Rating: 
Summary: Can I list all of this books flaws in only 1,000 words?
Review: Yow! This is not a good book. I admit to not having any appreciation for "mindless summer reading," but the flaws in this book seemed to be particularly glaring. Just to name a few:* Completely one-dimensional characters.
* Implausible story line.
* Coming up with incredibly convoluted solutions to problems that would actually be very easy to solve (note: if someone changes her story on the witness stand, you should point out her inconsistincies, and ask her why she changed her mind; only if that fails to provide answers should you kidnap all the witnesses at gunpoint).
* Allowing characters who seemed really important to the story early on disappear without explanation, and relying on characters who were almost non-existent throughout the book to solve the major problems at the end.
* Along the same lines, pretending as though certain events have major significance for the story line, and then never referring back to them again.
* Repetitive writing style (whenever either of the main character's girlfriends says anything to him during a romantic or emotional moment, she whispers it to him: e.g., "Let's go to bed," she whispered; "I have to go to the bathroom," she whispered; "I have a dentist appointment tomorrow," she whispered.)
* Using violence and coercion to solve the most difficult problems (who among us couldn't write a book that resolves itself with mindless violence?).
* Hilariously inaccurate depiction of how the legal system works. I could keep going, but you probably get my point. The only reason that this book might possibly keep you on the edge of your seat is because the authors constantly cheat. You never have all of the information that you would need to solve this mystery on your own until they give it all to you at the end. So what's the point? You might as well just skip all the silliness and read the last 20 pages. Better yet, just skip this one altogther.
Rating: 
Summary: The Beach House
Review: Fun, exciting, and kept you on your toes! Great summer reading :)
Rating: 
Summary: Page Turner
Review: Though James Patterson seldom creates a literary faux pas, Beach House is a page turner of the finest order. The characterization is masterful, the plot unpredictable in its twists and turns. Half way through, the reader may want to throw the book down in disgust, but do not despair. It isn't over until it's over.
Rating:
Summary: Idiotic
Review: This was the most uninteresting book that
James Patterson has written. The whole
end of the book was so ridiculous, it wasn't
even funny, if it was meant to be. I am very
disapointed in this and where I used to just
buy James Patterson even before it got reviewed
I will never do that again.
Rating:
Summary: A waste of a day
Review: That's what this book was. Like everyone says its a quick read, only because of the type set and the number of blank and half pages. Or maybe because it's written on a third grade level. It starts off mildly interesting but takes many wrong turns towards a rididulous ending that was so preposterous it was painful to read. Don't waste your time with this clunker.
Rating: 
Summary: Real Mystery: Why is Burt Kearns a character?
Review: I enjoyed this book on the sand in Key Biscayne. Paterson pulled out all the stops. But I was thrown when Burt Kearns,author of the book, Tabloid Baby, showed up as a character-- a newspaper reporter and tabloid journalist. Are there other in jokes in the beachhouse?
Rating: 
Summary: A bit of mystery, but NOT a thriller
Review: I didn't care much for this book and I am a fan of James Patterson. I didn't like any of the characters, especially the grandad Mack, who was supposed to be so "good". He was irritating. The "trial" was implausible and it's result just made glad the book was over. Why was nobody angry at the character Sammy who was one of the childhood circle of friends? I never felt drawn into life at the Hamptons and wondered why it was set there and not in Bevery Hills or some other rich people's town. I only hope that the disapointment with this book that I and others felt is due to the writing partnership here, no offense to Peter De Jonge. Mr. Patterson has a definite style (Alex Cross novels) and we need to see that shine through, please.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but has a Hollywood ending
Review: I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the story soon became predictable. I recommend it as a light, non-challenging, summer read.
Rating:
Summary: Fair to middling
Review: I am a bit undecided on this book. For starters, it tends to be a bit short. The writing is thin and the plot is a bit underdeveloped, as are the characters. they are not really indivdual (apart form the dead man) and if they didnt have names, you could hardly tell the apart. There are the "good" guys and the "bad" guys, all sharing the same traits as being epitomised of both those states of moralism. However, its exciting and very fast paced. Its original, but stereotypical in its "rich" people are bad, so the poor downtrodden working-classes are quitissentialy good. Something in the style didnt quite sit right, either. the writing style is as underdeveloped and poor as ever, but it didnt feel like Patterson. I have a feeling that de Jonge had quite a large hand in the writing (if not the plotting) of this book. Speaking of plotting...its exciting yes, but there werent really so many twists as we come to expect, and hardly any of the chapter end in the cliffhanging style we are used to. They just sort of stop, as if to chapter break anywhere would do, as long as the chapters end up short. (And in this novel, the chapters are getting a little TOO short. Too short and they halt development of plot or character.) The ending was really exciting and totally unexpected, original but completely unbelieveable. Melodramatic and over the top, but still holds the attention of the reader, and still remains enjoyable until the last. This is not a great Patterson, but for his fans, its probably average. Decidedly so. It's a good Beach read for those who have a couple of hours to fill and dont want too much lit-crit material to concentrate over, and it passes quite quickly.
Rating:
Summary: The fastest "summer read" out there!
Review: I started this book one evening and was hooked! I mean, I'm not a person to stay up late at all, but found myself up until midnight for 2 nights. It's a fast-paced read. It has 113 chapters BUT they are only 2-3 pages each. I would push for just one more chapter, only to realize I'd read 40. I did think quite alot of characters were introduced rather quickly and found myself having to look up some of the names from the beginning of the book. Some of the sceniro's never seemed to have a conclusion, mainly, Dana and her role? The writers just seemed to skip over that and not give us readers any closure. I also think the ending was a little far-fetched but it kept me reading. I don't care if the book was a collabration - if that's what made it flow so well, then I say continue on with other novels. I'll certainly buy them!
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