Orchid Beach

By: Stuart Woods

Narrated by: Debra Monk

Major Holly Barker, the army brat daughter of a master sergeant, has been forced into early retirement at the age of 37 as the result of a scandalous sexual harassment case. With the help of her dad, she makes the move to civilian life, becoming deputy chief of police in Orchid Beach, Florida. But below the surface of this sleepy, well-to-do coastal island town lies a web of evil and deceit that escalates when a colleague and another associate are brutally gunned down.

Tracking down the killers won't be easy for Holly who finds herself alone, with no clues to go on, and surrounded by a staff of officers she neither knows nor trusts. An unexpected source, Daisy, a Doberman of exceptional intelligence and loyalty, becomes her inseparable companion and protector. But the closer she gets to unraveling the mystery of Orchid Beach, the nearer Holly comes to danger darker and more deadly than any she could have ever anticipated.

©1998 Stuart Woods (P)1998 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Definitely more rewarding in the listen than in the read.' (AudioFile)

It's a really good mystery

This was the second time reading this book and it was as good as the first time! Fast read. Fast listen.

Great plot , reader not good

Great plot ! Ms Monk is not a good voice for the variety of characters . She sounded the same for most of them so it was difficult to determine which character was speaking. There were several names that were similar . It was a great story !

great story and performance!

Holly is the right mix of tough and save...and the story kept me interested all the time.

I enjoyed the narration, but the story felt flat.

I was going to judge this more harshly, until I realized it was a 5 hour abridging of a 9 hour book, so I'll give benefit of the doubt for things that seemed to happen too quickly and too easily, and a plot that seemed thin and lacking in so many of the surprises that I kept expecting around every corner.

I never get abridged books, and this one is an example of why.

But, two things bugged me most, one concerning the production of the audiobook, another with the author's decisions.

First, each chapter ends and begins with disruptive, jarring, out of place Seinfeldesque music. A sentence will end and suddenly there's this ludicrous music in your ear. That's a small thing.

The big, second thing made me stop listening to log on and write this review. The author makes his generally intelligent character do one of the most inane things I've ever seen which, frustratingly, I can't reveal without spoilers. It was just lazy.

The protagonist is all twisted up about what's going on, so she decides to go to an incredibly secluded spot, by herself, as close as possible to the people that she knows, without a doubt, just did some horrible things to someone less than 24 hours beforehand, where she then has to try not to suffer the exact same fate.

It makes no sense that she'd make this move. None. It's completely artificial and makes you shake your fist at the author for thinking you would ever swallow this "plot turn". Just awful. I've not felt so insulted by an author in all of my years of reading. It was just so completely remarkable, I had to remark on it. I was, and still am, stunned.

Suspense and humor

This was a very enjoyable "listen". The characters were interesting and quirky, the plot was fast moving. The only thing that would improve this story would be an "unabridged" version to fill in the gaps and give greater depth to the characters. Monk's reading was terrific! Brava!!

Enjoyable

This was my first Stuart Wood and I really enjoyed it. It moved along well with mystery, personal interest and some romance. There were some loose ends or characters not followed up but it didn't hurt the overall story. I am looking foward to listening to more of his works.

Holly Fan

I have become a real Chief Holly and Orchid Beach fan. I have read both books and can't wait for more. The story line is excellent and keeps you wanting to hear more. I loved Daisy and Ham too. I wish I had another book available.

Stuart Woods Moves to #2 Travelling Companion

Memorable Characters, storyline didn't drag, kept us awake during our drive, and when we had to shut it off before it was finished, we arranged another trip just to finish our book. Really appreciated the minimal amount of foul language! The story and characters never suffered for the lack of it.

Do not like the music!

Why do you have to have the music? It's too loud! It takes away from the book!

worth the time

Great book on tape to drive cross country. wife and I Enjoyed the story and suspense. looking forward to the next Holly book.