Beach Road, James Patterson

"Beach Road" by Patterson and De Jonge is a real suspenseful thriller that is easy to read and very interesting to try and figure out the plot, who dun it. The story starts in East Hampton where the wealthy have muti- million dollar estates. At one estate the owner built an official basketball court and the locals had games there often. Tom Dunleavy was a pro player, but injury kept him from his dreams. He ended up a lawyer in East Hampton and kept busy enough to pay the bills. Tom still played and went to the court to stay in shape. After a fight at one of the games, three team mates were murdered and Dante Halleyville is falsely accused. Dante is a friend of Tom's so Tom decides to defend him in court. Tom seeks the help of Kate Costello, a successful super lawyer and Tom's old lover. Together they produce a good defense for the trial of the century. Patterson has written the book from the viewpoints of the different characters involved. It is some what different from his normal prose, but the end product is very good. The ending is very surprising, but that is what Patterson does with the grace of a great author.