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"The Murder House"

By James Patterson | Published: September 24, 2015

AMAC'S ANALYSIS

Trying to escape her troubled past and rehabilitate a career on the rocks, former New York City cop Jenna Murphy hardly expects her lush and wealthy surroundings to be a hotbed of grisly depravity. But when a Hollywood power broker and his mistress are found dead in the abandoned Murder House, the gruesome crime scene rivals anything Jenna experienced in Manhattan. And what at first seems like an open and shut case turns out to have as many shocking secrets as the Murder House itself, as Jenna quickly realizes that the mansion's history is much darker than even the town's most salacious gossips could have imagined.

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MEET THE AUTHOR

James Patterson

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has co-authored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, and collaborated most recently with Michael Crichton on the blockbuster Eruption. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
  • 1. How did the Hamptons setting—especially the infamous house at 7 Ocean Drive—contribute to the suspense and mood of the story?
  • 2. Which twist or revelation shocked you the most? Did you see any of them coming?
  • 3. What did you think of Detective Jenna Murphy as a protagonist? How did her backstory influence your perception of her actions?
  • 4. How do secrets—personal, familial, or political—drive the story forward?
  • 5. What does the house itself symbolize? Do you think its history justifies the fear it instills?
  • 6. In what ways do wealth and influence affect the investigation and outcome of the crimes?
  • 7. Were you misled by any clues or characters? How did the author use red herrings to build suspense?
  • 8. Was justice truly served by the end of the book? Why or why not?
  • 9. Which scene stayed with you the longest after reading? Why?
  • 10. If this were made into a movie or series, who would you cast as Jenna Murphy and Noah Walker?
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DMS
DMS
7 months ago

I have never read James Patterson as an author before. I purchased, “Murder House,” as an Audible audio book. The women that read the novel was a little annoying. As for the book itself, it started out with a pornographic description of two young adults having sex (making me wonder if AMAC had really reviewed this book before making it a BOTM selection). It was an interesting plot line. But most of the plot was easily discernable in advance and could have been hidden better. The cardboard cut-out characters were more bundles of high school drama and emotion. There were a lot of cliche-ish descriptions. I have read hundreds of who-dunnits. and watched hundreds of detective series episodes, since I retired and was not really impressed with the book. It was OK. I had a better time re-reading, “1984”.

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