[Rick Barron 02] • Beverly Hills Dead

New York Times-bestselling author Stuart Woods returns with the sequel to The Prince of Beverly Hills-a page-turning novel of murder, political intrigue, and betrayal set in 1940s Hollywood, the era of the "Red Scare," when almost anyone could be a suspect.

Rick Barron, a former Beverly Hills cop, has risen to head of production of Centurion Pictures, and he's at the top of his game. But tensions are high in Hollywood, and when Rick's friend Sidney Brooks, a successful screenwriter, receives a subpoena from the House Un-American Activities Committee, Rick isn't surprised. The witch hunt is spreading, and those under investigation are Rick's closest friends-even his wife, the glamorous starlet Glenna Gleason.

Set in a time of suspicion and uncertainty, Beverly Hills Dead is Stuart Woods's best novel yet-a fast-paced and sexy thriller full of the nail-biting twists and startling turns that Woods fans always expect.

From Publishers WeeklyIn 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.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review"Woods writes with smooth confidence as famous names add spice to a diverting summer read that simmers but never gets hard-boiled." -Kirkus Reviews on The Prince of Beverly Hills