i agree that the lenght of the book could have been shorter and could have been tighter but this is a good book. reluctant to read it at first because of the lenghth i am glad that i read it. the charachters are well done and it is not your stock book. it is different and a good read

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Very well-told story, good character development, interesting throughout, complex without being difficult to understand or follow. A good read. And, an interesting portrayal of the black middle class. Recommended strongly.

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This is one of the best books I have ever read. By reaching the ripe old age of 70 last month, I can assure you I have read MANY. Introspection into a large, wealthy, educated (some), black family with a mystery thrown in, wraps up a wonderful read

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This is a big, juicy book -- Carter drafts a multi-layered tale, rich in detail and deliciously suspenseful. The characters are completely drawn, with real heart. A nice, long read that will hold your attention to the end.

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Intelligent mystery are not words often found together--but this is an example. Stephen Carter is the thinking womann's writer.

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from the book jacket: "An extraordinary fiction debut: a large, stirring novel of suspense that is, at the same time, a work of brilliantly astute social observation. The Emperor of Ocean Park is set in two privileged worlds: the upper crust African American society of the eastern seaboard--old families who summer on Martha's Vineyard--and the inner circle of an Ivy League law school. It tells the story of a complex family with a single, seductive link to the shadowlands of crime. . . . Intricate, superbly written, often scathingly funny, The Emperor of Ocean Park is a triumphant work of fiction, packed with character and incident--a brilliantly crafted tapestry of ambition, family secrets, murder, integrity tested, and justice gone terribly wrong."

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A complex, smart mystery filled with intrigue, drama, and more than a little danger awaits in Stephen L. Carter's engaging debut novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park. After the funeral of his powerful father (a federal judge whose nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court became a public scandal), Talcott Garland, an African American law professor at an Ivy League university, is left to unravel the meaning of a cryptic note and carry out "the arrangements" his father left behind. Armed with fortitude and familial devotion--though paranoid of his wife's fidelity--Talcott soon finds himself in an investigation that entangles him with a number of questionable Washington, D.C., denizens, including attorneys and government officials, law professors, the FBI, shady underworld figures, chess masters, and friends and family. All the while Talcott tries not to hurt his attorney wife's chance for a judicial nomination--and their fragile marriage--but the closer he comes to unraveling his father's dark secrets, the more dangerous things become.

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An excellent read. The complex plot kept me interested up to the last page.

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The game of chess, the law and lawyers, family sagas, mysteries. You will need an appreciation of all of these to enjoy this novel to its fullest. With 654 pages and well over 50 characters, it is helpful to keep a list of character names and the page number where they were introduced so you can go back to remember who they were when subsequently presented. This one will keep you guessing just enough, and make you smile if and when a piece is revealed that you had surmised.

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About 200 pages too long. The story itself was very interesting but took forever to get to the exciting ending.

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A different but interesting story.
4 cassettes - 6 hours

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