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Book Review: Beach Road

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner


[5 stars]

Beach Road     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
James Patterson , Peter de Jonge
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Legal Setting
Little, Brown, May 2006, $27.95

East Hampton lawyer Tom Dunleavy runs a one person shop with few clients and those are always the working class serving the rich and famous that makes this Long Island playground renowned. Still the former St. John’s basketball star ekes out an existence mostly working petty crime and real estate closings.

He is the last person future NBA star Dante Halleyville should hire as his lawyer since Tom has no experience in murder trials. However, Dante knows Tom and trusts him to do right by him as he insists he never killed the three victims. Tom is in over his head so in spite of the fact that this case could make his career as the latest trial lawyer of the century, he needs help. Tom enlists his former lover, Manhattan based attorney Kate Costello to join the team. She does, but neither anticipated the reactions of the rich and famous as they violently react to the defense team’s investigation into whom could have framed the teen basketball star so perfectly and why.

As always when James Patterson is involved (this time with Peter de Jonge), the action is non-stop and the suspense gripping from start to finish. The story line is fast-paced with a light shined on the activity of the Hamptons’ billionaire club. Tom terrific is a delightful protagonist while the woman he still loves Kate is sort of like a sabra, tough on the outside, but sweet and caring inside. Though their antics seem over the edge for attorneys as they play cat and mouse with an unknown assailant, fans will not care as the trek on BEACH ROAD is fun, entertaining and more of an investigative tale than a legal thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.

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