Synopsis
East Hampton is an American icon as a playground for the uber-rich and it is here that Beach Road takes place. Three men are brutally murdered on a private beachfront basketball court and all the evidence suggests that Dante Halleyville...a high school basketball superstar thought to be the next Michael Jordan...pulled the trigger.
Tom Dunleavy, a struggling attorney and former NBA journeyman, agrees to represent Dante, even though he is woefully inadequate for such a high profile case that garners national headlines. Tom is quick to seek the assistance of Kate Costello, a former girlfriend and respected New York corporate attorney. With Dante's life hanging in the balance, the mismatched attorneys must overcome volumes of evidence to prove their client's innocence and find the real killer.
My Two Cents Worth
After considerable hype, reviews were mixed from even the most austere Patterson fans for Beach Road. It failed to go from zero to sixty in three pages and accelerate from there through to the end of the book like many of his previous works. Instead, I found that it sputtered in the beginning by introducing seven different characters, three of which are murdered, in the first 20 pages. It was a distraction keeping them straight in my mind.
Adding to the confusion, every chapter (each about 3 pages long in classic Patterson fashion) was written from the perspective of a different character, severely testing your cognitive skills. It took about 61 pages for the story to shift into second gear for me.
The story gains a little momentum through the next 200 pages as new evidence is uncovered and the attorneys prepare their case for trial, which starts on page 281. It is here that the story falls woefully short. This huge "trial of the century" that garnered national attention and defied all the odds against Dante lasted a mere 64 pages, half of which focused on the sexual escapades of Tom and Kate. It was very anticlimactic for me.
The remaining 45 pages were by far the highlight of the book. Readers were promised a shocking ending and Patterson delivered. Big Time.
Although I enjoyed the book a great deal, it was not among my favorite works of Patterson. It was rough and at times confusing. It did, however, entertain; it was a quick read with a memorable ending, and, as I am learning, perfect for traveling or the beach.
Hardcover
390 pages
3 hours
East Hampton is an American icon as a playground for the uber-rich and it is here that Beach Road takes place. Three men are brutally murdered on a private beachfront basketball court and all the evidence suggests that Dante Halleyville...a high school basketball superstar thought to be the next Michael Jordan...pulled the trigger.
Tom Dunleavy, a struggling attorney and former NBA journeyman, agrees to represent Dante, even though he is woefully inadequate for such a high profile case that garners national headlines. Tom is quick to seek the assistance of Kate Costello, a former girlfriend and respected New York corporate attorney. With Dante's life hanging in the balance, the mismatched attorneys must overcome volumes of evidence to prove their client's innocence and find the real killer.
My Two Cents Worth
After considerable hype, reviews were mixed from even the most austere Patterson fans for Beach Road. It failed to go from zero to sixty in three pages and accelerate from there through to the end of the book like many of his previous works. Instead, I found that it sputtered in the beginning by introducing seven different characters, three of which are murdered, in the first 20 pages. It was a distraction keeping them straight in my mind.
Adding to the confusion, every chapter (each about 3 pages long in classic Patterson fashion) was written from the perspective of a different character, severely testing your cognitive skills. It took about 61 pages for the story to shift into second gear for me.
The story gains a little momentum through the next 200 pages as new evidence is uncovered and the attorneys prepare their case for trial, which starts on page 281. It is here that the story falls woefully short. This huge "trial of the century" that garnered national attention and defied all the odds against Dante lasted a mere 64 pages, half of which focused on the sexual escapades of Tom and Kate. It was very anticlimactic for me.
The remaining 45 pages were by far the highlight of the book. Readers were promised a shocking ending and Patterson delivered. Big Time.
Although I enjoyed the book a great deal, it was not among my favorite works of Patterson. It was rough and at times confusing. It did, however, entertain; it was a quick read with a memorable ending, and, as I am learning, perfect for traveling or the beach.
Hardcover
390 pages
3 hours
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