Customer Reviews

Cold Paradise (Stone Barrington Series)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Meet Stone Barrington, a Bond-like attorney/investigator/playboy with exquisite taste and dangerous habits. In Cold Paradise by Stuart Woods, Barrington suffers through another New York winter, but his outlook improves dramatically upon meeting billionaire software tycoon Thad Shames. Shames has fallen hopelessly in love with a mysterious woman named Liz after meeting her only once, and hires Barrington to find her. The only lead Barrington has is that she lives in exotic Palm Beach, so Barrington takes up residence on Shames' 240-foot yacht off the Florida coast, where he is soon ensnared in a web of conspiracy and murder.

Cold Paradise is the seventh novel in the Stone Barrington series, first introduced with 1992's New York Dead. Woods is an amazingly prolific writer, having already published dozens of novels and two books of non-fiction. One of his previous novels, Dead in the Water, provides the back-story for Cold Paradise.

The first seventy pages of Cold Paradise moves well, as Dead in the Water's Allison Manning reappears after swindling twelve million dollars in an insurance scam. The book is peppered with clever dialogue between Barrington and his sidekick Bachetti, and the setting is vivid, for Woods has an uncanny gift of making the wealthy decadence of Palm Beach come alive.

There are plot and character problems, however, starting with an inexplicable coincidence: Allison Manning is Shames's Liz. She is also Barrington's former client and lover, so things get complicated; Allison still lusts for Barrington, but so does every other woman in Cold Paradise. Before long Palm Beach is crawling with Barrington's girlfriends, past and present, and one needs a libretto to keep them straight. This leads to another problem--the author's inability to develop female characters. The two female leads, Allison and Callie, seem incapable of doing anything meaningful, their lives limited to shopping, cooking, and bed hopping. Barrington's ex-wife Dolce (Italian for 'sweet') wants to kill him for reasons unknown, yet readers can safely assume that her psychotic state was induced by Barrington's sexual persona.

Midway through the novel, there is a second case of mistaken identity that has no real function in the story except to distract the reader and waste a hundred pages. One wonders if Woods has been influenced by filmmaker David Lynch with his constant manipulation of identity, yet where Lynch dazzles his audience with a unique vision, Woods merely irritates his readers with trivial nonsense.

The discriminating reader may soon tire of the crass materialism in the book; conspicuous consumption abounds, with many references to luxury cars (Shames orders three Mercedes convertibles for his house guests), jewelry (Allison impulsively buys a $30,000 necklace) and designer wardrobes (the working-class Bachetti inexplicably goes shopping for an Armani suit). Woods's style in Cold Paradise is infected with narcissism, and readers may feel little empathy for these characters.

One can argue that books like Cold Paradise shouldn't be held to the same critical standard as more 'serious' fiction. If the author's intention is 'fiction light' (the argument goes), then critical standards must be adjusted or even ignored. Cold Paradise thrives in that curious realm of books targeted for beachcombers and frequent flyers. Undoubtedly Woods is mining this market.... Cold Paradise will appeal to past readers of the Barrington series; there is a formula at work here that is undeniably successful. In addition to the faithful, the book will attract the Wish-I-Were-Rich crowd, who can, at least vicariously, live the good life between the pages of this novel.

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!

"Cold Paradise" is the latest Stone Barrington novel by Stuart Woods. Stone is hired by rich man Thad Shamus to find a woman named Liz that he met in the Hamptons and wanted to see again. Stone travels to Palm Beach, Florida and finds Liz Harding rather quickly. Liz is actually Allison Manning, Stone's former client with whom Stone had a brief affair. Allison (Liz) retains Stone to do some legal work, and the rest of the book is devoted to finding Allison's husband, Paul Manning. For Stone Barrington readers, Stone once again beds a beautiful woman, Callie Hodges, Thad's girl Friday. This novel is not bad, but I expect better from Stuart Woods.

This series used to be one of my favorites, but with each installment, it's gone further and further downhill, capped by this latest one.

The situations Stone gets put into are so unbelievable and ludicrous that it's hard to get into it. I like the old days when Stone was a NY cop with Dino as his partner. Now he's a pompous overbearing snob who's become totally unlikeable. How come he can never work a case for a regular Joe? How come every client who hires him is richer than dirt and gives him full access to yachts, sports cars, private planes and more money than I could spend in a lifetime? This all makes it impossible to relate to the character or the situations he finds himself in.

And why is it that no one in these books seems to have a brain except for Stone? Cops and FBI agents defer to whatever he says and basically let him take charge of their investigations and cases (he even tells them what they can and can't do, for God's sake!). Store clerks and hotel employees give out information to him off the street without a clue who he is. Other peoples' employees take orders from him. Friends turn on long-time friends based on Stone's suspicions the first five minutes after meeting him. People don't make a move without checking it out with Stone first, unless, of course, Stone was the one who told them to do it. It's utterly ridiculous.

And while I don't have any clue at all what Stone is like physically (I've always pictured him in my mind looking like Tom Cruise, though I believe one book indicated he was a blonde), I find it a bit hard to believe that all these rich, beautiful women fall (and drop their clothes) at his feet within minutes of meeting him. I think this book set a record in that Stone only had sex with one woman (though the other offers were there). People stroll around naked, proposition him, try to get him into bed. It's way too much.

And the ending is just horrible. It's not only predictable, but it's played out very lame in all the plotlines (and there were several). This is the first time I've ever read the last page of a book and turned it expecting to find another chapter, because I couldn't believe it had just ended like that.

Mr. Woods is one of the few authors on whom I normally will pay full price. I'm really glad I bought this one used, however, because it definitely wasn't worth the cover price. It's time to stick a fork in Stone...he's done.

Legal investigator and confirmed bachelor Stone Barrington heads for Palm Beach to help his ultra wealthy client find the woman of his dreams. Stone, a lawyer by day and a lady's man by night, has to balance this investigation with the sudden appearance of two former girlfriends, an ex-wife, and of course, a new female companion. One of his former flames, Allison Manning, also hires Stone to find the man of her dreadful dreams, her estranged husband whom she thinks is stalking her. Stone enlists the help of his former partner, New York City cop Dino Bacchetti, who jets to the Gold Coast with his golf clubs in tow. With his sidekick, Stone goes about solving the murderous mysteries lurking around Lake Worth.

Palm Beach and COLD PARADISE becomes ground zero for the appearance of several former book series characters, from girlfriends to villains, both alive and from the dead. For series aficionados, its delightful to have them back for a culminating gala event on the intercostal waterways of paradise. But you don't have to read all of Stone Barrington's former cases and conquests to enjoy the warm mysteries of COLD PARADISE. Its clever story, with charismatic and endearing characters, stands tall on its own.

Cold Paradise by Stuart Woods is another chapter in the life of Stone Barrington, ex-cop, lawyer, and super hunk who is hired by Thad Shames, a billionaire Bill Gates clone, to find the love of his life. Shames knows only her first name, Liz, and absolutely nothing else about her. Stone flies to Miami and finds more than he bargained for, a woman he knew and thought was dead. But Callie Hodges, Shames' assistant, eases those pains by jumping into his bed. Insurance fraud, stalkers, and a slippery writer keep mysteries popping up like unruly dandelions in a well tended Florida lawn.
Stuart Woods has delighted his readers for eleven years with the cavorting forty-four year old's adventures in and out of bed. He is a prolific writer and has been popular with readers since his first book, Chiefs, was published.
Descriptions of Thad Shames' life style, Stone's traps for the bad guys and unexpected twists keep the reader riveted and committed to perpetual page flipping. Cold Paradise is a fun bash for anyone wanting a fast read and a visit to Palm Beach where the very rich shop for Armani clothes at the drop of a Gucci shoe and other glitzy characters live life with as much gusto as their bank accounts allow. It's like eating one of Stone's exotic gourmet meals. You want more and more.
In Stone's world, happy coincidences line up like dominoes. Events fall into miraculous place. For example, after Thad Shames, the billionaire, commissions Stone to find the love of his life, it's accomplished on the first night of his search. However, this event sets off a fist-full of twists and turns that pilot the reader through a fast paced reading experience. Could the women who inhabit Stone's world have been a little more restrained without slowing the book down? Wood's fans would yell a resounding, "No!"
Stuart Woods has written dozens of novels and has a vast audience of readers who wait impatiently for his two new novels published each year. Orchid Blues, L. A. Dead, The Run, and Dead in the Water are some of the titles that new readers of Stuart Woods' books will enjoy.

Cold Paradise is the seventh in a series of Stuart Woods' books featuring Stone Barrington. Stone Barrington, a former New York City policeman, is a lawyer who is often more involved in investigative work than in legal work. The setting is Palm Beach, an appropriate setting for the rich and famous characters Woods enjoys using. The main story is Stone's attempt to protect Allison Manning who is afraid of her former husband Paul Manning, a murderer who is thought by many to be dead. In trying to protect Allison and resolve issues from her past, Stone unravels threads that include characters and stories from previous Stone Barrington novels.

Stuart Woods has written dozens of novels including an eighth Stone Barrington novel released in 2002. His first book, Chiefs, was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

The book includes some interesting twists and a variety of action scenes. At every turn, Stone connects with law-enforcement officers who have knowledge of Paul's actions during the years since his "death." Women from Stone's past appear frequently, often unexpectedly, and Stone's receives help from his colorful former partner, Dino, in solving this difficult case.

By failing to relate events to the main story or the various subplots, the author leaves the reader with a feeling that Cold Paradise lacks the connections that are needed in a good mystery. The focus of the story is Stone's search for Paul Manning and his efforts to protect Allison. However, in the initial meeting between Stone and Allison, she hires him to make a settlement with the insurance company and her concern about Paul seems to be an afterthought. She vaguely mentions seeing her husband and doesn't express a fear for her safety. Cold Paradise also lacks the character development that adds interest to a story. Perhaps those who have read the other Stone Barrington books will have a greater sense of the characters and an interest in their lives.

Cold Paradise is for readers who enjoy an easy-to-read mystery with continuing characters from previous novels.

Stone Barrington, high-money New York City lawyer, ex-cop, and sleuth, takes on a case that seems impossible at first. Thad Shames, rising young billionaire in the computer software world, met a woman once in a bar that he's decided he can't live without. Problem is, he doesn't know who she is or even where she lives. Enter Stone, hired by Shames to track down the elusive mystery lady that has won the geek billionaire's heart with a single glance. Hitting Palm Beach in elegant stride, always knowing which wine to order and which luxury car to drive, Stone turns up the love of Todd Shames' life in short order--while finding a new lady love himself. Of course, in a swiftly-plotted Stuart Woods novel, an experienced reader knows that only the tip of the iceberg has been touched. In no time at all, Stone is plunged into a world of deceit and trickery that reaches back into his own past. And while he's battling the tangled skeins of changed identities, dead men who aren't dead but who have had nose jobs, and fighting off the unsettling advances of Arrington Calder (whom he can't seem to get out of his system and who may be the mother of his child), he finds out his ex-wife Dolce (deranged and a Mafia princess to boot) has stopped taking her Thorazine and escaped the facility where she's been kept and is now on a mission to track Stone down and kill him.

Stuart Woods is the best-selling author of eight Stone Barrington novels, including the recently published THE SHORT FOREVER. He's written four novels about Will Lee and three about Deputy Police Chief Holly Barker. In addition, he's written a growing list of stand-alone thrillers, including the award-winning CHIEFS, which was filmed as a television mini-series.

Reading a Stuart Woods novel, no matter who the main character is, guarantees a slam-bang driving plot, lots of decadent elegance, and a compendium of brand-names showing how to live life as one of the financially elite. The writing is crisp and tight, but also light enough that the books can be picked up and put down without fear of losing the plot thread. COLD PARADISE perfectly fits that formula. Stone Barrington is a likeable hero and leads a life many can only fantasize about. Besides handling cases that get bizarre and twisted yet ultimately make sense, Stone also handles a bevy of beautiful women and lives the good life, serving the reader a glass of collector's wine and placing the reader in the shotgun seat of the world's sleekest automobiles. COLD PARADISE continues several threads that Woods has in the air regarding his series character, resolves a few of them, and ends at a spot that will make readers rush out to pick up his next novel to see what happens to Stone next. The pacing and plotting move the book along easily, and the copious amounts of dialogue make reading almost a sinful pleasure.

The only caveat that must be offered is that while Woods delivers a fast-paced story, he also cuts a few corners. Suspects are conveniently found rapidly, and with Stone's luck at finding things he should go to Vegas.

Readers of light mysteries and casual thrillers will enjoy COLD PARADISE. It's a perfect novel to take along to the beach and read purely for pleasure.

Woods is an excellent writer who has finally gotten too full of himself with this one. The story line starts out great, but in the middle of the book strays too far away to keep the reader interested. The basic story is captivating, but throwing in his ex-wife and ex-lover (whose child might be Stone Barrington's, although for some reason we never get closure or even acknowledgement on) just detracts without credibly changing the atmosphere. That is, except to lead to long, boring asides, like the drifting (read: dragging) yacht scene. Stone's new love interest is an engaging character through the first portion of the book, but she inconceivably becomes background noise through the remainder. Woods needs to refocus and bring quality, not quantity.

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