy summer night's read
Review: I have been a Stuart Woods fan since "Santa Fe Rules." With that said, I would like to add that while "Orchid Beach" is not the best book I've read this year, it's certainly not the worst ("Cold Heart" holds that dubious honor), either. I found the story of Holly Baker and her new assignment as Chief of Police in Florida's Orchid Beach a light, fun, easy summer night's reading. I, too, believe the mystery was a bit far-fetched...someone would have noticed all the air traffic...but, it's not Proust...it's a good, fast, fluffy read. I'd like to see more Holly/Daisy episodes...and I liked Jackson, too. My final word: Not Proust, but not bad, either. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting characters...
Review: This is the first Woods book i read and definitely not the last. I don't understand why this book is only rated 2 1/2 stars. I thought all the main characters were interesting (including Daisy) and the story was well told. The only slight criticism i have is that i found the mystery a little far fetched. I look forward to Woods next book with these characters
Rating:
Summary: Not quite a page-turner but entertaining nonetheless
Review: I'm new to Stuart Woods, so I have no basis for comparison to his earlier novels. But Holly Barker seems to have the makings of an interesting series protagonist -- and this has all the markings of the first novel in what promises to be an ongoing series. Holly is a good role model, particularly for younger readers: smart, honest, honorable and capable; and perhaps because Woods is a man or perhaps because it was not terribly pertinent to the story, her looks seem to take a backseat to the other aspects of her character. The mystery here was by no means a page-turner -- two men are shot and Holly, the newly-hired deputy police chief of Orchid Beach, Florida, must solve the crime as a newcomer whose presence is not welcomed by everyone. Some of the plot points seemed a bit contrived -- her hiring, her romance, her father's comings and goings, the ease with which certain things came together -- but why be picky? It's a good summer read and, hopefully, future novels with Holly will provide more in the way of real suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Fast Read
Review: I've just recently introduced myself to S.W. books. I enjoyed Orchid Beach very much. To those who are not a SW fan, may find the book lacking compared to others that he has written, but I still enjoy his writing. This one kept me going. The ending really surprised me.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: Less than halfway through the book, I had a hard time believing that it was written by Stuart Woods. It was somehow empty. The story developed too quickly. But, I will not give up on S.W. I will read his next book as soon as possible and hope for "better".
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