Orchid Blues (Holly Barker Novels)

Book Description

Holly's wedding festivities are shattered-by murder-and Holly vows to find the culprits. With nothing to go on but the corpse of an innocent bystander, Holly discovers evidence that leads her into the midst of a clan whose members are as mysterious as they are zealous. Holly's father, Ham, a retired Army chief master sergeant, is her ticket into their strange world. What he finds there boggles the mind-and draws Holly, Ham, and Holly's Doberman Daisy into a whirlpool of crazed criminality from which even the FBI can't save them.

Customer Reviews:

another Woods winner.......2007-05-04

Grabs your attention from page one!! Concise writing, good flow of events. Believable - well, most of it but it is fiction, after all!! I feel you can't go wrong with Stuart Woods for an enjoyable read.

Not up to to par, skip this one.......2007-01-07

Light reading, rather boring, poor character development, defintiely not in line with his other writing.

Orchid Blues....it gave me the blues!.......2007-01-02

I was so excited after reading "Orchid Beach" to read part two of the Holly Barker Novels "Orchid Blues". The first 10 chapters were good and kept me interested, however, after that this book just dragged on and on and on. I mean I thought the novels were about Holly Barker not her father Ham. This book focused more on Ham and him investigating a group of individuals than it did on Holly and her investigative skills. I hope this book doesn't deter me from reading other Holly Barker novels. There were some pretty good points in the book though, some parts I actually really enjoyed, esepcially how Mr. Woods tied in Stone Barrington to this particular story. I loved that! Other than that I felt like this book was a really long read for me and I'd actually have to say it bored me most of the time. I have the next book Blood Orchid, I do hope its a much better book than this one. I'll give the series another chance.

Cheesy, corny, lame, hokey.......2006-08-19

What a terrible story, was unable to finish it, Stuart Woods was at one time a very good author, but when he started with Holly and Stone, he in effect quit writing, this is about a militant band of right wingers robbing banks and oh by the way just had to kill Holly's intended just an hour before the wedding which didn't seem to break Holly up all that much as she still has her best friend, her dog and her father which she has conversations with regarding three somes and their sex lives in general, Signet books and Stuart Woods should both be ashamed of themselves for putting this on the market.

THIS ORCHID DOESN'T BLOSSOM.......2005-04-10

After an impressive debut in ORCHID BEACH, we meet Holly Barker on her wedding day....a day that is destined to become a fateful day instead of a happy one. Woods paints a picture of a heroine who seems more interesting in solving the bank robbery than mourning the loss of the man she supposedly wanted to spend the rest of her life with. In a painfully dreadful narrative, Woods presents us with another variation on the extremist group of fanatics who want to make the US better by getting rid of anyone who isn't white. Been done so many times before, that it's redundant in this tepid story. Woods doesn't offer us anything new and the pacing is so slow, it becomes sleep inducing. Woods also makes the mistake of having Ham, Holly's tough father, carry the weight of the book. While Ham's an okay guy, he comes across as a Dirk Pitt or superman in this one, and it just didn't work for me. The ending is also pretty lame, and even the inclusion of Stone Barrington, makes little narrative sense. A real disappointment; is the third any better???

Stuart Woods CD Collection 1: Orchid Blues and Blood Orchid (Holly Barker)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Stories

Stuart Woods CD Collection 1: Orchid Blues and Blood Orchid (Holly Barker)
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Mystery & Thrillers | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1597377112
Release Date: 2005-11-25

Book Description

Orchid Blues:
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.

Blood Orchid:
This time out, Holly is trying to get her life back together after the shattering loss of her fiancé. With the help of her wily Doberman, Daisy, and her father, Ham, she throws herself back into the job with a vengeance. But before Holly can settle into her routine again, bullets crash into the home of a friend and a floater is found bobbing in the Intercoastal Waterway. Joining forces with a handsome FBI agent, she tracks the clues straight to their source, only to find a scam more lucrative and more dangerous than any this idyllic town - or Holly - has ever seen.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Stories.......2006-08-13

These were excellent stories and a great value as part of a combination package.

4 Titles in Holly Barker Series - Orchid Beach - Orchid Blues - Blood Orchid - Iron Orchid

Average customer rating:

4 Titles in Holly Barker Series - Orchid Beach - Orchid Blues - Blood Orchid - Iron Orchid
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000LPHNNG

Product Description

4 massmarket paperback Titles in Holly Barker Series - Orchid Beach - Orchid Blues - Blood Orchid - Iron Orchid

Average customer rating:

The Blue Orchid
Felicha Vaughn
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1425734898

Average customer rating:

Blue Orchids
Julia Fenton
Manufacturer: Jove Books/Berkley Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000J16XO2

Average customer rating:

BLUE ORCHIDS
Hoagy Carmichael
Manufacturer: Famous Music Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J41KIS

Average customer rating:

Melodramatic lives of the super-rich and super-famous

Blue Orchids
Julia Fenton
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0515108758

Customer Reviews:

Melodramatic lives of the super-rich and super-famous.......2006-07-31

From the back cover:

It was the most eagerly awaited Broadway musical ever: the star-studded premiere of Dr. Zhivago. For theatergoers, critics, cast and crew, it would be a night to remember.

But for Valentine and Orchid Lederer, it would be much more. They were raised as sisters--two motherless girls forming a sepcial bond of love. But when they found stunning success as recording artists, a bitter jealousy arose between them. Orchid had always struggled for stardom--but it was Valentina's dark exotic beauty and crystal voice that captured the world's attention...and tore the sisters apart. Tonight, they will reunite--and one again the eyes of the world will be upon them. It's Opening Night--the night that will make or break their dreams--and determine their destiny...

Nights like this come one in a lifetime. But scandals last forever.

And my review:

If I'd known that this was going to be a soap-opera, melodromatic lives of the super-rich and super-famous book, I never would have read it. Because that's all it was. I could not connect with the characters; they seemed to come from such a different world that I never identified with them. And both sisters were not very likeable people.

Also, the author reveals her mystery almost right away, so the reader is never left guessing. Very few authors can manage to do this and still keep the reader's interest, and I'm afraid that Julia Fenton is not one of them.

Not recommended by this reader.

Average customer rating:

Orchid Blues
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OFTMK0

Average customer rating:

Orchid Blues
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRRGAE

Average customer rating:

Orchid Blues
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Putnam Publishing Group, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HN7JRM

Amazon.com

Even readers who don't normally enjoy Arthurian legends will love this version, a retelling from the point of view of the women behind the throne. Morgaine (more commonly known as Morgan Le Fay) and Gwenhwyfar (a Welsh spelling of Guinevere) struggle for power, using Arthur as a way to score points and promote their respective worldviews. The Mists of Avalon's Camelot politics and intrigue take place at a time when Christianity is taking over the island-nation of Britain; Christianity vs. Faery, and God vs. Goddess are dominant themes.

Young and old alike will enjoy this magical Arthurian reinvention by science fiction and fantasy veteran Marion Zimmer Bradley. --Bonnie Bouman

Book Description

A Literary Guild Featured Alternate
Here is the magical legend of King Arthur, vividly retold through the eyes and lives of the women who wielded power from behind the throne. A spellbinding novel, an extraordinary literary achievement, THE MISTS OF AVALON will stay with you for a long time to come....

Download Description

With more than 1 million copies in print and winner of the 1984 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, The Mists of Avalon is by far Marion Zimmer Bradley's most successful novel. Putting a new twist on the Arthurian legends, this beloved book tells the epic story of the women behind the rise and fall of King Arthur.

Customer Reviews:

Whose house?.......2007-10-10

I am a big Arthurian legends buff, but am not thrilled about this book. It was kind of like coming home only to see that someone had rearranged your furniture while you were away. Additionally, I have no problem being critical of Christianity, but the way Gwenhwyfar is re-written into a Christian strawman to be knocked down is unfair at best, inauthentic to character, and a pathetic and tasteless way to make a point. Telling the story from the women's point of view is an excellent idea, but rewritting the women and the legend to push an agenda and a different story is, again, in poor taste. This could have been written with completely different characters and without the Arthurian back drop and still have told the same story. The question, then, is why not set it in a purely fictional land with new characters? The author is (ab)using our familiarity and trust of the legend/history to get the reader to buy into her agenda, like any good piece of propaganda would do. Christian critique, fine, tasteful feminism, yea! but don't feed it into our subconscious behind the eyes of a familiar face like we don't have the capacity or right to discuss the social dilemas openly... propaganda, no thank you.

Not my kind of book.......2007-10-03

I've heard many times how life-changing and amazing this book is. While MZB is a great writer, and I admire the book, I just can't get myself to like it. I've tried reading it, and just haven't been able to get into it. The fact that the most likable characters manage to get bumped off, and everyone is doomed to misery just does not make me want to continue. I like the depictions of the period, especially the pagan religions, and I liked the instigating Morgeause, but this book felt to me more like a slow painful journey than an amazing read.

Goddess Worshipper's Rejoice.......2007-09-29

If you are a Witch, pagan, magician, feminist, or just a plain tree-hugging dirt worshipper, this is the book for you!

Marion Zimmer Bradley (MZB)was a practicing Witch and Priestess, and she knew the Goddess. This amazing retelling of the Arthurian legends shows that women and the Goddess played just as much a role in the course of events as Merlin did. "The Mists of Avalon" gives hope and a tale of inspirational wonder to any who know the Goddess.

MZB's life as a Witch and Priestess also gave her the incredible talent of putting the use of magick, and the workings of psychic energy onto pen and paper. Although there are many books out there today on Witchcraft and magick, this book offers a special glimpse into the potential ancient mysteries.

This book is for all those who knew in their hearts that Morgan Le Fey was never an evil sorceress.

Awesome book.......2007-09-27

If you love fantasy, but hate that the characters are almost exclusively male this is the book for you! I have always loved the King Arthur legend and this version made it so much better!

Feminine retelling of Arthurian lore.......2007-09-15

This Mists of Avalon is a retelling of the Arthurian legend from a different point of view. First of all, it is told from the viewpoint of the women of the tale. Secondly, it places the legend into the context of the rise of Christianity in England. Because of this latter factor, there is a very different feeling to this book. The rise of Arthur is accomplished by the combined forces of Christianity and the Druid religious leaders. Once Arthur is on the throne, though he accomplishes having 25 years of peace, the seed of his fall are already sown.

The story is primarily told by Morgan La Fay who in most versions is considered the evil doer who brings about the fall of Arthur. In this version - hers - she is portrayed much more sympathetically. We first meet her as a young girl whose mother (Igraine) is married to a Roman noble by the name of Gorlois. Her aunt is Viviane who is the Lady of Lake, the high priestess of the Druid female-based religion. Viviane and the Merlin have visions which show that Igraine must fall for Uther and bear him the son who will be the Once and Future King. Through some interesting twists, this happens and Igraine bears Arthur. Morgan is sent off to study to become a priestess on Avalon and Arthur is raised by some peasants.

The ritual of kingmaking that the druids practiced included a mating of the King and the Priestess. Not surprisingly, Arthus is made King by following this ritual and his mate turns out to be his sister. While the druids see nothing wrong with this, the Christian religion calls it incest and it is one of the extreme taboos. Of course, this also happens to result in Morgan's getting pregnant with Mordred.

One of the things that jumps out of the book repeatedly is how Christianity is portrayed in extremely negative terms. Unlike the druid religion which is tolerant of many gods and many practices, Christianity is portrayed as very narrow minded, not tolerant of anything else but its own beliefs, and most importantly, a religion that has been interpreted by its priests as one the completely degrades women. Many passages are spent in describing how women are the source of all evil under Christian beliefs and how women are supposed to be chaste until marriage and then content with the raising of the babies and the running of the household. This is contrasted strongly with how women rule and are involved in all the important decisions under the Druid religion.

Another critical aspect is the role of Guinevere. In this telling, she is the evil one who makes Arthur's reign dissolve into ruin at the end. She is portrayed from the beginning as someone who has many mental problems. For one, she has a phobia about being outdoors. For another, she is the one who presses christianity in its most virulent and narrow-minded form on to Arthur. Yet, while she does all this, she is really in love with Lancelot and has the celebrated love affair with him. She is also portrayed as a vacuous air-head whose only interest is in having Arthur's baby and has frequent tantrums and false pregnancies which causes all kinds of grief at court.

Eventually, Guinevere succeeds in controlling Arthur and turns him away from his oath to rule all the people of Britain, and towards Christianity. Excalibur, which was given to him by the Druids is even made to server as a symbol of the cross. This creates immense bitterness and anger amongst the Druids and the Old People and as Mordred arrives in court as a young man, results in the dissolution of Camelot.

The ending of the book is tragic. We all know that, of course. But, in this telling, the tragedy is compounded as Morgan attempts to convince Arthur to follow his oath. When he does not, she works against him. The result is that she pays a heavy price. Her lover dies, her son dies, her brother dies, and she is left alone in the world. At the very tail end of the book, she realizes that Druidism has died and been replaced by a faction within Christianity which worships Mary and then she returns to Avalon and has the island moves further into the mists so that it cannot be found.

The writing of the book takes some getting used to. Not only does the author use a very heavy form of English, but she has changed the spelling of many of the names. Morgan is supposedly actually Morgain, Merlin is Taliesin, Arthur is Gwydion, and Guinever is Gwenhynfer, etc. This is also a long book of over 850 pages and many parts of it seem to go by very slowly. There are myriads of minor characters with bloodlines and roles that are somewhat difficuly to follow: Balan and Balin, for instance.

Overall, it is a very interesting concept and one that makes the reading enjoyable, once you get through the funny spellings, the turgid dialog, and the displacement of viewpoint.

The Forest House (The Mists of Avalon: Prequel)

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader
Second Book in the Avalon Series
Could have been good...
good set-up for "Mists"
3rd book in the Mists series doesn't dissapoint

The Forest House (The Mists of Avalon: Prequel)
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Roc Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0451454243

Book Description

The novel that truly begins the bestselling Avalon saga...

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Again, too dull to finish. Perhaps it has something to do with it trying to connect to The Mists of Avalon, but being completely different, and just two characters that have been created to have a romance, a Roman, and one of the priestesses of the local religion. If you like that sort of Tristan and Isolde thing, then this may well be for you.

Second Book in the Avalon Series.......2007-08-07

Marion Zimmer was born in Albany, NY, on June 3, 1930, and married Robert Alden Bradley in 1949. Mrs. Bradley received her B.A. in 1964 from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, then did graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1965-67. Writing for over 4 decades, she is best known for her Darkover science fantasy series and her Arthurian masterpiece, The Mists of Avalon. She also edited anthologies for 14 years and published Marion Zimmer Bradley's FANTASY Magazine.

She died in Berkeley, California on September 25, 1999, four days after suffering a major heart attack.

This is the3 second book in the Avalon series and follows the best selling Mists of Avalon. Inside the wall of the Forest House in a remote part of of Britain, a secret sect of Druidic priestesses guards the ancient rites of learning, healing and magic against the onslaught of the Roman army. Nothing has ever been able to stop the might of Rome's legions, will a few women be any more successful?

Could have been good..........2007-03-12

It really could have been good. The story was very interesting. Unfortunately:

1. It was poorly written. SO many sentences did not make sense. I would have to go back and read and reread. It seems like she was trying to make it more wordy than it needed to be.

2. The characters were not developed. Except for Caillean. So I ended up with basically no attachment to the main characters. Was it really necessary to spend a few chapters on Gaius' career when we don't know jack about most other things in the book?

3. It seems like chapters are missing. This book should have been longer or had a bunch of half-finished plots left out. Like the ending. It seems like the ending was on fast forward. You might as well read Cliff Notes. I felt the same way about the end of Mists, too, but this was worse.

4. Can't somone just write a book that is "pagan friendly" yet not all about rape and torture and sacrifice? All these books are doing is making me hate the Romans and Christians of the time and leaving me with a sense of despair. I just want one book where they weren't all shown as heathen sacrificers and the Christians show them how to be civilized, "good people".

good set-up for "Mists".......2007-03-09

"the Forest House" can certainly stand alone as a very good read, but for fans of "the Mists of Avalon", certain attitudes and relationship are clarified.

3rd book in the Mists series doesn't dissapoint.......2006-07-19

This book is the third book in the Mists of Avalon series, following "The Fall of Atlantis" and "Ancestors of Avalon." Although this book starts far later than the ending of the previous book, and with all new characters, there are bits and pieces of the characters that tie them in as reincarnations of characters from the previous books, including bindings that they've made with each other before.

As with all the books in this series, I found this one to be very spiritual. It gives a sense of connectedness with the past and Pagan spiritualness.

This story takes place in 1st century AD, when the priestesses and Druids are mostly practicing to the north of Avalon, and then covers the priestesses and Druids moving to Avalon to establish there. This lineage will go through to "The Mists of Avalon."

The situations and characters in this book have their stories continued in the first part of the book "Lady of Avalon."

Average customer rating:

The Mists of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Michael Joseph
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

The Mists Of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Del Rey/Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0722119577

The Mists of Avalon. Book 4: The Prisoner in the Oak (The Prisoner in the Oak, Book 4)

Average customer rating:

The Mists of Avalon. Book 4: The Prisoner in the Oak (The Prisoner in the Oak, Book 4)

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Product Description

12 Hours 47 Minutes.Book Four finds Morgaine moving closer to the fate that will set her intractably against Arthur--her lover, brother, and now, enemy. Returning to Camelot during the Feast of Pentecost, Morgaine accuses Arthur of compromising the crown, and demands that he return Excalibur to her. When he refuses, Morgaine arranges a confrontation between her lover, Accolon, and Arthur in the kingdom of Fairy, resulting in Accolons death. Grieving and still without Excalibur, Morgaine makes a hasty retreat to Avalon. When she finally returns to Camelot, it is to retrieve Avalons Holy Regalia, now being used in a Christian mass. Enraged at this betrayal, Morgaine calls upon the Ladys magic, which results in the mysterious "disappearance" of the holy chalice, prompting the companions of the Round Table to embark on a 12-month quest to find it. Events spiral out of control when Lancelet returns, resumes his adulterous relationship with Gwenhwyfar, and is finally exposed. The novel closes with the King Stags death and Morgaines long-anticipated return to Avalon.

The King Stag: Book 3 of the Mists of Avalon

Average customer rating:

The King Stag: Book 3 of the Mists of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Recorded Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Product Description

8 unabridged cassettes, narrated by Davina Porter.Book Three of the Mists of Avalon series inolves the imaginative retelling of the Arthurian legend, centering around the pagan priestesses of Avalon, who compete for the soul of Great Britain against the rising tide of Christianity."The King Stag" takes the listener deeper into the political/religious rivalry in the years following Arthurs coronation. Gwenhwyfar, in possession of a terrible secret, manipulates her husband to secure his loyalty to the Christian church, while Vivians decision to confront Arthur over his betrayal of Avalon results in tragedy.Behind the scenes, Morgaine arranges the marriage of Lancelet, who has become desperate over the hopeless triangle at Camelot. When Gwenhwyfar hears of his marriage, she vows revenge. Through her own marriage to Uriens of North Wales, Morgaine works to strengthen the cause of Avalon. She returns briefly to the Isle of Mists, only to discover that the time is not yet ripe for her to reign. Book Three concludes with the arrival of young Gwydion (Mordred) on the scene.

The Mists of Avalon-Mistress of Magic-Book One (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

The Mists of Avalon-Mistress of Magic-Book One (Volume 1)
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Recorded Books Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Die Rezeption Des Artussotoffes in Der Englischen Und Amerikanischen Literatur Des 20.Jahrhunderts Bei Thomas Berger, Marion Zimmer Bradley (Singular Audiology Textbook)

Average customer rating:

Die Rezeption Des Artussotoffes in Der Englischen Und Amerikanischen Literatur Des 20.Jahrhunderts Bei Thomas Berger, Marion Zimmer Bradley (Singular Audiology Textbook)
Monika Essl
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

German | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0773412433

Average customer rating:

High Queen (The Mists of Avalon)
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Del Rey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

The High Queen - The Mists of Avalon Book Two

Average customer rating:

The High Queen - The Mists of Avalon Book Two
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Manufacturer: Recorded Books Evergreen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books