James Patterson

Brendan DuBois

When seven murder victims are found in a small town, the homicide investigation shakes a small-town sheriff to her core in James Patterson's tense thriller. Once a luxurious southern getaway on a rustic lake, then reduced to a dilapidated crash pad, the Summer House is now the grisly scene of a nighttime mass murder. Eyewitnesses point to four Army Rangers -- known as the Night Ninjas -- recently returned from Afghanistan. To ensure that justice is done, the Army sends Major Jeremiah Cook, a veteran and former NYPD cop, to investigate. But the major and his elite team arrive in sweltering Georgia with no idea their grim jobs will be made exponentially more challenging by local law enforcement, who resists the Army's intrusion and stonewall them at every turn. As Cook and his squad struggle to uncover the truth behind the condemning evidence, the pieces just won't fit -- and forces are rallying to make certain damning secrets die alongside the victims in the murder house. With his own people in the cross-hairs, Cook takes a desperate gamble to find answers -- even if it means returning to a hell of his own worst nightmares . . .

The Summer House

No. 7 Ocean Drive is a gorgeous, multimillion-dollar beachfront estate in the Hamptons, where money and privilege know no bounds. But its beautiful gothic exterior hides a horrific past: it was the scene of a series of depraved killings that have never been solved. Neglected, empty, and rumored to be cursed, it's known as the Murder House, and locals keep their distance. Detective Jenna Murphy used to consider herself a local, but she hasn't been back since she was a girl. Trying to escape her troubled past and rehabilitate a career on the rocks, the former New York City cop hardly expects her lush and wealthy surroundings to be a hotbed of grisly depravity. But when a Hollywood power broker and his mistress are found dead in the abandoned Murder House, the gruesome crime scene rivals anything Jenna experienced in Manhattan. And what at first seems like an open and shut case turns out to have as many shocking secrets as the Murder House itself, as Jenna quickly realizes that the mansion's history is much darker than even the town's most salacious gossips could have imagined. As more bodies surface, and the secret that Jenna has tried desperately to escape closes in on her, she must risk her own life to expose the truth -- before the Murder House claims another victim.

The murder house

brie

3.5 stars. Really enjoyed reading it. Fast paced and suspenseful.

Barbara Williford

Jenna Murphy has returned to the Hampton under a cloud of suspicion from the NYPD. As she works as a detective under the supervision of her uncle the Hampton Police chief, murders start happening that begin to resemble murders over the past decades tying to the Murder House at Number 9 Ocean Drive. A plot so full of twist and turns that the reader is kept on the edge of their seat.

I would’ve given this a higher rating if not for the graphic content towards women. Why authors feel the need to add such graphic content targeting women all the time is tiresome.

Trigger warning: graphic violence and language

Vilandra

Predictable and poorly written. I would not read another book from this author.

Melyssa Tromberg 

One historic lake house. Seven murder victims.Four accused Army Rangers. Two versions of the truth.Only one can survive. Sullivan County, Georgia, belongs to Sheriff Emma Williams. But not when Army Rangers posted to the local base are implicated in a major crime. To an elite team of investigators led by Major Jeremiah Cook, the physical evidence Williams swears by presents clues to an entirely different story. The small-town sheriff has never worked a multiple homicide, and Cook knows it. Unless he can convince the locals that the recent crimes are part of a larger mystery, this outsider may never unlock the century of secrets hidden inside The Summer House.

This is the first book by James Patterson I read, and I was really invested the whole time- I finished this book quickly. It had some subtle romance, was intriguing, and a total page turner!

Rylee Griffith

Four Army Rangers are accused of murdering civilians in cold blood in this scorching summer thriller from the worldwide bestseller James Patterson. ________________ THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER For seven unsuspecting victims, death comes in the dark . . . Once a luxurious getaway for a wealthy Southern family, the Summer House has long since fallen into disrepair. Its fall from grace is complete when it becomes the scene of a horrific mass murder. Shocking evidence points to four Army Rangers recently returned from Afghanistan. The Army sends Major Jeremiah Cook, a war veteran and former NYPD cop, to investigate. As Cook and his team struggle to put together pieces of evidence that just won't fit, powerful forces rally against them to try to ensure that damning secrets are buried along with the victims. ________________ 'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades.' LEE CHILD

If they don’t solve the case, they’ll take the fall...

shellybn

I thought all the characters in the small, rural, Southern town were all stereotypes. I liked the characters on the crime-solving team, but the mystery was pretty easy to figure out.

David Ellis

No. 7 Ocean Drive is a multimillion-dollar beachfront house in the Hamptons, but its beautiful exterior hides a horrific past. This house was the setting for a series of depraved killings that have never been solved. Neglected, empty and rumoured to be cursed, it's known as the Murder House, and locals keep their distance. Detective Jenna Murphy has moved to the area to escape her troubled past and rehabilitate a career on the rocks. But when a Hollywood power broker and his mistress are found dead in the abandoned Murder House, Jenna becomes involved in a case that at first seems open and shut, but reveals more secrets than she could possibly imagine. As more bodies surface and Jenna is drawn deeper into the dark history of No. 7, she must risk her own life to expose the truth - before the Murder House claims another victim.

Murder House

Judith Junghans

I really wanted to give this book 4 stars because I loved the story and most of its characters but damn was the ending predictable. That just takes the juice out of it.

Peter De Jonge

a novel

The beach house

Do you want a novel that moves too fast, adds in an unnecessary romance, blatantly ignores the criminal justice system, but proves a point about the "little guy" winning against the "big guys?" Because this is that novel.

And I only give it 2 stars because the "twist" is one I haven't seen before. No way would this work as well or play out in the way it is depicted in the book, but it is original.

Honestly, I can see that the person picking up and liking this is going to be looking for a fast read that they could enjoy in a beach or flight, to probably finish in an afternoon or the duration of the flight. This isn't high brow literature, and frankly it doesn't need to be. I just lost it at the end, no way would that happen. Nope.

Deniz Hasanzaadeh 

Exceptional. The idea was great, the storyline mysterious. I seriously can't think of any negative aspects of the book. My rating is 4.5 but that's just for personal interests and preferences. A great read.

G. Jason Head

Cortni Bell

The Beach House

Oliver Magnanimous

Megan Murray 

The Lake House

Claudiu

Mohammed Akhil

It has an ocean-front view, a private beach--and a deadly secret that won't stay buried. No. 7 Ocean Drive is a gorgeous, multi-million-dollar beachfront estate in the Hamptons, where money and privilege know no bounds. But its beautiful gothic exterior hides a horrific past: it was the scene of a series of depraved killings that have never been solved. Neglected, empty, and rumored to be cursed, it's known as the Murder House, and locals keep their distance. Detective Jenna Murphy used to consider herself a local, but she hasn't been back since she was a girl. Trying to escape her troubled past and rehabilitate a career on the rocks, the former New York City cop hardly expects her lush and wealthy surroundings to be a hotbed of grisly depravity. But when a Hollywood power broker and his mistress are found dead in the abandoned Murder House, the gruesome crime scene rivals anything Jenna experienced in Manhattan. And what at first seems like an open and shut case turns out to have as many shocking secrets as the Murder House itself, as Jenna quickly realizes that the mansion's history is much darker than even the town's most salacious gossips could have imagined. As more bodies surface, and the secret that Jenna has tried desperately to escape closes in on her, she must risk her own life to expose the truth--before the Murder House claims another victim. Full of the twists and turns that have made James Patterson the world's #1 bestselling writer, THE MURDER HOUSE is a chilling, page-turning story of murder, money, and revenge.

The Summer House

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