I will confess to being a fan of Stuart Woods’ novels. I know that he is literary popcorn, that’s one of the reasons I like his stuff. When I pick up one of his books, I know I’m in for a good, fast, tight read. It’s perfect beach reading. I have read almost all of his books, and I realized something: This guy writes well across a variety of genres. In all of his books, the characters come alive, and I care about them. That is perhaps the hardest thing to do as a writer. Yes, I realize that it’s not Shakespere or Salinger, still, I am always interested in what Stone Barrington, Will Lee or Holly Baker is up to now. Does anyone else share this guilty pleasure?
Guilty.
I started reading Woods in the 80s, after I saw the TV mini-series “Chiefs,” based on one of his novels. Although I liked that book, I’ve felt that every subsequent work has been more fluffy and less serious.
But, much like with the Clive Cussler series, I can’t seem to stop.
- Rick
Stuart Woods is the ideal summer author. The OP is right: popcorn for the brain. I started with Under the Lake, and have just kept on. Somehow, I haven’t read Chiefs yet. So far, I think my favorite is New York Dead. I realize that admitting you read Stuart Woods is akin to admitting you listen to Clay Aiken, but hey, I don’t care. 
I couldn’t read him anymore after reading Plum Island. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but if they took out the Giant Red Herring the book wouldn’t even be a short story.
And Boston Whaler boats cannot be scuttled. You can chop one up into tiny pieces and the pieces will still float. Their hull is filled with floatation foam; one of their advertising ploys is to motor around a boat show in a half-a-boat. He was specific that one character’s boat was a Boston Whaler when he was just using the brand name for what must have been a generic skiff.
Petty? Yes, but when an author does not bother to do fact checking it bothers me…
(But I did like **The Charm School ** and The Gold Coast.)
Plumb Island, The Charm School and The Gold Coast are Nelson DeMille. I’ve never read any of his books. Is that a nome de plum for Stuart Woods?
Ah, bitter bitter irony.
My guilty pleasure authors include Stuart Woods, Jonathan Kellerman, Dick Francis and some Patricia Cornwell. I also like Ed McBain’s 58th Precinct novels, though I don’t much care for his stories that are named after nursery rhymes. The worst of the “crime fluff” writers is James Patterson. If all his books are as lousy and poorly written as the one I read (Jack & Jill) I’m shocked he’s been able to publish so many. I know fifth graders that write better than that!
I’ve gotten tired of the Stone Barrington series, I think it started with his girlfriend, Arrington. A name picked solely due to its rhyming with Stone’s last name. <yech> Stone’s gotten too obviously into the realm of male fantasy, rich good looking 45yo fella having sex with beautiful young wealthy women whon are occasionally murdered or are murderers or something. Just too silly.
I’ve liked a bunch of his novels and, although all of them are just fun reads, some are too fluffy-nothing for me. I can’t remember too many titles, but I know that Chiefs and Palindrome are among my favorites. I think I prefer his novels which are not part of a character series.
And I also thouroughly enjoy the 87th Precinct novels of Ed McBain, and his Matthew Hope novels as well. Somehow the rich good looking older fella banging hot young chicks isn’t as bad in these books.
Dick Francis is way up on my list, and my last “great” find was GM Ford. I forget his detective’s name, but he’s also 40-something but not so good looking and not quite as promiscuous as these other dudes. Look out for him.
Hanging head in shame.
Well, I didn’t like **Run Before the Wind ** much, either, especially as he just re-used all the situations from his autobiographical Blue Water, Green Skipper.
(I can keep my crap authors straight, I really can…)