Book Review: Beach House

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Beach House     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
James Patterson , Peter de Jonge
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Little, Brown, Jun 2002, $26.95, 368 pp.

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

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner