Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Great
Review: Nelson DeMille is my favorite author, and The Gold Coast is one of his better books. This is a hilarious novel. The basic premise is simple enough. John Sutter is an upper-class WASP lawyer who lives in the most exclusive area in America, an area in Long Island known to insiders as "The Gold Coast." He has a beautiful wife, an OK law practice, looks, class, and health. All seems well. Then, the local Mafia Don decides to move into the property next to the Sutters. And so begins the tale of a mid-life crisis to beat all mid-life crises. The rest would be telling.As is the case with many of DeMille's novels, John Sutter is a hoot. His insights into life in general, the Gold Coast in particular, and his encounters with the local Mafia Don are very funny. The novel is written in first person, not a perspective I always like, but here it is extraordinarily effective. The reader comes to know, like, and care about John Sutter and his deepening predicament. DeMille's prose is superb. The writing is clear and crisp. The storyline starts out at a leisurely pace, but it always keeps the reader's attention and interest, and the plot quickly picks up momentum. This is an absorbing and very funny story. DeMille is one of the great novelists of the times. I do not exaggerate; many of his books in my opinion are instant classics. The Gold Coast is one of these.
Rating:
Summary: Hilariously entertaining
Review: Nelson DeMille's books are great, and this one is a bit of a departure but wildly entertaining. I challenge you to read this book without laughing and smiling to yourself, and occasionally blushing (if in public, people will look at you funny.) I absolutely love the characters; a fabulous job of writing. The sarcastic remarks are true gems, real tongue-in-cheek moments. Enjoy this book for a great upbeat summer read!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story, well read, with many twists/turns.
Review: This abridgment of the Nelson DeMille novel, provides an interesting story of three people, the Mafia boss, the lawyer, and his wife. Well read by the late, great, David Dukes, whose inflections and wry way of reading makes this a most interesting tale. I'd also recommend "The Charm School", "By The Rivers Of Babylon", "The Lion's Game", "Plum Island". [Too bad the movie of "The Lion's Game" isn't likely to see the light of day, in the wake of 9/11 and the current threats.]
Rating:
Summary: A true Classic
Review: How do I write a review for one of the finest novels I've ever read? I could describe the basic plot, the type of story it is; or just say "Hey, this is a great book!", however, you can read that in the editorial reviews so I won't bother. I can say this: Out of some 600 pages (in the paperback version I read) there are only a few places of actual intense character "action" of the "mystery/gangster thriller" type, but this was a couldn't-put-down-page-turner. To hold a reader on the edge, interested, involved, compelled and feeling for that long, wanting to press forward while simultaneously hating the fact that the right side of the book was getting thinner and thinner, now that is the feat of a fine writer, a rare writer. I wouldn't say that this book is anything like Conroy's 'Beach Music', except to say that both authors have the ability to make the reader feel along with the characters. Both have an almost unnatural insight into the human psyche and both books are among the finest novels I've ever read. Where Conroy made me feel sad and empty at times, DeMille made me laugh (occasionally out loud) and feel the same frustration with existence that his protagonist did. Life really is screwed up and people really do behave this way. As way of another comparison, I enjoyed this novel the way I enjoyed 'Time Enough for Love' by R.A. Heinlein. Heinlein takes the reader across thousands of years, time and different universes, what makes his work so amazingly good is his ability to capture human emotion and motives in words, sentences, paragraphs and finally chapters of a great novel. DeMille captures the same, yes, but the setting doesn't take place outside of a few square miles and few months. I won't hazard a guess as to which was the greater feat, or which was harder to write, but I will say that both are absorbing works, the kind that get reread with enthusiasm. The paperback I read had a new foreword by the author, which is well worth reading in itself. Apparently this work has touched a lot of people over its relatively short life and I concur with those that already consider it a classic. This was my first novel by this author, but I can guarantee not my last. The highest recommendation and a simple "I owe you one" to the author.
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