Is DeMille collecting his royalties based upon number of words? That is the only reason I can imagine for this weighty tale. My hands cramped from holding on to the book while I was reading. I wouldn't have minded if the words contributed something worthwhile to the story.

After a while, I ceased caring whether or not John survived. If he wasn't smart enough to see that members of the Stanhope family are genetically wired to dance to the sound of inherited money, he should be put out of his misery.

Whenever I read a DeMille story, I truly enjoy the character devolopment, the wiseass dialog between the protagonists, and the storyline, usually in that order.
The Gatehouse, is very strong in the character development, and dialog area, but we're a little short on storyline suspense until the last 30 pages or so.
Given the difficulty of creating a sequel that measures up the first story, I think DeMille does an honorable job. It doesn't help that The Gold Coast is one of DeMille's greatest novels, making it a very tough act to follow.
Enjoy the book for what it is and you won't regret the 20 hours or so of your life you spent to read it!

The Lion's Game was my first DeMille book, and it was breathtaking; still one of my favorite books of all time. After that I read The Charm School, which was another very suspenseful and intriguing book. Those books turned me on to Nelson Demille, and I have since read all his books and eagerly awaited each new book as it was being published. Although some of his more recent work was a disappointment to me, I still felt that the negative reviews for The Gate House must be over-the-top, because it's Demille; it couldn't be that bad.
Unfortunately, having now slogged through The Gate House, I reluctantly must concur with the readers who have decried this book. It was truly awful. I generally enjoy long books because they provide me with days of being pleasurably immersed in the story; however, this book offered no pleasure and it became a chore to get through it.
DeMille fills 9/10ths of the book with redundant and boring tripe. He makes the same remark 10 different ways in each chapter. The characters are not believable and extremely unlikable. I can possibly believe that a "society woman" would fall for a Mafia don because love and lust can cause some strange pairings, but for Susan Sutter to have emerged 10 years later without many apparent repercussions just doesn't seem plausible. Even less plausible is John Sutter picking up where he left off with her. After a cursory beginning in which he glancingly purports to want nothing to do with his ex-wife, he almost immediately falls back in love with her and they continue on in this high-society lifestyle, with Susan's affair and murder barely making a dent. Sure, Sutter alludes to it frequently but still sees Susan as a delicate flower and delightfully zany rich girl. I couldn't grasp anything about Susan that would make a cuckolded and humiliated husband still want her. So she's a beautiful redhead, big deal; she had no wit nor charm nor personality. Nothing about her rings true....she's loved John for all these years? Then why the affair with a Mafia don with whom she was "sexually obsessed?"
As for John Sutter, for a man who spends a great portion of the story claiming not to care about money, he is actually obsessed with her family's money. He also has a nasty attitude towards his mother and in-laws that borders on the pathological, and he childishly insults his mother and in-laws continually throughout the book. Yes, they may be unpleasant people, but maybe it is Sutter himself who made them so distasteful.
Furthermore, Sutter is a condescending jerk, as evidenced by the way he talks about Sophie and other hired help. It is clear from his so-called witticisms that he considers himself way above the "little people."
There was no suspense in this book at all. You can tell in the beginning of the book how things will turn out, and indeed the story proceeds just as you knew it would. I just cannot believe that the author of a masterpiece of suspense such as The Lion's Game could churn out this drivel.
This is the book that has finally knocked me out of the Nelson Demille fan club, and I doubt I will read his next book.

This is NOT one of Demille's best !! The first 400 pages could be summed up in one chapter. Demille has just put words on pages with no plot and very little wit and humor. Really disappointed !!!!
Used to be a big Demille fan.

You read, you read, and then you read some more, and nada. Like the old Seinfeld bit where Jerry and George invent a TV show about nothing... that's "Gate House" - 600+ pages with some cute DeMille zingers, and absolutely nothing else happening...

This is the perverbial Susan Stanhope "hand job".

I really like DeMille, but...if this work had been half as long it would have been twice as good. Maybe he thought he had to explain everything again, and again, and again, for those who hadn't read the Gold Coast.

I've read most of Nelson DeMille's work, so I've earned the right to complain when he turns out a stinker. The Charm School was great. Plum Island was good, too. Up Country was a disappointment and I started taking a pass after that one. I should have kept taking a pass, but I was hungry for a good page-turner and bought his latest, Gate House.

If you buy this book, or check it out of the library, be prepared not to like any of the characters, at least not for the first 500 or 600 pages. The hero, John Sutter, is not heroic; he's a sarcastic wimp, who except for his single-handed sail around the world is subject to manipulation by everyone from his blue-blooded ex-wife to the wheel man of a Mafia don. (What would you expect from a tax lawyer?) On a regular basis, you scream at him, "Get a life! Go back to sea! Go back to London!" His inability to make a manly decision is made worse by the incessant reminders, in the first person, of the fact that his ex-wife bedded the Mafia don and how he "feels" about this. Enough already. It's like trying to get through a dinner party with a woman who has told you a hundred times about her hysterectomy. After awhile, you stop taking her invitations.

If someone gives you this book and you feel obliged to answer when they ask you how you liked it, do this: Read a couple of hundred pages if you can bear it, then skip to page 600. Read the first line or so of every other paragraph until you get to the end. You won't have missed anything and you will be out of your misery.

I am a huge DeMille fan. Eagerly await each new book. Couldn't wait for the Gold Coast sequel. I was so disappointed. I think this is DeMille's middle age fantasy. Susan has not changed over the last 10 years - or maybe John's vision has gotten worse. Anyway, the book was waaaayyyy tooooo looooong. I felt like is was reading the same pages over and over again.

I will not give up on DeMille. I understand his next book is back to John Corey, look forward to that. And, I do love his humor. I would classify DeMille's genre as murder, mayhem and giggles.

I loved the Gold Coast. I hated the Gate House. DeMille is a wonderful wordsmith but never has so much been written about so little. If you want an hour by hour presentation of the reconstituting of a relationship, this book is for you. However, if you want to be entertained, almost anything else would be better. The essence of the story can be told in about thirty seconds. There was no intrigue with the end being absolutely predictable in the first quarter of the book. The real bottom line is that DeMille took a simple story and stretched it into eternity. Wait for the abridged version and then read every other chapter.

I wish I had been told to read Gold Coast first! I started The Gate House and then discovered Gold Coast. So I know the story. Oh Well, Nelson De Mille is a wonderful writer!!!!

The action takes place on the "Gold Coast" area of Long Island New York. The main Character is the divorced husband of a Gold Coast Heiress who has betrayed her husband and killed her Mafia lover. Ten years after the murder the husband returns to Long Island and takes up again with his ex-wife. The son of the Mafia lovers attempts to exact revenge and is killed by the heiress. The main character's ex father in law is an unlikable person. That's the whole story. This moves along very slowly. The ending is expected. The characters are not likable.
DeMille has written some very exciting thrillers and I have enjoyed most of his works. Unfortunately this is not one of them.

I slogged through 150 pages, about 100 too many, before skipping (many, many pages) ahead to see how it ended. Where, oh where, is the author of The General's Daughter, The Gold Coast, The Charm School, Up Country, and I could go on, that is until character John Corey appears; then the slide downhill begins. Too bad. He was a terrific writer in the good old days.

I am a huge DeMille fan. Eagerly await each new book. Couldn't wait for the Gold Coast sequel. I was so disappointed. I think this is DeMille's middle age fantasy. Susan has not changed over the last 10 years - or maybe John's vision has gotten worse. Anyway, the book was waaaayyyy tooooo looooong. I felt like is was reading the same pages over and over again.

I will not give up on DeMille. I understand his next book is back to John Corey, look forward to that. And, I do love his humor. I would classify DeMille's genre as murder, mayhem and giggles.

I loved the Gold Coast. I hated the Gate House. DeMille is a wonderful wordsmith but never has so much been written about so little. If you want an hour by hour presentation of the reconstituting of a relationship, this book is for you. However, if you want to be entertained, almost anything else would be better. The essence of the story can be told in about thirty seconds. There was no intrigue with the end being absolutely predictable in the first quarter of the book. The real bottom line is that DeMille took a simple story and stretched it into eternity. Wait for the abridged version and then read every other chapter.

I wish I had been told to read Gold Coast first! I started The Gate House and then discovered Gold Coast. So I know the story. Oh Well, Nelson De Mille is a wonderful writer!!!!

The action takes place on the "Gold Coast" area of Long Island New York. The main Character is the divorced husband of a Gold Coast Heiress who has betrayed her husband and killed her Mafia lover. Ten years after the murder the husband returns to Long Island and takes up again with his ex-wife. The son of the Mafia lovers attempts to exact revenge and is killed by the heiress. The main character's ex father in law is an unlikable person. That's the whole story. This moves along very slowly. The ending is expected. The characters are not likable.
DeMille has written some very exciting thrillers and I have enjoyed most of his works. Unfortunately this is not one of them.

This is a sequel to "The Gold Coast." "The Gold Coast" is probably Nelson DeMille's best book and I'd give that one five stars and recommend it to anyone "The Gate House" is an entertaining page-turner and any DeMille fan will want to read it, but it feels like a potboiler and an attempt to milk the old cash cow. Furthermore, it references "The Gold Coast" so much that I don't think it stands on its own; you ought to read "The Gold Coast" first.

Both books suffer, in my mind, from the flawed nature of the narrator, John Sutter. The best parts of the book are those in which John is being ironic, sarcastic, dismissive, contemptuous, putting people down, and doing his best to infuriate Mafia mobsters.

John and Susan are supposed to be deeply in love--at times, complex, tragic, star-crossed love. The sex scenes between John and Susan are not so much about love and are very much about sex. In them, the couple behaves like a pair of consenting adults who are mutually exploiting each other as sex objects. The parts of the book concerning agape and philia rather than eros are unconvincing. John as lover is much less believable than John as wisecracker.

It is fun to listen to John the raconteur, but I never get the feeling I would enjoy meeting him.

The rest of the characters are cardboard cutouts. The plot machinery creaks. There is a mysterious game-changing sealed letter worthy of Charles Dickens at his most annoying. I had to work way too hard to suspend disbelief. I disclose no secrets when I say that it becomes clear early in this book John is ultimately going to have to kill the bad guy, Anthony Bellarosa--the son of the bad guy, Frank Bellarosa, whom Susan killed in The Gold Coast. My wife and I had a bet on as to whether this book's ending would be happy or tragic. By the time I was 3/4 done, I was reading mostly to satisfy my curiosity as to how it would turn out, not because I actually cared.

There is also a skein of loose ends. During most of the book, we are led to believe the Iranian owner of the former Stanhope family mansion is in deadly peril from terrorists, just as John and Susan living in the former Stanhope guest house are in deadly peril from mobsters. So, what about this parallel story? No payoff and no resolution.

A good read for an airplane trip--if you already know you like DeMille.

I slogged through 150 pages, about 100 too many, before skipping (many, many pages) ahead to see how it ended. Where, oh where, is the author of The General's Daughter, The Gold Coast, The Charm School, Up Country, and I could go on, that is until character John Corey appears; then the slide downhill begins. Too bad. He was a terrific writer in the good old days.

Because I have enjoyed DeMille's earlier books so much, I stayed with this one longer than I should have waiting for something to happen. Finally had to give up after about 200 pages -- just not worth my time to keep at it. Perhaps DeMille thought he would write the great American novel rather than his usual exciting prose. If so, it certainly did not happen. If you insist on reading this, save some money and get your name on a waiting list at your public library. It just is not worth the $$$.

I really wanted to like this book. He is one of my favorite authors.

The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because I still like his cynical humor but even that was mediocre in this book. How boring to follow every minute of Mr. Sutter's life-I MEAN EVERY MINUTE. This is kind of like 24 where it happens in real time, except at least in 24 they leave out mundane aspects of Jack Bauer's life where he brushes his teeth.

I am not sure whether Mr. DeMille was getting paid by the word or how boring he could make a follow up to the incredible Gold Coast, but he succeeded in writing one of the most verbose and boring books I have ever read.

This book was also incredibly disorganized where there were some loose connections between the characters ONLY to deliver one of the most contrived story line and sophomoric endings I have ever read.

I really can't believe this was written by DeMille. It must have been written by someone else and he just sprinkled some his cynical humor to make it look real.

Long and short-don't bother. If you have never read DeMille, don't waste your time with this. Go read Plumb Island and Gold Coast.

At 600+ pages this book is waaay to long. If there was an absorbing story, interesting characters and strong plotting, 600 pages can go in a breeze, but not Gate House.
After the first fifty pages, nothing much happens for the next 500 pages, except for a few love scenes, a lot of annoying snappy dialog from the man protagonist and tourist info of Long Island.
It seems as if Mr DeMille had a book contract to fill, so he really filled in a lot of packing material between the covers.
Avoid this; find a good book.

Because I have enjoyed DeMille's earlier books so much, I stayed with this one longer than I should have waiting for something to happen. Finally had to give up after about 200 pages -- just not worth my time to keep at it. Perhaps DeMille thought he would write the great American novel rather than his usual exciting prose. If so, it certainly did not happen. If you insist on reading this, save some money and get your name on a waiting list at your public library. It just is not worth the $$$.

Just finished reading "The Gate House" by Nelson De Mille..I have read all of his books and this is by far another great book. I could not put it down once I started reading. Looking forward to his next book...soon I hope.

John B

I am a big DeMille fan which is why this book was such a disappointment. DeMille must have been off his feed while writing this book. Reading it was like watching paint dry. Virtually nothing of any consequence happens in this book (other than DeMille's clever banter) until the last ten pages. Don't waste your money.

This book came quickly, arrived brand new and at a low cost for money!

The book, "The Gate House" was very good!

Enjoyed it very much and right along the lines of his previous novels. I always look forward to Nelson DeMille's work. Would recommend to all those that are true DeMille fans.

Nelson DeMille is one of the most prolific writers of the century. I have just recently started to read his works and I can not stop. The Gate House is the sequel to his novel Gold Coast . I find The Gate House just as enjoyable as DeMille's other novels that follow the life and adventures of a NYC Detective John Corey. These include, Plum Island, The Lions Game; Night Fall; Wild Fire. I have just recently been turned on to Nelson DeMille and highly recommend any of his works. I would love to see a film version of any one of the John Corey sequels with Bruce Willis as John Corey.

I haven't been able to get through the first cd. The reader Christian Rummel is awful. I wonder if DeMille is aware how bad he is. Can I return this audio because of this? I cannot conceive listening to this unpleasant voice for 9 1/2 hours.

I generally like books by this author, but this one is not very good. Weak and extremely bloated story, filled with redundant sarcasm, and self-absorbed characters, makes for an ardorous read.

I wish I had read these reviews before wasting my time on this new, long awaited novel. I was disappointed too, in WildFire (2007) and thought that this would be DeMille's come-back novel. I have read all of his novels and REALLY miss the likes of "May Day", "The General's Daughter", or "Night Fall". Most of his stories are the best I have ever read... and until last year, he never let me down. Even if you are a big fan of "The Gold Coast" don't waste your time on this one.

De Mille's novel is an ambitious venture into the lives of the uber-riche (and the requisite hangers-on) post-9/11 New York's Gold Coast, "colonial era villages and hamlets on the North Shore of Long Island's Nassau County". No longer the moneyed enclave of American aristocracy, the more recent additions to the blue bloods include a Mafia family and an Iranian expatriate. The once grand and massive Stanhope Estate has been compromised by time and expedience, as related by John Sutter, long-divorced from the stunning Susan Stanhope Sutter, who killed her lover, Frank Bellarosa, a Mafia don, but managed to elude the criminal justice system. After a voyage around the world, a few affairs to heal his broken heart and much self-examination, Sutter has returned to the Gatehouse, awaiting the imminent demise of a family retainer who has inhabited the dwelling, the cottage forfeit upon her death.

Besides the recent arrival of John Sutter, Susan has also returned to the scene of the crime, purchasing the guest house from its former owners. It is inevitable that the ex-spouses will meet, the author prepping the confrontation with Sutter's retelling of the circumstances that brought about the notorious murder and the divorce. With reduced financial means, tax attorney Sutter has no fixed plans, seeming to drift into situations that are both dangerous and untenable, particularly the overtures of Bellarosa's son and heir to the family business, Anthony. Sutter is worried that Anthony may not have a forgiving heart. And Anthony pressures Sutter to accept a business arrangement that doesn't bode well for the two men's relationship. The problem: John doesn't want a relationship, business or otherwise, but is concerned for Susan's safety at the hands of a vengeful Bellarosa scion.

Then there is Amir Nasim, the current owner of the Stanhope Estate and an expatriate, a courtly gentleman who harbors concerns over personal security after being forced to flee Iran. Even Bellarosa has suffered a spectacular demotion in this tongue-in-cheek drama, residing in an upscale subdivision modeled on the luxurious Stanhope mansion his father once owned- until the RICO Act stripped the mobster of dignity and possessions. But all this is inconsequential, considering Bellarosa senior's death at the hands of his lover, Susan Stanhope Sutter. Add in an assortment of characters, an attractive woman whose mother is dying, Bellarosa's wise guys and the usual rich folks who claim this landscape as their own. Shake and stir for a long-winded tale of the rich and infamous that may have passed its expiration date. This traditional sweeping novel of the foibles of strangers hasn't quite the appeal of years past, when publicity followed outrageous behavior with rapt attention. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

I have read most if not all of DeMille's books. This one goes on forever with little or no point. The characters are mostly forgettable and the plot is almost non-existent. As a 200 page book this might have been an enjoyable escape. But, as an almost 700 page book, it is interminable.
I cannot remember ever being so disappointed by a favorite author.
I learned a lesson: even with an author you love, read Amazon.com reviews before ordering!

Nelson, what happened to Scott Brick reading your works?
Shame on you! This new guy is very disapointing!

The first half of this book rehashes a previous book, and the second half of this book rehashes the first half of this book. I REALLY hate that. Not a lot happens, and the whole story is bland. I gave it an extra star, because some of the humor was clever.

First, Nelson DeMille is my favorite author. I cannot believe I am writing a one-star review, but "The Gate House" was not even close to his other work.

I agree with most of what other one-star reviewers had to say, but I'd like to add this: Susan Sutter was completely unsympathetic, and I did not like her at all. I found it hard to believe that John was suddenly madly in love with her again. I thought he was pretending. The only time I was reminded he loved her was when he was telling us that he was. I disliked her so much that (I'm ashamed to admit) I was sort of rooting for Anthony to come along and take care of her. Then John and Elizabeth could have had a chance for real happiness. It could have been the next book.

Also, the contents of Ethel's letter didn't seem like enough to convince William Stanhope to suddenly give in to all John's demands.

I sure hope Mr. DeMille gets back to writing the way he used to.

All I needed to know before buying his book was that Nelson Demille wrote it. No one will be disaappointed. I haven't finished the novel, but the typically brilliant wit of Demille is certainly needed during the difficult times our country is experiencing.

The story holds your interest, however it takes far too long to come to a fairly predictable conclusion.

Joe Panza
Col USAF (Ret)

I have always enjoyed DeMille's books for my cross country drive. This one was to be 19 hours of listening pleasure. The reader put me to sleep! The story seems fine (only 1/2 way through the first disk), but will have to keep for shorter drives. Not something I can listen to on the highway at 70 mph!

I have read every Nelson DeMille book and have always considered him a wonderful writer but "The Gate House" is one overlong pretentious piece of boredom. At nearly 700 pages, it is a sad sequel to the fine "Gold Coast" written nearly 20 years ago. The story is fairly simple..a man returns to the site where his wife murdered a mafioso don 10 years after the fact. He meets the son of the former don who seems threatening but tries to come across as a "not at all vengeful" person. He reconnects with his former wife and members of his family. Will the new Don threaten him or his wife? How has his family changed since his absence? How many times will he have sex with how many different women? After the first couple of hundred pages, you simply won't care. There is way too much dialogue that often stretches over multiple chapters with no point. It's a bit like the Steve Martin line in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" when he says to John Candy, "When you tell a story try to have a point to it. It makes it so much more interesting for the listener" (Substitute reader in the case of this book!) If you want to read a thick epic novel that fascinates and moves at a rapid speed, pick up "The Given Day" by Dennis Lehane. If you want to read a social satire (which DeMille seems to be attempting here) go back and read "Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolfe. This book finally reaches it's presumed and unsurprising conclusion in the final 50 pages but by that time, I was so bored by Sutter's sarcastic and witty remarks I simply wanted this book to be finished. To that point, the characters opposite Sutter continually comment on how witty he is which seems to be DeMille complimenting himself on his charming style. The wit or so called wit actually wears on the reader. John Sutter thinks he should say "blah blah blah" but it's too smarmy so he actually says "yadda yadda"! After about the 59th such example of this method, you want to scream! So many of my favorite books have been written by this author. "The General's Daughter" "Word of Honor", "Plum Island" "The Charm School" are just a few examples so if you hate this book like I did, at least check out some of his others and you will be surprised at the quality. I realize this book is a number one bestseller so criticism has little impact but see how many bad reviews from readers are on this site and think twice about immersing your mind and wasting your time on "The Gate House".

I'm surprised so many people disliked it after saying they were DeMille fans. Of course it dragged on. A lot of scenes in his books do; the tour of Plum Island, or the boat chase in the same book. But this one was hilarious. I laughed out loud several times and once, at the flaming bananas around the casket line, I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Loosen up folks, enjoy life a little, don't be so critical of everything, you'll live longer.

I have read all of Deville's book, and looked forward to enjoying this one. However I found it to absolutely dreadful, dull, verbouse, and a page turner because he has the same dialog on every page. You want to skip every page, and turn to the last page to see what happens. He could have cut half of the pages and it still would be too long and boring.

The only good part of it is the description of the Creek Club, Locust Valley, and the story of the estates there.

Save your money, do not buy this book, and hope the Deville comes to his senses and writes another good book.

This is the danger in a sequel: being dragged through endless recounts of past plot and dialogue.

And DeMille has mired this book down in too much of the former. I kept waiting for the damn thing to take off, and after plodding through 245 pages just gave up. DeMille's usual peppy pace was like quicksand.

This is the book DeMille should have never published!

Ten years ago, Susan Stanhope Sutter killed her lover, Mafia don Frank Bellarosa. One night, she just left her estate, Stanhope Hall, and headed across the connecting acreage to Frank's mansion, Alhambra, where he delivered a message that Susan took umbrage to, so she shot him. She escaped prosecution --- and the wrath of the don's family --- but lost her husband, her home and her lover all in one night. Now she has returned from a period of self-imposed exile and has settled in the Guest Cottage of Stanhope Hall. That may have been an unwise choice, for there are still people in the area who carry a grudge. Like Frank's son.

Ethel Allard, a friend of the Stanhope family, now lay dying in a hospice house. Because Ethel's time is fast running out, John Whitman Sutter, Ethel's attorney and Susan's ex-husband, has returned from London, his home since that fateful night.

In the intervening decade, John divorced his wife, sailed around the world, left his New York law practice for one in England, and found at least one girlfriend --- in short, imposed his own sort of self-exile. Now back on Long Island, staying in Stanhope Hall's gatehouse, John reflects on the distant past and wonders about his immediate future with an uneasy feeling.

"Time had stood still here in this gatehouse as the changing world encroached on the walls of Stanhope Hall. In fact, life within the walls had changed, too, and time was about to catch up to this place and to the people who lived here, past and present."

As John works to wrap up Ethel's affairs, he is painfully aware of Susan's close proximity. After all, they share a driveway. Does he want to see her? More importantly, does she want to see him? While pondering the possible answers, which may have life-altering repercussions, Frank Bellarosa's son Anthony makes an unannounced visit to the gatehouse.

John isn't too excited to see Anthony, considering that John's ex-wife murdered Anthony's father, leaving Anthony as head of the family business, which isn't a thriving security and limo service, unless you consider whacking your enemies a form of security. Well, in a nutshell, the Sutters and the Bellarosas become intertwined once again, and not because John has any desire for mob involvement. His love for Susan has a tendency to get in the way of good decision making, but he feels he must protect the mother of his children. Besides, she's as beautiful as ever. And outrageously sexy, having discovered some new ways to keep a relationship, shall we say, exciting.

Nelson DeMille explores the clash of the old money of the Gold Coast with the newly rich invaders. Susan Stanhope epitomizes the spoiled trust fund daughter while John Sutter provides the perfect parental nightmare for the elder Stanhopes as the two fall in love again. Their children are thrilled; why can't the in-laws be, too? Ah, well, maybe it's the money. Whatever the reason, John and Susan are the type of people one cannot help but envy, despite the downside of a possible hit man hot on their heels.

You don't have to read THE GOLD COAST to enjoy THE GATE HOUSE, but why not double your fun? DeMille's look into the world of the rich and snobbish back in 1990 gave his readers a chance to experience that world vicariously through his story, leaving us all feeling a bit higher on the social scale for having read it. His wit and humor were well-honed then, but they have had nearly 20 years to sharpen even more --- and sharpen they have. John Sutter, too, has had nearly two decades to sharpen his wit. What was, at the time of THE GOLD COAST, a wry humor and a wonderful tendency to sarcastic comebacks has become a portfolio of laugh-out-loud parries and feints. Nobody should miss a good Nelson DeMille book, and THE GATE HOUSE is his newest best.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

First the disclaimer: I am a huge Nelson DeMille fan, and I immediately plunge into reading anything that he writes. Further, I loved "The Gold Coast," of which this novel, "The Gate House," is the sequel. I would not recommend that anyone read "The Gate House" before completing "The Gold Coast."

And therein lies at least part of the problem with this novel. DeMille seems to be unsure as to whether his readers have read "The Gold Coast" and perhaps for this reason in this novel he repeatedly and redundantly recapitulates all of the salient events in "The Gold Coast" in order to place this story in the proper context. The result is that readers of Gold Coast are going to be irritated, and those who missed that novel are still not going to be satisfied or find matters completely clarified.

"The Gate House" is, of course, the continued story of John Sutter and his (now) ex-wife Susan Stanhope Sutter. This is a difficult novel to review, because there is a lot to like, and a fair amount not to like, about this story. What is to like is DeMille's excellent first-person prose, and protagonist Sutter's wit. John Sutter is a hoot, and the reader cannot help but root for him. What is easier not to like is the fact that this novel moves at a snail's pace pretty much throughout, and in fact it becomes akin to a soap opera, with the real point of the novel simply being the lives and problems of John and Susan Sutter in putting their past mistakes behind them. In fact, DeMille seems to have become overly fond of these characters, and he assumes, not altogether correctly, that his readers care about their personal issues as much as he does. Frankly, most readers will have a certain amount of trouble relating to the tragedy that unfolds in this novel, to wit: the notion that John and Susan might, or might not, inherit millions. Most of us are quite preoccupied at present with our own 401K pension accounts of more modest size.

Without giving anything away, DeMille does a creditable job of wrapping up most or all of the loose ends in the last 40 or so pages.

Although this is an imperfect novel, it is an eminently readable one, and despite some of my criticisms above, this one held my interest, and it was a genuine pleasure to read. DeMille's great strengths are his prose and his wit. His many fans, among whom I number myself, will enjoy this novel.

When I saw this book for sale, I had to read it right away, and not wait for the cheaper paperback. So I pre-ordered it. I love DeMille's books and have, of course, read and loved The Gold Coast. The Iron Gate is a book of repeats. fillers, and bad wise cracks by the hero, Sutter. I am so disappointed, I'm actually angry that this book was foisted on believing and trusting fans. Sutter's endless analizing his history regarding his marriage, he says the same thing over and over.Ad nauseum.sp? I wish I could get my money back.

Man alive, it hurts to give this review. I echo the sentiments of many others in here who say the book is too long and too boring. It drags in too many spots. I have never read DeMille before this book and thought to myself, "How long is this book and will it never end?" That is really saying a lot.

I also agree with one of the reviewers who said DeMille must have been getting paid by the page. There is really no other explanation as to why this book is so lengthy. There is no story for 50% of the book.

And the book's biggest weakness? John Sutter. He sucks as badly as he thinks he's cool. I can be crass in describing Mr. Sutter, he would appreciate it. I didn't think it was possible to dislike the guy I liked so much in The Gold Coast, but instead of being funny and witty, with some attitude thrown in, he's an absolute vinegar and water mixture, insufferable, condescending, and pompous. And he's all of this without merit. Reading page after page of him trying to crack jokes he thinks are brilliant when they are absolutely painful is, uh, painful.

If you liked the Gold Cost I think you have to read this book just to finish out the string. But if you skip a few pages here and there just to get through it, I wouldn't blame you.

If you can get through this book without thinking to yourself, "How much longer is this going to go on?" consider yourself very lucky.

I'm a big Nelson DeMille fan, and I was very excited when his latest book came home for me to read. But last night I finally just gave up on this book, a little over halfway through it. I was getting ready for bed and faced with the choice of what I wanted to read before going to sleep - and I realized that The Gate House just was not very good or very enjoyable. Life's too short to keep reading a book that isn't entertaining.

I still enjoy DeMille's smart-alecky characters and his writing style, but the story he is telling in this book goes absolutely nowhere. 250 pages into it and the ONLY thing that has happened is that the protagonist has sex with (and reconciles with) his former wife - whose murder of her mafia-boss lover ten years before inevitably led to a divorce.

That's it! In 250 pages!

The rest is all (well written but boring) meditation on the good old days before his wife betrayed him, and angst about what the future might hold for them now that the happy couple is back together. Will her wealthy parents cut off the trust fund!? Will the mafioso next door seek revenge for the murder of his father!?

Will you please just get on with the story already?

Dairy of a sarcastic cynical satyr
Sex in the morning, sex at lunch, sex on the patio table, sex in a Grecian love temple, sex.........................., well you get the picture. Nelson DeMille's The Gate House is a sad yet funny romp through the remnants of the fabled decadent Long Island "Gold Coast". Hardly a chapter goes by without someone's sexual fantasy being fulfilled: And yet Mr. DeMille is able to keep the story together in a morosely sarcastic humorous way. Funny yes, sad yes, believable no, yet I simply could not stop reading and laughing. At times I felt I was watching an uproariously funny Dennis Miller skit. In all of Mr. DeMille's novels he uses sarcastic wit to keep the reader engaged. In The Gate House he is over-the-top with sarcastic humor and at times becomes too predictable, but still I found myself laughing at the absolute buffoonery of some of the characters.
In essence the story is a month in the life of protagonist John Sutter, his dysfunctional family, mobster neighbors, strange friends, and even weirder acquaintances. At 675 pages I was expecting R.P. McMurphy of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" fame to make an appearance. Sadly, he was held up at the station. There really is not much to go into detail about. It is a superficial story of a man who is fundamentally unhappy yet enjoys his man-made hell. It is a combination of Dostoevsky-lite and Catch 22 redux with a pinch of Dennis Miller wit. Bottom line is I liked it. Why? Heck I don't know why but I did. Although not his best novel, I long for John Corey and his sarcasm and wit, it is still a good read. My advice is to simply go along for the ride and don't expect too much. With that in mind, you'll find yourself laughing your posterior off.
Lots of gratuitous sex, and language. Some graphic violence.
Character development was shallow but fun. It is hard to tell what makes these characters tick but one thing is certain, even they don't know!
Recommend: I'm ambivalent here. I like Nelson DeMille although his last few works have tailed off. I definitely would read this novel but is it worth the $28? Probably not. Wait for the paperback or get it at your local library. I'm am hoping that his next novel with John Corey will return Mr. DeMille to his literary excellence.

This story just did'nt have the readability of a usual demille novel. Yes we get it. he loves his ex. must we go on and on about it? Nelson, try another stand alone novel please!!!!

This review of The Gate House is based on the unabridged audio book by Nelson DeMille and read by Christian Rummel. This is a sequel to the earlier bestseller, The Gold Coast, which was written some 10 years earlier.

This story is set in a world still coming to terms with the effects of 9/11. It continues the story of John Sutter and his ex-wife, Susan. Susan, rich and heir to a fortune, had an affair with a mafia don, whom she later shot and killed. The Narrator, Christian Rummel does a great job with the main character, John Sutter by using a mix of sarcasm and dry humor. The narrator also does a great job with the other voices involved in the story.

In The Gate House, John Sutter moves back from England to the Gold Coast and starts to put together the shattered pieces of his relationship and all that this entails. Throw into the mix more mafia involvement, this time Anthony Bellarosa, the son of the dead don, who has a grudge and a score to settle, and the plot starts to get a little interesting, but that is short-lived.
I had such high hopes for this book; I could not wait to get my hands on it, having enjoyed The Gold Coast, and many other DeMille books so much.

This book was almost 700 pages, or in my case 19 discs and 22 hours of listening time. The reader was great, the story started out good, but soon became long and drawn out, with no plot twists -- just a bunch of sarcasm, sex scenes and jokes along the way. I skipped discs 17 and 18 to get to the end, and honestly don't think I missed a thing. Even the ending was disappointing.

If you are looking for an exciting thriller --this may not be the book for you, but if you like lots of sarcasm, repetition, and ethnic jokes, give this one a try.