James Patterson and Peter de Jonge's The Beach House opens with the death of a handsome townie on Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons, where being a single-digit millionaire is laughable and being poor is unthinkable. Peter Mullen is a high school dropout who parks cars at the private bashes of the superwealthy Barry and Campion Neubauer. When Peter is found dead on the beach, the Neubauers and their friends insist that he drowned, but his brother Jack, a law student who saw Peter's body, knows he was beaten to death. As Jack uncovers evidence of his brother's secret life, he begins to realize that the very rich are indeed different from the rest of us. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Jack's patiently plotted payback for Peter's death is one that the Hamptons will not soon forget.

There are no big surprises in The Beach House, but it's vintage Patterson, with plenty of action, villains with hearts blacker than obsidian, and a working-class hero who pulls himself up by the bootstraps. Patterson and de Jonge previously coauthored the inspirational golf romance Miracle on the 17th Green, but this new game of money, mayhem, and murder clearly suits them to a tee. --Barrie Trinkle

James Patterson and Peter de Jonge's The Beach House opens with the death of a handsome townie on Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons, where being a single-digit millionaire is laughable and being poor is unthinkable.Peter Mullen is a high school dropout who parks cars at the private bashes of the superwealthy Barry and Campion Neubauer. When Peter is found dead on the beach, the Neubauers and their friends insist that he drowned, but his brother Jack, a law student who saw Peter's body, knows he was beaten to death. As Jack uncovers evidence of his brother's secret life, he begins to realize that the very rich are indeed different from the rest of us. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Jack's patiently plotted payback for Peter's death is one that the Hamptons will not soon forget. There are no big surprises in The Beach House, but it's vintagePatterson, with plenty of action, villains with hearts blacker than obsidian,and a working-class hero who pulls himself up by the bootstraps. Patterson andde Jonge previously coauthored the inspirational golf romance Miracle on the 17th Green, butthis new game of money, mayhem, and murder clearly suits them to a tee.--Barrie Trinkle

This is a great story and keeps your interest from beginning to end. Typical excellence from James Patterson.

I could not put this book down. I especially enjoyed Patterson's reference to real life scenarios and applaud his accounts in multicultural writings and versatility from music references to basketball. The book will keep you on your toes. I wish there could have been a better ending as I really liked 'Tom'. Definitely recommend it especially for the not so serious reader, like myself. I thoroughly enjoyed it and you will too.

I just never got into this book. I'm an avid fan of James Patterson's books... I've purchased so many at airports across the country it is almost comical.

But this one never really drew my in like most others. There just wasn't enough depth to any of the characters and their relationships to each other were missing something. And the ending just did not make sense. I didn't feel there were enough clues to lead me to say "aha" at the end.

Short story - I was disappointed. I won't quit reading... just disappointed in this yarn.

I loved this book! I read it in a day and a half, couldnt put it down. Loved the plot-people taking the law into their own hands. highly recommend!

I think Patterson could have done without the help. I like Patterson's style and move-along plots. This plot however, with the autopsy on Peter's body getting passed off as a drowning-suicide, was a disappointment. The rich buy the courts, but not with the kinds of evidence the coroner presented. The ending really frosts the cake when they have their "Kangaroo Court" in the abandoned Beach house over a two-day span. Since it wasn't terrible, I can only give three stars.

J. P. Landry, author of Hazard 666