Cold Paradise

Stone Barrington #7

by Stuart Woods

Palm Beach is the most glamorous scene-of-the-crime yet for cop-turned-lawyer and investigator Stone Barrington.

He becomes reacquainted with a case he thought was buried years ago. While luxuriating in Florida's winter warmth, he is stunned to recognize someone he thought was dead. Former client Allison Manning, last seen condemned to death in St. Mark's in the Caribbean! She needs Stone's help once again. Should we mention there are also a few other romantic entanglements that haunt him in Florida as well?

Librarian's note: the characters, settings and other information for the first 25 books in the series are complete as best possible (corrections are welcome!) for: #1, New York Dead, 1991; #2, Dirt, 1996; #3, Dead in the Water, 1997; #4, Swimming to Catalina, 1998; #5, Worst Fears Realized, 1999; #6, L.A. Dead, 2000; #7, Cold Paradise, 2001; #8, The Short Forever, 2002; #9, Dirty Work, 2003; #10, Reckless Abandon, 2004; #11, Two Dollar Bill, 2004; #12. Dark Harbor, 2006; #13, Fresh Disasters, 2007; #14, Shoot Him if He Runs, 2007; #15, Hot Mahogany, 2008; #16, Loitering with Intent, 2009; #17, Kisser, 2009; #18, Lucid Intervals, 2010; #19, Strategic Moves, 2010; #20, Bel-Air Dead, 2011; #21, Son of Stone, 2011; #22, D.C. Dead, 2011; #23, Unnatural Acts, 2012; #24, Severe Clear, 2012; and #25, Collateral Damage, 2012.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Stuart 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.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok series! An enjoyable and entertaining storyline. I just could not get into the case and plot twists (paperback!)
2.5 stars!

[Jack Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. This is a good one. One of the best in the series. Stone Barrington's specialty in life is getting into entanglements - murder, other crimes, and romantic ones too. Author Stuart Woods sets them up so innocently. Bill Eggers, managing partner of Stone's firm, Woodman and Weld, meets him at Elaine's bar and restaurant in New York and asks for a small favour. The firm has a new client, the young billionaire and software genius, Thad Shames. Eggers will do anything to keep a client - including volunteering Stone to locate a beautiful woman that Shames met recently in the Hamptons. The only clue? Her name is Liz! It leads to Palm Beach in Florida, that enclave of money and privilege about 125 km north of Miami. Stone does find her and quickly realizes the woman, now known as Liz Harding and former wife of the late Winston Harding, is actually Allison Manning who he first met in St. Marks in the Caribbean. One of Stone's great legal failures. She had been his client and more in #3 'Dead in the Water.' Charged with murdering her husband Paul. Stone lost the case and she hanged. But here she is alive! Huh? It's all a mess and most enjoyable. (Jun2022/Mar2025)

[Lisa Silverman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be a perfectly easy poolside read which is just what you want for the start of the summer. But, I must admit, the Stone Barrington books are getting predictable. Stone gets called to a case, Dino has to come help, they enjoy luxury and women and then there is a major shoot out where Dino saves Stone. It's easy summer reading but don't expect anything shocking or new from this one.

[ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

For starting so slow, this plot sped up pretty fast and then lulled in the middle to only accelerate to a unsatisfying conclusion. Lol.

I might be the only one that wanted Allison to die ☠️ in Dead in the Water but she missed the gallows and you find out pretty quickly that Paul also escaped that same fate. Ugh. I hate when dead people don’t stay that way 🤣🤣

This was a wild plot and also pretty predictable. Never trust a habitual liar or a con artist. They never change. Stone is pretty naive for a 14 year veteran of the NYPD.

In this installment, he’s a one woman man. Shocking I know! I was SO happy Arrington wasn’t the woman and she was very briefly in this book. I keep hoping an “accident” befalls her.

This ends but not like I wanted which seems to be a common theme in the Stone books. Taking a break from them to read Holly Barker #2…

[Kay · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is wrong with me??? I keep buying these books [no I'm not even smart enough to borrow them or check them out from the library!]. After this book,I was ready to give them up but I do need something to clear my mind every once in awhile. I keep thinking one of these books will show me why women keep throwing themselves in Stone's bed! I'm still reading them and I've never discovered why all these women find Stone charming, but they are either gotten better or my reading tastes have declined!!! This was one of the worst of his books

[Alan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goombahs, cops, feds, crooks, killers, cons and nutters. A cadre of lawyers. Let’s not forget Stone’s former and present lovers from down the years and all over the map who contrived to be or were coincidentally present for this disjointed little tale of disgruntled lovers, widows and brides. Mix in a little mayhem, revenge and greed; add booze and caviar. Far too silly for words.

[Papalodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was a fun read from beginning to the last sentence. (When a man answers)
I cracked up at page 20. -- Stone, a lawyer and the main character, is being given a tour driving along the beach Palm Beach, FL (That's Mar a Lago over there - the home of Marjorie Meriwether Post, now owned by the awful Donald Trump. He's turned it into a club.) Why is it funny? Well, because the book copyright is 2001. Dino is a good character - Stone's philosophical ex-partner NYPD Lt. There is no end to Dino's pithy one liners. Consider it an upscale Martin-Lewis comedy routine. More twists and turns that a rollercoaster - the tory is quite a ride. The Palm Beach police a tongue in cheek polite when handling the demanding rich people. Dino's journey on the yacht is hilarious. Oh yeah, and you'll have no problem figuring out the probable end it's a no brainer. That's what makes it fun.

[Teri Pre · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not even on part 3 and he's already slept with 1 woman and is planning on 2 more. I'm done.

[Richard Bankey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. All of the familiar characters make an appearance. Probably my favorite in the series so far.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

October 2024.. so many optional titles to choose from. My current favorite is “As the world turns”. The number of the same people who are in love another character hole

July 2023 introduces billionaire good guy Thad Shames. Return of bad guy Paul Bartlett dab Paul Manning from Stones days in a the Caribbean.

June 22, 2020 still a fav.

June 2018 Socket gave me new book on 6-10-20
Oct 2018 One new thought- a dated reference to" at the airport, he parked at the curb and ran inside, and the hell with tickets." page 155. That was pre-9-11.
May 2017 I like my June 2015 comments - still valid!!!!
re-read 6-1-2015 I actually liked the bad guys - he wrote them with remarkable chutzpah!
re-read 3-13-2015
The red herring wasn't a red herring after all.
11-1-2013very high society living in palm beach.
the ending left me dangling - I'm assuming i need to read the next sequential book.

[Anita Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part of the Stone Barrington series. It was my first read of a Stuart Woods book, so took a little getting use
to the masculine style read. (Sex, Cars, Women, suits, ect…) It seemed that every woman character in the book was either sleeping with Stone (main character), wanted to sleep with him, or had slept with him and was still totally infatuated with him! I started visualizing Stone as Pierce Brosnan, so I could make the storyline work. This was a book about an old crime including murder and the steps to eliminate suspects and eventually solving the mystery despite all the crazy women after Stone Barrington! It was a little dirty for me and focused too much on sex, that’s why I only gave 3 stars!

[John Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stone and Dino fight to end a mystery of old. Insurance fraud specialists back at it conning millionaire and billionaire gentlemen. Stone has all the ladies once again. Stuart Woods seems to enjoy writing about Stone and his sexual exploits. Dino comes to save stone’s hiny.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed as always. The earlier Barrington books seem to have more mystery and more in depth bedroom romance than the current ones.

[Carol Bro · Rating 1 out of 5]

First Stuart Woods book I've read. Maybe I should have started with something else. This was one of the "Stone Barrington" series and I found the characters unbelievably shallow and the plot contrived. His dealings with the police were unrealistic given he was an ex-cop/lawyer from New York and unknown to the Palm Beach, Florida police detective with whom he was dealing. But, in fairness to Mr. Woods, he is a best-selling novelist many times over and I remain ... unpublished, so more power to him. Who knows? Maybe it's a "Mars vs. Venus" thing.

[Rusty · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is a harlequin romance for dudes. It's just an excuse to put the protagonist in an expensive setting, courtesy of a software billionaire who has some silly job for him that involves putting him up in his Palm Beach estate, letting him have use of the facilities, the expensive cars, and of course, the women, all of whom are beautiful and throwing themselves at him. There's no attempt to give the guy any depth, any inner monologue or even a personality. Yuck.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stone Barrington is an ex-cop from NYPD turned lawyer. In this book he continues to exhibit his naivity regarding the females he encounters. He starts falling for Callie, who works for a rich celebrity. He current wife, who is mentally deranged, and his ex-girlfriend, a recent widow, and a previous client, with whom he had an affair, are all entertwined in the cases he is currently working on. Good thing he has Dino, his ex-cop partner, to turn to for assistance when he needs it most!

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry Stuart but based on this book, I read 200 pages, I'll not be reading anymore of your books. 'Stone' has been to bed with all three drop dead gorgeous women, all 3 want to go back to his bed, etc etc etc. He dictates an iron clad contract to his secretary over the phone that saves one of these women millions etc etc etc. Completely a pile of garbage and I have better things to do with my time.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good one by Stuart Woods. His Stone Barrington books are adictive. I've read several and will read more. Good reads, all of them, so far.

[Judy Zimbelman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm trying to figure out what why this author gets such great reviews. At least in #7 Stone actually does some detective work between sleeping with the Secretary \ cook and going to expensive restaurants.

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one ended with a great twist! Normally these books are just fun but no real great twist! This one however shocked me in a good way!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve gotten to enjoy Stone Barrington and Dino Bacchetti through Stuart Woods. The books are easy to read and the flow is good. Cold Paradise definitely had an unexpected ending, but there were a few times a figured this person was Involved. I’m not going to spoil the story. Dolce makes another appearance and is as crazy as ever going after Stone.

I didn’t give this book five stars because it’s a typical Woods book. Stone gets put on a case that gets a little out of hand. Dino becomes involved and ends up helping save Stone. And Stone seems to always sleep with whoever he’s supposed to be protecting or a female friend of that person.

[David Frances · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having binge-read the previous 7 Stone Barrington novels, I have finally reached Stone-fatigue. Had to skim large portions of this one. Since book 5, this franchise has moved away from solving crimes to incessant phone-calls, luxury hotel stays, improbable story lines and incessant sex with the same 3 voluptuous former/current, aggressively sexual lady friends, all of whom continue to reappear. As Stone has become more affluent, this series has become tedious and uninteresting.

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joint review with Woods' L.A. Dead

Stone Barrington is a cop-turned-lawyer and private investigator who needs to be much more selective in his choice of bedmates. I read these two books out of sequence. They can be read independently, but to get the full flavor of the hole Stone has dug for himself, one should really read Dead in the Water, which I have not read, then L.A. Dead, followed by Cold Paradise.

In the beginning of L.A. Dead, Stone is off to Italy about to marry the beautiful Dolce, daughter of a Mafia don, who is also father-in-law to Dino, Stone's ex-partner, now a homicide lieutenant in New York City -- and also one of my favorite characters; he has so much more common sense than Stone. Anyway, after the Italian civil ceremony, but before the finalizing (or so Stone thinks) religious ceremony, the wedding party is notified that Vance Calder has been shot. Vance is the husband of Stone's former love-of-his-life, Arrington Calder, who is the prime suspect. So, with his prospective father-in-law's blessing (he's an amazingly helpful and understanding guy) off trots Stone to California to defend his former lover. To make a long — but fun — story short, Stone manages to piss off just about everyone, while sleeping with assorted movie stars and rekindling his affair with Arrington, much to the consternation and anger of Dolce, who annoyingly keeps checking into expensive hotels and announcing that she is Mrs. Stone Barrington, which, according to Italian law, she is. Anyway, Dolce keeps popping up at inconvenient times, popping away at his numerous new girlfriends with assorted guns. Stone gets Arrington off the hook, of course.

Cut to Palm Beach, where Stone has been hired in Cold Paradise by the enormously wealthy Thad Shames to find a woman he just met at a party, whose name he does not know, but whom he wishes to marry. Unlikely as it may seem, the woman turns out to be Allison Manning, a woman supposed to be dead (from Dead in the Water), and also with whom Stone has had an affair (it's difficult to imagine a woman he has not bedded). To make things complicated, Allison wants to get out of her earlier marriage to Paul Manning, a man who supposedly had been hanged for having murdered three people in Dead in the Water. Stone also helps her perpetrate a minor insurance fraud -- read sophisticated legal maneuver. And then, guess who should show up but Dolce, escaped from a mental institution where Stone had conveniently left her (again with the help of her Mafia father). In the meantime, Stone lives a life of luxury on Thad's incredible yacht while bedding Thad's secretary. And then Arrington shows up, too, now married to someone else again.

Well, I guess it's all in fun. Dino, in particular, is a wonderful character, but the coincidences stretch one's credulity beyond the breaking point.

[John Biddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slightly better than average Stone Barrington book by Stuart Woods. His stories have always been good and well told, but I'm tiring of every beautiful woman throwing herself at Stone, and of almost everyone in Stone's world being filthy rich. I think I'll put these on the back burner for a long while. Simply not enjoying them enough.

[Craig Beam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cop-turned-lawyer Stone Barrington has the street smarts, dry wit, and debonair charm his fans love, and Palm Beach, the setting of his new adventure, is his most glamorous scene-of-the-crime yet. In Cold Paradise, he becomes reacquainted with a case he thought was buried years ago, and must settle romantic entanglements that haunt him still.

Allison Manning, the beautiful and enigmatic woman Stone defended against a murder charge in Dead in the Water, mysteriously reappears to request his help with a set of problems she has never resolved, which involve millions of dollars. She fears, too, that someone might be stalking her, but she’s not sure who—or why. She knows of no one better than Stone, who has both the legal experience and the investigative instincts to guarantee her safety today and make sure she survives tomorrow as well.

Stone is happy to enjoy a few days of paradise in the sun—and to have left frigid New York and the tempestuous Dolce Bianchi behind—built before he can dig into his latest case, he comes face to face with Arrington Calder, the one woman who still holds a key to his affections.

Stone and his partner, Dino, comb the glittering streets of Palm Beach and begin to suspect that more than one person might be after Allison: one so clever he manages never to show his face, but even more frightening, another man everybody has long forgotten. In a search that ranges from the boardrooms of Manhattan to the sumptuous villas that line the Gold Coast, Stone uncovers the sly and greedy plan to steal millions of dollars—and reveals the crafty killer behind it— in this electrifying new thriller.

[dia]

started enjoying the humor by the end which was a little troubling

[Jill Manzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun Stone Barrington saga, perhaps the best I have read thus far, but I am not that far into the series, so I look forward to the next one!

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#7 in the Stone Barrington series (#14 in the Barrington universe - encompassing Will Lee, Holly Barker, and Ed Eagle). My favorite frothy soap opera.

Ex-NYPD lawyer Stone Barrington series - In the middle of a New York City blizzard, Thad Shames, a wealthy computer tycoon, offers Stone a small fortune and the opportunity to escape the arctic cold if he will fly to glitzy Palm Beach, Fla., and find a femme fatale Shames knows only as Liz. With the help of Callie Hodges, Shames's sensual young Girl Friday, Stone wastes little time finding Liz, but discovers she is really Allison Manning, a woman he saved from the gallows a few years back (Dead in the Water (1997)). Now known as Elizabeth Harding, she fears her first husband a murderer who Stone believed had been executed is alive and may be stalking her. Not to be deterred from wooing and wedding Liz, Shames asks Stone to protect her. Stone himself is besieged by women: first, the delectable Callie, then his old girlfriend Arrington Calder (L.A. Dead (2000)) and finally, Liz, who suggests a ménage à trois with Callie. Stone consults Dino Bacchetti back in New York, trying to ID a man who fits the stalker's description, and Dino flies in just in time to be involved in a shootout in a Worth Avenue restaurant.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 7th novel by Stuart Woods featuring Stone Barrington. Barrington, ex-cop turned lawyer, is called to warm and sunny Palm Beach, Florida to help a wealthy eccentric, Thad Shames, find Liz, a woman he met in passing but who he feels may be the love of his life. It turns out that the woman is a former client of Barrington's, Allison Manning, who he thought was dead, having been convicted of the murder of her husband, Paul, on the island of St. Mark's. Allison/Liz also hires Barrington to help her clean up a years-old insurance fraud (involving her “dead” husband). Things just get dicier from there. Stone calls on his NYPD detective friend, Dino, to come down to help him. These are all characters from earlier novels in this series (of which there will be some 53 this year!). Of course, there is what seems to be an obligatory female friend that Stone finds and beds, and plenty of humor between Dino and Stone. The story is fast-paced with plenty of twists and turns. These books are clearly not going to win literary awards, but they are very entertaining. I listened to this book and it is exactly the kind of book that works in the environment of driving or walking.

[Tokoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't really get into basic long-running installments when I was younger, besides maybe if Tom Clancy counts, so I'm surprised I liked Stone Barrington's character so much here. Maybe some of it is both life and reader FOMO. I think I picked it out because I often try out more popular authors from the library rather than purchase them, and it was set in Florida. Like with Robert B. Parker, I could read this quickly, which isn't usually the case, even with fast-paced plot-driven books. I've bought more books by both authors now, so I guess that says something. But this does kind of make me think this is a more or less obsolete writing style and tone now, something that doesn't attract contemporary readers anymore. I think the characterization had me liking it so much. And Stone Barrington's adventures attending to his clients reads like private eye/investigator stories, and maybe it really is considered partially in that genre. Stone Barrington is like a fixer, and his character reminded me of Parker's Spenser so much. This is vaguely and broadly my current reading mood and moment.