Rating: 
Summary: An engaging story...
Review: "Blood Orchid" by Stuart Woods is an engaging story that I enjoyed very much. The characters are lively, the dialogue crisp and, intresting and, the plot anything, but predictable. An intresting combination.John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures Inc.
Rating: 
Summary: I'm reminded of what Kate Mulgrew said...
Review: ...about her character Captain Janeway on "Star Trek: Voyager"--"She doesn't have to act like a captain, she IS the captain". You get that sense with small town Florida police chief Holly Barker, my second-favorite Stuart Woods character (my favorite is a compound one--the Lee family of Delano GA and I'm glad Woods continues to keep them going). Barker doesn't have to prove a thing about being a command-level cop--her role as one is self-evident. Like a lot of small town police chiefs, as well as lieutenants and captains on larger forces, Holly is a retired MP officer. This is kind of an extension of the concept represented by the Tucker Watts character in Woods' "Chiefs"--if a person is qualified for a position, you don't need tokenism. Watts and Holly each became police chiefs in different eras of American social evolution, and their interaction with other characters in their respective stories reflects that. But now I think I know where TV's "Crossing Jordan" got the idea of a heroine whose father is a combination mentor and Doctor Watson, as represented by Ham Barker, Holly's retired Army sergeant father. In this story, the ritzy Palmetto Gardens community is back in the forefront under new management as Blood Orchid, and the new owner is avuncular retired New York developer Ed Shine. And like before, there's some shady stuff going down there. It all starts when someone takes a shot at Holly and Shine--it seems there was competition in the bidding for the place and the also-rans are some pretty sore losers who shoot rather than cry in their beer. Then Holly is taking flying lessons from Ham's new girlfriend when they fly over her place and this van is parked there that doesn't belong. She surprises a burglar and gets clocked as the reward for her quick action. Then the sniper who went after her and Ed turns up in the river, swimmin' wit' da fishes. The Miami Organization are into this bigtime, and Holly takes refuge at Blood Orchid with Ed. Like another reader, I have difficulties with that one. Holly's cop and MP instincts appear to have gone south here. Despite her relationship with her father, this is no vulnerable daddy's girl who will immediately run to an available shoulder to cry on. Holly's long service in law enforcement has given her too much insight into human nature to be that naiive--first-impression of anyone doesn't get carved in stone with someone like her. But that's the only drawback here, the only reason this book didn't get 5 stars. Beyond that, here's hoping this story is part three of a long series rather than the final chapter to a trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: By The Way
Review: ...and by the way, I don't know Stuart Woods - but wish I did. He would be a lot of fun as a friend. Different Strokes for Different Folks..........and there are a lot of us out there that do enjoy these books AND PROUD OF IT. Woods is entertaining - and I for one enjoy a refreshing fun entertaining novel like Blood Orchid. I don't take it seriously ... for that I have a life.
Rating:
Summary: Gotta love Stuart Woods!...
Review: As the third book in the Holly Barker series, I believe Blood Orchid is the best yet! Still recovering from the shock of Jackson's death and trying to move on with her life, Holly must now deal with attacks on her own life! The book opens with Palmetto Gardens up for sale, and the high-bidders in a pool of blood. Enter Ed Shine, the highest bidder left alive, with a hefty 60 million purchase! Palmetto Gardens becomes Blood Orchid Estates, and the corpses start piling up. There are several attempts made at Holly's own life, and her new boyfriend/under cover FBI friend is not much help, since he and Harry Crisp (making an appearance in each book of the series) are both with-holding information from her...not to mention that someone has bugged her house. Soon the intruder ends up dead in the river and Barker begins to investigate. She ends up south of Orchid Beach with possible Mob involvement, a dead Russian, a suspicious restaurant, and more and more dead bodies. Holly must determine who is bugging her and Ham's houses, who is trying to kill her, and why. Is Ed Shine and Blood Orchid involved? Or is this stemming from a past case and someone Holly put behind bars? The story starts with murder and ends with murder. You will have to read to find out who survives!
Rating: 
Summary: Woods is getting old and tired
Review: Blood Orchid with heroine Holly Barker is less of a insipid tea cup of manners and money than his Stone Barrington novels; there is still some actual detection going on here. But not much. Watching the plot unfold is like watching geriatric softball -- every pitch is long and slow, and it hurts to see the batter swing and miss. Poor Mr. Woods is substituting formula for real action or real work; his works have become the lightest of light reading. I sincerely wish he had kept the regard for his readers that his earlier novels showed. If readers want respect, they would be well served to find it elsewhere. I wish I had.
Rating:
Summary: Woods is getting old and tired
Review: Blood Orchid with heroine Holly Barker is less of a insipid tea cup of manners and money than his Stone Barrington novels; there is still some actual detection going on here. But not much. Watching the plot unfold is like watching geriatric softball -- every pitch is long and slow, and it hurts to see the batter swing and miss. Poor Mr. Woods is substituting formula for real action or real work; his works have become the lightest of light reading. I sincerely wish he had kept the regard for his readers that his earlier novels showed. If readers want respect, they would be well served to find it elsewhere. I wish I had.
Rating:
Summary: Way to Go Stuart, As Good As Your Early Work
Review: Holly Barker is a fresh new hero in this series. Enjoyed most of the Stone Barrington series, but this one is as good as Mr Wood's early stuff like White Cargo or Dead in the Water.
As a fellow pilot it is refreshing to know that he actually knows what he is talking about and I enjoy the aviation side of his books. His books on tape make my drive to work very enjoyable. Thanks for the great job on this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Barker & Co. Return for a Re-Match
Review: Holly Barker, her dad Ham and her loyal Doberman Daisy return for a reprise of her work and love life in Orchid Beach, Florida. In this installment, which is set approximately a year after Holly loses the man of her dreams during a bank robbery, Holly finds another guy and that the criminal element has returned to her new home town with a vengeance. To be sure, this is nothing more than a continuation of the previous plot line with some new characters and twists. In the latest plot, the reader will witness Holly taking flying lessons, landing on a beach, taking off in a less than flight-worthy aircraft and so on. She also jumps into bed with a new flame, an FBI agent allegedly working undercover in her jurisdiction. It seems to me as if author Stuart Woods is trying to turn Holly Barker into the female version of Stone Barrington. In any case, the plotline is simple if not expected, the book reads quickly and is just as easily forgotten. This is truly a beach-read or one for a cold, snowed in afternoon. It is nothing special, even in the overcrowded detective genre. It's real saving grace is that it keeps Holly, Ham and Daisy alive as a parallel set of characters to populate the novellas that Stuart Woods puts out between the more enjoyable Stone Barrington series.
Rating:
Summary: Barker & Co. Return for a Re-Match
Review: Holly Barker, her dad Ham and her loyal Doberman Daisy return for a reprise of her work and love life in Orchid Beach, Florida. In this installment, which is set approximately a year after Holly loses the man of her dreams during a bank robbery, Holly finds another guy and that the criminal element has returned to her new home town with a vengeance. To be sure, this is nothing more than a continuation of the previous plot line with some new characters and twists. In the latest plot, the reader will witness Holly taking flying lessons, landing on a beach, taking off in a less than flight-worthy aircraft and so on. She also jumps into bed with a new flame, an FBI agent allegedly working undercover in her jurisdiction. It seems to me as if author Stuart Woods is trying to turn Holly Barker into the female version of Stone Barrington. In any case, the plotline is simple if not expected, the book reads quickly and is just as easily forgotten. This is truly a beach-read or one for a cold, snowed in afternoon. It is nothing special, even in the overcrowded detective genre. It's real saving grace is that it keeps Holly, Ham and Daisy alive as a parallel set of characters to populate the novellas that Stuart Woods puts out between the more enjoyable Stone Barrington series.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as previous books
Review: I am a big fan of Stuart Woods and have read most of his works including all since the mid-1990's. This is not as good as his previous Holly Barker or even Stone Barrington books. Like an earlier reviewer, I skimmed the last 20 or so pages as I was bored, which is very unlike Stuart Woods. I would still recommend this book but I expected more creativity: this book basically has already been written in an earlier book.
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