Cold Paradise (A Stone Barrington Novel)

When I recieved this book it was in great condition. I was very pleased with the timely fashion it was delivered and the beter than expected condition it was in. I'm a big fan of Stuart Woods and enjoy reading his books.

Lorraine - Yorktown Hgts. NY

This whole series stinks. The author is a pretentious jerk, using the same literary devices over and over throughout his books. His stories are all about rich people doing rich people things. I am extremely regretful that I spent any money at all on this trash from Stuart Woods.

I'd like to hang around with Stone Barrington for a couple of weeks, buy $150 dollar shirts for my friends, $50 dollar socks when I need the right shade, know what kind of an engine goes in a Bentley, and get $25,000 dollar watches from ex-lovers as a thank you. And the women. As Dino would say, "Marrone!"
It's good to be Stone. And that's why we go to read him, for the same reason we read Spenser and go see old Sean Connery movies as "Bond. James Bond." So what's wrong with that?
I like to read Stuart Woods. I don't expect to remember any quotes, won't laugh too hard, never shed a tear, chuckle at Bacchetti's New York humor, and try (hard to do) to keep track of the women. So many women, so little time Stone might quip. You kind of saw this one coming in the third inning. Still good to read. 4 Stars. Larry Scantlebury

Attorney Stone Barrington has a rather unusual case. Billionaire Thad Shames wants him to find a woman he spent an evening with in the Hamptons a month earlier. Thad thinks her first name is Liz but he's not even sure about that. All he knows is that he's in love and wants to be with her. Stone's only lead takes him to Palm Beach, where finding Liz is fairly easy, but also troubling. Liz turns out to be a woman named Allison Harding and she has quite a past. Stone believed that she had died and that her husband had been hanged for murder. He was wrong on both counts. Adding to Stone's growing complications is his attraction to Thad's assistant and the news that his former wife, Dolce, has escaped from an institution. She her own score to settle with Stone.

To me, there's a difference between a complex plot and a convoluted plot. A complex plot has layers, plenty of twists and angles, but the story is told clearly enough to follow. A convoluted plot also has plenty of twists and angles, but they somehow become muddled, which makes it tough to keep characters, threads, and motives straight. Given that Stone is or has had romantic relationships with female characters was simple enough to keep straight, but the false and mistaken identity situations became confusing.

As I'm unfamiliar with the Palm Beach setting, I was curious to learn more; however, it didn't take long to realize that a playground for the rich and famous held no appeal. Although Stone and his cop pal, Dino, are likeable characters, I'm not sure I'll read another installment.

As always Stone Barrington is witty and tongue in cheek - especially during his reparte with his x-partner. He is also always in a tangle with women. He's out of one situation and in another and the past throws him a curve ball by reintroducing his x fiance,wife, girlfriend, etc. into the picture. In this story he had them all and a new flame as well. As his x partner points out - it never ends well. This is a continuation of the story from the previous book in that they the couple both turn up again and continue their lawless ways almost killing Stone.

The Stone Barrington series is horrible! After reading the Holly Barker series by Stuart Woods and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought these too would be good. Barrington needs to grow up, stop behaving like a hormonal adolescent, and behave ethically with his clients. This series is disgusting and falls under the category of porn. If Mr Woods thinks most men (and women) behave this way, he must spend all his time with prostitutes and in sex clubs.

And to think this stupid book was available through our public library! Tax payer dollars should not be used to buy material that is indecent, obscene, and morally disgusting.

Woods gets sillier and sillier. This is like PG Wodehouse--without any of the class.

I'm 125 pages into the book and Stone Barrington has already committed 4 gaffes.

He's accepted a client in Florida where he's not licensed to practice law. Then he helps her conceal a felony which would get him disbarred back home in New York.

He somehow thinks the DA is bound by an insurance company form and can no longer pursue his client. This would come as a surprise to the District Attorney.

Stone seems to believe the double jeopardy clause of the US Constitution applies in St. Marks, an independent country.

Huh? Huh? Huh?

This is mind candy. And we're not talking Nestle Crunch.

Good book as usual from this author. Stone is still looking for women first & then does his job. His friend, Dino, was very harsh & brittle in his way of talking. He has always been that way up to a point but he was not likeable during this part of the series. I hope this will change because having his "regulars" show up is usually nice. There is always someone from Delano, Georgia in Mr. Woods books.

Stone Barrington is hired by a nerdy software billionaire, Thad Shames, to find the woman he has fallen instantly in love with after just one meeting. All he knows about her is her first name, Liz, and the fact that she has left New York to visit someone in Palm Beach. So, with this meager trail, Stone is sent on Thad's private jet to stay on his yacht in Palm Beach while looking or Liz.
In one of many incredible coincidences throughout the novel he finds her right away, and she turns out to be the woman that Stone had rescued in St. Marks a couple of years ago, and who he believed to be dead. Stone helps her to settle with the insurance company who had paid the $12 million life insurance policy upon her husband's death and agrees to keep her secret from Thad.
In another recurring theme, suave, sexy Stone immediately attracts Thad's private chef and assistant, Callie, into his bed. Liz has also asked Stone to help her thwart a stalker who she believes to be her ex-husband, who supposedly had died on their boat in St. Marks. Stone is also being stalked by his ex-wife, Dolce, who has become dangerously psychotic. Just to fill up a few more pages of the novel, Stone's ex-fiance Arrington, now the widow of Vance Calder, appears on the scene reminding him of how close they once were. In just one novel, four of Stone's current and former conquests vie for attention.
Although I've enjoyed all of the Stone Barrington novels to date, Cold Paradise drags too many characters from previous novels into the plot and tries to find something for them to do. The coincidences and overlaps are too contrived to be realistic. It's time for Woods to retire Stone or at least let him shed some of his past and move on.

Stuart Woods is a strange author. He writes these detective novels. They have mundane plots, relatively straightforward action, and somewhat pedestrian dialogue. Yet they're very popular, and he's built up a considerable following (of which I would consider myself a member) writing them for about two decades. The strangest thing of all is his ability to hang the whole plot of a book on one or more ridiculous coincidences, and get away with it. This book has several enormous whoppers, and yet it works reasonably well.
Stone Barrington, for those who don't know him, is a former NYPD homicide detective who went to law school nights, and got himself hired by a fairly prominent law firm in the city. He does the odd legal stuff for them---getting someone's son out of jail when they get caught DUI, sorting out where all the assets went in a messy divorce, that sort of thing. In the current installment, he's hired by a dot.com billionaire entrepreneurial geek to find the woman of his dreams, who he's only met once. He only knows her name, doesn't know much of anything about her, and yet is in love with her anyway. Stone travels to Palm Beach, Florida, to find her, and winds up helping an old flame out of some legal difficulties too. There's a new romance with the geek's sexy chef, entanglements with a former lover, and an ex-wife (which could be confusing if you haven't read the previous books in the series). Much intrigue and deception follow, and there is the requisite suspense, and romance.
While this is a good book, it's not the best suspense novel ever. It is, however, a reasonable entertainment for a plane ride or an afternoon on the beach.

The Stone Barrington series is probably the most complete and developed of all of the Stuart Woods collections. The characters are interesting and the plots are always clever. Cold Paradise is no exception. The books are quick, but not simple, reads. Cold Paradise is a nice mix of snappy dialog, plot twists, and likable characters. It is interesting to watch the main, and supporting, characters develop over the course of the Stone Barrington series. While better, it is not absolutely necessary to read the books in order - they each are fine as individual reads.

After having read Wood's latest Stone Barrington novel, "Dirty Work" (and loving it) I wanted to go back and read the earlier novels in the series, which brought me to "Cold Paradise". It's a very fast-paced story, and definitely keeps you entertained for all of its 300+ pages. Here are some thoughts to help you make up your own mind.
Though this is I think the sixth book in the series with his main character Stone Barrington, I did not feel at a loss at all for not having read the first few. That alone impressed me, but then add on top of that a story that grabs you and does let go.
Unfortunately, of the ones I have read, this one seemed the least plausible. A real suspension of disbelief is required while reading. While I usually have no problem with that, I don't want to recognize while reading that I am having a difficult time thinking the story is realistic.
Still, it is a fun read if you take it with a grain of salt and just allow yourself to be entertained by it. Woods combines characters that are cops, ex-cops, lawyers, hit men, international thieves, and mafia and does it all masterfully. Pick this book up and you likely won't be able to put it back down until its over.

Although I began to feel it with the previous Stone Barrington novel (LA Dead), it was with this novel that I definitely realized that the series is ready for either retirement or revival.
There is a scene early in the book that introduces a woman named Callie. As soon as she is mentioned, along with her incredible beauty, I just knew that she was going to wind up with Stone. Why? Because every woman in this series is (a) beautiful and (b) winds up sleeping with Stone.
The interesting thing in this book at least is that Stone begins to see the repercussions of all his romances as three other women from past books come back into his life and his friend Dino explains why Stone is doomed to the single life. Nonetheless, there is a predictability to this book that I know Woods can transcend. In addition, the subplot regarding Stone's ex-wife Dolce contributes nothing to the main story.
The Barrington books are getting more and more like a soap opera filled with shallow romances among the rich and beautiful. While Woods is good enough that even his so-so stuff can rate three stars, he can certainly do better than this.

This book starts out from where we were left dangling at the end of the last Stone Barrington book. It is filled with the same slick characters,plus a few new ones thrown in.Stone is sent to Palm Beach with the impossible assignment of finding a woman,whom he manages to find immediately.She turns out to be Allison,from the past,who along with her husband,Paul,contrived a massive con game in an earlier book.Paul is again the main villain with a secondary villain thrown in to confuse the plot.Stone immediately falls into bed with Callie,who has a job but doesn't appear to ever work. Dino arrives from his NYPD job to aid Stone, as the Palm Beach police seem ineffective.Of course, Arrington briefly appears as does his non-wife,Dolce,who seeks revenge. The entire Palm Beach Scene plays a vital role in this book with its lavish parties,expensive cars,private clubs, and Stone,whose life is always endangered,manages to partake of all the glamour The entire plot is so convoluted with these various characters at odds with one another it gets tedious At a point in the book I was hoping that one of the villains would wipe out Stone and his tiresome friends to put an end to this,as there is a certainty that there will be yet another Stone Barrington book with the same wordly boring characters

Legal investigator and confirmed bachelor Stone Barrington heads for Palm Beach to help his ultra wealthy client find the woman of his dreams. Stone, a lawyer by day and a lady's man by night, has to balance this investigation with the sudden appearance of two former girlfriends, an ex-wife, and of course, a new female companion. One of his former flames, Allison Manning, also hires Stone to find the man of her dreadful dreams, her estranged husband whom she thinks is stalking her. Stone enlists the help of his former partner, New York City cop Dino Bacchetti, who jets to the Gold Coast with his golf clubs in tow. With his sidekick, Stone goes about solving the murderous mysteries lurking around Lake Worth.
Palm Beach and COLD PARADISE becomes ground zero for the appearance of several former book series characters, from girlfriends to villains, both alive and from the dead. For series aficionados, its delightful to have them back for a culminating gala event on the intercostal waterways of paradise. But you don't have to read all of Stone Barrington's former cases and conquests to enjoy the warm mysteries of COLD PARADISE. Its clever story, with charismatic and endearing characters, stands tall on its own.

Millionaire Thad Shames needs the help of ex-cop - turned lawyer Stone Barrington. After meeting the woman of his dreams a party, Thad is immediately infatuated, but after she disappears, Thad enlists the help of Stone to find the mysterious woman known only as 'Liz'.
Stone looks at his new assigment as a vacation, go to the ritzy Palm Beach; look for this woman named 'Liz', get paid, and go home. But shortly after arriving in Palm Beach, his vacation is turned into a nightmare, when a client from his past appears.
Allison Manning was a client of Stone's (Dead In The Water), being accused of murdering her husband Paul, and insurance fraud, Allison had Stone defend her, and unfortunately she was found guilty and sentenced to death, but fortunately she got off, only to disappear...and then re-appear (a few years later) in Palm Beach, this time around she goes by the name 'Liz'.
Shocked by seeing Allison, Stone is about to enter into a maze of deception. It seems Allison needs Stone's help, once again, to settle some old business, business that comes in the form of her supposed LATE husband Paul, who also happens to be in Palm Beach.
Stone must help Allison settle the score with Paul, and this will prove to be a difficult task, for Paul is a three time murderer, and he has attempted to kill Stone in the past.
Stone must use his razor sharp wit, and with the help of his detective friend Dino, he has to stay one step ahead of everyone, because one wrong move could be his last.
'Cold Paradise' is a weak entry in the bestselling Stone Barrington series. Combining too many characters, and plot themes from previous novels, 'Cold Paradise' becomes hard to follow, and the plot twists are so transparent you can see them coming a mile away.
Stuart Woods, being one of my favorite authors, has written much better novels; where most of his novels are suspenseful, this one is silly; with characters, and plot twists that are too conveniently connected.
'Cold Paradise' will disappoint fans of Mr. Woods previous thrillers.
Nick Gonnella

In "Cold Paradise," New York private lawyer and ex-cop, Stone Barrington, is back and is in Palm Beach, Florida! He has been sent there by technology millionaire, Thad Shames. Stone's job is to try and find a gorgeous woman who Thad saw a couple weeks earlier. She told Thad her name was Liz, but left no number or address. Stone finds Thad's mystery woman coincidentally. Her real name is Allison Manning! For all you Barrington fans you'll recognize that name from "Dead In The Water," previous Stuart Woods novel. Stone had a relationship with her in St. Marks and she was found guilty of a crime and sentenced to be hung. Somehow Allison got off and has returned to the states. Stone is shocked to see her and is even more shocked to hear that her husband Paul Manning, who was presumed dead in St. Marks is stalking her! Paul was have thought to have been killed and thrown overboard on the Manning's private yacht in St. Marks. Both Mannings participated in an insurance scam, which Allison ended up getting. Weird, huh? Anyway, while Stone is trying to protect Allison from crazy Paul, he also has to keep control of his hormones. Callie, a striking beautiful woman, who works for Shames, is totally infactuated by Barrington and good old Arrington, (Stone's ex-wife), also shows up in the picture, like she always does. If that isn't confusing enough, our favorite little lady, Dolce Bianchi, returns. Dolce is Stone's other ex-wife, who is extremely psychotic. The ending of this novel was very exciting and very well written. The only reason I gave "Cold Paradise" four stars instead of five was because I thought that the way Stone met up with Allison was extremely too coincidental. I thought Mr. Woods could have made that part more believeable. Overall, this is a fun, worthwile read!

Stone Barrington, that sexy hunk of a cop turned lawyer finds himself an interesting assignment when Thad Shames, a young, exorbitantly rich software mogul hires him to locate a young woman he met at a party. All Thad can tell Stone is that she's thirtyish, brunette, of medium height with blue eyes and her first name might be Liz. And, he has a feeling that she might be in Palm Beach, where, of course, Thad has a palace of a home and a yacht. But never fear, Stone takes the corporate jet, and by page fifty has found this elusive damsel, who by coincidence he knows very well from a previous novel, Dead in the Water. Mr Woods now has 275 pages to fill and he does this by chronicling the very vacuous and decadent lives of Stone and company. We get to see them all eat beluga caviar and drink Krug champagne, loll around on the yacht, drinking and snacking, shop for expensive, custom made clothes and jewelry, drive expensive cars to golf outings and go to elegant, black tie dinner parties with the other rich and famous. And, of course the book is full of beautiful, desirable women, all fighting over Stone, so his sex life is never lacking. Cold Paradise is a novel with absolutely no substance or merit. The plot is thin, really almost nonexistent and predictable, the writing poor and uninspired and the characters, many back from previous Stone Barrington adventures, one-dimensional caricatures. It's nearly impossible to connect with and care about these people and what is happening to them. Stuart Woods wrote many good thrillers earlier in his career, Chiefs and Palindrome being among his best. But not now. Do yourself a big favor and skip Cold Paradise. It's definitely one of this year's worst!

Stone Barrington is back again in the newest book in the series. He is again reunited with Allison Manning from Dead in the Water. She now has a new name, a new lover, and a new "plan". In this book, you will follow Stone in his search for "Liz's" husband, who is alive, regardless of what previous books have told us. Both Mannings are on the lose, and could they both be up to no good? Stone begins to wonder as the events in this book unfold, and you will too.
Also, could it be that Stone and Arrington are reunited? She does make an appearance in this book, but I do not want to give away what happens in this soap opera romance.
And of course Stone's old partner Dino tags along to Florida for the ride.
Despite other comments, I felt this was a great book and lived up to Woods' previous work. It had the thrilling page turning excitement that I love about this author. Check it out!

Another entertaining book about Stone Barrington. I love how it’s so “fiction” and yet in the realm of possibility. I especially enjoyed the setting & location on the novel. Looking forward to #8!

This one left me "Cold"...yes pun intended. I think this is more of a filler book than anything special or specific.

Plot was all over the place, and just kind of filled in some holes that you may have been wondering about in previous books. I some how missed this one when trying to read them all in order and after having read it, I kind of still wished I hadn't.

Don't get me wrong, the book was OK, just nothing really to remember. I also had the final end of the book figured out about 5 chapters in...pretty predictable.

Cold Paradise by Stuart Woods is another chapter in the life of Stone Barrington, ex-cop, lawyer, and super hunk who is hired by Thad Shames, a billionaire Bill Gates clone, to find the love of his life. Shames knows only her first name, Liz, and absolutely nothing else about her. Stone flies to Miami and finds more than he bargained for, a woman he knew and thought was dead. But Callie Hodges, Shames' assistant, eases those pains by jumping into his bed. Insurance fraud, stalkers, and a slippery writer keep mysteries popping up like unruly dandelions in a well tended Florida lawn.
Stuart Woods has delighted his readers for eleven years with the cavorting forty-four year old's adventures in and out of bed. He is a prolific writer and has been popular with readers since his first book, Chiefs, was published.
Descriptions of Thad Shames' life style, Stone's traps for the bad guys and unexpected twists keep the reader riveted and committed to perpetual page flipping. Cold Paradise is a fun bash for anyone wanting a fast read and a visit to Palm Beach where the very rich shop for Armani clothes at the drop of a Gucci shoe and other glitzy characters live life with as much gusto as their bank accounts allow. It's like eating one of Stone's exotic gourmet meals. You want more and more.
In Stone's world, happy coincidences line up like dominoes. Events fall into miraculous place. For example, after Thad Shames, the billionaire, commissions Stone to find the love of his life, it's accomplished on the first night of his search. However, this event sets off a fist-full of twists and turns that pilot the reader through a fast paced reading experience. Could the women who inhabit Stone's world have been a little more restrained without slowing the book down? Wood's fans would yell a resounding, "No!"
Stuart Woods has written dozens of novels and has a vast audience of readers who wait impatiently for his two new novels published each year. Orchid Blues, L. A. Dead, The Run, and Dead in the Water are some of the titles that new readers of Stuart Woods' books will enjoy.

Cold Paradise is the seventh in a series of Stuart Woods' books featuring Stone Barrington. Stone Barrington, a former New York City policeman, is a lawyer who is often more involved in investigative work than in legal work. The setting is Palm Beach, an appropriate setting for the rich and famous characters Woods enjoys using. The main story is Stone's attempt to protect Allison Manning who is afraid of her former husband Paul Manning, a murderer who is thought by many to be dead. In trying to protect Allison and resolve issues from her past, Stone unravels threads that include characters and stories from previous Stone Barrington novels.
Stuart Woods has written dozens of novels including an eighth Stone Barrington novel released in 2002. His first book, Chiefs, was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
The book includes some interesting twists and a variety of action scenes. At every turn, Stone connects with law-enforcement officers who have knowledge of Paul's actions during the years since his "death." Women from Stone's past appear frequently, often unexpectedly, and Stone's receives help from his colorful former partner, Dino, in solving this difficult case.
By failing to relate events to the main story or the various subplots, the author leaves the reader with a feeling that Cold Paradise lacks the connections that are needed in a good mystery. The focus of the story is Stone's search for Paul Manning and his efforts to protect Allison. However, in the initial meeting between Stone and Allison, she hires him to make a settlement with the insurance company and her concern about Paul seems to be an afterthought. She vaguely mentions seeing her husband and doesn't express a fear for her safety. Cold Paradise also lacks the character development that adds interest to a story. Perhaps those who have read the other Stone Barrington books will have a greater sense of the characters and an interest in their lives.
Cold Paradise is for readers who enjoy an easy-to-read mystery with continuing characters from previous novels.

Meet Stone Barrington, a Bond-like attorney/investigator/playboy with exquisite taste and dangerous habits. In Cold Paradise by Stuart Woods, Barrington suffers through another New York winter, but his outlook improves dramatically upon meeting billionaire software tycoon Thad Shames. Shames has fallen hopelessly in love with a mysterious woman named Liz after meeting her only once, and hires Barrington to find her. The only lead Barrington has is that she lives in exotic Palm Beach, so Barrington takes up residence on Shames' 240-foot yacht off the Florida coast, where he is soon ensnared in a web of conspiracy and murder.
Cold Paradise is the seventh novel in the Stone Barrington series, first introduced with 1992's New York Dead. Woods is an amazingly prolific writer, having already published dozens of novels and two books of non-fiction. One of his previous novels, Dead in the Water, provides the back-story for Cold Paradise.
The first seventy pages of Cold Paradise moves well, as Dead in the Water's Allison Manning reappears after swindling twelve million dollars in an insurance scam. The book is peppered with clever dialogue between Barrington and his sidekick Bachetti, and the setting is vivid, for Woods has an uncanny gift of making the wealthy decadence of Palm Beach come alive.
There are plot and character problems, however, starting with an inexplicable coincidence: Allison Manning is Shames's Liz. She is also Barrington's former client and lover, so things get complicated; Allison still lusts for Barrington, but so does every other woman in Cold Paradise. Before long Palm Beach is crawling with Barrington's girlfriends, past and present, and one needs a libretto to keep them straight. This leads to another problem--the author's inability to develop female characters. The two female leads, Allison and Callie, seem incapable of doing anything meaningful, their lives limited to shopping, cooking, and bed hopping. Barrington's ex-wife Dolce (Italian for 'sweet') wants to kill him for reasons unknown, yet readers can safely assume that her psychotic state was induced by Barrington's sexual persona.
Midway through the novel, there is a second case of mistaken identity that has no real function in the story except to distract the reader and waste a hundred pages. One wonders if Woods has been influenced by filmmaker David Lynch with his constant manipulation of identity, yet where Lynch dazzles his audience with a unique vision, Woods merely irritates his readers with trivial nonsense.
The discriminating reader may soon tire of the crass materialism in the book; conspicuous consumption abounds, with many references to luxury cars (Shames orders three Mercedes convertibles for his house guests), jewelry (Allison impulsively buys a $30,000 necklace) and designer wardrobes (the working-class Bachetti inexplicably goes shopping for an Armani suit). Woods's style in Cold Paradise is infected with narcissism, and readers may feel little empathy for these characters.
One can argue that books like Cold Paradise shouldn't be held to the same critical standard as more 'serious' fiction. If the author's intention is 'fiction light' (the argument goes), then critical standards must be adjusted or even ignored. Cold Paradise thrives in that curious realm of books targeted for beachcombers and frequent flyers. Undoubtedly Woods is mining this market.... Cold Paradise will appeal to past readers of the Barrington series; there is a formula at work here that is undeniably successful. In addition to the faithful, the book will attract the Wish-I-Were-Rich crowd, who can, at least vicariously, live the good life between the pages of this novel.

Former police officer turned lawyer Stone Barrington agrees to help a client's love life if he can. Thad Shames, a Gates-like billionaire, met Liz at a Long Island house party and fell in love with her, but she left before he learned anything except her name and that she lives in Palm Beach.
When Stone arrives in Palm Beach, a Mrs. Harding calls because she needs his services. They meet at a restaurant where he is shocked to realize he knows her and that she fears her husband is stalking her. Stone quickly concludes that she is Thad's Liz. He reunites them and acts as a bodyguard, but has no protector from his own wife who escaped from her keepers and wants Stone dead.
Stone Barrington is always a pleasure to read, particularly about his bumbling interactions with women, which make him all the more precious. The whole gang from previous tales reunites adding to the fun of an enjoyable, fast-paced story line. COLD PARADISE is an engaging legal thriller led by a huggable hunk.

Harriet Klausner

This story was so ridculous. Stone Barrington is asked to find a woman that Todd, a billionaire met in a restaurant in New York who went to Palm Beach (Todd doesn't even know her name). Of course Stone finds her almost immediately and discovers that he has previously defended her. Puhleeze! And then the billionaire allows him to stay on his yacht where of course Stone immediately beds Todd's assistant (I really don't what to call her, but she sleeps on the yacht too). And then there's Stone wacko "wife" who shows up. Story was way too stupid. Bring back Vance Calder from the dead. Stone is too boring at this point.

"Cold Paradise" is the latest Stone Barrington novel by Stuart Woods. Stone is hired by rich man Thad Shamus to find a woman named Liz that he met in the Hamptons and wanted to see again. Stone travels to Palm Beach, Florida and finds Liz Harding rather quickly. Liz is actually Allison Manning, Stone's former client with whom Stone had a brief affair. Allison (Liz) retains Stone to do some legal work, and the rest of the book is devoted to finding Allison's husband, Paul Manning. For Stone Barrington readers, Stone once again beds a beautiful woman, Callie Hodges, Thad's girl Friday. This novel is not bad, but I expect better from Stuart Woods.

I enjoyed reading Cold Paradise, a continuation of the Stone Barrington series in which characters from several previous novels (Dead in the Water, Swimming to Catalina, etc...) emerge in a highly coincidental fashion. My main criticism is that it seemed unrealistic that Stone, as a lawyer and ex-NYPD officer, magically is able to command the attention and resources of several law enforcement agencies who listen to his every whim. I suppose the rationale behind this is that his NYPD background makes other police agencies want to listen to him more than they would the average lawyer.
Otherwise, the books fits the typical Stuart Woods formula of being highly entertaining. I also liked how in this story Stone describes the snobbish elite but it is apparent that he does not become a worshiper of this part of society the way it may have seemed, for example in Swimming to Catalina. Stone certainly finds wealthy clients but that's attributable to his connection to a prestigious NY law firm and his unusual background and role.
I think it is an excellent "beach-type" read. I look forward to the next book!

Stone Barrington, high-money New York City lawyer, ex-cop, and sleuth, takes on a case that seems impossible at first. Thad Shames, rising young billionaire in the computer software world, met a woman once in a bar that he's decided he can't live without. Problem is, he doesn't know who she is or even where she lives. Enter Stone, hired by Shames to track down the elusive mystery lady that has won the geek billionaire's heart with a single glance. Hitting Palm Beach in elegant stride, always knowing which wine to order and which luxury car to drive, Stone turns up the love of Todd Shames' life in short order--while finding a new lady love himself. Of course, in a swiftly-plotted Stuart Woods novel, an experienced reader knows that only the tip of the iceberg has been touched. In no time at all, Stone is plunged into a world of deceit and trickery that reaches back into his own past. And while he's battling the tangled skeins of changed identities, dead men who aren't dead but who have had nose jobs, and fighting off the unsettling advances of Arrington Calder (whom he can't seem to get out of his system and who may be the mother of his child), he finds out his ex-wife Dolce (deranged and a Mafia princess to boot) has stopped taking her Thorazine and escaped the facility where she's been kept and is now on a mission to track Stone down and kill him.
Stuart Woods is the best-selling author of eight Stone Barrington novels, including the recently published THE SHORT FOREVER. He's written four novels about Will Lee and three about Deputy Police Chief Holly Barker. In addition, he's written a growing list of stand-alone thrillers, including the award-winning CHIEFS, which was filmed as a television mini-series.
Reading a Stuart Woods novel, no matter who the main character is, guarantees a slam-bang driving plot, lots of decadent elegance, and a compendium of brand-names showing how to live life as one of the financially elite. The writing is crisp and tight, but also light enough that the books can be picked up and put down without fear of losing the plot thread. COLD PARADISE perfectly fits that formula. Stone Barrington is a likeable hero and leads a life many can only fantasize about. Besides handling cases that get bizarre and twisted yet ultimately make sense, Stone also handles a bevy of beautiful women and lives the good life, serving the reader a glass of collector's wine and placing the reader in the shotgun seat of the world's sleekest automobiles. COLD PARADISE continues several threads that Woods has in the air regarding his series character, resolves a few of them, and ends at a spot that will make readers rush out to pick up his next novel to see what happens to Stone next. The pacing and plotting move the book along easily, and the copious amounts of dialogue make reading almost a sinful pleasure.
The only caveat that must be offered is that while Woods delivers a fast-paced story, he also cuts a few corners. Suspects are conveniently found rapidly, and with Stone's luck at finding things he should go to Vegas.
Readers of light mysteries and casual thrillers will enjoy COLD PARADISE. It's a perfect novel to take along to the beach and read purely for pleasure.

This was the first Stone Barrington novel I have ever read and I thought that it was very entertaining. There were a few too many different uneccessary story lines (as others have said) that may leave a bit to be desiered if you've never read any of the other Barrington books. However the novel did continue to hold my interest and I did find it to be an entertaining read. If you are looking for a good light beach reading book this summer this is it!

HATE the voice of Dino. Please! Tony Roberts change Dino's voice...although I guess you have already done it 20+ books. Although I think of Richard Ferrone as Lucas Davenport....TOTALLY enjoyed him as the Stone Barrington narrator. Will give Tony's narration a few more listens but not sure if I will listen to the whole series. ~G.

I've read one other Stone Barrington book and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to Cold Paradise - what a waste of time. This book read like an Archie McNally novel - light, fluffy, no "thrill factor" at all. I knew from the beginning how it was all going to turn out.
If you enjoy reading fluff, you'll love it. If you're looking for a story with some substance, however, skip this one. It's not worth your time.