The Beach House

Rating:
Summary: Could have been better....
Review: James Patterson has churned out another thriller, this time with a co-author. To me, the co-author neither adds or detracts from the story. I couldn't tell either way where this De Jonge guy contributed. Patterson has such a great reputation that from previous quality work that it is hard to judge the Beach House alone on its merits.

Barry and Campion Neubarger are mega rich snobs who live on the Hamptons and are used to getting their way. When Peter Mullen is killed at their house at a party, Jack Mullen tries to get to the bottom of the death, which is first ruled a suicide. The story is predictible in that the Neubaurs use their money and power to intimadate witnesses and buy justice.

The story is a fast read and entertaining and the plot is somewhat predictable. I greeted each new plot twist with a "that makes sense" acceptance. Even the "stunning" trial at the end is rather lame.

The characters seem to be cardboard cutouts with Patterson throwing in details (like Pauline's tattoo of the Chrysler building on her arm) to add a personal touch. Maybe I'm wrong, but Patterson wasted a good opportunity that could have added a lot to the plot and characters of the story.

At the beginning, Jack is dating Neubauer's daughter Dana. Patterson has Jack, who is the narrator, in glowing terms and you really feel that Jack and Dana have something and their relationship could possibly last. Then when Jack's brother is found dead, Dana is their to console Jack a few times then basically she just disappears. Dana appears a few more times and Patterson hits that Dana was being forced to leave Jack because of her father, but Patterson never explores this possibility. Patterson also hints at Dana being abused and being part of the problems that killed Peter. But again he never finishes these thoughts. I don't know if it was missed because of the 2 authors or what, but as with most of Patterson's recent novels, he goes easy on the details.

Beach House would have been better if Dana and Jack had stayed together while at the same time Jack tried to prove Dana's family was involved with Peter's death. This would have added depth to Jack. Instead we are left with the rich versus poor conflict to hang our hat on.

All the above details about Dana are not spoilers because Patterson drops Dana early in the book as a character after making the reader care about her early on. I hoped she would be mentioned again and her role clarified but it never was.

So, Beach House is a good book that could have been better. It seems like that's the case with most of Patterson's efforts lately.

Rating:
Summary: A good suspensful thriller!
Review: The Beach House, a summer thriller written by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge. This is an unstoppable story of love and vengeance among superrich and super ruthless. This is one of those books that are great to read at the beach.

Jack Mullen, the main character in this thriller is the law student in New York City, and grandson of a County Clare emigrant. Jack's grandfather moved to the east coast of America to find a better life. The story begins with the drowning of Jack's younger brother, Peter in the ocean off of East Hampton. Not convinced that his brother died due to a drowning accident, because he pretty much grew up in the water. Jack sets out to prove his fears and face the fact that someone wanted his brother dead. This turns out to be the toughest job of his young life. With the police saying that this is a suicide not a murder. This throws Jack for even more of a twist.

This story is wound very firmly with crime and corruption. The rich and the powerful in this novel will do anything to stop Jack from finding out the truth. In the process of discovering the murder, he discovers Peter's secret life and exposes some of the most powerful social groups in the Hamptons as the ruthless killers they are.

This novel is filled with many short chapters to keep your curiosity stirring. For a great summer read and a book that you can't put down The Beach House is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Fun book of triumphant vigilante justice - nice quick read!
Review: My biggest problem with a book like this is not knowing who really wrote it - did Patterson & De Jonge really co-write the book or did Patterson give De Jonge the idea and did De Jonge in turn write the story. Oh well -there's no denying the commercial aspect of the publishing business I guess!

That being said, this book helped me through some rough times as I began it while was in the hospital being fed intravenous antibiotics for a massive infection. It kept me busy without having to worry about complexity of plot while being interrupted often for blood tests and other things that go on in the hospital. It is a fast-paced, easy read about triumphant vigilante justice...and, of course, they all "live happily ever after" (sort of). Having lived my entire life on Long Island, I especially enjoyed the setting. Whoever did actually write the book, spent a great deal of time delving into the Long Island experience - from life out on the South Fork (Montauk/ Amagansett), to places such as Ronkonkoma, Manhattan and the Long Island commuter's experience. Very realistic in that respect.

...And I guess public access TV is more than just for stuff like "Wayne's World" :-)! This would probably make an entertaining movie with the right cast (at least a made-for-tv movie).

Rating:
Summary: A 3.5 on a scale of 1 to 5-A Beach Book
Review: I like James Patterson. I would give him 5 stars, even if the book wasn't war and peace (and I don't think that's likely at this point in his career), if I felt he deserved it based on his other work. And I would have given the first few chapters of this book 5 stars-you're hooked quickly.
However, while the book starts fast-a glittery party in the Hamptons, a murder, a good brother law school student and a bad brother-it slows down quickly. I thought -perhaps Patterson wrote this book as fast as we read his work?
Whatever. This is a beach book. It is still fun. You still get some sharp dialogue, some scenes of the rich at play, some gore, and an ok mystery. I found the ending a cop out and I was disappointed in Patterson.
I would recommend this book to individuals who like Patterson and similar authors, though I would caution them that it is not as good as some of his other work. I also would recommend this book to those individuals looking for a quick and easy read on a plane or at the beach.

Rating:
Summary: James Patterson is simply a pleasure to read!
Review: This is the fourth book of JP's I've read this summer...okay, I was late to join his fan club and have a lot of catching up to do.

Having read so many of his books in such a short span of time I can tell you what draws me to want to read the rest of what he's written.

1) He's the master of suspense. He knows how to construct a plot that keeps you turning the pages.

2) He creates characters you really care about. You find yourself cheering for them, whether it's Alex Cross or one of his "one-off" characters in his stand alone novels.

3) He's very kind to other authors and is constantly plugging other books he likes within his own novels.....I find this very generous.

4) He seems like a really nice guy.....last night I finished "Cradle and All" and was impressed by his sympathy for others. He's the kind of guy you wish there were more of in the world....especially single guys! (yes, I know he's married.) But he's the type you'd love to invite to a dinner party, he comes off as smart, entertaining, and compassionate towards those around him.

5) And finally, he writes really fun, fast-paced novels. They are an absolute pleasure to read!

Bottom line.....I recommend all of his books!

Rating:
Summary: Gripping Story
Review: I had actually started reading this book but found that I couldn't seem to get into it. Then I mistakenly picked it up on CD at the library and I was hooked right away. At times, I'd catch myself driving around aimlessly just so I could hear more of the story. The story is fantastic! Peter Mullen is barely introduced before he's found dead outside the posh home of billionaire media tyrant Barry Neubauer during a celebrity-packed Memorial Day blowout. Peter's brother Jack doesn't believe that Peter killed himself, and he enlists the help of his friends to find out what really happened. Standing between Peter and the truth is a crooked police department, Jack's girlfriend (who also happens to be Neubauer's daughter) and a goon called The Fixer. If you can't get into the book... try the CD.

Rating:
Summary: Unrealistically dramatic outcome
Review: A young man dies while working a party at a millionaires house in the Hamptons, and his brother knows it was murder, rather than the suicide the police rush to judge. But why? It takes a while for the reader to discover the motive behind the crime. Meanwhile, some Mafia hitman type thug is running around scarring the old gang of friends of the deceased. The last 100 pages of this books enters bizarre drama, which could never occur in real life. Nevertheless, it was entertaining to an extent.

Rating:
Summary: Fun book of triumphant vigilante justice - nice quick read!
Review: My biggest problem with a book like this is not knowing who really wrote it - did Patterson & De Jonge really co-write the book or did Patterson give De Jonge the idea and did De Jonge in turn write the story. Oh well -there's no denying the commercial aspect of the publishing business I guess!

That being said, this book helped me through some rough times as I began it while was in the hospital being fed intravenous antibiotics for a massive infection. It kept me busy without having to worry about complexity of plot while being interrupted often for blood tests and other things that go on in the hospital. It is a fast-paced, easy read about triumphant vigilante justice...and, of course, they all "live happily ever after" (sort of). Having lived my entire life on Long Island, I especially enjoyed the setting. Whoever did actually write the book, spent a great deal of time delving into the Long Island experience - from life out on the South Fork (Montauk/ Amagansett), to places such as Ronkonkoma, Manhattan and the Long Island commuter's experience. Very realistic in that respect.

...And I guess public access TV is more than just for stuff like "Wayne's World" :-)! This would probably make an entertaining movie with the right cast (at least a made-for-tv movie).

Rating:
Summary: Murder in the Hamptons
Review: Re: The audio-cassette version:

In James Patterson's The Beach House, intrepid law student Jack Mullen seeks revenge for the death of his beloved younger brother, Peter. In the process, he discovers Peter's secret life and exposes some of the most powerful socialites in the Hamptons as the ruthless killers they are.

In typical Patterson style, this book is a very light, quick read, with 108 (!) short chapters and a doozy of an ending that ties up all the clues and makes you wish it could really happen that way. Unfortunately, the reader, Gil Bellows, does not have much energy; in fact, he sounds downright drowsy throughout. His womens' voices are overly breathy and whispery making them sound empty-headed and silly.

This is a good book if you like James Patterson's predictable style. It's a little padded, but still a fun ride to see how the Everyman character of Jack will topple the ultra-rich villians.

Rating:
Summary: Average James
Review: This story wasn't bad, but the narrator's reading was too slow and made it feel somewhat boring. The second half livened up a bit and finally piqued my interest, but getting to the second half was tough. I think I would have enjoyed this story much more had I read it myself rather than listened to the audio version. I call it simplistic as a story, the narrator was below average, and overall, this was an average story to HEAR.