31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tepid at best, May 3, 2008
This review is from: Santa Fe Dead (Ed Eagle Novel) (Hardcover)
Once upon a time, Stuart Woods could put together a readable, if lightweight story, just something adequate to pass the time with. Maybe a flght or a lazy day on the beach. Not any more. His last few Stone Barrington novels have been unbearable for me and now Woods destroys his Ed Eagle character.
I don't like divulging a lot of the plot of any book because someone else might find "Santa Fe Dead" enjoyable and I don't want to ruin for them.
To make a long story short, Ed Eagle is supposedly the top trial attorney in New Mexico. The story opens as a continuation of the last Eagle book, where his wife took off with some of his money and ultimately tried to kill him. Now she is on trial for the murder of two strangers she mistook for Eagle and his girlfriend. Barbara Eagle escapes from the courthouse in a scene that, like so many others in the book, is simply unbelievable under any circumstances. The trial narrative, what little there is, is also unbelievable as is the jury acquitting her. There is, in fact, nothing believable in the entire book. Not a single bit of the plot; not a single character.
The book is filled with gratuitous sex scenes that serve no purpose except perhaps to titillate any teenage boys who might pick the book up - which wouldn't be a wise idea because, as in the Stone Barrington series, all the characters are never more than a few paragraphs away from consuming still more alcohol.
Eagle is just so well connected. For example, though he lives in New Mexico, he has a concealed carry permit for California. The LA chief of police is his pal, which helps Woods avoid the burden of actually creating a story. Every time Eagle needs something, he just calls his pal, the chief or some other soul. Eagle never does anything - and Woods never has to actually resort to inventiveness.
Eagle's girlfriend isn't even well developed enough to be a stereotype, much less a character. But she does manage to kill a couple of people with absolutely no troublesome involvement with the law.
Eagle flies about in his airplane, which helps avoid all kinds of plot complications and little things like toting guns from place to place.
As soon as Eagle's ex-wife goes on the lam, a lawyer gets charges for escaping lifted. And the former Mrs. Eagle meets a newly minted billionaire. Within days, she marries him, but continues on her murderous ways. Yeah, truly believable.
In the meantime, Woods introduces what at first appears to be an unrelated sub-plot when a movie producer phones Eagle from Rome with a story that his wife and stepson may have been kidnapped. The guy doesn't call the police, he calls Eagle, a total stranger. Eagle finds that the wife and stepson have been murdered and is now the lawyer for Don Wells, a husband and father who doesn't appear to grieve over his loss. Perhaps it is because his dead wife is a centi-millionaire by inheritance and he stands to get it all?
Woods is a decent writer and he turns out good, if often hacknyed, dialog. But the editing is awful in this book. In the first few pages, there were errors from the merely sloppy ("lead" for "led") to the ridiculous: one of the innumerable drinks consumed starts off as bourbon, becomes scotch and than transformed into bourbon again. Later in the book, you can see where Woods or his supposed editor became so sloppy that an even that occurred two pages earlier is denied, like it never happened.
There is no real story here. Every thing is patched together by the merest coincidence instead of being the product of actual plotting and story development. There is no suspense and the characters are totally unbelievable.
As I said, Woods does write well, so if you are facing a long flight or are trapped in an airport waiting for a delayed flight or simply want to kiss a few hours goodbye forever, it is possible that you might enjoy "Santa Fe Dead". I read every page myself, more in awe of how low Woods had sunk, rather than the quality of the story.
Jerry
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewing: Santa Fe Dead, June 22, 2008
This review is from: Santa Fe Dead (Ed Eagle Novel) (Hardcover)
"Santa Fe Dead" could easily have been named "The Boring Return of the Evil B-word Barbara." That might have been more honest and would have better reflected the disappointingly weak quality of Stuart Wood's latest effort. It would have also worked naming it "Santa Fe STUPID."
It is time once again to hang out with Ed Eagle, Santa Fe lawyer and all around older stud. Someday, we may finally find out that Ed Eagle is actually Stone Barrington's father as they seem to share the same concepts about the law, making money, bedding beautiful women, etc. When Ed Eagle isn't romping in bed with the gorgeous actress Susannah Wilde (yes, he romps by his own admission and does it very well with no unsatisfied customers or golden arches), or wheeling and dealing, is testifying in court about how his ex-wife Barbara tried to take his money, kill Ed's private investigators, have Ed killed, and generally cause mayhem in both Mexico and the U. S. Despite his testimony, as well as the fact that she flees the courthouse while the jury is deliberating her verdict, the jury in San Diego, California finds her not guilty.
Barbara begins to set her sights on the next husband to be whose biggest asset is his money while Ed Eagle begins to try to move on with his life. Part of his stated attempt to move on is to warn the next husband to be that Barbara is evil. That doesn't help create separation, closure, or whatever the shrinks call it this week and before long Barbara is mad as a hatter and going after him everyway possible. That is fine with Ed because he isn't through with her either.
Featuring stereotypical characters, gratuitous sex scenes inserted for no plot reason whatsoever, and plenty of action as well as references to money and designer goods, this is an incredible weak read. Barbara is the complete evil B word, Ed is an unflappable stud, and the bad guys are amazingly stupid. Finding good help is hard to do and in this case one really wonders how the bad guys lived long enough to be the stupid help in this novel. Apparently, they never were forced to get out of wet paper bags at any time of their lives and therefore have managed to live long enough to get here where they can fly planes and do all sorts of things but can't kill worth anything and leave clues behind that a sixth grader wouldn't. The result is a book typical of Wood's write it fast and sell it philosophy of the last few years and on that many of his fans will mindlessly continue to snap up and enjoy.
Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ed Eagle Returns In Lukewarm Thriller, May 1, 2008
This review is from: Santa Fe Dead (Ed Eagle Novel) (Hardcover)
When we last saw Santa Fe Lawyer Ed Eagle (Short Straw, 2006) he was finally rid of his insane wife, Barbara. Now, this book picks up a year later. Ed has just been a witness in the trial against his ex and is awaiting the verdict. Barbara, fearing she will be found guilty, slips out a window and escapes (as strangely unplausible that is, but I'll go with it). This of course disturbs Ed, as she has tried to kill him before.
So begins a book of backstabbing and cat & mouse antics. Barbara remarries and uncannily her new husband dies (natural causes). Meanwhile, Ed takes a strange case where his clients family has been murdered. The man calls him on the phone to tell him about a ransom. Not the police, Ed.
Everything leads back to L.A. where we once again get the backdrop of Centurion Studios. With some interesting twists and turns right to the end, this isn't Woods' best effort but it is a non-stop thrill ride from the beginning.
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