Rating: 
Summary: Far-fetched, but great characters
Review: Jack Mullen is a brilliant Columbia Law student when his younger brother, Peter, drowns in the ocean off East Hampton. They grew up on the beaches of The Hamptons and Jack is convinced that Peter's death was no accident. There's just no way Peter would have gone for a late-night swim while working at the $40 million beach house known for its elite parties where he parked cars and such since he was thirteen. Chief Detective Frank Volpi insists Peter's death was either an accident or suicide. But Peter's body was horribly bruised and he'd just bought a $19,000 motorcycle. Jack insists, 'You don't wash a motorcycle twice a day when you're contemplating suicide.' The rich and powerful Neubauers, who own the beach house where Peter drowned, know more than they're telling. Along with his grandfather, a close colleague and five life-long friends, Jack takes on the high-and-mighties of East Hampton to avenge his brother's death.This is more than just a web of lies and deceit. There's love, power, revenge and the Mullens Family. 'They're the working-class Kennedys of Montauk. The same good looks and charisma, the same Irish Catholic blarney, and the same tragic curse.' Although some of the storyline was a bit far-fetched, I boosted my rating to 4-stars for the revenge and characters. I love a good revenge storyline. Nothing pleases me more than watching the guilty squirm. Some of the main characters are very well developed, as well. Some had real faces to me, like Jack's grandfather, Mack. I saw him as 100-percent actor Wilford Brimley (Cocoon, The Firm): kind, sincere, intelligent, firm, honest, very straightforward. Journalist Peter de Jonge collaborates with Patterson here as well as in the 1996 golf fantasy 'Miracle on the 17th Green.' Together again, they spin quite a tale.
Rating: 
Summary: Did the previous reviewer even read this book?
Review: I had to review this book because I was wondering did the reviewer who wrote the comment "garbage collectors unite" even read this book? I have no idea what the heck he was talking about. There was no mention of army generals or the Vietnam War, personally I think this reviewer may have either gotten the book confused...or may be just slightly off his rocker. Now as for the book. It was awesome! It is the sign of a great book when I have to take it to work with me to sneak in some read time in between haircuts! Read this one and you will finish it super quickly because you won't be able to put it down! A+ for Patterson!!
Rating:
Summary: The Hamptons and the Horror: Just How Powerful Is Money?
Review: For all of you murder/mystery readers, this is an excellent book to read. When I first started reading this book, I could not put it down! The suspense and drama kept me wondering who did it?
On a warm summer's eve, Peter Mullen was late to a party. This is not unusual for Peter, as he usually makes late arrivals. Unfortunately, Peter was not the guest at this party. He was there to park cars. The party was at Barry and Campion Neubaurer's $ million dollar beach house estate. Peter was given a note to take one of the cars down to the beach. He did as the note said. While he was there, he walked along the ocean's edge. Peter saw some figures coming from behind some bushes. Before he knew it, he was being kicked and beaten. Peter knew he was going to die. Peter also knew who his killer was.
Jack Mullen, Peter's brother, was coming home from work one day when his girlfriend, Dana, and his father and grandfather met him at the train station. Dana was the daughter of Barry and Campion Neubauer. All three of them looked sad. Dana had been crying. The took Jack home and told him about his brother drowning in the ocean at the Neubauer residents. Jack was devastated.
Jack did not think his brother innocently died, but was murdered. He tried to look into the investigation with the East Hampton Police Department. Unfortunately, Frank Volpi would not look into it, but declared it suicide. Jack eventually finds out that much isn't being done with this case. He meets up with his friends. They get together for old times sake.
A few days later, Jack's father, John, dies. John was in denial from the death of his son. Again, Jack's friends get together and discuss Peter's case. Jack tries to get Dana to help. He goes to her house one day, and finds out she's cheating on him with Frank Volpi. No wonder nothing was being done with the case. Jack broke up with Dana, and continued to find out what really happened to his brother.
This was a very enticing book. Everything is believable. It's like a Crime Scene Investigation show put into a movie. Money and politics play a great role. In many murder cases today, money and politics are involved. The use of profanity helped set the mood and tone in this wonderful book. Perhaps a dictionary should be used for a few words. Overall, this book was very easy to follow. This book was not another Alex Cross book, as are most of James Patterson's books. A change is good every once in a while. This one was definately worth the wait!
Rating: 
Summary: Garbage collectors, unite!
Review: This is the most miserable attempt at writing in another's style I have ever experienced. I have loved books for the past 75 years, and have been submitted to [stuff] before, but this one takes the cake. It is a miserable attempt to make money - never mind all the good men who were in the path of that endeavor. I grudgingly admit that Patersaon has produced a few well-written books, but this is certainly on the bottom if the pile. It's all there: the crazed mass murderers who got their training in Viet Nam and now work for Heckler and Koch, the evil US Army general who once honchoed them and who now is the commander of West Point, the railroaded old US sergeant, the innocent victime (three Army wives).I wonder: was Patterson 86'd out of the US Army when he was a draftee, and for what. Barrack thief, [...]... the reasons seem endless. Oh, I almost forgot: the Vietnamese gang members who work for Hanoi and take revenge for...what? Certainly not for the unbelievable crimes committed by the NVA cadres against their "brothers" in South Viet Nam, but the revenge killings by US Army Rangers. Come to think of it: when I was in RVN (1966 to 1968), I don't remember any Ranger outfit, but SOG and Special Forces guys. Wanna save some money? Don't buy this [...]
Rating:
Summary: Beach House
Review: What colossal TRIPE! I cannot believe that the author of "Along Came a Spider", "Kiss the Girls", and "Jack and Jill" is responsible for this waste of print. The characters are predictable, the plot immature and totally unbelieveable. But, then again he did write, "When the Wind Blows," a poor attempt at the Dean Koontz style. "Beach House" is the pitiful result of trying to emmulate John Grisham's style except it has none of the characters, story, etc...Truly Disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Fast, captivating read
Review: I was absolutely captivated by this book and read the whole thing in one day. Just as predicted, there were some interesting twists in the story, but I did find the final outcome rather predictable. Overall, a great way to spend an afternoon - I'd classify this as an interesting read for a day on the deck.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn¿t put it down!
Review: This is the second best book I've read this year, second only to Britt Gillette's "Conquest of Paradise". I simply couldn't put it down. The level of suspense keeps you hanging onto each page from chapter to chapter. Intrigue lurks around every corner. Mystery, love, tragedy, deceit, mayhem and suspense drip from every page. You simply won't want to quit reading this one, and I guarantee you won't get bored. An excellent book!
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat of a Disappointment in the End
Review: This is the first Patterson novel I've read so I wasn't quite sure of what to expect from the author(s). However, the book caught my attention quickly and I read the entire novel on my drive to Utah this summer. I thought the book started out great and it had a very interesting story line. Unfortunately, in the end, the story came crashing down rather quickly and left me disappointed. The ending was not realistic and really let me down because the novel had such a good story line the entire way through and I felt it was ruined in the end.
Rating:
Summary: I was held hostage by this book!!!!
Review: This is the first Patterson book I've read. I read the summary on this book over the summer and just now got around to reading it. It was absolutely wonderful!!!! I'm the type of reader that usually just reads a couple of chapters a night. This book took me hostage and I couldn't put it down! I was thinking about it at work and couldn't wait to go home and read more. I won't discuss the storyline other than how clever I thought it was. I must admit, I've read many reviews about this and was anticipating a "twist" at the end. I didn't find it to be a twist but it was very unexpected! Get this book, read it and enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: 3 stars because it's NOT like the usual Patterson...
Review: I am not a Patterson fan. On occasion, I have been forced to listen to his books on tape from the library because everything else was out. Most of his books start out with a decent story and end in a dizzy, uninteresting chase that is all too obvious and makes me want to throw the darned thing against a wall...rarely can I finish one of his so-called "books." The last one, about the woman detective with the rare blood disease and the serial killer who murdered newlyweds was one such example. Loved the premise, thought it had promise when it started, then - wham - the secret of who the killer was was given out to soon, the inevitable chase, the improbable "unmasking" of the maybe-not-killer. Ho-hum. Dumb. So - bear with me - when I picked up the tape of Beach House I was ready for the let-down of yet another Patterson re-run. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the story, though ridiculously implausible at the end, as well, was much better written than most of his books, and had an endearing cast of characters. In fact, this book DOES NOT SOUND LIKE PATTERSON AT ALL, BUT ANOTHER, MUCH BETTER MYSTERY WRITER! For one thing, there are several mysteries threading throughout, and well-paced, to keep you wanting to keep reading from the halfway mark...UNLIKE THE USUAL PATTERSON. All I can think of is that Peter De Jonge is the reason. Perhaps he will write a book under his own name one of these days. I am certain he's behind the improvement of a Patterson (lord, I can barely bare to say the word, because it defiles the genre I so love, okay, I'll put it in quotes)..."novel."
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