It is unusual to begin with as it gives a list of characters in order of appearance, along with a bit of background. In this prologue-type chapter, it states that the reader must 'Keep in mind that people often lie, especially in the current age, and that the full extent of their lies can be almost beyond our comprehension'. When faced with this I was a little unsure if it was a good idea to be directly told this or not, as instead of being explicitly told that some people are lying and some are not, I always like to try and work out whom in a book can be trusted and who can't. However, once I was halfway through the book I was pleased that I had been warned about some characters' lies, as it gave me an extra incentive to sort the truth from the lies as I read. By the time I had finished the book, I had guessed something (which I would never have guessed if I hadn't been told that people might be lying), but there was so much more that never even crossed my mind. The lies really can reach 'almost beyond our comprehension', so it was no bad thing that that comment had been included before the story started proper.
The story is told from seven different characters' perspectives, which may at first sound quite confusing, but it is clearly stated at the beginning of each chapter who will be the first person speaker in that chapter. Most of the chapters are from Tom Dunleavy's perspective, a struggling lawyer living and working in East Hampton, a neighbourhood in America for the super-rich. He becomes involved in a murder case where three of his acquaintances were shot, and he represents the young man on trial for murder - another friend of his - Dante Halleyville. Tom enlists the help of a top lawyer and former lover of his, Kate Costello, and the story goes from there.
However, nothing is that simple. Tom and Kate's relationship goes from stony and strained as he is forced to atone for letting Kate down in their previous relationship, to strong and dependable as the case and isolation they feel from their neighbours brings them closer together. Furthermore, other mysterious murderers and drug dealers leave you wondering how they could be relevant and how they might help to tie everything up...
The setting of the novel, in East Hampton, an extremely rich area in Long Island, America, is probably somewhere where none of us will ever see the likes of, except in our dreams! This can mean that at times it's a little hard to relate to the characters or what's going on, as it can seem a bit too fantastical. On the other hand, you could take it as a nice bit of escapism, allowing you to enter a world you'd never be able to see in real life.
Dante's court case is described over several chapters, and usually court scenes in books leave me a bit baffled as to what's going on. However, Patterson manages to omit all the legal and court jargon, but without losing the tension and idea of what's going on at the same time. It was easy to follow exactly what was going on, who was saying what, and who was on Dante's side and who was not. Whether or not it was accurate in terms of what a court case is actually like I've got no idea, but the whole case was well explained, and the high level legal stuff was, thankfully, left out.
As with most James Patterson books, the chapters in 'Beach Road' are very short. This means you can get through it very quickly, as each chapter just flies by. You could be endlessly saying you'll read 'just another chapter', as you can get caught up in the story so easily! It's also really satisfying as if you read in bed, you'll never have to go to sleep by ending halfway through a chapter.
As you read, you'll go through a range of emotions, which is exactly the type of journey which a well-executed book should take you on. From surprise at the murders, to humour, a calmness as Tom and Kate seem to be taking control, to finally extreme shock as everything is tied together at the end. As I reached the final seven or eight chapters, my mouth literally hung open as I read in shock. I was stunned as I read, and the anguish I felt for one of the characters (I won't say which one and ruin the story for you!) was something I had never felt from a book before. For me, this was what gave the book its exceptional quality and fifth star, and as I said before, the ending was something which had never even crossed my mind.
All in all this is a fantastic book which keeps you guessing until the very end. It's a really quick and easy book to read, yet it still manages to take you on an emotional rollercoaster, and to a part of the world you can only imagine. I would definitely recommend it as, although it won't take you long to read, it'll leave you questioning people's motivations behind doing things.
ISBN 978-0-7553-2313-5
RRP £6.99
Summary: A well written, gripping book which is a good entry into James Patterson's writing
Rating: 5/5
I can't believe so many otherwise intelligent people rate this awful book. It breaks the cardinal rule of first person fiction - not to lie to the reader. The characters are shallow and stereotyped, and behave unrealistically. The so-called 'twist' is simply the author tacking on an unrelated plot to a story which already finished with the trial. Less a shock, and more a grunt of disgust that this tripe was ever published.
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