The Beach House by James Patterson, Peter De Jonge (2002)

I have read quite a few of James Patterson s books, and I generally find them all pretty good. With my busy schedule, I often buy used books from my library, so that I don t have to worry about getting a book back to the library on time. When I saw Beach House, it looked like an interesting mystery, especially considering the setting of the East End of Long Island. (I grew up on Long Island, in Suffolk County). Beach House has a copyright of 2002. My hardcover copy ran 358 pages, but it is also available in paperback. This book is written by James Patterson, and like some of his other books,..

This is another of James Patterson s fast moving thrillers. As it often happens, it concerns law and lawyers. Patterson s style includes crisp, pertinent dialogue, access to the characters innermost thoughts, and short two or three page chapters that move the story along. Patrick DeJonce co-authored this particular book with Patterson. My daughter, Jude, felt DeJonce wrote most of it, but my opinion differs. This is Patterson s fifteenth best seller. He was 27 years old in 1976 when his debut novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, won the Edgar award for the best first mystery novel. He authored..

What is going on with best-selling authors recently? My theory is this - they plug away at their computers writing a decent tale and the editor/publisher calls saying the book must be finished by tomorrow. So said author looks at his/her 300+ pages and throws in an ending. Any ending will do. It doesn't matter that the last 50 pages aren't consistent with the rest of the book, hey it's completed and turned in for publication as requested! That's the only viable conclusion I have for the way The Beach House ended (plus All The Queen's Men by Linda Howard and 2nd Chance again by James Patterson.

I hated The Beach House. I'm terribly tempted to just end my review right here, rather than make you go through endless words that will come to the simple conclusion that I hated The Beach House. Misery loves company though -- James Patterson and Peter De Jonge made me go through 358 pages of The Beach House to get nowhere but annoyed, you can suffer through another 800 words or so from me. What's to hate? Let's start with the plot, shall we? The prologue is written first person by our soon to be departed Peter Mullen, narrating the moments up to his death. The illogic in having the Dead Guy .