Customer Reviews

Santa Fe Dead (Ed Eagle Novel)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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

"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

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.

Lately, at least with the last half dozen Stuart Woods efforts, things seem to be uneven, going from terrific to mediocre and back again. "Santa Fe Dead" pace feels rushed. The plot is strong but unfolds too fast with the author simply "telling" instead of the more entertaining "showing." Dialogue is so flat it is predictable and weak as it telegraphs the unfolding plot with cliches and an over abundance over triteness and overwriting in places.

I wouldn't usually recommend that an author write more in order to make a better story but I feel that the pace would have worked much better if things unfolded slowly and that not all the red herrings end up being exactly what they are presented as. there are few if any real surprises to keep a reader guessing. I truly feel that this manuscript went to the editor too soon and didn't receive the work it needed to be a great Stuart Woods. When Woods was writing one very good well thought out effort every year to year and a half they were much better, but now it seems that there are two or three every ten to twelve months and the speed shows and the results are very disappointing. That such a good plot, and interesting resurrected characters are used in the way they are in "Santa Fe Dead" is a shame. My suggestion is for Stuart Woods to take more time and explore more fully realized plots, settings, characters and action. For those introduced to Woods with such a great book as "Chiefs" this is even more of a disappointment for long time fans.

This was one of his most disappointing books for me. Characters came and went without rhyme or reason and the story just ended without closure on may plot lines.
Woods is a compelling writer but I thought someone else wrote this book off of "strips from the cutting room floor".

Wow!! "Santa Fe Dead" should have stayed dead....what a waste of time and paper..I usually try to write two good paragraphs for any review I submit, but this one begs my imagination. It is all too unreal to even be considered the least bit believable. Characters that are really stupid, including Barbara, the murderous wife, who after she escapes from the court house thru a window (big window or small Barbara) and then meets a multimillionaire whom she marries...to what end...to keep up on her vendetta...how shallow.

Stuart Woods has written more than thirty novels, and it must be his prior writings that have earned him his celebrity cause "Santa Fe Dead" doesn't deserve any laurels, and it makes me wonder what the critics are thinking when they rate this writing as being from a master of the unstoppably good read (inside cover comment). Sorry Stu, you lost me with this one.

E.J. Walden, author of "Operation Snow Owl)

Stuart Woods may have been on to a good thing once upon a time but his books are just tired. All the characters are versions of each other and everyone flies a plane. Woods is awful at loves scenes so he throws in some gratuitous something that passes for one.
In essence, the characters are one dimensional and the story lines implausible. Woods has plenty of money by now, he ought to give up the writing business and focus on his airplanes.

Maybe this would make a good beach book. You don't have to pay much attention as there is no character development, no mystery to figure out and no thrills to mention. The characters aren't particularly likable, not even Ed Eagle who I think is supposed to be the hero. I haven't read any other Stuart Woods books, as the other reviewers have, and based on this one I won't be reading any more. This book could have been so much more with the picturesque settings, quirkier characters and a more involved author.

A friend recommended this book to me... the first I've read by this author. I was looking for a good mystery. Unfortunately, this book does not work the brain at all. What a lazy, unimaginative writer, to take such a contrived plot, give the characters unlimited money to do whatever far-fetched thing you want, and throw in some sex scenes to interest the voyeurists... blah! Those of you who like this book must not realize that there are great writers out there with creative, imaginative stories to tell. No thank you, I will not be reading any of Stuart Woods' other books.

Barbara Eagle (exwife of lawyer Ed Eagle) on trial for murder, escapes while the jury is deliberating, but is found not guilty. Apparently independently, actress Susanna Wilde (Ed's girlfriend) shoots her ex-husband and movie producer Donald Wells (Ed's client) hires his stuntman Jack Cato to kill his (Donald's) rich wife and her child. Barbara marries billionaire Walter Keeler, who is killed in an auto accident. Joe Wylan (Walter's lawyer) alters Walter's will after learning from Ed that Barbara is a psychopath. Through her movie-producer boyfriend Jimmy Long, Barbara (now Keeler) hires Jack Cato to kill Susanna Wilde in revenge, but Susanna survives. That's the setup, albeit it takes up half of the novel. Convolutions continue to proliferate.

Confused yet? And those are only the major characters. Over a dozen supporting characters include numerous policemen and policewomen, private detectives, the district attorney, the various lawyers' partners/assistants, boyfriends, girlfriends, and many others. Perhaps a dozen other characters in back-stories are mentioned.

Unfortunately, this "cast of thousands" does not contain a single "human being" (to use terminology from a different Stuart Woods novel), that is, I found none of them sympathetic or appealing. Feel free to cheer for your choice of the bad guys--there is no chance of anyone you've grown fond of getting hurt. Sure, there are loose ends, but who cares?

The novel strictly light-weight, but very entertaining. A good book for those moments in life when you don't need any more stress---not even the stress of 3-hour emotional commitment to a fictional character.