L.A. Dead

Our hero, Stone Barrington, works a Hollywood murder while fending off his nutso Italian wife/not wife. Strangely, Stone, who jumps everything in skirts, is abstinent until about 2/3 of the way through the book. The plot(s) were interesting and Woods apparently has lived some of the life of the rich and famous so that he can write this. I was unaware that authors are so flush. Super easy and fast read/listen. The characters dovetail nicely and some even interact with other series that Woods has written. And, whodunit isn't revealed until the very last gasp. holding one in suspense until the very end.

Most of the story line was interesting and well-paced, however, the Stone-Barrington-As-An-Alley-Cat was too much to take. The all too casual sex with just about any female on two feet, except the maid, was really not entertaining, and was actually off-putting. Stuart severely overshot the mark in this line of action. I hope he will dial it back in future books.

Maybe just 2.5*...

I didn't much care for the way the book ended with a sense of ambiguity over Arrington's guilt. If it had stopped with the scene outside the courthouse, I would have been much happier!. Also, I found Stone's ability to attract all the women with whom he came into contact (even when he wasn't trying) a bit too much; it seemed more like a male fantasy rather than real life.

The solving of who killed Arrington's husband, Vance Calder, was a little slow coming to the point but well done (except as I mentioned above the very end).

The narrator, Tony Roberts, was good but I wonder why Dolce had a thick Italian accent and her sister Mary Anne had no accent at all...

Maybe just 2.5*...

I didn't much care for the way the book ended with a sense of ambiguity over Arrington's guilt. If it had stopped with the scene outside the courthouse, I would have been much happier!. Also, I found Stone's ability to attract all the women with whom he came into contact (even when he wasn't trying) a bit too much; it seemed more like a male fantasy rather than real life.

The solving of who killed Arrington's husband, Vance Calder, was a little slow coming to the point but well done (except as I mentioned above the very end).

The narrator, Tony Roberts, was good but I wonder why Dolce had a thick Italian accent and her sister Mary Anne had no accent at all...

This latest installment in Woods's Stone Barrington thriller series finds the lawyer/sleuth from New York back in Los Angeles on a murder case in which everyone, even the accused, lazes along, enjoying life in sunny Southern California. In his sixth outing (following 1999's Worst Fears Realized), Barrington is surrounded by his usual cast of friends, acquaintances and casual sex partners. The biggest change here is that his ex-lover, Arrington Calder, stands accused of murdering her husband, movie star and renowned man-about-town Vance Calder, found dead of a gunshot wound in the couple's Bel Air mansion. Upon hearing the news, Barrington, in Italy for his imminent wedding to the lovely but unpredictable Dolce Bianchi, rushes to L.A. to show more take over Arrington's defense. show less

I accidentally read this book out of order, which is annoying. Stone and Arrington are brought together again as she is accused of murdering Vance Calder, and Stone has to deal with his love for Arrington and his Italian marriage to his best friend's "connected" and unbalanced sister-in-law.

I picked this book up at a used book store with little expectation (based on reviews). I was actually pleasantly surprised. It was a quck read with a solid story and good characters.