Stone Barrington, that very rich hunk of an ex-cop turned lawyer is in Venice and finally getting married to Mafioso kingpin Eduardo Bianchi's daughter, Dolce. As part one of the marriage rites, the civil ceremony ends, but before the religious service takes place, Stone receives news that his old girlfriend, Arrington is in big trouble and needs his help. It seems her Hollywood leading man husband, Vance Calder has been shot and killed in an apparent robbery at their Beverly Hills home while Arrington was taking a bath. Everything points to her as the murderer and she's about to be arrested. Who does she call...Stone, of course. He drops everything, leaving Dolce at the proverbial altar and flies immediately to Los Angeles to save his poor ex-damsel in distress.....Stuart Wood's latest is a mindless, lightweight mystery, full of cliches and caricatures of the Hollywood rich and famous. All the women are wealthy, beautiful, always walking around naked and continually throwing themselves at the ever desireable Stone and he never misses a chance to bed each and every one of them. With all the sex and bed jumping and descriptions of the expensive and decadent life styles, there's hardly time to develope the actual story line. The plot has all the depth, realism and predictability of a soap opera, the writing is uninspired and the characters are one dimensional cartoons. A good book to read for a couple of hours if you're snowed in or stuck at the airport, L.A. Dead is a book that doesn't take a lot of deep thinking.

Well, Stone is back and in a big way. Stuart Woods immediately continues some of the plotlines started with the book that immediately preceded LA DEAD and does he ever turn up the heat.

As LA DEAD opens, Stone Barrington and his friends Dino and Mary Ann Bachetti are on their way to Venice where Stone, who had not heeded Dino's advice where Dolce Bianchi is concerned in WORST FEARS REALIZED is all set to take his first plunge into marital bliss. After the Italian civil ceremony, but before the Catholic church wedding, Stone receives news that his friend Vance Calder, husband to his former love Arrington has been murdered at his home in Beverly Hills, CA. Everyone in the wedding part encourages him to fly to California and he immediately does so.

Trouble begins shortly after Stone arrives in Los Angeles. It is fairly obvious that Arrington, Vance's widow will be charged with the crime and Stone makes immediate preparations for her defense, as well as the handling of Vance Calder's huge estate. This plot twist is predictable, but Stuart Woods lays the groundwork well and carries the story line through to a less than logical conclusion. Along the way, he injects all of the little plot twists the Stone Barrington stories are known for. Fans of the Stone novels will NOT be disappointed with this latest installment.

All of the other features that Stone fans have come to know and expect are also present. As usual, Stone makes his way effortlessly in the world of the rich and beautiful. For a man raised by two extremely left wing parents, he has no trouble at all dealing with the trappings and material things that come from wealth. While he may not be a right wing Republican, it is obvious that Stone is comfortable with and accustomed to all of the good things that money can by. Stuart Woods keeps that part of Stone's character consistent and LA DEAD is no exception.

Despite the fact that Stone has married Dolce Bianchi in a civil ceremony, her erratic behavior after he leaves Venice to help Arrington forces him to reassess his relationship with her. His decision regarding the relationship and the marriage itself will come as no surprise to Stone fans. In addition to his reappraisal of his short marriage, Stone must come to grips with his feelings for Arrington. After Vance Calder's death, that door is once again opened and Stone must decide whether to reopen a part of his life that he once thought was lost. How he deals with all of the decisions he must make throughout the story is what makes Stone such a fun and interesting character to follow.

Because almost all of the significant action and drama takes place in California, Stuart Woods again exposes his readers to the the lifestyles of the "rich and aimless." He does a yeoman's job of detailing the sordidness behind the glitz that makes up the showbiz community. In doing so, and despite his confusion regarding Arrington and Dolce, Stone again gets to show his propensity for "musical beds." LA DEAD proves once again that fidelity is not one of Stone's long suits. His handsomeness makes him a natural target for beautifil women and in this chapter in the "Stone Barrington Saga," Stone's ability to bed the most desirable women on the planet continues unabated.

I often wonder whether Stone has a conscience, especially when he professes to love Arrington. In any case, his carnal behavior looms large in this book, as it did in all the others before it.

Like all of the other Stone stories, Stuart Woods paces LA DEAD at a breakneck speed. These books are very hard to put down and I read this one in one over night sitting. Mr. Woods' prose style is spare and long on dialog and conversations. He uses description of legal, police and other procedures only when necessary. That ability is what keeps the stories moving forward at a quick pace. I'll bet it's one of the things his readers like best; that he doesn't bore them with arcane detail and trivia about locales or his characters.

As this book ends, Stone receives an unexpected surprise and it was I twist I didn't see coming. Once again, Stuart Woods has left himself an easy opening for another Stone Barrington thriller. I look forward to it with considerable anticipation.

I have one recommendation to other readers before they read LA DEAD. If you haven't read WORST FEARS REALIZED first, do so. Much of the groundwork re: Stone's relationship with Dolce Bianchi starts with that novel and reading it first will provide the natural continuity for LA DEAD.

I have read all the Stuart Woods novels, and I prefer his earlier ones such as "Chiefs", "Run Before the Wind", and "Under the Lake". For me, the Stone Barrington novels have been hit or miss. If the word "dead" has been in the title, the novels have been very good ("New York Dead" and "Dead in the Water"). "L.A. Dead" is one of the best of the Stone Barrington books. Stone goes to Italy to marry Dolce Bianchi, but before the religious ceremony takes place, Stone learns that his actor friend, Vance Calder has been murdered, and that the prime suspect is his wife, Arrington. Arrington is also one of Stone's former lovers, the only woman that Stone truly loves. He goes to California to help Arrington fight the murder charge, with the help of big-time lawyer, Marc Blumberg. Stuart Woods is one of the top suspense writers today, and "L.A. Dead" is one of his better efforts.