Orchid Beach [Hardcover]

Stuart Woods (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Harpercollins Publishers (1988)
• ASIN: B000WS7GCU
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Stuart Woods is the author of forty-four novels, including the New York Times-bestselling Stone Barrington series and Holly Barker series. The last twenty-eight of them have been New York Times best-sellers. He is an avid private pilot, flying his own jet on two book tours a year. His latest novel is Santa Fe Edge,to be published on September 21st. You may see his tour schedule and learn more about the author on his website, www.stuartwoods.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Predictable Fast Read BUT, Ultimately Disappointing, September 27, 1999

By 

P. Connors "Colonialpara" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orchid Beach (Hardcover)

I have read almost all of the popular works of Stuart Woods, especially the Stone Barrington novels. Holly Barker started out as an interesting character and then, dried up and blew away. The conditions under which she becomes the acting Chief of Police leave a lot to be desired and struck me as all too coincidental. The circumstances were so convenient for Woods that I siad to myself, "I've heard of artistic license, but this is beyond the pale....." Holly's relationship with the lawyer was also just to difficult to accept. It seems like she jumps into bed as soon as possible to add to the story line and yet, this was inconsistent with her earlier position as an Army MP major who filed charges against her commanding officer for sexual harassment.

There was another major factual error in the book and it had to do with both Holly and her father, the alleged Special Forces Master Sergeant. In the beginning of the book, as Holly is making her decision to retire from the Army, Woods mentions that her father is still ona active duty as a Green Beret Master Sergeant. Using current military personnel policies, that would have been IMPOSSIBLE. out it. Her father is still in the Army as she is getting ready to retire after having served HER 20 years. How long has he been in if she is already ready to retire? As an E-8 (MSGT), he would have only been allowed to stay 26 years and would have long been retired before Holly. Additionally, if Holly is 37, how old is her dad? If he was 18 when he had her, that would make him at least 55 and that's the mandatory retirement age for enlisted personnel on active duty. Too many of the decsriptions revolving around the military just don't work and that took away from my Woods didn't do his research and his editors are very lazy or sloppy (or both).

I'm glad I took this book out of the library and didn't have to pay for it. Had I paid for it, I would have been mad at two people, Woods and myself. If you still want to read this, get it from the library; don't spend good money for it.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Orchid Beach, May 14, 2004

By 

Ricky N. "Ricky C. Nelson" (Commerce, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orchid Beach (Hardcover)

When I learned that the new Stone Barrington novel was to feature Holly Barker, chief of police in Orchid Beach, Florida, I thought I'd get to know her by reading the first book in her series by Stuart Woods. Holly Barker is forced into early retirement from the Army after a nasty sexual harassment case. Chet Marley, chief of police in Orchid Beach, offers Holly a job as his deputy chief of police. On her first day on the job, Holly learns that Marley had been shot the night before and was in a coma. She also finds out that Marley's best friend, Hank Doherty, had been killed the same night. Holly adopts Doherty's Doberman, Daisy. She suspects that someone on the force knows about the shootings, but she isn't sure who knows. As she investigates, she is led to Palmetto Gardens, a very exclusive and rich piece of property in Orchid Beach. It is gated with extremely tight security. With the help of the FBI, her father Hamilton, and her lover Jackson Oxenhandler, Holly gets the answers to her questions. I enjoyed this book. Stuart Woods writes page turners, and "Orchid Beach" will keep the reader turning pages.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gotta love Stuart Woods!!!..., January 13, 2003

By 

Jessica Davis "J.D." (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orchid Beach (Holly Barker Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am typically a reader of Woods' Stone Barrington series, but since he cannot write them fast enough, I sought out his other series, in which this is the first book.

The Orchid series follow a character named Holly Barker, who is retired from the U.S. military. She takes a position with the Orchid Beach police, and upon arriving the chief is murdered. While getting accustomed to her co-employees, the Orchid Beach community, and her new friend Daisy, Holly must try to solve the case, while also investigating a mysterious 'members only' development called Palmetto Gardens. And to top things off, the ex-chief hinted to Holly before his murder that he thought something 'suspicious' was going on in the department. Holly must decide whom she can and cannot trust.

The book did tend to be a little unrealistic with the qualities of Palmetto Gardens, but overall if was still a great read. A keeper for any Woods fan!