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Rick Barron #2
Beverly Hills Dead
Are you ready for a glimpse of Hollywood in 1947 and 1948, just after the Second World War?
Beverly Hills Dead picks up several years after the first volume in the series, The Prince of Beverly Hills, which was also set in Hollywood, but just before the start of the same war.
Rick Barron, a former cop, has risen to the head of production at Centurion Studios, and he's at the top of his game. Tensions are high in Hollywood. When Rick's friend Sidney Brooks, a successful screenwriter, receives a subpoena from Congress to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), 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.
It's a fast paced and sexy thriller full of the nail-biting twists and turns that Stuart Woods fans enjoy.
Librarian's note: this is one of two volumes in the author's Rick Barron series: 1. The Prince of Beverley Hills (2004), and 2. Beverley Hills Dead (2008). All the characters, settings, etc. have been done.
Beverly Hills Dead picks up several years after the first volume in the series, The Prince of Beverly Hills, which was also set in Hollywood, but just before the start of the same war.
Rick Barron, a former cop, has risen to the head of production at Centurion Studios, and he's at the top of his game. Tensions are high in Hollywood. When Rick's friend Sidney Brooks, a successful screenwriter, receives a subpoena from Congress to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), 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.
It's a fast paced and sexy thriller full of the nail-biting twists and turns that Stuart Woods fans enjoy.
Librarian's note: this is one of two volumes in the author's Rick Barron series: 1. The Prince of Beverley Hills (2004), and 2. Beverley Hills Dead (2008). All the characters, settings, etc. have been done.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
689 people are currently reading
986 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Woods
408 books3,221 followersStuart Woods was an American novelist best known for Chiefs and his long-running Stone Barrington series. A Georgia native, he initially pursued a career in advertising before relocating to England and Ireland, where he developed a passion for sailing. His love for the sport led him to write his first published work, Blue Water, Green Skipper, about his experiences in a transatlantic yacht race.
His debut novel, Chiefs, was inspired by a family story about his grandfather, a police chief. The book, a gripping crime saga spanning several decades, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was later adapted into a television miniseries. It launched Woods' career as a novelist, leading to a prolific output of thrillers.
Woods' most famous creation, Stone Barrington, is a former NYPD detective turned high-profile lawyer who navigates elite circles while solving crimes. The series became a bestseller and remained a staple of his career, often featuring crossover characters from his other books, such as CIA operative Holly Barker and defense lawyer Ed Eagle.
Beyond writing, Woods was an experienced pilot and yachtsman. He maintained homes in Florida, Maine, and New Mexico, where he lived with his wife and their Labrador, Fred. His literary career spanned decades, with dozens of bestsellers to his name.
His debut novel, Chiefs, was inspired by a family story about his grandfather, a police chief. The book, a gripping crime saga spanning several decades, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was later adapted into a television miniseries. It launched Woods' career as a novelist, leading to a prolific output of thrillers.
Woods' most famous creation, Stone Barrington, is a former NYPD detective turned high-profile lawyer who navigates elite circles while solving crimes. The series became a bestseller and remained a staple of his career, often featuring crossover characters from his other books, such as CIA operative Holly Barker and defense lawyer Ed Eagle.
Beyond writing, Woods was an experienced pilot and yachtsman. He maintained homes in Florida, Maine, and New Mexico, where he lived with his wife and their Labrador, Fred. His literary career spanned decades, with dozens of bestsellers to his name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
October 3, 2025
3 Stars. The late 1940s in Hollywood was a time of difficulty. TV was coming, and with it major changes in the studio business model. Some would not survive but others, like Rick Barron's Centurion, would rise to the challenge. In the real world, a Cold War confronted the West. The Soviet menace was leading people in the States, Canada and the UK to find communists behind every bush. In DC, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began investigating the possibility of communist influence in Hollywood which soon led to the blacklisting of numerous studio writers and personnel. That's the background. Stuart Woods has brought the era to life with a combination of thrilling fiction and history. Barron is just wrapping his first movie as Director when his writer, the famous playwright Sidney Brooks, gets a HUAC subpoena. We discover new stars - Vance Calder who later shows up in the Stone Barrington series, and Susan Stafford who suffers a mysterious death just as she is moving into their new house. Some of Hollywood's big names are guest stars, Mickey Cohen, Dalton Trumbo, and John Wayne to name a few. It's a good read. (Ap2021)
September 22, 2008
Stuart Woods knows how to write compelling novels. This isn’t one of them. The story follows the careers of a few movie stars and writers during the Hollywood witch hunts of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee determined to route out Communist sympathizers.
The story might have had potential. The execution, however, is unbelievably lackluster with shamefully boring dialogue and wooden characters. Part of me thinks I should’ve been paid to read it to completion.
P.S. This was actually the paperback version I read. I think I might’ve demanded a refund if I’d paid full price for the hardcover.
The story might have had potential. The execution, however, is unbelievably lackluster with shamefully boring dialogue and wooden characters. Part of me thinks I should’ve been paid to read it to completion.
P.S. This was actually the paperback version I read. I think I might’ve demanded a refund if I’d paid full price for the hardcover.
August 3, 2012
Set in Hollywood in the early 1950’s Rick Barron is a movie land wunderkind on his way up. And it’s all too easy. Rick is a great guy with an easy going personality that always keeps his word. Glenna is his beautiful and faithful wife that never considers straying. Eddie Harris is his undemanding and trusting boss and the head of the studio who always gives Rick whatever he needs to be more successful---and this is the problem I have with the story---who are these people? I don’t think any of them lived in the Hollywood I know. The underlying plot line is about the impact of the HUAC hearings going on during the McCarthy era and the resulting black listing that took place. Of course there’s a murder as well but you’ll figure out who did it long before any of the novel’s characters do. I realize that Woods is a formula writer, and a good one, but I thought we were going to get through this one without a reoccurring character from a previous book but in the end one of them puts in an appearance. As to how and who…I’ll save that as the only surprise.
April 17, 2011
The profanity, adult situations, and lesbian relationship make this a book that won't be donated to the school library or passed on to friends. The story took place in the 1940s when the House Un-American Activities Committee attempted to weed Communists out of writing, producing, and acting in Hollywood. Stuart Woods did an excellent job of incorporating real people into the context of his novel. The homicide/mystery evolves late in the story. The assailant and motive were disappointing.
January 4, 2021
January 2021 Ilike that in a murder mystery serious subjects like HUAC and "the red scare" are addressed as a subplot.
2-2018 what I said on 7-1-2013!!!!!!
4-16-2016 still recommend it.
1-12-14 re-re- read.
7-1-2013 I know this is a re-read but I never entered the first reading into Goodreads, probably 2011. After reading the book, again, i looked at some of the comments of fellow Goodreaderites and it seems we either liked it or disliked the book. I think Woods has done a wonderful service to bring in HUAC and their anti-constitutional behavior but he did fall short is letting Sid go the emotional distance but come out on top. I think Nathan Englander would have convicted Sid and given him prison time. I did appreciate the serious and devastating effects on Alan. All in all, I do recommend this book but, part, it is because I like familiar characters re-appearing over and over.
2-2018 what I said on 7-1-2013!!!!!!
4-16-2016 still recommend it.
1-12-14 re-re- read.
7-1-2013 I know this is a re-read but I never entered the first reading into Goodreads, probably 2011. After reading the book, again, i looked at some of the comments of fellow Goodreaderites and it seems we either liked it or disliked the book. I think Woods has done a wonderful service to bring in HUAC and their anti-constitutional behavior but he did fall short is letting Sid go the emotional distance but come out on top. I think Nathan Englander would have convicted Sid and given him prison time. I did appreciate the serious and devastating effects on Alan. All in all, I do recommend this book but, part, it is because I like familiar characters re-appearing over and over.
September 16, 2016
So far Stuart Woods' book " Beverly Hills Dead " is a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. The main characters are fictional but the time period is Hollywood after WWII. The names mentioned are all movie stars or movie moguls that existed in a difficult time period. The HUAC , the House UnAmerican Affairs Committee is stirring up some grim business. They are looking for Communists in prominent places.......like Hollywood !
Rick Barron, an ex-cop , first hired for some protection for Centurion Studios has slowly risen to head of production for the studio. Although not discussed openly, Rick is concerned that several members of his Centurion team are facing questioning in Washington. And 'yes' this was a very difficult period in Hollywood's history.
There are some surprises along the way but Stuart Woods is always an easy read
Rick Barron, an ex-cop , first hired for some protection for Centurion Studios has slowly risen to head of production for the studio. Although not discussed openly, Rick is concerned that several members of his Centurion team are facing questioning in Washington. And 'yes' this was a very difficult period in Hollywood's history.
There are some surprises along the way but Stuart Woods is always an easy read
January 5, 2020
I'm glad I only borrowed this book from someone else's shelf, it came nowhere near to living up to it's promise of a fast-past sexy thriller full of nail biting twists and turns. The pace was okay but it took 3oo pages before anything really happened.
The story is an old Hollywood tale about the business side of things and how easy it was to get accidentally discovered and become a successful movie star. The only real jeopardy was pressure from the U.S. government who were pursuing communists in Hollywood at the time.
The was only one clue as to who done it so there was no mystery involved. I came across no twists or turns and thought the plot fell flat.
The subject matter kept me interested enough to finish the book but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you're keenly interested in how a movie was produced in the 1950's.
The story is an old Hollywood tale about the business side of things and how easy it was to get accidentally discovered and become a successful movie star. The only real jeopardy was pressure from the U.S. government who were pursuing communists in Hollywood at the time.
The was only one clue as to who done it so there was no mystery involved. I came across no twists or turns and thought the plot fell flat.
The subject matter kept me interested enough to finish the book but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you're keenly interested in how a movie was produced in the 1950's.
December 4, 2018
This novel is like book cotton candy. It’s light, breezy, and doesn’t involve a lot of brain cells — a pick-me-up for casual, quick entertainment (think poolside with a drink that has an umbrella in it). It’s the second entry to Stuart Woods’ Rick Barron series. The first book in the series was a little disconnected in its mindlessness. This entry is also light on substance. It does try to take on the subject of blacklisting, but the writing is surface-level, so the effort is merely a plot point. The book has a super easy flow to it, with a decent storyline and interesting characters.
October 5, 2016
Not my favorite kind of mystery book, but it is okay. It did not hold my attention right away, and there was not enough character development for my taste. Some readers love this author's books and some don't, and I don't. However, this is my first time reading a book by this author. Maybe his other books are better.
July 1, 2022
More like a 3.5. This is the second book in a two book series. Wish the author had kept them coming instead of ending it with this one. But he has four other series going, of which the Stone Barrington series is the most prolific. I imagine he felt that it was not worth pursuing.
November 11, 2011
Pathetic, high school writing. This is definite low for Woods!
June 21, 2018
If I put as much thought into this review as the author put into his character development in this book, the review would run dry right about now.
September 13, 2018
That was horrible
January 31, 2019
I was not able to finish this. It could not hold my attention and I was finding myself forcing myself to pick it up.
April 29, 2019
Fluffy treatment of an interesting time in history... probably shouldn't give this four stars, but the story was engaging.
Read
November 9, 2023Light-weight read by this prolific author. Good LA color and fun/not really real depiction of "Hollywood" and "The Biz"
Women characters did not fare well: one murdered, one suicide, then the divorced wife all forgotten.
Women characters did not fare well: one murdered, one suicide, then the divorced wife all forgotten.
April 23, 2009
I usually like Woods books but I have mixed feelings on this one.
The plot of the book is that Rick Barron, now the head of production of Centurion Studios, is making a film. That's pretty much the plot. There are two subplots, namely one of the writers has been caught up in the Hollywood blacklist of communist sympathizers and the co-star of the picture is murdered. That's pretty much the whole story. Both subplots are not concluded until the final pages of the book.
I think this book would have been more interesting if Woods had focused more on the movie making aspect of the book. That, to me, is fascinating. Like many of his other novels, Woods works sex into the story, which is described pretty graphically and really adds nothing to the plot or to the story. And like his other novels, he invites readers to comment on the book but chastises them if they should want anything else.
I am getting the impression that Woods is tiring of writing and this book certainly shows it. His characters are recycles from previous books, only set in an earlier time frame.
My recommendation is to skip this book. Earlier works are better and fresher than this title.
The plot of the book is that Rick Barron, now the head of production of Centurion Studios, is making a film. That's pretty much the plot. There are two subplots, namely one of the writers has been caught up in the Hollywood blacklist of communist sympathizers and the co-star of the picture is murdered. That's pretty much the whole story. Both subplots are not concluded until the final pages of the book.
I think this book would have been more interesting if Woods had focused more on the movie making aspect of the book. That, to me, is fascinating. Like many of his other novels, Woods works sex into the story, which is described pretty graphically and really adds nothing to the plot or to the story. And like his other novels, he invites readers to comment on the book but chastises them if they should want anything else.
I am getting the impression that Woods is tiring of writing and this book certainly shows it. His characters are recycles from previous books, only set in an earlier time frame.
My recommendation is to skip this book. Earlier works are better and fresher than this title.
January 2, 2011
Woods jumps out of his normal present-day Stone Barrington territory here, and into post-World War II Hollywood where the House Un-American Activities Committee is investigating Communist Party activity in the film industry. I like it when an author ventures outsides familiar territory. Robert Parker's westerns are a good example, I think, of this done well. BHD less so. The characterization, setups, and dialogue seemed early on to have an uneasy edge to them. Hard to explain. They just didn't flow as well as the Stone Barrington novels, predictable as they had become. What saves the book is the Woods is none the less a good story teller. That kept me going, as did my own interest in the post-World War II era. I wanted to see how he handled it. Details about the film industry are useful and interesting; the move into television provides the characters with future-vision that's pretty neat. Oh, this isn't science fiction. The solution to the murder wasn't that satisfactory.
May 13, 2021
You start out in what seems like a good period for a novel. Hollywood, McCarthy Era so you've got HUAC to cope with. Writers, directors, actors, producers, stuido heads... and no dead bodies anywhere... (excluding the red herring death which lasted all of 5 pages) until halfway through the book. Seriously, up to that point it is entirely world building and character introduction. It certainly didn't make for a thrilling thriller, suspenseful suspense or mysterious mystery novel.
When those who are trying to sort out who done the deed it clears up in about 5 pages. Talk about anti-climactic.
It certainly isn't among the worst things I've ever read, but it definitely doesn't rate as something all that good. I've now read a couple of random Woods novels and they are not inspiring me to run out and get a bunch more. I can only hope I've been very unlucky and picked up ones that were just not all that great.
When those who are trying to sort out who done the deed it clears up in about 5 pages. Talk about anti-climactic.
It certainly isn't among the worst things I've ever read, but it definitely doesn't rate as something all that good. I've now read a couple of random Woods novels and they are not inspiring me to run out and get a bunch more. I can only hope I've been very unlucky and picked up ones that were just not all that great.
June 10, 2011
Yikes! After enjoying The Prince of Beverly Hills, I was really looking forward to what Stuart Woods had in store for the next novel to feature Rick Barron. Unfortunately, Mr. Woods showed up to this gunfight with a knife. The characters spoke in extremely stoic dialogue, and the mystery was a mere afterthought. There is no need at all to read this book. If Woods decides to resurrect Barron in the future, I can only hope he brings a better effort to the table.
August 12, 2016
Disappointing crime story from Stuart Woods. Fame comes too easily to an unknown actor. Money flows unchecked in post-WWII Hollywood. Movie sets are built and a movie filmed an unimaginable short amount of time. Names of well-known industry titans are dropped frequently but these names have little to do with this story. A writer is persecuted, threatened and loses his job thanks to McCarthy's infamous Communist witch hunt, and a devoted wife suddenly abandons him. But never fear: he experiences redemption before the end! The promised murder finally occurs halfway into the tale but it feels tangential to everything else going on. This tale does not measure up to the author's other works in plot, characters, or gravitas.
January 7, 2022
Rick Barron, a former cop, has risen to the head of production at Centurion Studios. Vance Caulder, a handsome young man is discovered by Rick’s wife and is signed to a contract. An entire film crew sets up at Jackson Hole, WY, to shoot Bitter Creek. Vance’s co-star, Susie Sullivan, is murdered when the film is just opening and Rick, Tom Terry, Centurion’s new security manager, and the LAPD must find her killer. Also, during this time, tensions run high in Hollywood when Rick's friend, Sidney Brooks, Bitter Creek screenwriter, plus 20 others in the film industry including his starlet wife, Glenna Gleason, receive a subpoena from Congress to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2010
This was the first book I read by Stuart Woods and I can't say that I was too impressed. Based on the title, I expected the book to center around a murder, however, the murder didn't occur until halfway through the book. There were so many subplots that I felt the murder took a backseat almost as an after thought. It was intriguing to read about the blacklisting of communists in Hollywood after WWII, but once again this was another plot in the book with no real connection to the murder. I felt as if the author should have either concentrated on the murder plot or the blacklisting plot, the book just wasn't long enough to give justice to both.
July 26, 2011
I was mildly disappointed with this book. It was not at all like all of the other books that I've read of Stuart Woods, which I was rather enjoying at first, but then it started to drag on in places. I like the idea of a book about the 40's but I don't know if I liked the way it was carried off. This book will not make me avoid reading anything else by this author but it will influence me in letting people know to skip this one over because it's not as well written than the rest. I was also disappointed at the fact that there was a lot of build up to the ending but not a lot when you got there. The climax was lacking the usual bang that it usually has in his books. It seems like th
March 22, 2015
#2 in the Rick Barron series. This series takes place in 1940s Hollywood and sets up the rise of Centurion Studios, which ran through the control of Lance Calder to his widow Arrington and then through her widower Stone Barrington to their son - explained in Son of Stone (2011).
Rick Barron, now a Centurion Studios exec, discovers actor Lance Calder and grooms his career as a rising star. A sub-plot has Calder's co-star murdered and a lesbian friend suspected. A major sub-plot deals with a major studio writer being blacklisted after HUAC accusations in the late forties. A fast read, the second half reads more like an outline than a novel.
Rick Barron, now a Centurion Studios exec, discovers actor Lance Calder and grooms his career as a rising star. A sub-plot has Calder's co-star murdered and a lesbian friend suspected. A major sub-plot deals with a major studio writer being blacklisted after HUAC accusations in the late forties. A fast read, the second half reads more like an outline than a novel.
August 27, 2021
This is the book that got me into the bibliography of Stuart Woods (I read "Bel-Air Dead" right after; purchased both at a thrift store). I really like this story of a fictional underdog film studio set in the Golden Age of Hollywood (along with the appearances & mentioning of some real-life legends), with the Red Scare and a murder as the subplot to a major film production getting made with a fresh-faced cast full of potential. Overall, I like most of Woods's books (I admit that nowadays he probably spreads his content a little thin with publishing so many books a year), so I'm with what he writes for better or worse (mostly for better, I feel).
November 19, 2018
A continuance of Rick Barron's adventures in California. This book also includes the House Un-American Activities Committee in Hollywood. In October 1947, 10 members of the Hollywood film industry publicly denounced the tactics employed by the House Un-American Activities Committee, an investigative committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, during its probe of alleged communist influence in the American motion picture business. (https://www.history.com/topics/cold-w... ) Mr Woods does an excellent job of writing about this time. I found this book exciting and interesting.
June 26, 2019
For you who are Stuart Woods fans, this is an interesting tale of Vance Calder's beginnings. Set in the 1940s when television was a new invention, this whodunit takes place when Hollywood actors were being blacklisted by the HUAAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) for being members of the communist party. Fortunately, Vance was not one of them and his career takes off in a big way. Dripping with Hollywood decadence, this is a story of murder, money, and love gone wrong. Very entertaining.
December 18, 2019
The book is set in 1947 Hollywood and is an interesting tale of Hollywood during the government investigation of the Communist Party, and the movie industry's blacklist of actors, producers, directors, and others in their industry. Intertwined with this, there is a murder investigation by Rick Barron into the murder of a rising star, to find the culprit. I found the book to be entertaining and well written, and liked the glimpse into the early days of Hollywood and the blacklist scandal. It was a good conclusion to the series.
December 25, 2020
sequel to The Prince of Beverly Hills, this novel, set in Hollywood in the late 1940s, a story that moves along at a brisk clip. that deals with the Hollywood Communist black list.
Rick Barron, a former Beverly Hills cop, has risen to the head of production of Centurion pictures, 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. The witch hunt is spreading, and those under investigation are Rick's closest friends—even his wife, the glamorous starlet Glenna Gleason.
Rick Barron, a former Beverly Hills cop, has risen to the head of production of Centurion pictures, 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. The witch hunt is spreading, and those under investigation are Rick's closest friends—even his wife, the glamorous starlet Glenna Gleason.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews