The Prince Of Beverly Hills

Rating:
Summary: Stuart Woods' Hollywood Time Capsule
Review: I am a long-time fan of Mr. Woods ever since my husband & listened to "The Run" as an audio book (and nothing beats the page-turning story of that book for me). And although I've been disappointed in the last few lackluster offerings in the Stone Barrington series, this latest story is an intriguing departure for Mr. Woods.

I was initially drawn to the 1930s/1940s Hollywood setting as I am a huge fan of the movies of that era and was then sucked in by the story which took off and continued for most of the rest of the book in Woods' classic page-turning style. The story of Rick Barron's rise from Hollywood cop to Hollywood producer may seem impossibly fast and easy under the microscope of reality, but Woods has always had a knack for making the unlikely remarkably palusible and he doesn't disappoint here. Once you've been hooked into the story, you're off at a gallopping pace which doesn't slow or pause until nearly the end. (Remind yourself to take a breath once in a while!)

The only real disappointment in the story was the last 15 pages or so. It felt as if once the climax of the book was reached, there was nothing more Woods wanted to say, so it seemed he just provided some basic facts from the next 10 years or so of everyone's lives to wrap things up and answer readers' potential questions about what happened to everyone later. It felt rushed and underdeveloped to me.

Personally, I would have rather even seen the book end not long after the climax with a cliffhanger which would have had me panting to know what happened in the next episode of Rick Barron's life and clamoring for a sequel. Sadly, in light of the existing ending, it doesn't feel like that will happen. Too bad!! I would have enjoyed reading the exploits of a Stone Barrington-type in Old Hollywood for years to come! What potential for a series!

A side note: I very much enjoyed the use of real, well-known people in this book (as well as in others). Whether as side characters or as more prominent ones, I think this makes things more fun and makes those people seem more real and human. Who knows if it could have happened or not? Even the most diehard fan of any person doesn't know every detail about every minute of their lives. And it's fun to imagine that maybe it did or that it could have happened.

Thanks, Mr. Woods, for a very enjoyable book.



Rating:
Summary: Not his best work
Review: I am an avid Stuart Woods reader and eagerly wait for his books.

However, this is not up to his usually high standards.

Don't get me wrong, it was an easy read but it lacked something. Whether it was the the wit of Barrington or the sensual nature of Holly, I don't know but it definitely was missing some key ingredient. For such an easy read as Woods books are, I didn't get into this book until around page 220 when it finally got some substance.


The ending was just not Woods. And what was the fishing trip to Oregon all about?

I look forward to reading another Stone Barrington adventure next


Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I really enjoyed this new character. While I miss Stone, Will and The lovely lady from Florida, this was a great book. I hope to see this character again. There are so many great characters out there, I wish we could read about them every year. But I will take quality over quantity every day.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Some of the editorial reviews mentioned that this book was a thriller - it wasn't, in my opinion. Have never read Woods before, but found his book to be pretty entertaining. Rick Bannon joins the elite Hollywood scene as security guard for a major studio. His position involves protecting movie stars from themselves, and we follow him through the course of some months at this job and the troubles he encounters. It was a bit like LA Confidential I guess.. very old Hollywood, and the feeling you get is the same.. old style. The only part I disliked was the ending (well, the last few chapters). The last few chapters dealt with the war, and it seemed very out of place and unnecessary.

Rating:
Summary: A new Woods character, and an interesting story line...
Review: Stuart Woods has a new character in his novel stable... Rick Barron is introduced in The Prince Of Beverly Hills.

Set in the '30s, Barron is a cop in Beverly Hills that has been demoted from detective due to a run-in with the head of the department. While doing a late-night stint watching traffic, he witnesses a deadly accident involving a film star at Centurion Studios. When he gets the actor back to the studio without alerting officials, the head of the studio sees him as a replacement for the security head who recently was involved in a murder/suicide. Barron takes the job and fits in well, impressing everyone with his creativity and results. But when he runs into an associate of the Mafia, he ends up with a price on his head. Furthermore, it looks like this associate was also involved in his predecessor's demise. Barron has to figure out how this all ties together while keeping himself alive in the process.

I didn't go into this book with many expectations, and soon found myself wrapped up in the story. The main character is a strange mix between someone who works around the rules and someone you can count on. The subplots of love and friendship set against the escalating war in Europe also lends a different slant on the story. I hope that Woods continues this character for a few novels, as I think this would be an interesting series to follow.

Rating:
Summary: BRING BACK STONE!!!!!!! or HOLLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Stuart Woods is one of my favorite authors but boy was I disappointed in his latest book. I wanted to stop reading it from the get-go but because this was Stuart Woods, I knew it would pick up. NOT! I love the Stone and Holly books, even the Will novel. Why would he stray from success? SW: You have enough characters and so many directions to take them -- bring them back please!

Rating:
Summary: Plagarism?
Review: The plot and story, as far as I read, appear to be copied from a Toby Peters mystery written by Stuart Kaminsky quite some time ago. I don't recall which Toby Peter's Hollywood set mystery. I don't intend to finish reading this book, since the Toby Peters' novels aren't my favorite among Kaminsky's many fictioal characters, so why read what appears to be a knockoff. If I am wrong, I apologize to Mr. Woods whose previous novels I've enjoyed.

Rating:
Summary: Yeah! Stuart Woods is back!
Review: This is a rollicking read - Woods is at the top of his game - a big improvement over his last book. But the unresolved hit-and-run at the very beginning of the book was unsettling.

Rating:
Summary: Woods' best since "Chiefs"
Review: This is Stuart Woods' best book since "Chiefs." While I've enjoyed the numerous books Woods has written between the publication of these two volumes, "The Prince of Beverly Hills" is a throwback to his earliest works. I hope he pens another book on the main character here, Rick Barron, and his lovely actress-wife. Half the interest is because of the timing and the setting of the novel: 1930s and '40s Hollywood. You just can't beat that era for atmosphere, and Woods takes full advantage of that. Thanks, Stuart, for another page-turner!

Rating:
Summary: An interesting departure for Woods
Review: When police detective Rick Barron sees film star Clete Barrow crash his car in a highway accident, he efficiently whisks the drunken actor away from the scene and wards off bad publicity for Centurion Pictures and their famous British star. In return, he is hired into the coveted position of the head of security for the film studio. When he probes into the mysterious death of his predecessor and the beatings of several actresses, his investigations lead to a murder cover-up and blackmail. He soon runs up against a cast of shady characters that threaten his own safety.

In a departure from his Stone Barrington novels, Woods has produced a fast-paced and entertaining story of intrigue and organized crime against the backdrop of Hollywood in its heyday. This setting provides ample opportunity for Woods to mix a bit of history and glamour into the story. As the United States hovers on the brink of the Second World War, it touches the lives of the story's characters. Rick Barron meets Bugsy Siegel, Clark Gable, and Greta Garbo. He is dubbed "Prince of Beverly Hills" by Hedda Hopper. He listens to the big band sounds of Artie Shaw. Rick is an interesting and likable character, and it seems likely that this is the start of a new series. Recommended as a fun and fast read.

Eileen Rieback