Orchid Blues (Holly Barker Novels)

by Stuart Woods

Book Overview

A New York Times BestsellerA team of men hits a local Orchid Beach, Florida, business, and nearly capsizes Holly Barker's life. The small-town police chief vows to find the culprits, who left nothing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399147772
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

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your order status indicated that this book was delivered. never received it. #143958002. looks like I will be going to another book seller.

pretty good, quick paced read

I've been enjoying the Stuart Woods series of books lately..been reading more stone barrington novels, but I wanted to pick up and see what holly barker was up to in her sophomore effort.. what I like about woods is that he writes these two characters so differently and it keeps the books varied and interesting....barrington, while likeable, has questionable moral standards at times, whereas Baker is quite the opposite..in other words, his books aren't predictable and they're never formulaic! Anyway, onto this book..there are some BIG surprises and the return of some familiar faces (some surprise appearances as well)...the good guys are never perfect and the bad guys aren't always 'evil incarnate' either..everyone's got a motivation for doing something.. this one starts in a completely different place than where it ends (plot wise, not geographically speaking) so you're brought along for a pretty good ride...some parts just have palpable tension too... definetly worth reading..

Enjoyable Read

"Orchid Blues" is not a heavy, deep, dark mystery. Now that that's out of the way, the book is a good read. If you've read "Orchid Beach" you are already familiar with the characters and the writing. The hook is Holly's fiancé being killed in cold blood at the beginning of the story. The real star in this story is Ham. He is able to infiltrate the group of underground militia that murdered Holly's fiancé. Yes there are several lucky breaks, but you know what this is a work of FICTION.

A Fast Read

Stuart Wood's Orchid Blues is a fast read ... his chapters are short, making you want to read on & on. Having only read one of Sutart's books (Orchid Blues), I am definitely going to read more of them. You know there's violence; you know there's mystery; you know there's accuracy. I read it so fast, I didn't even look at the back to see how it ended! Now that's a good mystery! And no swearing ... I am now going to read Blood Orchid. And since Holly meets up with Stone, I will then go on to read the series of crime scenes he's involved in. Thank you, Stuart Woods.

TWO VOICES = TWICE AS GOOD AUDIO

Just as two heads are better than one two voices, those of Dick Hill and Susie Breck, beat one in this satisfying reading of the second adventure of Police Chief Holly Barker and her erstwhile companion, Daisy, an unbelievable Doberman. Holly isn't thinking work but wedding as she's about to tie the knot with her boyfriend, Jackson Oxenhandler. The path to the altar turns rocky when a crime occurs - a bank robbery in Orchid Beach, Florida, and a vicious one at that as the thieves take everything with them except for a dead body. Her investigation takes Holly and her father, Ham, a retired Army sergeant to a rather strange town, Lake Winachobee. Despite its name not much is placid in this little burg as it turns out to be a hotbed of white supremacists who are planning the assassination of an important leader. Stuart Woods has once again proffered a rapid fire plot and a stunning conclusion. - Gail Cooke

Great reading experience

Holly Barker is going to the chapel to get married. Her best friend Daisy, her Doberman Pincher, will serve as the maid of honor. However, Holly's elation abruptly turns to horror when her fiancé is murdered during a bank robbery that turned violent. Holly leads the official investigation that takes her to a town not found on the most detailed of maps. The inhabitants are white supremacists who recruit Holly's dad Ham into joining their organization. Ham pretends to join the militia and quickly assumes a key role amidst the group. Holly and her law enforcement peers obtain Ham's cooperation and he places listening devices in the organization's encampment. This enables them to learn that Ham is selected to assassinate a VIP, but no one knows whom the intended victim is. Unless they can learn the identity of the target, someone will die. Stuart Woods has his more famous character Stone Barrington makes cameo appearances in ORCHID BLUES, which allows fans to feel a greater connection to the Barker series. Holly is a humorous independent soul who copes with grief by diving headfirst into a mystery filled with more twists and turns than that found in a maze. This is a good read on a cold winter's night.Harriet Klausner