The Summer House

In rural Georgia, there is an old house, once grand, and now a dilapidated shack known as the Summer House. Seven people have been brutally murdered including a two-year-old girl. Evidence points to four Army Rangers known as the Ninja Squad for their ability to infiltrate a target and get out without being noticed. The four of them have been arrested and are in the local jail. The DA wants them to get the death penalty. The question is why would they do that? The Army sends a group of investigators to get to the bottom of the puzzle. They are headed by Major Jeremiah Cook, an injured vet and a former NYPD detective. As they investigate, what appears to be a slam dunk case starts to unravel with one clue after another. What they discover will bring them into conflict, not only with the local law enforcement, but, with their army superiors. James Patterson does not need me to review one of his books. They sell by virtue of his name alone. However, his co- author, Brendan DuBois, is a friend of mine and for that reason this book is of interest to me. (Please note- if I didn\’t like it, I wouldn\’t have reviewed it. ) The plot is actually quite complex, at least, initially. Once the reader gets familiar with the characters, the pacing of the plot increasingly accelerates. The short chapters with characters alternate points of view, often with a cliffhanger ending, are reminiscent of the Patterson style of writing. This adds to the propulsive nature of the book. When the reader reaches the last 200 pages, the book is impossible to put down. I imagine the research that went into the book was supplied by Brendan, as well as, the solid characterizations. Both of these authors should be proud of this book. It is superb entertainment though a bit too long. Highly recommended.

I have been a James Patterson fan for many years, and it is unusual for me not to like one of his books. I did not like this one, sorry. It was very convoluted and jumped around so much, I had trouble keeping up. I am an avid reader, read voraciously, and found I had to push myself to finish it when all I really wanted to do was put it down and go on to something more enjoyable. Sorry, this was not one of my favorites. James Patterson can do much better than this.

James Patterson has been my #1 author for years…. I have been an avid fan and a voracious reader enjoying almost every single novel. I did draw the line at the one co-authored by Bill Clinton…I didn\’t want to stain my dress and I hate the smell of cigars. The Summer House was page turning expose on the ravages of present day war and warfare. It realistically showed the sad truths of training men and women to kill…and then assuming they could stop. It was a definite expose\’ on the looming mental health crisis in the world today. Ironically, that was the good part. I could be entirely off base but the way this novel was written didn\’t appear to be JP\’s style of writing…. There were so many first person quotes beginning with , \”I said, \” I\’d say, etc., that it seemed odd and totally out of character for him. The story was worthy of continuing but I found myself questioning who really penned the words. I will, of course, continue reading each and every new release but I will be watching to see who co-authors each one.

I must admit that I\’ve become a little disappointed in some of Mr. Patterson\’s recent books. Always with an unknown coauthor. However, this book was definitely a keeper!! Only took me 2 days to read it. Highly recommend!!

I can\’t say Brendan DuBois is the kind of author I who\’s style I enjoy. The book title The Summer House is misleading. This book isn\’t centered on a vacation house. Rather the house was an introductory device to lead into an investigation by a military Crime Investigation Division or DID just one of the many military acronyms in this book. Although it\’s a military mystery the setting is rural Georgia. The characters are almost cliche. The crusty head of the unit, Major Cook; Special Agent Connie York, investigator; Captain Pierce, JAG; Lieutenant Huang, psychiatrist and Special Agent Sanchez, second investigator. The While the plot was engaging, the drama felt forced and the pace was stilted. I don\’t recommend this book unless you enjoy military jargon and simple characters.

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