The Gate House by Nelson DeMille Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Gate House
Book Review: A journeyman sequel to Gold Coast
Summary: 4 Stars
DeMille resurrects nearly all of the major players from Gold Coast and crafts a reasonably good sequel to Gold Coast. But the book could have benefited from better editing. It runs at least 200 pages too long and, despite the wise cracking John Suttor, becomes tedious and boring.
For the first 100 pages, I was pleased to be back on DeMille's Gold Coast with Susan and John Sutter, Ethel Allard, Father Hunnings, William and Charlotte Stanhope and even a Bellarosa, Frank's son Anthony. But then the story became desultory and repetitive. Even though it was an enjoyable read the middle 2/3 of the book was uninspired. The ending was a disappointment as well. The author wrote himself into a box and created an escape that was not particularly credible or inventive.
If you are expecting another Gold Coast you will be mostly disappointed. If you are looking simply to revisit DeMille's Gold Coast and are not too critical you will enjoy this rather journeyman effort by DeMille.
Book Review: A little disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
Nelson DeMille has been my favorite author for years now. This book however is disappointing compared to the previous ones. Usually I can't put his works down, but I've been dragging this one out for several days now. While his humor/sarcastic dialogue is still there, the storyline is weak. I absolutely do not like the continuing character of his wife. I can't understand why he still feels the same way about her after the revelation of what she did. Hope he has a better idea in his next endeavor.Book Review: A lot of book for the ending
Summary: 3 Stars
A lot of book for the ending. Demille catches your attention and this book is a fairly good read, but wordy and disappointing in the end. The protagonist is a bit too smart-alecky; the ex-wife a bit too smarmy. The in-laws typical and somewhat hacknied. More romance than thriller, I can't give it the usual Nelson DeMille 4-5 stars. Though not a throw-down, as with most sequels, this one wasn't worth the time.Book Review: A pair of gems ...
Summary: 5 Stars
What a pleasure to reread The Gold Coast after 18 years, followed by the sequel. DeMille could have written a book where no action took place at all - just 672 pages of the day-to-day life of John Sutter, and I would have been happy. Lucky for the rest of you, he included a great story along with it.Book Review: A pleasure to read
Summary: 5 Stars
I think Nelson DeMille's writing is truly some of the most enjoyable I have come across. I always look forward to reading one of his books because I know I will immediately feel transported to whatever world or situation he is creating and that his authentic writing and mastery of dialogue will make his characters and their struggles real and fascinating. I can't imagine that he has written anything that is not worth reading. I would bet that even his address book makes for good reading.
As an inhabitant of the so-called "Gold Coast" of Long Island (not so "gold" anymore by the way), I was intrigued by the title and concept of this novel. When the worlds of the moneyed un-titled nobility and the nouveau riche (especially when their riches are of suspect origin) collide, there is inevitably going to be tension and perhaps even mayhem. In this case, John and Susan Stanhope Sutter find themselves (after the fastest, most unexpected reconciliation in history) caught between her lord of the manor parents and their world, in which Susan has been a willing participant, the world of organized crime (compliments of their neighbor the mob don whose father, also a mob don, was murdered by Susan some years ago when he broke off their affair) and the security-obsessed current lord of the manor, an extraordinarily wealthy Persian (with the distinct disadvantage of having been a supporter of the Shah) who has made his money dealing in "information" and who currently fears retaliation by persons unknown. With that cast of characters it might seem like this book would be a thriller of sorts. But it is less a thriller (except for the last 50 or so pages) than a truly engrossing tale of John Sutter's efforts to move between and among these worlds while attempting to put his (and his ex-wife's) lives back together, some ten years after the life-shattering events that tore them apart, and to keep them both alive in the process.
John Sutter is a witty tax lawyer (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?) whose penchant for doing the right thing lands him in more trouble and with more notoriety than any lawyer would ordinarily experience. His brains and his wit are his main strengths in this tale of forgiveness and redemption. His soul-searching and his willingness to admit and accept the blame for the things he has done wrong made him a truly likable character. His once and future wife Susan, is a less likable or understandable characater, perhaps because of her blue-blood origins, which Johns thinks have made her a bit nutty or because of her controlling, evil, gin-soaked parents whose parenting might actually be responsible for the "nutty" factor. In any event, John's show-down with Susan's parents is one of the most satisfying scenes in this book. When information from an unlikely source exposes Susan's father for what he really was, you just have to give a small cheer even though it just means that he'll end up a little less wealthy and Susan will not lose her own entitlements. It's not exactly David vs. Goliath, but still satisfying on many levels.
There was some repetition in this book (which is quite lengthy) but mostly of themes from the prequel novel. I did not feel that it detracted at all from the main story line or its subplots. It was an extremely well put together book with truly enjoyable writing. Give it a try; I don't hink you will be disappointed.