Amagansett [Import] [Paperback]

Mark Mills (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; New Ed edition (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007196229
• ISBN-13: 978-0007196227
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Mark Mills graduated from Cambridge University in 1986. He has lived in both Italy and France, and has written for the screen. His first novel, 'The Whaleboat House', won the 2004 Crime Writer's Association for Best Novel by a debut author. His second, 'The Savage Garden', was a Richard and Judy Summer Read and No 1 bestseller. He lives in Oxford with his wife and two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Summer of '47, November 10, 2004

By 

Gary Griffiths (Los Altos Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Amagansett (Hardcover)

"Amagansett", Mark Mills' first novel, is a thoughtful and intelligent, if unusual, murder mystery. Set in the post-World War south fork of Long Island, it is the tale of Conrad Labarde, a Basque immigrant fisherman who hauls a dead girl from the surf in his fishing nets. The dead girl, Lillian Wallace, is a member of the New York aristocracy who "summer" on Hampton's beaches. As Mills patiently unwinds the story, we learn that the stoic Labarde is a highly decorated war hero, having served in a secretive commando team in the European theatre. But this is but one of the secrets that gradually materialize in the rigid demarcations between Amagansett's opposing social strata's.

At times slow moving, rambling in others, "Amagansett" is nonetheless beautifully written and carefully researched. If you appreciate a bit of history as well as some education in your fiction, you'll find both in this largely overlooked period between WWII and the Cold War, and the somewhat obscure and forgotten dunes and fishing towns of Long Island. The characters, if somewhat stereotyped, have depth and hold interest, especially in the vivid portrait of the virtually extinct culture of east coast shore fishermen. The standard clichés of the evil rich and the noble poor threaten at times to overpower the story, but Mills atones with a climax that is genuinely thrilling and features a few unexpected twists. All things considered, this complex and elegant novel is an impressive debut; I suspect we'll be hearing much more of Mark Mills.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written First Novel, August 14, 2004

By 

Awesome Reviewer (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amagansett (Hardcover)

I walked into Barnes and Noble and requested a book I saw reviewed in People. It sounded fascinating, but it had a strange name I couldn't remember or pronounce. The bookseller said several people had asked for it, but nobody could remember the title, a "wierd Indian name," as she stated. Luckily, People magazine was there, and we figured it out from that.
I'm glad I persevered - it is a beautifully written debut novel. It centers around the murder of a young, beautiful high society woman, Lillian Wallace, whose body was found by shell-shocked veteran and fisherman Conrad Labarde. As detective Tom Hollis delves into the mystery, he discovers a web of deceit involving the highest society on Long island, which ensnares members of two groups at conflict with each other, the fishermen and the high society, and resurrects lies going back years before to an unsolved murder of a young girl. Each intricate discovery brings a new surprise, and the climax is chilling and satisfying. The author also skillfully weaves in the mood and events of the times; prohibition, World War II and the crumbling of the classes. The characters are wonderfully drawn, and both the detective Hollis and the fisherman Conrad are sympathetically and intriguingly portrayed as Conrad draws Hollis into the mystery and uses Hollis' skills to achieve a brilliant resolution. The lingering effects of war upon a veteran are senstively shown. Finally, the cross-class romance is believable since it contains none of the usual tired stereotypes, but instead is an honest love between two people struggling with their pasts.
This is a mystery far above the norm, and I would strongly recommend it. I look forward to Mark Mills' next book.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Thriller, November 15, 2004

By 

Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Amagansett (Hardcover)

Amagansett is a terrific thriller/mystery. It is a well-told story that begins with a body of beautiful young woman washing up on the shore of Long Island in the town of Amagansett several years after World War II. The story intertwines the lives of the fishermen who find the body, the detective investigating the death and the woman herself. Was she murdered, or was this just an unfortunate drowning? There are many surprises in this novel that the reader will discover in various parts of the novel. This is a fun, engrossing read--one you could read in one sitting if you have a couple hours to kill. People magazine was not wrong in recommending this one. Enjoy.