The Bookshelf went poking around Hollywood last week with “Cary Grant” and ran into Stuart Woods, poking around the same environs for material for his latest novel, “The Prince of Beverly Hills.” He found plenty.
An old hand at thrillers, Woods has developed a new character, Rick Barron, to lead the way through the maze of studio politics, Mafia influence, hot starlets and cold cash. It is Hollywood, just before, and at the very beginning, of World War II.
Narrative is not Woods’ strong suit, so he depends on dialogue. Unfortunately, dialogue, at least in “Prince,” is not his strong suit either. It is stilted and unrealistic.
But what Woods does best is tell a good story, and, here, he doesn’t let us down. Barron is a detective on the Beverly Hills police force. He has run afoul of his boss, by way of an ill-considered sexual liaison that went bad.
In true Hollywood fashion, he lands on his feet after turning in his badge: He is hired as security chief for a major studio. It’s a sweet deal, complete with car and a pretty fine paycheck. On top of that, his main duty is to see to it that Centurion’s brightest star, British actor Clete Barrows, gets to work on time every day reasonably sober. He is Clete’s nanny, and soon becomes a fri/files/storyimages/to the likable rascal.
Read more at voice-tribune.com
