Book Review: The Beach Club

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - RAM

The Beach Club     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Richard Paloma
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Helm Publishing, 2004, 235 pps.

This book is a novel about members of the Eden Valley Police swing shift and their pursuit of a serial rapist. In reality the book is more about the conduct of the Eden Valley Police swing shift. The principal characters Vincent Patrone and Detective Ray Depietro along with the rest of the shift are having a difficult time coping with Lt. Alex Santos, an administrator who is seeking the police chief’s job when he retires. Santos spends most of his time finding fault with the police officers and putting them on suspension – hence the name The Beach Club. Members of the shift who have been suspended at one time or another automatically are referred to as a member of The Beach Club.

Although the rapes do occur these crimes and the search for the rapist does not seem to be the main focus of this book in my eyes. The book seems to focus more on the various women that are willing to date a police officer even though he is married and the ways said police officers are able to keep their wonderful wives who stay home, take care of the children and keep house in the dark about their activities. Various restaurants that offered a half-price discount to all police officers were the general meeting places of the officers for meals although the author is quick to point out that in order not to take advantage of these restaurant owners and the price break for officers they try to refrain from eating at the same restaurant twice in the same week.

Although there were some humorous parts of the book and the rapist was finally caught this is just not my type of book. The fact that I was married to a police officer and experienced first hand staying at home and keeping the home fires burning while hubby ran around with his “arm candy” might have clouded my judgment.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM