Orchid Beach (Holly Barker, #1)

by Stuart Woods, George Guidall (Narrator)

book data

881 ratings, 3.67 average rating, 77 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		18%
4		38%
3		37%
2		5%
1		0%

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published

1998

details

Audio CD

characters

Holly Barker

isbn

0788744658 (isbn13: 9780788744655)

description

Talk about a bad first day. Major Holly Barker thought she was getting out of a mess when she left the army. She'd been sexually harassed by her sup…more

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May 23, 2008

Kerry rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

bookshelves: holly-barker, my-bookshelf, posted-on-book-swap

Owns a copy — Read in June, 2008

Because I have read a later books with this character in it (Holly Barker) it was nice to go back and read from the beginning to see what she's all about and where she came from. I have two more Holly Barker books to read before catching up to the ones I've already read. My first Holly Barker book was one where she appeared in one of the Stone Barrington character books. I'm looking forward to reading the other two Barker books now - funny how the author did that (to introduce her and hook al...more

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Jan 01, 2009

Tom Barnes added it (review of isbn 0061355267)

Read in December, 2008

Holly Barker grew up as a military brat, got hooked on her father’s trade and climbed through the military ranks and OCS to major in charge of a military police division. Her immediate superior, a West Point grad, tried to woo the attractive major and when that didn’t work he attempted to rape her.
Holly filed harassment and attempted rape charges but lost out to the old boy’s and West Point collegiality club.
Holly retired from the army and was hired by an old army buddy ...more
Holly Barker grew up as a military brat, got hooked on her father’s trade and climbed through the military ranks and OCS to major in charge of a military police division. Her immediate superior, a West Point grad, tried to woo the attractive major and when that didn’t work he attempted to rape her.
Holly filed harassment and attempted rape charges but lost out to the old boy’s and West Point collegiality club.
Holly retired from the army and was hired by an old army buddy of her father’s as Deputy Chief of Police in the city of Orchid Beach located on the east coast of Florida.
Chief Chet Marley went outside the department to hire Holly because he suspected there was at least on mole inside his organization. Something big was going on in Orchid Beach that involved smuggling, money laundering, drugs or possibly weapons – but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Holly drove south, leaving her army nightmare behind, only to inherit another on her first day as Deputy Chief of Police at Orchid Beach. Chief Chet Marley had been murdered the night before her arrival, which complicated her standing with the police department and more than that, being thrust into the job of acting Chief of Police. Bad blood within the city council notwithstanding, Holly Barker weathered the storm and was eventually installed as the permanent Chief of Police.
Chief Barker’s investigation into Marley’s murder was inhibited by the mole factor. And if that wasn’t enough the discovery of the dead body of Hank Doherty, less than a mile from the scene of Marley’s murder was. Doherty was a paraplegic Vietnam Vet and another buddy of Ham Barker and Chet Marley.
When and where the murders took place were the only known factors in the investigation – why was the unknown?
In the middle of a seemingly hopeless situation Holly Barker inherited a dog named Daisy, Hank Doherty’s well-trained Doberman. Holly and Daisy quickly bonded and the chief found an immediate friend and a backup that she could trust.
The death of two army buddies got Ham Barker’s attention and he hurried south to find the killer or killers of his pals. Holly loved her father, but wanted no outside interference in her investigation. However, as she already knew, standing up to Ham Barker was like standing up to Mount Rushmore.
Nothing came easy in the investigation, however bits and pieces of clues began to point in the direction of a gated and heavily armed community called Palmetto Gardens that was located just inside the Orchid Beach city limits.
Stuart Woods fine storytelling ability and his fast paced plot, with enough twists and turns to satisfy most mystery lovers’, leads to a logical conclusion.
Tom Barnes author of 'The Goring Collection.'(less)

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Dec 04, 2008

Catten rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Stuart Woods has been knocking out suspense fiction for awhile now; I believe Orchid Beach made number 19 in the fiction category for him. If you’re looking for another mystery author to add to your list, don’t miss this one.

Woods has a clever way with setting, and the small island community in Florida called Orchid Beach is very tangible. As characters visit different parts of the town, the reader is given a good look at the location and its recognizable features.

The plo...more

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Sep 23, 2009

Karschtl rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

bookshelves: darkish, part_of_series, read-in-2009

Read in September, 2009

When looking for some reading material for my new eReader, I came across this book. Since I already have another book from this series, I thought I should first read the first part (I hate reading book series not in the chronological order).

Stuart Woods doesn't bother with much foreplay, he throws you right into the action. Holly Barker leaves the army after she loses the trial against her boss who sexually harrassed her and takes on a job as a deputy police chief in a small town in ...more

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Jan 31, 2010

Jenn rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

This is my second Stuart Woods book. I liked it! I enjoyed it more than the first one I read. This is another one of my attempts to find more books like Janet Evanovich's Plum series. I definitely didn't succeed, but I do like these. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the Holly Barker books and might try another of his series after that. The story here was good. I thought the romance aspect moved a bit too fast and Holly's dad was a little over the top, but other than that, it was a s...more

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Nov 13, 2007

Melissa rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

bookshelves: mysteries

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: not necessarily anyone yet

This is the first book in the Holly Barker series which has potential, but I'm not convinced of it yet. What really put me off was the overwhelming theme of sex-gone-bad. When the book starts, the military police officer Holly has just lost a sexual harassment case against her boss, a General, I believe. It even got to the point where he had apparently tried to rape her. But now she's moving on...until in her new role as Deputy Sheriff (or something like that), she stumbles upon a big myster...more

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Feb 18, 2010

Tom rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

All of Stuart Woods' books are great fun to read if you like sexy detective type stuff, which I always hated till I retired. The chapters are super short, the action fast paced, the sex pretty explicit, with three or four repeat main characters. Several of his novels are set in Santa Fe (my favorite place!) but most in Florida, NYC, California or the Caribbean. I give aN A- to all of them, you don't think, just read for the hell of it

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Feb 19, 2009

tomlinton rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Read in February, 2009

The style almost stopped me
early in the opening
but once the story took hold
who paid attention
to style
It's a page turner
made more interesting
because I've been along that road
through connected barrier islands
although I never quite found
that fabled compound

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Oct 05, 2009

J.W. Thompson rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Read in October, 2009

Holly is forced to take a vacation. It turns out to be a working vacation and intertwines with a meeting with Teddy Fay. Teddy is a rogue retired CIA employee who was presumed dead.

The plot and story line is excellent. Another best seller for Stuart Woods

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Dec 29, 2009

Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Am going back to see which of these "orchid" Holly Barker books that I've read. I do know that I liked them all.... but don't remember them distinctly. Am trying to figure out if I have read them all !

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Aug 25, 2009

Joe O'c rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Read in April, 1999

Excellent; Continuing character: Holly Barker (first in series); new woman sheriff has to solve the killing of her predecessor and a secluded community within her town, with the aid of a trained Doberman.

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Aug 29, 2009

Margaret rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Read in January, 1999

I have been a fan of Stuart Woods books for a long time, but I have to say that his new main character, Holly Barker, is one of my favorites! I loved her as the Florida police chief in this book.

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Jun 18, 2009

Terry Odell rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Picked this up after reading a bunch of Stone Barrington books to see how Woods handled writing a female protagonist. He didn't. Story had some interest, but the writing was flat.

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Mar 02, 2010

Tasha rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Read in March, 2010

An entertaining story and I love the main character and her dog, Daisy. I will definitely continue reading the Holly Barker Orchid series, but I did not like it as much as the Stone Barrington book I have read (New York Dead). I would still recommend it, though.

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Apr 11, 2009

David Wrubel rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Then there are the Holly Barker novels. Not as many Barkers as Barringtons, but they are equally addictive and mind numbing, which sometimes is just what the doctor ordered.

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Jun 15, 2009

Rebecca Sanders rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

This is a continuation of the Holly Barker series; it is a good read in that it is entertaining and well connected plots/intrigue. It is fast reading! :) Enjoy!

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Jan 05, 2009

Jenna rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Read in January, 2009

typical stuart woods read....interesting cop series. this is my first holly barker book.. i have read a lot of the Stone Barrington series... good quick reads.

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Mar 02, 2009

Tami rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

I love most all things Stuart Woods but for some reason I don't care for the main character in the Orchid Series so I've only read one or two.

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Nov 26, 2009

Ted Kendall rated it:

(review of isbn 0061355267)

Fun and light. Nothing wrong with that. But just a little too predictable and a little too--I don't know--just a little too.