Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #367790 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-15
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 7
• Binding: Audio CD

From Publishers Weekly
In this tepid sequel to 2004's The Prince of Beverly Hills, bestseller Woods revisits the late 1940s but fails to realistically evoke the era of the HUAC hearings, Hollywood blacklists and the waning days of big studios and the star system. Demoted L.A. detective Rick Barron recently quit the force to head security for Centurion Studios and has now morphed into the studio's head of production. Using this new power at the studio, Rick is in charge of selecting leading actors and scouting settings for a gritty western written by famous playwright Sidney Brooks. Centurion is a worthy stand-in for the typical studio of the era, but the Hollywood blacklist story and the untimely disappearance of one of the stars is familiar territory, and Woods doesn't break any new ground. Longtime fans of Woods's Stone Barrington series are sure to enjoy certain aspects of the story, but newcomers are likely to be disappointed. (Jan.)
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From AudioFile
BEVERLY HILLS DEAD is an interesting, though oddly paced, novel about Hollywood in the early days of the Blacklist. Rick Barron, head of production at Centurion Studios, is the kind of noble guy who was very rare in those terrible times when careers were destroyed by even the suspicion of Communist ties. Tony Roberts once again performs WoodsÕs work with a voice that sounds like it was meant for the 1940s. RobertsÕs hero sounds like a man who always knows what heÕs doing, and is always right. Though the death the title refers to comes late in the novel, the story is interesting and tailor-made for audio. M.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Jumbled
While I've really enjoyed previous efforts by Stuart Woods, this one wasn't up to expectations. It was like he had a number of ideas for short stories, but since the contract was for a novel, he put several ideas together whether they meshed well or not. The plot jumps from post-World War II movie making to the hearings of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee to lesbian to a murder mystery. Characters that seem to be major players fade out of the plot. Some come back much later, but others either don't reappear or do so as bit players. I understand having several plot threads, but these don't come together to make any sort of tapestry. It by no means is boring, however, and is by no means the worst book I've read. It simply isn't up to the standards Woods has set for himself in past efforts.

WHO Would Like Beverley Hills Dead and Why? For Some Folks, It Would Be a Great Gift!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R325HRUSZE7WHJ AS YOU CAN SEE, this book is getting mixed reviews? Why? Well, it has to do with an understanding of history. WHO would like the book? In this video review I'll tell you. Hint: There IS a very good audience!

Dull, Dull, Dull
This book is so dull it's extraordinary it got published. SW is writing to write, without character development or narrative development. If one is to already have know Rick Barron from other books, Beverly Hills Dead would not wet ones appetite to read others. I was so stun by the abrupt ending I thought pages had been deleted.