Rating: 
Summary: Great Summer Read
Review: this is a great book...one of the best ive ever read thats not a lot because im twelve years old but it ranks next to catcher in the rye in my mind. Basically Jack Mullen's brother is killed and Jack tries to get revenge against the rich and bring the system to its knees. Very unbelievable but if you can move past reality and the end can be very enjoyable. Read this book...you will not regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Yawn
Review: I guess I should have thought harder about the review that claimed "A great beach read!" Then I would have known to not take this book very seriously. I occasionally had trouble staying awake while reading it.I'm a Patterson fan, but Beach House just didn't do it for me. I didn't care about any of the characters. As a previous reviewer stated, the main character gets more and more annoying as time goes on. From time to time I got confused as to how much time had passed between chapters...the book covers a much longer timeframe than I expected. Often the plot seemed contrived and completely unrealistic. Overall, I'm glad it's over, although those last few chapters were a struggle. If you're a Patterson fan, skip this one. If you've never read him before...still skip it. I'd hate for you to get turned off so quickly.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this book a joke?
Review: I took the low-brow approach and got this as a book-on-tape for a long drive. For a few hours, it really had my attention. Good story, good characters. Then, the ridiculous "trial" began, and my opinion changed. The book became completely pathetic, absurd and just plain dumb. All the time I invested in this book was totally wasted. I wish I could go back in time and un-read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew return
Review: I read a lot of James Patterson. This one was a total disappointment. The plot is so farfetched that it is not even plausible. The villans are so villanous that they come off like comic book characters. The heroes are the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Patteson needs to slow down and write one book at a time with some level of sophistication like he used to.
Rating: 
Summary: One of his better books
Review: Although I've read every Patterson book and continue to buy them, I have to admit that he's worse than Dean Koontz when it comes to consistency. Some of his books are rather good, while some of them are plain horrible ("Cradle Will Fall" has to be the worst novel I've read in the last few years, not just from Patterson but from any author). In terms of his other books, I would give "Beach House" a solid five-star rating - I thoroughly enjoyed it and it did exactly what it was intended to: it kept me entertained and interested until the last page. Compared with other authors, "Beach" would still rate a solid four (if I could give 1/2 stars, I would give this one 4 1/2 stars). I won't go into the plot that much - basically a man is murdered and the police try to cover it up, claiming it was a suicide. But I will say this: teaming up with another author has helped Patterson very much. The brief 2-3 page chapters that I find annoying in some of his other books works perfectly here, the pace is strong, and the characters are actually developed somewhat (characterization has never been one of his strong points, but this time around he at least tries to give you defined characters to root for). There are still some definite problems. Patterson's annoying habit of switching perspectives has gotten worse (not only does he switch from character to character, but he even writes first-person narrative from two different characters points of view, which is ridiculous). And if you're looking for a believable story, you'd do best to avoid this novel. But if you're willing to suspend belief and get caught up in an old-fashioned thriller where the good guy is done wrong, then gets revenge in an honorable and thrilling manner, then you will thoroughly enjoy this book. It has enough little twists to keep you interested, and if you're like me, you'll find yourself zipping through the pages. (The shortness of his chapters makes it almost impossible to put the book down - everytime you think, "I'll go to sleep after I've finished this chapter," it's too easy to convince yourself to read just one more chapter since they're so brief.) This is the perfect book to read if you're going on vacation, traveling on a plane, or just want something mindless and fun to read. If you're expecting brilliance, you'll be extremely disappointed (Patterson has never been accused of being a literary author by any stretch of the imagination). But if you're expecting to be entertained, you could do far worse than reading this novel. In a way, it reminded me of that old song, "Harper Valley PTA." Yes, it's cheesy, hard to swallow, and about as deep as cardboard, but it is fun and enjoyable and has a satisfying, happy ending that is sure to please anyone that enjoys popcorn thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: The first half is great!
Review: For the first half of the book, I was sure I was going to love it. It had all the makings of a great who-dunnit. But the second half became so far-fetched that it bordered on the ridiculous. Give the readers some credit for a modicum of intelligence! I'm not sorry I read it but I'm sorry that it didn't live up to my expectations. I usually enjoy James Patterson.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put this book down!
Review: James Patterson gives such a great depiction of the Eastern End of Long Island and the socialites that live there. Being from Long Island, I can honestly say that this was such an accurate depiction of what goes on from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The restaraunts, streets and bars are all real places, some which I have been a patron at. I also applaud the author for pointing out that Long Island consists of more than the Hamptons. A lot of it consists "working" people that who live somewhere in between the city and South Hampton. The book literally comes to life. I am not an avid reader, but managed to read this book in two days because I just couldn't put it down. I'm sure you will be forced to do the same!
Rating: 
Summary: UNSATISFYING!!!
Review: The only James Patterson novel I liked is 1st TO DIE. But [not] the rest (2nd Chance, When The Wind Blows, Cradle and All, Violets Are Blue)... The Beach House has a good opening. It will hook you right on with the death of a townie. The revelation of who he actually is kinda ok, though not actually mind-blowing. And the resolution is so implausible. A mock-court hearing? C'mon! And what happened to the Dana character? She was establishied as having an affair with her dad, right? What is her connection with the whole thing? This novel tells me to stop reading James Patterson. Although, I still have a copy of The Three Blind Mice which I bought alongside with The Beach House.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: This is an excellent book. Easy to read and follow. Well written. Keeps your interest from the start to the finish allowing you to read it quick.
Rating:
Summary: He who laughs last . . .
Review: There seems to be some controversy over the "I liked it" and "I hated it" critics. I actually liked this book. I thought it was fast paced and kept my interest up. Probably it could have been three times as long but the authors trimmed it down to the bare bones. Jack Mullen longs for the presence of his brother, who died on a deserted but very lucrative piece of beach estate on the eastern tip of Long Island. Jack was struggling through Law School while Peter was living La Dolce Vita amongst the very, very wealthy. This is the kind of book you buy when you want to be entertained without doing any work. LeCarre will make you work. Dumas will make you work. Lehane will make you work. But not Beach House. There are some gaffes. In the legal proceedings, Jack forces the villain to testify. Any of us who grew up with Perry Mason and Ironside know that you can't force a defendant to testify. But the story, while a bit grandiose from time to time with its OK Corral - Butch Cassidy - Clint Eastwood lawlessness, is a fun read and shouldn't be criticized because it's a fast, enjoyable read. How would we have anything to compare Mystic River or The Constant Gardener to?
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