Helpful Score: 1
"Beach Road" is a typical Patterson novel, in that it is packed with short chapters, full of suspense, mystery, and intrigue. This page turner is truly exceptional until the rug is pulled out from under the reader during the climax.
At first, this book reads like a Grisham hybrid, as a down and out attorney takes on a case in which he is most certainly the underdog.
The attorney is Tom Dunleavey, who is an ex-professional athlete who takes on the case of a young athlete who was framed for the murders of individuals who were well-known, and liked by the community. With lots of circumstantial evidence piled up against the defendant, the entire community thirsting for blood for the seemingly senseless murders, and Tom not having much courtroom experience, the story is almost cliche in that a miracle is needed to overcome the situation.
That miracle comes in the name of Kate Costello, who is Tom's ex-girlfriend. Kate is a star attorney who has already made waves in the legal field as a defense attorney. A desperate Tom seeks out her assistance, and reluctantly, she agrees to take on the case.
Gradually, they work on building up evidence to prove Dante's innocence.
The book is great, until the final twist which really left a bad taste in my mouth.
I won't give away the ending, but the twist is so ridiculous that you basically have to be lied to for the entire novel for the revelation to be conceivable and for the identity of the true murderer to be concealed. It was such a tasteless change of pace in the novel, that it was really difficult to finish the book.
Nice try at trying to avoid the cliched, sappy ending. However, this was just too much of a misstep.
At first, this book reads like a Grisham hybrid, as a down and out attorney takes on a case in which he is most certainly the underdog.
The attorney is Tom Dunleavey, who is an ex-professional athlete who takes on the case of a young athlete who was framed for the murders of individuals who were well-known, and liked by the community. With lots of circumstantial evidence piled up against the defendant, the entire community thirsting for blood for the seemingly senseless murders, and Tom not having much courtroom experience, the story is almost cliche in that a miracle is needed to overcome the situation.
That miracle comes in the name of Kate Costello, who is Tom's ex-girlfriend. Kate is a star attorney who has already made waves in the legal field as a defense attorney. A desperate Tom seeks out her assistance, and reluctantly, she agrees to take on the case.
Gradually, they work on building up evidence to prove Dante's innocence.
The book is great, until the final twist which really left a bad taste in my mouth.
I won't give away the ending, but the twist is so ridiculous that you basically have to be lied to for the entire novel for the revelation to be conceivable and for the identity of the true murderer to be concealed. It was such a tasteless change of pace in the novel, that it was really difficult to finish the book.
Nice try at trying to avoid the cliched, sappy ending. However, this was just too much of a misstep.
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