Rating: 
Summary: It takes a lot of talent to write forgettable page-turners!
Review: The first thing to be said is that Patterson is a master of engaging the emotions and the interest. It is the rare Patterson book that I can put down for any length of time. The Alex Cross series is always a must read for me.This book is very Grisham-esque: the young lawyer seeking justice against the big, bad, rich, corporate men. The very next thing to be said is that this book is a vast wasteland of impossible situations and characters in an ugly nightmare land where people live happily ever after getting revenge for betrayal or murder by or of practically everyone dear to them. Here are some unlikely things: 1. People who engage in extortion, kidnapping, drug use and unspeakable immoral acts, yet are the good guys of the book because "they never meant to hurt anyone." Satan must love these heroes. 2. Foreshadowing so intense that entire chapters about how relationships develop seem unneccessary. "What? You mean she doesn't love him after all? I guess that works out OK because for the last five chapters his lifelong friends only resent and ignore the recently acquired, spoiled girlfriend." 3. Evil coporate moguls so engorged in black filth, larceny and general lechery for years and years, yet no one of some dozen seemingly "good" people who know about it ever expose it to say, the FBI, for some unknown reason. No, the answer is to fight crime with...more crime! And crime that will make the bad guys mad and get you murdered! (Naturally, the local cops are in on it). It follows the pattern in modern fiction and filmmaking, where, to be evil and interesting, villains must be so wretched as to turn our stomach. This is often because heroes are much like the people our parents or grandparents warned us about: Men and Women who regularly engage in pre- and extra-marital sex, break the law routinely, defy the justice system for emotionally satifying vigilante purposes, and get off the hook easier than O.J. Simpson's dinner jacket with grease on the collar.("If it slips off the rack, you must not attack!") Rip a big grain of salt off one of those oversized pretzels when you sit down with this one, because you're going to need to read it with one.
Rating: 
Summary: A fast read but completely hokie plot
Review: i just finished Patterson's new book, The Beach House. I breezed through it in a couple days and thought I'd post my initial feelings here.
I only recently came across Patterson's books and have only read 1st To Die (which I thought was a little far fetched, but a fast entertaining read), Pop Goes the Weasel, and Roses are Red. I enjoy his short, fast moving chapters and sustained energy.
That said, I was quite eager to be the first on my block to get a sneak peek at his new thriller. Unfortunately, this book is no blood and guts thriller. It*s more of a murder mystery... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, if it didn*t have a completely hoakie plot. I thought this book was a poor representation of what Patterson is capable of. It's still a fast paced read but the plot seemed to me to be completely unrealistic and loosely held together with random afterthoughts. Most of the characters seemed to have multiple personalities, doing things way out in left field with little or no explanation. I found myself scratching my head a lot, thinking "where's the logic in that?" or "what are the chances this would happen like this?" (no one sees a character in 5 months and then suddenly in the middle of nowhere group A stumbles across him/her and 10 minutes later in a different middle of nowhere group B finds him/her).
Many times when reading a good book, you remember peculiarities throughout the story and find them neatly tied together at the end. I didn't have that feeling with this book. As I stated earlier, it seemed to be patched together with afterthoughts.
If you don't care whatsoever about logic or realism, you might like this book. It moved along well enough and wasn't boring or hard to read... but there*s no way I would recommend paying hardcover price for it. I'm a big fan of the other Patterson books I've read but this one frustrated me. Wait for the paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Reminiscent Of Early Grisham
Review: Peter Mullen is dead, found on a beach in the Hamptons. Was it an accident or murder? His brother, Jack, sets out to prove it was murder and that wealthy summer residents in the Hamptons are covering it up. The story is irresistible and races to a surprising conclusion. The "trial" that finally comes to pass is a little hokey, but satisfying. Jack is an excellent central character, but his grandfather, Mack, was my favorite. This story is reminiscent of early John Grisham novels. A smart young man takes on the rich and powerful. Oh, and there is a sweet love story thrown in for good measure. A fast and entertaining summer read.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Beach Book.
Review: Call me crazy but I gave this one 5 stars. It was so good I found myself thinking about it when I was at work! I just love Mr. Patterson's style of writing and the short chapters make you feel like you're flying through the book. It was a great read and I hope this is only the beginning of more. Read it you won't be sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: Alex Cross, where are you?
Review: I'm a big fan of the Alex Cross series, but I have also enjoyed Patterson's ventures onto other avenues. This book, however, was a disappointment. The characters were very likable and the plotline was interesting, but the situations into which the characters place themselves toward the end of the book were just plain unrealistic. The actions taken by the main character were totally out of character and ludicrous. And the ending...again, just not believable. I love Patterson and anxiously await the debut of the next book, which can't be far away...but I sure hope it's better than The Beach House.
Rating:
Summary: Patterson, what more can you say?
Review: I don't know how much De Jonge contributed to this book, but I feel it is typical Patterson. 1)The 358 pages were filled with suspense 2)Very fast read. 3)Keeps you turning pages until the last page. 4)Several nice plot twists which are unexpected. 5)A suprise ending which is totally unexpected. Lets face it Patterson's formula works, and as long as his books are #1 bestsellers he will continue to put out page turning thrillers. My advice is to not wait on the paperback, highly recommened.
Rating:
Summary: The Beach House
Review: There was entirely too many white pages. It was often redundant. The ending was not believable and neither were the characters. I was disappointed in this one.
Rating:
Summary: Hilariously absurd
Review: Pick this one up in the airport...but only if no one's looking. I love to hate James Patterson. He's the anti-Christ of thriller writers. His two page chapters - set in what must be 18 pt. typeface - always seem to demand a *dum-dum-duuuuuumh!* under each final, italicized line. Some readers may gasp, the rest of us just grimace. But what more can be expected of a former PR agent who set down to formulate the golden equation for the instant #1 best seller? That said, THE BEACH HOUSE stands maybe a foot and an akle above his other works, probably thanks to the focused stamp of co-author Peter de Jonge, who receives larger cover billing than Patterson's last co-author Andrew Gross. I can't help but assume it's de Jonge who gives the compelling first person voice to the novels opening sequences. It's twists and turns are more like pokes and slaps on the [behind].... But there is still a small amount of wicked fun to be had here. A recent People magazine reviewer speculated that bicoastal flyers would finish this book by Kansas. Try by leveling off at cruising altitude. Patterson still manages to offend though. His adolescent, vengeful and envious depiction of the famously wealthy as sexually perverse and homicidally villanious must be some blatant attempt to pander to the [store] set, who cope with their envy of the wealthy by holding fast to fantasies that they all lead empty and depraved lives. Odd considering that Patterson has raked in serious bucks with his biannual bestsellers and is routinely photographed on the grounds of his Florida compound. But for anyone who is looking for a real thriller, try the work of either James Lee Burke or John Connolly ('Every Dead Thing', 'Dark Hollow' and the soon to be released in the US, 'The Killing Kind') Patterson is not a thriller writer. He's a dispenser of smartly pacakged, preposterous shock-a-thons that contain only a faint whiff of characterization and villians so preposterously evil you can't comprehend how they deliver their own dialouge without giggling at themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good ending
Review: Let me start by writing that James Patterson is my favorite author. His characters are memorable and I have fallen in love with each of them as I read the words of Patterson's books. With that written, I have to admit that sometimes I am disappointed by his endings. But, since the characters are so rich, I am not disappointed by the endings... I simply enjoy being taken for a ride.
This book was different. I was concerned about the ending because with conspiracies, especially high level ones, the endings are usually terrible (Brad Meltzer fell into that trap with one of his books - I reviewed it...) Anyway, I was not looking forward to this ending because I couldn't figure out how Patterson would work it. I mean, Jack was in a pretty deep mess and I couldn't find a way out for him.
But, as always, I fell in love with Jack and I fell head over heals for Macklin!!! So, I wasn't too concerned.... Who cares right? I found Mack...
But, boy was I wrong! The ending was the best part of the book! I am not versed in the legal goings-on in the real world. If I was, I'm sure I'd know that the ending was not at all realistic. But, since I'm not - I have to say that I loved the ending. And, now that I've put the book down (I read it all in one sitting!) I have to say that it is among Patterson's best, if not the best.
Read this. If you've never read him before, this is an excellent place to start. If you have, then get ready and hold on - this is better than Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. (Except, of course, Kiss and Along included my beloved Alex)
Oh, and one more thing - If you're reading this Mr. Patterson, I bet that Nana Mama and Alex would just love Macklin. Perhaps there is a way to introduce them????
Rating:
Summary: stirring thriller filled with non stop action
Review: Columbia University law student Jack Mullen is stunned with the drowning death of his younger brother Peter. The police conclude that Peter died when he smoked pot and drowned on the Amagansett estate of the wealthy Neubauer family. However, Jack looks at his sibling's corpse and sees the obvious marks of a beating. He feels someone killed his brother. Jack wants the truth and with the help of some friends begins asking questions. However, as he turns up the heat on the local law enforcement officials and the Neubauer family, thug Rory "Fixer" Hoffman makes life frightening and miserable for Jack and associates. Soon Jack loses his girlfriend (a Neubauer), and his internship at a prestigious law firm as the influence of one of Long Island's most powerful families come to bear on him. Still he presses on because justice will only be served if he takes matters into his own hands including abducting the Neubauer patriarch. As they did with MIRACLE ON THE 17TH GREEN, James Patterson and Peter De Jonge combine their talents to provide a stirring thriller filled with non stop action. The tale focuses on a David like hero that the audience cares about fighting a modern day Goliath in a seemingly implausible plot. Reality aside, the novel ensnares the audience including this reviewer to cheer Jack on even when victory seems impossible, ultimately leaving fans relishing this invigorating tale. Harriet Klausner
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