In the tony resort community of East Hampton on Long Island, Tom Dunleavy is a lawyer who's barely making it. His clients certainly aren't the rich and famous, but are those who work for them -- the hired help. Then Tom's good friend, Dante Halleyville, a local basketball star set to go big-time pro, is arrested for a brutal triple homicide that happened behind one of the mansions, a residence where Tom and his buddies regularly shoot hoops. Tom knows Dante is innocent, so when Dante begs Tom to represent him in a trial that's already getting a lot of public attention and promises to garner even more, Tom can't refuse.

Knowing he doesn't have the chops needed for a case this big, Tom looks up old girl-friend Kate Costello, who's now a hot-shot attorney in Manhattan. Even though they parted on bad terms, after she hears Tom's persistent pleas for assistance, reviews the elements of the case and meets Dante, Kate finally agrees to help. She makes it abundantly clear that their past personal relationship will not be rekindled and everything will be strictly business between them.

Kate and Tom start an intense investigation into the case to find out who's really responsible for the killings, for they have complete faith in Dante's innocence. The magnitude of what they discover is staggering -- police corruption, cover-ups, illicit drug dealings, race prejudice (Dante's black), revenge. Tom then takes it upon himself to set up events he hopes will reveal the ruthless killer's identity. As his actions turn old friends into enemies, there's no one he can trust, except Kate. This case has evolved into more than either of them ever anticipated. The progression and culmination of the trial, as well as its ramifications, is mind-blowing. And the totally shocking final resolution of this story is nothing short of phenomenal.

I found that I had to pay close attention to the headings of each chapter because they tell you the name of the person recounting their viewpoint of the story as it progresses. The mind-set shifts from one to another character's account of the happenings, and you'll find their point of view may be a bit skewered. With short, precise chapters, I found myself turning pages so fast, I could not put it down. This has to be one of the best suspense novels Patterson has ever written. His collaboration with de Jonge has produced a sure-fire winner this time. My level of recommendation is extremely high -- fans of thrilling suspense should not miss reading BEACH ROAD.