Thursday, June 25, 2009Book Review - The Beach House by James Patterson & Peter De JongeThe Beach HouseI'm going to get right into it, without any skirting around - if you've never read a James Patterson novel, here's a great place to start. I've only read one other book by him, but The Beach House impressed me so much that it gets an ultimate recommendation.It's not that Patterson's thriller breaks a lot of ground in the suspense/thriller literary genre, in fact opting for a simple storyline touching on themes of money as power and the ease the rich have in covering up their dirty deeds. After his brother is murdered by a rich and powerful family, main character James sets out to get revenge and uncover the truth after the family is able to convince the police that the death was a suicide. It's a fairly straight-forward detective case for most of the novel, until a few twists in the plot push the intensity and mystery higher.But what stands out as a great achievement, and factors into an extremely pleasurable read, is the voice of James. As he narrates, the reader grows closer and closer to him, almost to the point where we're so associated with James that we are as hard-pressed to uncover the truth as the characters in the story are. Patterson paints a vivid picture of each character, especially the rich family's history that leads to the reader's constant emotional attachment to James and his brother. Effectively moving and comedic at the same time, Patterson's main character gives The Beach House a much more invigorating tale.And as we work our way into James' revenge, the plot escalates so well that it's a relief when we finally learn how James will uncover what he knows is true. It's not much of a surprise, but the elaborate and believable setup that Patterson stages is suspenseful enough to keep the reader flipping every page until they finally get to the inevitable conclusion.Patterson does sometimes switch from James' narration to a third-person perspective, though, and it diverts our attention from James enough to be a bit bothersome. Towards the end, we find that the character that we follow in these third-person parts is actually a pretty minor character, adding a bit of frustration to those of us who want to read more of James' thoughts (or was I the only one in love with his personality?)But that's only a minor quibble. The fact of the matter is, The Beach House is an excellent novel full of intrigue, emotion, and mystery. It may be formulaic, but the perspective from which it's told held my attention so raptly that I couldn't put the book down. And even though the "whodunnit" part of the novel is solved early on, James' solution is much more entertaining. A great book for those of you with an insatiable appetite for crime drama, with a good, if a bit trite, critique on the power of the rich.
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.
What do You think about The Beach House (2003)?
I read this on the iPad. Intriguing story and not nearly as repetitive as Grisham.s Sycamore Row. Patterson finds a way to tell the story without exposing the reader to all the evidence before the trial. Well done Mr. Patterson. I enjoyed reading this.Jack Mullen is a driven student of the law. His brother Peter is a servant of the rich, parking the cars of the Hamptons' elite --- and perhaps satisfying their more intimate needs as well. Then Peter's body is found on the beach. Jack knows the drowning was no accident, but someone's unlimited power and money have bought the cops, the judges, the system. Now Jack is learning a lesson in justice he never got in law school ... and his astonishing plan to beat the billionaires will have you reeling --- and cheering --- to the very last page.
—Wanda Gibbons
Jack Mullen is in law school and he has to find out who killed his brother Peter. It's a quick read, as the chapters are very short. It's easy to read and compelling. However, it doesn't take too long to figure out the mystery, although all the details don't get unraveled until the end. The finale ends in a faux courtroom case, spelling out the mystery TV-courtroom drama style. All in all, I found the book entertaining, but a little disappointing; having finished it yesterday, I don't even remember why Peter was killed.. The motives and even the characters were a little far-fetched.
—Jen
As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:This is my first book that I've read of Patterson's. I saw his list of books and found it interesting that he co-writes with other authors. However, it doesn't seem to be a bad idea. With *The Beach House*, I found it to be interesting how fast you can read through a book with small chapters. It turned out not to be such a bad idea. Peter Mullen is found dead at the beach in the Hamptons. The officials in the town are calling it a suicide. However, Jack, the older brother who is studying law, believes it was murder. One, Peter was an expert swimmer and knew the "laws" of the ocean. Two, when Jack saw Peter's body, he was covered in bruises. Three, a competent coroner who did the autopsy confirmed that Peter did not drown. However, none of the officials agree with Jack and still claim that Peter had committed suicide. Meanwhile, Jack gradually builds up a team of people who agree with the fact that Peter was murdered. Of course, the tide turns and everyone starts to say that Peter suicided. Just who or what has made these people changed their minds? Jack and a few people (his grandfather, his new girlfriend...) seem to be losing the battle. All seems lost when the court rules Peter's death as suicide. That is when Jack and his people become desperate. They hold their own televised court when they come across some incriminating evidence. Do the rich really buy their way out of crime? Can they buy "facts" or have them altered and get away with it? Do the rich really control the courts? Jack and his people are rich but they aren't poor. Can they be bought out? The question is which ruling will the general public and the courts uphold? The original court's ruling or the "kangaroo" court's ruling? *The Beach House* is an interesting story about how the court and the rich cornering a man when he'll have no choice but to fight back like a feral animal. And when he does, all hell breaks loose.
—LARRY
