Customer Reviews

The Hampton Affair

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE HAMPTON AFFAIR is a tightly crafted and quickly paced murder story which holds its suspense to--and even past--its last page. Told from the points of view of three characters, author Vincent Lardo describes the rhythms of East Hampton, the town in which he and I both live. His use of the characters' individual voices is excellent, and the dialogue often is funny as well as perceptive. The primary narrator, Michael Reo, is sort of a modern-day Nick Caraway. Along the way, Mr. Lardo reveals certain basic truths, which he notes with the keen eye of an observer. East Hampton, indeed, is a peculiar little town, probably with more billionaires per square mile than anywhere but Kuwait. Yet the haves and the have-nots of East Hampton bang up against each other much like bumper cars, except with amazingly few sparks. Mr. Lardo gets it: the fashions, the parties, the sex, the envy, the affectations and pretensions, all of those facts of life in The Hamptons. And he uses these details with his own elegant style, to construct a page-turner that will keep readers absorbed until the final sentence.

Summer is upon us and it is the time of year I traditionally put all serious reading on the shelf and turn to trash. I picked up The Hampton Affair this week and settled down for an afternoon of murder and mishap. I ended up with a wicked sunburn - couldn't put it down. This intricate thriller twists and turns around three main charcters: a vain and straying voyueristic husband of an ultra rich woman, a bisexual blue collar teenage manipulator, and the local detective. It takes the usual "haves vs have nots" and kicks it up a closer to a Hitchcockian notch. In a nutshell, start with a secret affair, a murder, and how it all ties in with three diverse families, and finally who done it. Read it! Wear sunscreen.

MR. LARDO KEEPS YOU BOTH INTRIGUED AND COMICALLY ENTERTAINED THROUGHOUT THE "HAMPTON AFFAIR".THIS BOOK IS A KNOCKOUT AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR HIS NEXT ADVENTURE.

Very enjoyable mystery style. The story keeps you interested so that you can't stop reading it. The book is written from two characters perspective. There is even times of humor in the story. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. The author has a unique style and I am looking forward to reading more of his books.

In the Hamptons, Mark Barrett resides on the rich side of the tracks. He crosses to the other side where he sets in motion a plan to convince a father-son team of dirt poor farmers that their land is worth millions. The younger of the two farmers, Galen Miller must stop his step-mother from stealing what he believes is rightfully his. However, no one expected someone to murder the woman.

Witness to the killing is Anthony Reo, part of the wealthy side of town. He struggles to save his marriage from the intrusion of Mark, who sees Anthony's spouse as the inheritor of billions and therefore, fair game. Not so suprisingly, Anthony sees his wife the same way. Into the mix come police detective Eddy Evans who finds the poor and the rich refusing to cooperate in his investigation into the murder of the second Ms. Miller.

THE HAMPTON AFFAIR is a well-written police procedural that centers on class distinction. The story line is told to the readers from three different perspectives (upper, middle, and lower classes), which Vincent Lardo handles with ease, making it simple yet complex for the reader to follow. However, no character surfaces that hook the audience. All are selfish with personal agendas that stop at nothing, even murder and manipulation. That lack of warmth towards anyone leaves a minor ripple in what is a well-written plot.

Harriet Klausner

I am a big Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen fan and thought Vincent Lardo's Hampton Affair to be along similar lines. The pace was fast, the plot was filled with twists and turns, the writing was smart and the characters were all well-fleshed out. I highly recommend this book for anytime - leisure reading at home, on a plane, at the beach, etc.

The story is told in three voices: the rich Michael Anthony Reo; the poor, young and handsome Galen Miller; and the guy in the middle, Detective Eddy Evans. The three, who do not know each other and never meet (except, briefly, Michael and Galen) are all involved in a crime which will change their lives. Add to this a mix of very believeable, very interesting characters in a Hampton's setting that is the truest and, at times, the funniest, depiction of the fashionable resort. If you like your suspense laced with a dollop of sex and a good measure of tongue-in-cheek humor, this is your cup of tea. Warning. Don't pick it up unless you have time to spare because you won't be able to put it down.