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| Beach Road |  | Authors: James Patterson, Peter De Jonge
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
Category: Book
Buy New: £33.94
Rating:  30 reviews
Format: Audiobook
Media: Audio Cassette
ISBN: 0753136945
EAN: 9780753136942
ASIN: 0753136945
Publication Date: January 1, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Utter total dross, terribly written and I've read Mills & Boons! March 4, 2008
Admittedly this isn't my chosen genre and the first James Patterson book I've ever read but I think that should've leant me an edge with my lack of expectations and my attempted open mind. However this is without doubt, from the first page of the book, the worst written book I have ever read! The 'gangster speak' was so forced as to actually be embarrassing, kind of like listening to your grandma trying to rap, so much so that I cringed pretty much constantly. Then, not to spoil it for you because it's by far the only bit in the book that'll get you going, the 'twist in the tale' ending is just beyond a joke and so utterly ridiculous! I really wouldn't bother reading this, read a proper book!
 TALENTED ENSEMBLE CAST DELIVERS SUPERB NARRATIVE November 18, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
There's nothing like a talented ensemble cast of narrators to bring an audio book to vibrant, exciting life. There's Broadway quality drama that a single person reading usually cannot create and nail biting suspense propelled by the emphasis placed on each character by a different voice. All of this is found in Beach Road, the story of a barely-making-it lawyer who suddenly finds himself in the middle of an over the masthead headline case.
Former NBA star Tom Dunleavy is an attorney in a well heeled resort town, East Hampton. Unfortunately for him, his door isn't darkened by any of the rich who summer there, jut by the year round folks who work for the wealthy.
Then, a good friend of Tom's, Dante Halleyville, is arrested for a triple murder. Believing in his friend's innocence, Tom calls on former girlfriend, Kate Costello, to help him. Although she's now a lawyer for super powers in Manhattan she comes to help out. (Romance? Of course.)
All they have to do is find out who really did the killings and why that person or persons wants Dante to take the rap for it.
Trust Patterson to deliver a shocking trail that leads to an even more astounding conclusion.
- Gail Cooke
 An OK holiday book September 22, 2007
I applaud James Patterson and Peter de Jonge for trying a different sytle of writing with this book where they tells the story in the first person using different characters per chapter to build the plot.
However like other reviewers Tom Dunleavy does feel like a poor man's Myron Bolitar (see Harlan Coben books) without the wit. Surely JP and PdeJ recognised this - as all three write are thriller writers - and saw that any comparisons wouldn't be in their favour.
My own reading style is that I like to have several books on the go at once and to be able to pick them up and put them down according to my mood. So I'd have to say the narration by different characters sometimes meant that I lost the plot a little and had to retrace my steps a bit which was slightly irritating. If you only read one book at a time then this is probably easier to follow.
Unlike other reviewers I quite enjoyed the twist at the end - OK it may be a little far fetched but at least I had a little bit of a wow moment so I didn't regret reading this book.
Not his best August 29, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Having read a number of Patterson's books, I found this effort somewhat bizarre, especially when you reach the last few pages.
Patterson (and co-author Peter de Jonge) use a first-person style of writing throughout, as the handful of main characters tell the story from their own points of view.
Although this took a bit of getting used to, I had no real problems with it and Patterson's famously short chapters are still easy to read in this style.
The central character is Tom Dunleavy, a former professional basketball player who suffered a career-ending injury, before setting up a small law firm in an exceedingly affluent area (Steven Spielberg is a resident - and even makes a ridiculous and pointless appearance in the book, alongside George Clooney and Julianne Moore).
I can only imagine Harlan Coben would have read Dunleavy's background with more than a passing interest, as it is a near-exact copy of his excellent character Myron Bolitar, although Dunleavy, like many of the other characters in this book, are nowhere near as likeable as that creation.
The basic story is that Dunleavy is recruited by young basketball star Dante Halleyville, who is accused of three brutal murders, to act as his defence.
The plot throughout is loose, but the book at least skips along at a reasonable pace.
However, the ending is bordering on ludicrous and makes no sense of much of what has gone before it. Yes, it is an interesting twist, although the list of potential suspects are actually somewhat short. It could have potentially worked well, but it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and smacks of Patterson going for a shock reaction from the reader, rather than building a story that will support his ending.
In the end, the book frustrates far more than it does entertain. It wouldn't put me off Patterson's work, much of which is very good, but I wouldn't recommend this as a first-time dip into what he can offer - read one of his Alex Cross novels instead.
Oh please, don't insult my intelligence! August 27, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a great novel up until the last hundred pages. It's unusual style of writing in the first person from seven-odd peoples point of view is neat, borrowing from books like Treasure Island etc. However, it skips around alot and you have to keep your head screwed on to not forget who's chapter it is!
You get drawn into the plot, especially the court section but are then let down entirely at the end with a very depressing and bizarre twist! I can't give away details but let's just say the person responsible has no motive and you'd have to be pretty good to have worked out who it was. The Authors take big liberties, and even when you re-read it to make sure you weren't asleep for vast periods, there was no way you could have worked it out!
Summary: Good until the end where you feel cheated and empty.
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