The Gate House

Although this is a sequel to The Gold Coast, it is not necessary to read the prior novel in which DeMille wrote about the manners and mores of a section of Long Island that F. Scott Fitzgerald so vividly described in The Great Gatsby. Suffice it to say that in the prior novel, Susan Stanhope Sutter, an old-money socialite, has an adulterous affair with a Mafia don named Frank Bellarosa, whom she ultimately murders, but walks scot free due to various circumstances. Her husband John Sutter, a wise cracking lawyer, divorces her, spends three years sailing around the world, and then becomes an expatriate in London.
The Gate House begins ten years after the murder of Frank Bellarosa. John Sutter has returned to the United States because a longtime family servant named Ethel is on her deathbed. Ethel and her husband used to live in the gatehouse on the estate--hence the title. John and Susan quickly become reunited and decide to remarry, but the dead don's son Anthony Bellarosa is out to avenge his father, so Susan is not safe. John and Susan also have to deal with her parents, who hate John, and threaten to disinherit not only her but her children unless John forever leaves the country.

As other reviews have noted, this book could have been shortened, and really lacks any action until the very end when the inevitable showdown between Anthony Bellarosa and the Sutters occurs, as well as a less dramatic showdown between John and Susan's father. In between DeMille spends his time focusing on the relationships between Susan and John and their children, her parents, and various people who are part of the old money world in which the Sutters travel. Through John Sutter's irreverent remarks DeMille pokes fun at many aspects of this world.

Despite the lack of action, I found this book very interesting and entertaining, though I do admit to skimming through one section where DeMille provided in excruciating detail a description of various towns comprising The Gold Coast. The test for a good novel is not necessarily how much action there is, but rather how the story is told. DeMille is a superb writer--I am a big fan and have read all of his other novels--and I enjoyed the way that he explored the different personal relationships in this novel. Having said that, this novel is different from his other works. If you are looking for action, this novel is not for you. But if you enjoy a clever and sometimes caustic dissection of a certain kind of upper crust people, this novel will not disappoint you.

I rated this 4 stars instead of 5, because as much as I liked it, I do think it would have been more effective if it had been shortened.

If you have never read Nelson DeMille, skip The Gate House and read Charm School, Lion's Game, Word of Honor, Up Country, etc. You will be thoroughly entertained and wonder where he's been all your life.

Having said that, I am almost done beating myself up for spending the time to finish this silly book. Almost. I knew after the first 200 derivatives on "the mafia don my ex-wife had an affair with" that this book was going to be a repetitive, mindless, fluff-filled non-adventure and that I should just put it down and walk away. Seriously - this story is stretched out over 700 time-wasting pages, when it could easily have been wrapped up in less than 300 (if it needed to be written at all, which is doubtful).

To say The Gate House was the most poorly written Nelson DeMille book is a bit deceiving, as I have loved all of his previous books and practically salivate when I hear he has another one coming out. So, in my opinion, it's the *only* poorly written Nelson DeMille book - forgettable in every sense of the word.

As I did with Patricia Cornwell, I'll give him one more chance. Cornwell kept putting out drivel and lost me. I hope DeMille gets back on track by tightening up his prose, making his characters more substantive and likable, and thickening the plot.

Why two stars? Hey, it's Nelson DeMille - I just couldn't go any lower.

This is my fifth Nelson DeMille book, and I anxiously awaited another good read; I enjoyed the first four immensely. Unfortunately, "The Gate House" was a huge disappointment. At page 170, I gave up any hope of plot development or dramatic tension and put the book with the old clothes and household items to be donated to Goodwill Industries. The "action" in those first 170 pages could have been writtem by Robert B. Parker in 170 paragraphs! Mr. DeMille, fire your editor!

While DeMille takes his time weaving this sequel to "The Gold Coast" and dwells on Susan Sutter's crime of passion, John Sutter returns from the sea to recover something most important to him and, in doing so, rekindles a relationship that was tragically interrupted. DeMille does it all with his typical descriptive talent and wit... The books's hard to put down.

I don't know why DeMille wrote a sequel to what was one of his worst books, "The Gold Coast." This book is slow moving, boring, with unlikable characters, particularly John Sutter (the so called hero) who is immature, unlikable, and just plain dumb. All of the other characters and plot line are weak copies of other books about organized crime, wealth, etc. The whole story could be told in about 80 pages instead of the near 700 pages that DeMille put together to justify a high price.

Save your money..If you are a DeMille fan and must read this trash, go to your nearest library and borrow a copy. Otherwise forget it.