The Prince of Beverly Hills [Mass Market Paperback]

Stuart Woods (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rick Barron Novel | Publication Date: April 5, 2005

Rick Barron, a sharp, capable detective on the Beverly Hills force, finds himself demoted after a run-in with a superior officer, but he soon lands a job other cops only dream about: the security detail for Centurion Pictures, one of the hottest studios in the midst of Hollywood's golden age of the late 1930s. As the protector of the studio's interests, Barron looks after the elite of filmdom's stars - among them Clete Barrow, a British leading man with a penchant for parties, and Glenna Gleason, a peach of a talent on the verge of stardom." Rick's easy charm has society columnists dubbing him "the Prince of Beverly Hills," the white knight of movie stars, until he stumbles across a murder cover-up and a blackmail scam that threaten the studio's business and may have origins with some unsavory characters. When two suspicious deaths begin to look like a double murder, and an attempt is made on someone who has become an intimate friend, Barron knows he is up against wise guys whose stakes are nothing less than do-or-die. A dicey war of nerves is on.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A recently demoted police detective gets caught up in the privileged and often dangerous world of 1939 Hollywood in Wood's solid 29th novel. His first night back in uniform, Rick Barron witnesses a car accident in which Clete Barrow, a drunk Hollywood A-lister, is involved. Though the other driver dies, Rick performs "Hollywood damage control," whisking Clete away from the scene. Centurion Studios' vice-president, grateful for Rick's "professional ethics," offers him the director of security post previously held by John Kean, who died in a suspicious murder-suicide a month earlier. Rick delivers Clete to the sets on time and keeps the star's drinking problem in check while dining at restaurants buzzing with vintage Hollywood royalty like Greta Garbo, Jack Benny and Spencer Tracy. He also comes to the studio's rescue again by covering up gorgeous starlet Glenna Gleason's apparent suicide attempt and budding actress Martha Werner's botched abortion. X-rated pictures that Rick finds in Kean's old safe get him into discussions with L.A. mob boss Bugsy Siegal while ducking blows from his henchman, Chick Stampano, who, along with Glenna and the Keans, appears in those pics. While romancing Glenna and gaining heroic notoriety, Rick learns of Stampano's involvement in a variety of crime scenes and, after the violence notches up, the men square off in an exciting head-to-head climax. Woods's sturdy, self-assured crime thriller is satisfying enough to expand an already immense fan base.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The prolific Woods has started yet another mystery series, this one set in L.A. in 1939. Rick Barron is a recently demoted detective who made the grave mistake of sleeping with the police chief's niece. When Hollywood star Clete Barrow crashes his car into another car that ran a stop sign, Rick hustles the drunken actor away from the scene. Centurion Studio executive Eddie Harris is so grateful for Rick's intervention that he offers Rick the position of head of security at the movie studio. Centurion's previous security chief recently died in a murder-suicide, and Rick, grateful to be away from the police department, steps into his shoes. His main duty is to get Clete to work on time, sober and ready to shoot. Woods does a bang-up job of evoking old Hollywood, and famous faces such as Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, and even Bugsy Siegel make cameos. The story is less engrossing than his usual offerings, but Rick is the real problem here. Neither smoothly charming like Stone Barrington, nor tough and spirited like Holly Barker, Rick Barron is a rather dull and occasionally unsympathetic hero. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Signet; 1st Printing edition (April 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451214625
• ISBN-13: 978-0451214621
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting departure for Woods, November 21, 2004

By 

Eileen Rieback (Coral Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prince of Beverly Hills (Hardcover)

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

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting novel set in Hollywood in late 1930's !!, October 24, 2004

By 

Gerald M. Bull "Jerry Bull" (Fairview, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Prince of Beverly Hills (Hardcover)

The prolific Woods' previous 28 novels span both non-series mysteries and thrillers as well as his rather well known Will Lee (lawyer/politician), Stone Barrington (playboy private eye) and Holly Barker (Orchid Beach police chief) series stories. "Prince" is a total departure, featuring ex-cop, now Centurion film studios new head of security, Rick Barron, in a tale set in 1939. The movie studios are becoming big business in the heyday of Gable, Garbo, and Hopper; but war troubles loom in Europe as the Nazi machine is gearing up for conquest.

Rick gets his job through handling big star Clete Barrow's auto accident, in which he squirrels the actor away before bad publicity sets in, to the ever grateful appreciation of the studio. Soon he has plenty of money, a glamorous convertible, and increasing pull with the top executives of the studio. Before long, he himself is an assistant producer and apparently latches on to the work quickly as he is successful right from the start. His careful covering of a rising female star's attempted suicide also endears him both to his bosses and to the lovely lady herself, and soon romance ensues! All is swell but for the interference of mob thug Chick Stampano who keeps rearing his ugly head, as part of a blackmailing scheme, throughout virtually the whole book. In the end, who will prevail?

The plot meanders to a somewhat slow ending, but this novel is not exactly a thriller with a big hunt or whodunit that needs a flashy ending. Rather, it is more of a period piece that entertains with historical perspective, an amusing story set amid the glory of the movie capital, and characters with whom it is fun to spend an afternoon or so enjoying their tribulations and victories. Woods' writing is as always in fine form, and frankly we didn't miss the explicit sex so common in his Barrington tales. All in all, the new characters and early Americana (albeit Hollywood!) gave us a pleasurable few hours of light reading without overwhelming violence, sex, or intrigue. Enjoy!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Almost There, May 31, 2005

By 

Patrick W. Kelley "casual reader" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Prince of Beverly Hills (Mass Market Paperback)

If you have read my past reviews you know I think it is pretty worthless to actually talk about the story, but to actually talk about the enjoyment factor of reading fiction. I mean you don't read fiction as a means of actually furthering your education or anything. You read it because it is fun and enjoyable. You lose yourself it the book as a 3rd party observer and go for a literary ride for a while. Well this ride was fun for about 3/4 of the book. After that if feels like your are on a descent roller coaster of fiction going along with the story and then 3/4 of the way through the book Stuart Woods kind of hops the track and takes you on a path that has absolutely nothing to do with the previous 250 pages. I actually liked the beginning and middle and should have stopped there and then made up my own ending and I would have given it 3 stars. Don't waste your time or money on this one...or do if you want to chuckle at what a silly ending the books has. I really can't say enough at how it seems Stuart Woods just really got tired of writing this book and then just farmed out the ending to someone that hadn't actually read the first 3/4 of the book.