The Beach House

by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge

Book Overview

When New York law student Jack Mullen learns that his brother has drowned, he knows it can't be an accident . . . Jack Mullen is in law school in New York City when the shocking news comes that his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316969680
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A Great Book!

I have just started to read the James Patterson books. I liked "1st to Die" and "2nd Chance" alot. I thought "The Jester" was really good as well. I thought "Cradle and All" was alright. But this book is by far my favorite one in his set of books. After writing over twenty books this book is great and engrossing. I finshed the last two hundred pages in one day. Mabye even more, I couldn't count. It wasn't a mystery with a dectective looking for a killer, or a serial killer. Only one murder and the family of the dead person, who are all regular people, go off to avenge his death. With Patterson's trademark two through five page chapters, this book is a swift read at 356 pages. I waited over a year to wait for this to come to paperback and in the end it was worth the wait. The murder is towards Peter Mullen also known as "Peter Rabbit." He works at the Neubauer family's beach house in the Hamptons. He works there as a valet. When his brother Jack comes home from work over the weekend he finds his father, grandfather, and girlfriend waiting for him at the station. He then learns that his brother was dead. The cops say it was sucicide but Jack knows that he couldn't have killed himself. He was leading a happy life and he wouldn't have gone out for a swim and drowned. It was the end of May and it was too cold that night to swim. Jack tries to deal with the death of his brother, untill he comes home to find his father dead. All that is left is him and his grandfather Macklyn. They decide to avenge Peter's death, because they both know that he was murdered. But with everybody claiming that Peter killed himself, it turns out that whoever killed Peter bought the cops and the judges and whoever can open a case to Peter's murder. Also with all the trouble between Peter's family and Detective Frank Volpi, it's going to be a very hard quest."The Beach House" was a great book because it kept you engrossed enough to keep reading on. I find it hard to find books like that because in most books there is always a section where it's a little boring or uninteresting. In this book that only happened in the beginning where you are still trying to get into it. But you get into it very quickly, and when you do, you'll be very glad that you didn't give up on it.The wording in this book is so simple. It's not hard to understand at all and it pretty much classifed as a page turner. The book does not include a high action packed scene at the end, but an ending where you'll be amazed at when they do indeed find out the killer of Peter Rabbit. The plan to unmask the killer is also unexpected and the scenes leading up to that are so entertaining where you need to keep reading to see what they are going to do. Pick up your paperback copy of "The Beach House" today.ENJOY!

Fun audio addition!

Okay, the plot is formulaic, but Gil Bellows does a great narration in the audio addition of this book. I found this book to be very entertaining during my daily commute. The plot does have a few unexpected twists, and I found myself routing for Jack and company and the book progressed.

Warning--Do not start this book on a work or school night...

Although it's been dubbed Summer 2002's "beach read," this novel will be just as satisfying when read by the fireplace under a toasty blanket while the snow falls outside. The writing flows easily and the story draws you in. This is the first real "page-turner" that I've experienced in several months. I recommend it highly.

James Patterson is simply a pleasure to read!

This is the fourth book of JP's I've read this summer...okay, I was late to join his fan club and have a lot of catching up to do.Having read so many of his books in such a short span of time I can tell you what draws me to want to read the rest of what he's written. 1) He's the master of suspense. He knows how to construct a plot that keeps you turning the pages.2) He creates characters you really care about. You find yourself cheering for them, whether it's Alex Cross or one of his "one-off" characters in his stand alone novels.3) He's very kind to other authors and is constantly plugging other books he likes within his own novels.....I find this very generous.4) He seems like a really nice guy.....last night I finished "Cradle and All" and was impressed by his sympathy for others. He's the kind of guy you wish there were more of in the world....especially single guys! (yes, I know he's married.) But he's the type you'd love to invite to a dinner party, he comes off as smart, entertaining, and compassionate towards those around him.5) And finally, he writes really fun, fast-paced novels. They are an absolute pleasure to read!Bottom line.....I recommend all of his books!

Great Beach Book.

Call me crazy but I gave this one 5 stars. It was so good I found myself thinking about it when I was at work! I just love Mr. Patterson's style of writing and the short chapters make you feel like you're flying through the book. It was a great read and I hope this is only the beginning of more. Read it you won't be sorry.