Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Holly Barker #2

Orchid Blues

Rate this book
Chief of Police Holly Barker-the heroine introduced in the New York Times bestselling Orchid Beach-returns with her trusty Doberman, Daisy, to track an unusual band of thieves in this second thriller in Stuart Woods's newest and most captivating series.

Holly is on her way to be married to Jackson Oxenhandler, her steady beau, when her wedding day is shattered by a serious crime that takes place very close to home. A highly disciplined team of men hit a bank in Orchid Beach, Florida, and the waves from this robbery nearly capsize Holly's life. She vows to find these men-who have been careful enough to leave nothing behind except the corpse of a bank customer-and quickly, she discovers evidence that leads her into the midst of what appears to be a politically motivated clan. Her father, Ham, a retired army chief master sergeant, is her ticket into this strange world, and what Ham inds there stuns both Holly and her FBI contact, Harry Crisp.

Holly and Ham find themselves sucked into a whirlpool of crazed criminality and, in the end, the FBI can do little to help them. This time, Holly, Ham, and Daisy are on their own, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

290 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2001

496 people are currently reading
1602 people want to read

About the author

Stuart Woods

408 books3,220 followers
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.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
2,731 (32%)
4 stars
3,425 (40%)
3 stars
1,988 (23%)
2 stars
278 (3%)
1 star
65 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
5,729 reviews144 followers
October 3, 2025
4 Stars. I was thinking three stars until the middle of the book, #2 in the series. The tension then started to build. Yes, I was angry about what happened to Jackson Oxenhandler and was looking forward to revenge on that score; can I admit to that? Maybe I should have said "resolution on that score." More vague. But that wasn't good enough for a four or five. Orchid Beach Police Chief Holly Barker was truly in love. Getting married to the man she met in #1. By chapter 4, the wedding was off and the honeymoon in Paris, my favourite international city and her fiancé's surprise wedding gift, was off too. Fifty-eight chapters still to go. Back to the tension. It builds as Holly, her father Ham, and her FBI friend, Harry Crisp who runs the Miami office, get back together. Stone Barrington also makes a brief appearance. The incident at the Orchid Beach bank wasn't your average robbery. The men behind the heist are mysterious and turn out to be a group of radical right, gun-lovers. They call themselves patriots. Racist crazies living at an off-the-grid camp near Lake Winachobee. Holly recruits Ham to reconnoitre the place and the tension escalates. Big time. (Au2023/Oc2025)
Profile Image for Diane Wallace.
1,448 reviews172 followers
December 10, 2017
Great series! thought i'd only like Stone's story and series but this Holly detective mystery is pretty awesome and very entertaining also with some good writing (paperback!)
Profile Image for Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books).
598 reviews93 followers
October 12, 2017
I found this an interesting book and one that I am sure will bring joy and excitement to Stuart Woods fans. I found it a contrast to the Stone Barrington novels of late.
Profile Image for  Olivermagnus.
2,476 reviews65 followers
July 16, 2017
This, the second book of five featuring Holly Barker, a retired Army MP who is now police chief in the small town of Orchid Beach, Florida. It's not a spoiler to say that within the first few pages of the book, her fiance is brutally killed during a bank robbery. There are two suspects, both recent hires at the bank. There seems to be some evidence that they belong to a group of domestic terrorists. Holly calls an FBI friend and they decide to send in Holly's father, another ex military man, to be recruited. As he becomes more involved in the group it begins to look like they have an assassination planned.

This is a typical Stuart Woods novel. The action is fast paced, it's got some humorous dialogue, and it's a pretty easy read. Woods' favorite character, Stone Barrington, makes a cameo appearance which serves to indicate we'll be seeing more of him. Holly takes a bit of a backseat to her father in this story but we still get plenty of Daisy, her amazing Doberman. I read the entire series years ago when they were first published and really enjoyed them. When I needed to read a book with a character named Holly, I chose this one. I would say this book is probably not the best of the five, but if you are a fan of Stuart Woods and don't mind his usual mediocre, one-dimensional writing, it's still got some entertainment value.
Profile Image for Marleen.
1,867 reviews90 followers
January 9, 2021
I listened to this audio version of the book in 2 days and I have to admit, while it was not as compelling as the first Holly Barker book, it was still extremely entertaining, especially towards to the second half of the book, when Holly's father, a former military operative, goes fully dark and undercover in an extreme right wing group.
These books might have been written a decade or two ago, but they are still very accurate and relevant. A very likeable book and another step in Holly's story, mixed with extreme sadness for her. That part (Holly's loss) didn't feel authentically experienced, but then, that was to be expected. These books are about action and not emotions. Still, I expected a bit more normalcy, a bit more truth and authenticity from Holly about her loss.
Hence my 3-star generous rating.
Profile Image for Katherine.
126 reviews2 followers
April 26, 2014
The plots holes kept bothering me too much to really get into this book. For example, the dead people in the submerged car. It was clearly stated that this family had a son, but unless I missed it, he wasn't in the car, and no one looked for him, just fell off the plot. Annoyed me, cause would holly as chief of police be looking for this kid? Like for his welfare as well as being a potential witness?

And the se had to be the most gullible bad guys of All Time. They shoot someone, the his fiancée who is police chief shows up on thier compound, and they believe it was a coincidental fishing trip? Real? It s just bugged me way too much.
Profile Image for Phyllis.
186 reviews3 followers
April 8, 2012
A little far fetched. Too much of Holly's dad, not enough of Holly.

SPOILER

The fact that her fiancee dies at the beginning and she barely cries over it is not really how a woman it seems would react. She seemed more worried about what her father was involved in rahter than getting revenge for what was done to her fiancee.
Profile Image for Kym Gamble.
378 reviews20 followers
November 4, 2022
This is book 2 in a 3-book series and it introduces us to Stone Barrington as a minor role in the book. I'm not going to say a lot about the book because it was a keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat book. I will say that the first twist is very early in the book and Holly and her dad take a big part of the book. I had to turn it off a couple of times because it was making me nervous.
1,014 reviews15 followers
November 23, 2022
This is a new series for me, and this book is the second in that series. So I don't keep up with thrillers as well as I would like. I keep saying: so many books, so little time. The author's most well known series concerns Stone Barrington. Stone actually makes a cameo appearance in the story, but he doesn't stay long.
Holly Barker is the chief of police in a small Florida town called Orchid Beach. She's getting married, and she's trained her Doberman Daisy to act as a member of the wedding party. Hours before the ceremony, her groom is shot during a bank robbery. Holly swears to bring the robber/killers to justice, bloody of possible.
With the help of the head of the local FBI office and her retired father, she finds a possible villain. There is this town not shown on the local maps that is very insular. They seem to have a high fascination with weaponry. They don't seem to like Holly. She's too independent for their tastes. But they do like Holly's father and invite him to join them. They especially like his handiness with all sorts of weapons.
I find I kind of liked this book. Parts of it felt a bit rushed, but I'd probably think it dragged if those parts were more drawn out. There is a secret society doing bad things for ignoble reasons. The FBI is searching for this group because of their ideology, which includes overthrowing the government.
So, does Holly get her justice? She's the lead of the series, so you could guess yes and be right. But how it happens is the meat of this book. You will have to read it for yourself to see what happens.
Profile Image for Tony Hisgett.
2,999 reviews37 followers
October 12, 2018
There’s an explosive start to the book presenting Holly with a difficult and heartbreaking investigation. Unfortunately after a great start I wasn’t quite as enamoured with the rest of the book. It wasn’t a bad novel, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

My main problem with the book is Holly is really a minor character, with her father taking the leading role. Having Ham involved in the investigation is fine, but I read this book for Holly, not her dad and I didn’t really enjoy the whole infiltration story. I don’t know if the FBI is really this incompetent, but the whole operation was a bit of a mess, they even managed to allow a whole village full of terrorists just pack up and leave without having anybody monitoring them.

There were also some minor irritations, for example;
When they discovered the Frank Morris and his wife dead in their submerged car, there was no sign of their child, but nobody seemed to be bothered and the child was just forgotten!

I think part of my problem was after an interesting first book I was looking forward to see how Holly would develop, but what I got was a fairly ordinary special operations/thriller that had very little to do with her. Normally I might have given this story three stars, but as it wasn’t really a Holly Barker novel I gave it two stars.
Profile Image for Alan.
697 reviews15 followers
December 30, 2017
Nowhere near as good as number one. A bit for fetched, even for Stuart Woods.
Profile Image for Tina Krueger.
8 reviews2 followers
January 27, 2023
Read this book in a single sitting! I’m usually not one to read that much in a day but just like orchid beach it was too good to put down!
Profile Image for ML.
1,602 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2024
Side note 📝:
There are too many H names. Harry, Ham and Holly.

Also you need to suspend disbelief and reason to make it through this plot. This is book 2 in the Holly Barker series and the plot is even more asinine in book 2 than book 1 and I didn’t think that was humanly possible. Ham (the father) is truly invincible 🙄Is this fiction? Obviously 🙄 but to have 2 back to back books with almost the same premise for the same location uhm ok. Much like Jessica Fletcher, Holly Barker is a magnet for trouble. Orchid Beach is the Cabot Cove of the Southeast.
I knew Jackson would not last. You can’t have her in a happy place. Much like Stone Barrington (who makes a brief but pivotal appearance in this book) , Holly is doomed in relationships.

The Elect plot line is recycled from a previous Will Lee book. I’m sure it will continue since nothing is really resolved.
Harry (the FBI agent) was a HUGE disappointment in this book. He almost got people killed because of his arrogance and thirst to advance his career. I’m sure this happens often IRL for the FBI. This was the most believable part of this plot.

Off to read a palate cleanser of Stone Barrington.. “The Short Forever”.
818 reviews3 followers
September 9, 2020
Had me hooked from the start. I am thinking this plot is more fact than fiction.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,445 reviews73 followers
July 17, 2016
After enjoying the first book of the series so much, I was a little disappointed in this follow-up book. For me the book was still a good read but a few things just rubbed me the wrong way:
>the plot line of book two seemed to borrow a great deal from the first book
>Holly was not only not the main character of the book, but sidelined behind two male characters
--It is a shame that after creating such a wonderful female protagonist in the book one, Woods gave her such a minor role in book two
>there were inconsistency in the plot
--e.g. the listening device is live then it is only available by downloading through satellites, then live again without any actions in between to explain why
--e.g. the addition of the bank loan officer plot line did not ring true
>related there were inconsistencies in the characters
--e.g. they are all supposed to be intelligent law enforcement people but then while puzzling how to get fingerprints of the bad guys, but no one thought to take them from the glass, furniture, book, or envelope touched by the bad guy at Ham's place
>there were a few times when I said, 'well isn't that a convenient coincidence?'

Overall, I did enjoy the book but it did not really live up to the first one. I will try the third of the series because both books so far suggest that it is worth seeing where things go.
5,305 reviews62 followers
January 30, 2016
#2 in the Holly Barker series. After an Army MP career, Holly starts as police chief of the small FL town of Orchid Beach. Eventually this quick reading series is connected with, and then absorbed by, author Woods' Stone Barrington universe.

Orchid Beach, FL Police Chief Holly Barker series - Holly is on her way to be married to Jackson Oxenhandler, her steady beau, when her wedding day is shattered by a serious crime that takes place very close to home. A highly disciplined team of men hit a bank in Orchid Beach, Florida, and the waves from this robbery nearly capsize Holly's life. She vows to find these men -- who have been careful enough to leave nothing behind except the corpse of a bank customer -- and quickly, she discovers evidence that leads her into the midst of what appears to be a politically motivated clan. Her father, Ham, a retired army chief master sergeant, is her ticket into this strange world, and what Ham finds there stuns both Holly and her FBI contact, Harry Crisp. Holly and Ham find themselves sucked into a whirlpool of criminality and, in the end, the FBI can do little to help them.
Profile Image for Dr. Thomas Wasser.
136 reviews4 followers
August 14, 2023
Typical book for Stuart Woods and the book does exactly what it was intended to do. Entertain. You won't be staying up at night wondering whats going to happen but the story, while far fetched is rolling and fast paced. Written at the 3rd grade level its perfect for a long flight or a day or two at the beach. I'm a fan of the Holly Barker series and there is even a guest appearance by Stone Barrington. I wish there would be more than 4 books in this series because there is SO much Woods could to with this character but I guess it just wasn't as popular.
I'll read the last 1 or 2 in this series. All are at your library I'm sure.
5 reviews1 follower
January 4, 2023
Tale contains many interesting and thrilling moments, but the book as a whole is not as compelling as the first book, Orchid Beach. It seems to take a long time to get to the meat of the story; the gang at the lake 50 miles away. It does not completely explain the motive behind the gang, who started it, and what they hope to accomplish. A bunch of right-wingers in their own little village who collect guns and want to restore America to their bigoted, stereotypical, Leftist hating world is a democrat's dream. Those of you who hate Republicans will love this story because it says that everyone who is not thrilled with big government and the welfare state is the enemy of the people.
Profile Image for Donna-Marie.
159 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2023
Book 2 in the Holly Barker series.
The wedding is shattered when her fiance is killed moments before the service. (It’s not a spoiler it happens in the first few pages and is mentioned in synopsis)
Holly immediately starts to investigate (obviously) with the help of her father and they are sucked into a crazed criminal underworld that even the FBI can’t save them from .. the action in this book was fast paced with some funny moments and it’s a pretty easy read, following straight on from the first book .. it wasn’t as gripping as the first story but was still entertaining.
There was a bit too much of her dad and other characters in this one, and not enough Holly for me
1,715 reviews8 followers
June 13, 2022
Having read all the Stone Barrington books it was fun to read how he and Holly first meet. On her wedding day Hollies fiancee stops at the bank to pick up money for the honeymoon on the way to the wedding. Bank robbers come in and during the robbery a scuffle breaks out and he is shot. Stone is in line behind him and tries to help but he dies on the way to the hospital. Holly dives into the investigation which rapidly grows into something much bigger. Lots of action and surprises with many twists and turns with a surprise ending.
Profile Image for George.
1,740 reviews8 followers
July 4, 2020
This is typical Stuart Woods. Fast action with humorous dialogue...easy read. The second Holly Barker novel, Stone Barrington is introduced but has a small part. Again, Holly cooperates with the FBI and they pursue the bad guy; her dad "Ham" goes underground to infiltrate a domestic terrorist gang. The ending is particularly stimulating. The book is reminiscent of one of Woods' best novels--"Chief."
28 reviews1 follower
December 25, 2020
I enjoy the Holly Barker series. Having read many books with white supremacists etc, it just gets old and is a 'slight' against patriots, which I believe liberals see as bad people of low IQ and questionable morals. When the going gets rough, you better hope you have loyal and honorable people at your back. As a career military officer, and I realize it's a small thing, but it's a Barrett rifle...not 'Barretts', which keeps being repeated over and over. All for now.
Profile Image for Diana Suddreth.
713 reviews10 followers
November 11, 2020
Stuart Woods books are like palate cleansers for me. If I've been reading something heavy and just need something I can't put down for a day or two, Woods always succeeds at giving me what I need.

Orchid Blues comes early in the Holly Barker series and it was fun to get to know her from the beginning rather than as an established character. Her father, Ham, also plays a huge role in the story, maybe even more than Holly. The plot is interesting, relevant, fast paced, and satisfying.
Profile Image for Bill Hooten.
924 reviews6 followers
October 4, 2021
This was given a four star rating because it drew me into the story, and kept me there until I was finished. The first night I just read a few chapters, and then today I finished the book in about 3 hours. I like the main characters (all except Harry, and I am not particularly fond of him), and the story was good, and the conclusion was satisfying. Just exactly what I needed for a relaxing Monday afternoon.
Profile Image for Gail.
Author 9 books43 followers
June 14, 2017
Even though these are billed as Holly Barker thrillers it is really or also about her father, a retired military noncom. He may be retired but he sure gets into the thick of the action. This one was not as mysterious or edge of your seat as the previous one. Holly and her dog, Daisy, play a very minor role. I kinda missed the dog.
Profile Image for Diane Wachter.
2,392 reviews10 followers
March 1, 2016
HB-B @ 2001, 9/07/04. 2nd Holly Barker Series. While Holly waits at the courthouse for her groom, he disrupts a robbery and gets killed. Holly throws herself into her job to solve the robbery and she and Ham stumble across a bun toting cult bent on changing America. Very good.
Profile Image for Tomi.
1,519 reviews7 followers
March 27, 2019
This book was much more about Holly's father Ham than it was about Holly. And why the heck was Stone Barrington wandering through the story? Not Stuart Woods' best but Holly Barker is still a much better character than Stone Barrington.
504 reviews2 followers
February 7, 2020
Good story

Woods delivers again. Very good story was and Woods not afraid to deal some loss to the heroes. Characters are good too. Wondering if series should be the Ham series instead of Holly series.
1,494 reviews4 followers
March 19, 2022
Yeah…this book really fell short of the first in the series. While I was sorry to see Jackson shot, that really was a promising beginning to this story…everything afterwards spiraled downward to a really mediocre ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.