The Prince of Beverly Hills (Rick Barron Series #1)

by Stuart Woods Narrated by Stephen Hoye

Overview

Brash detective Rick Barron enters the infamous Hollywood fast lane*in this thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stone Barrington series.
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Los Angeles, 1939. It's Hollywood's Golden Age, and Rick Barron is a suave and sharp detective on the Beverly Hills force. After a run-in with his captain, he finds himself demoted, but soon lands a job on the security detail for Centurion Pictures, one of the hottest studios. The white knight of such movie stars as Clete Barrow, the British leading man with a penchant for parties, and Glenna Gleason, a peach of a talent on the verge of superstardom, Rick is dubbed “the Prince of Beverly Hills” by society columnists. But when he unearths a murder cover-up and a blackmail scam, he finds himself up against West Coast wise guys whose stakes are do-or-die...

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

A recently demoted police detective gets caught up in the privileged and often dangerous world of 1939 Hollywood in Wood's solid 29th novel. His first night back in uniform, Rick Barron witnesses a car accident in which Clete Barrow, a drunk Hollywood A-lister, is involved. Though the other driver dies, Rick performs "Hollywood damage control," whisking Clete away from the scene. Centurion Studios' vice-president, grateful for Rick's "professional ethics," offers him the director of security post previously held by John Kean, who died in a suspicious murder-suicide a month earlier. Rick delivers Clete to the sets on time and keeps the star's drinking problem in check while dining at restaurants buzzing with vintage Hollywood royalty like Greta Garbo, Jack Benny and Spencer Tracy. He also comes to the studio's rescue again by covering up gorgeous starlet Glenna Gleason's apparent suicide attempt and budding actress Martha Werner's botched abortion. X-rated pictures that Rick finds in Kean's old safe get him into discussions with L.A. mob boss Bugsy Siegal while ducking blows from his henchman, Chick Stampano, who, along with Glenna and the Keans, appears in those pics. While romancing Glenna and gaining heroic notoriety, Rick learns of Stampano's involvement in a variety of crime scenes and, after the violence notches up, the men square off in an exciting head-to-head climax. Woods's sturdy, self-assured crime thriller is satisfying enough to expand an already immense fan base. Agent, Anne Sibbald at Janklow & Nesbit. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Simultaneous with the Putnam hardcover. Exclusive rights in the United States. Read by Tony Roberts. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In Hollywood of 1939, a handsome young policeman makes good as a studio security officer, battling a sadistic mobster, finding love, and rubbing elbows with movie stars. While patrolling the Sunset Strip late one evening, Beverly Hills cop Rick Barron happens upon the immediate aftermath of a bad two-car accident. He recognizes the barely injured occupant of one vehicle as highly intoxicated British matinee idol Clete Barrow. The quick-thinking Rick, at the instruction of Barrow's handler Eddie Harris, whisks the movie star away from the scene, allowing the studio to spin its own version of the crash and Barrow to emerge unscathed. As a result, Rick lands a job as Barrow's shadow, charged mainly with keeping the star sober and ready for his early morning calls. Other security odd jobs come Rick's way. He becomes pals with Barrow, whose heavy drinking stems in part from concern over the nascent conflict in Europe and his desire to help the British war effort. Through Barrow, Rick meets Gable & Lombard, Garbo, Niven, and other luminaries, who make cameo appearances. Mystery swirls around Rick's predecessor, John Kean. The distraught Kean allegedly shot his wife before turning his gun on himself. In Kean's office safe, Rick finds incriminating photos of four people having kinky sex, the Keans and another unidentified couple, whom Rick meets shortly. The man is hotheaded soldier of Bugsy Siegal, Chick Stampano, in appearance a latter-day Valentino who likes to take out his anger on starlets. (Organized crime is moving into Hollywood in a big way; Lucky Luciano also has a foothold.) One of these starlets is the girl in the picture, Glenna Gleason, whom Rick woos by inches. Stampano becomesRick's nemesis, their confrontations progressively escalating until a final showdown becomes inevitable. Woods (Reckless Abandon, 2004, etc.) writes with smooth confidence as famous names add spice to a diverting summer read that simmers but never gets hard-boiled. First printing of 225,000; agency: Janklow & Nesbit

From the Publisher

Praise for The Prince of Beverly Hills

“Woods’s sturdy, self-assured crime thriller is satisfying enough to expand an already immense fan base.”—Publishers Weekly

“Woods writes with smooth confidence as famous names add spice to a diverting summer read that simmers but never gets hard-boiled.”—Kirkus Reviews

More Praise for Stuart Woods

“Stuart Woods is a no-nonsense, slam-bang storyteller.”—Chicago Tribune

“A world-class mystery writer...I try to put Woods’s books down and I can’t.”—Houston Chronicle 

“Mr. Woods, like his characters, has an appealing way of making things nice and clear.”—The New York Times

“Woods certainly knows how to keep the pages turning.”—Booklist

“Since 1981, readers have not been able to get their fill of Stuart Woods’ New York Times bestselling novels of suspense.”—Orlando Sentinel

APR/MAY 05 - AudioFile

This fast-paced period mystery concerns a Beverly Hills cop, one Rick Barron, who, through some quick thinking at a tragic accident, is hired to be head of security for an up-and-coming studio in 1939. Assigned to keep British actor Clete Barrow on the wagon, Rick rubs elbows with Samuel Goldwyn, Clark Gable, and Greta Garbo, and has a run-in with one of "Bugsy" Siegal's thugs. This last drama makes for most of the action, but there’s plenty of romance, as well as WWII, to make this a first-rate story. Guerin Barry’s steady, confident voice gives individual voices to all characters, male and female, British and American. His lively presentation makes this story a fine listening experience. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172106729
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	01/05/2016
Series:	Rick Barron Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

The Prince of Beverly Hills

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By Stuart Woods

Putnam Adult

ISBN: 0-399-15220-2

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Chapter One

A brash detective enters the Hollywood fast lane-jammed with the sort of wealth, glamour, and blackmail it is famous for-in this new thriller by the bestselling author of the Stone Barrington series.

Stuart Woods's new novel is a sexy, action-packed thriller in the tradition of his best. As the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote about his last novel, Capital Crimes, "Woods knows how to deliver a taut, well-told tale . . . The last two paragraphs will make any reader gulp." In The Prince of Beverly Hills, set in Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s, Woods introduces a new character that possesses the kind of suave confidence, take-charge manner, and clever wit-under-pressure that his fans will recognize and love at first sight.

Rick Barron, a sharp, capable detective on the Beverly Hills force, finds himself demoted after a run-in with his captain, but soon lands a job on the security detail for Centurion Pictures, one of the hottest studios. As the protector of the studio's interests, Barron looks after the cream of the crop of filmdom's stars-Clete Barrow, the British leading man with a penchant for parties; and Glenna Gleason, a peach of a talent on the verge of superstardom. Rick's easy charm has society columnists dubbing him "the Prince of Beverly Hills," the white knight of movie stars, until he uncovers a murder cover-up and a blackmail scam that threatens the studio's business and may originate with the West Coast mob. When two suspicious deaths begin to look like double- murder, and an attempt is made on Glenna Gleason's life, Barron knows he is up against wise guys whose stakes are do-or-die. A dicey war of nerves is on.

Set in the era of high style and silver-screen romance, Woods's thoroughly entertaining new crime novel shows us once again why he is a "master of the genre" (Los Angeles Times).

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Prince of Beverly Hills by Stuart Woods Excerpted by permission.
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