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The Gate House [Hardcover]

Nelson DeMille
2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (474 customer reviews)


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Book Description

October 28, 2008
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his classic novel The Gold Coast.

When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast, that stretch of land on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America, to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant. Taking up temporary residence in the gatehouse of Stanhope Hall, John finds himself living only a quarter of a mile from Susan who has also returned to Long Island. But Susan isn't the only person from John's past who has reemerged: Though Frank Bellarosa, infamous Mafia don and Susan's ex-lover, is long dead, his son, Anthony, is alive and well, and intent on two missions: Drawing John back into the violent world of the Bellarosa family, and exacting revenge on his father's murderer--Susan Sutter. At the same time, John and Susan's mutual attraction resurfaces and old passions begin to reignite, and John finds himself pulled deeper into a familiar web of seduction and betrayal. In THE GATE HOUSE, acclaimed author Nelson Demille brings us back to that fabled spot on the North Shore -- a place where past, present, and future collides with often unexpected results.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of bestseller DeMille will welcome this sequel to The Gold Coast (1990), in which Susan Sutter, then the wife of tax attorney John Sutter, had a torrid affair with Frank Bellarosa, a powerful Mafia boss and the Sutters' neighbor on Long Island's tony Gold Coast, with fatal results for Bellarosa. After divorcing Susan, John sailed the world for three years, then built himself a new life in London. Now John has returned to the small gatehouse that was once part of his ex-wife's family estate, only to find Bellarosa's thuggish son, Anthony, living next door. In another coincidence, Susan has just reacquired the six-bedroom guest cottage where she and John lived as a married couple on her family's former property. Susan and John soon begin to explore an improbable reconciliation, even as they suspect she may be in Anthony's gun sights. The plot more than takes its time getting to its violent and predictable resolution, but DeMille devotees should have plenty of fun along the way. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

In this long-awaited but ponderous sequel to The Gold Coast (1990), it is ten years later, and John Sutter has returned for the funeral of a woman who isn't dead yet. He's also looking to restart his life and possibly hook up with his ex-wife, Susan, who'd had an affair with a local Mafia don she later killed. Confounding the problem is the don's son, who has taken over the family business and wants vengeance against both John and Susan. While there are interesting characters, and Sutter's first-person observations are clever, it takes forever for the action to get going. Even an exciting climax doesn't help. DeMille has developed a reputation for fast-paced action thrillers, and this is neither. His name will guarantee a level of success, and those patrons who enjoyed reading about the lives of the rich and decadent in The Gold Coast will enjoy this sequel. The rest will hope DeMille's next effort is more compelling. For larger collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/08.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 688 pages
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (October 28, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0446533424
  • ISBN-13: 978-0446533423
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 2 x 9.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (474 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in New York City in 1943. My father was a Canadian, serving at that time with the American Navy, and my mother was a Brooklyn native, trying to figure out how to grow a Victory Garden for the war effort.

My family moved to Elmont, Long Island, New York in 1947 where my father was a house builder, and my mother was a homemaker raising four boys.
I attended Elmont public schools, played football, ran track, and was on the wrestling team. I graduated Elmont Memorial High School in 1962 and spent the summer at the beach.

I attended Hofstra University, but left before graduation to join the Army in 1966. I served three years in the United States Army as an infantry lieutenant and spent one year in Vietnam as a platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division. You'll see that I used this experience in my novels "Word of Honor" and "Up Country."

After the end of my military service, I returned to Hofstra where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. I married and had two children, Lauren and Alex, and eventually divorced.

I held a series of good and bad jobs between 1970 and 1974, and in that year, for some reason I can't remember, I decided to be a writer. My first books were paperback originals, New York City police detective novels, thankfully all out of print and hard to find.

In 1978, I published my first major novel, "By the Rivers of Babylon," which was a commercial and critical success. Since then, I've written fourteen other novels and had a good time creating my characters John Corey, Ben Tyson (played by Don Johnson in the TNT movie of "Word of Honor"), foxy Emma Whitestone, Paul Brenner (played by John Travolta in the Paramount movie of "The General's Daughter"), sexy Susan Sutter, the never-say-die CIA officer Ted Nash, and my favorite villain, Asad Khalil, a misunderstood Libyan terrorist with unresolved childhood issues.

I am a member of The Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America (past President), American Mensa (thank God I don't have to retake that test), and I hold three honorary doctorate degrees (thank God I didn't have to study for them) from Hofstra University, Long Island University, and Dowling College.
I'm married to the love of my life, Sandy Dillingham, whom I met while I was on a publicity tour in Denver. We have a son, James, two years old, and he's keeping me young.

There's more about me on my website. Thanks for reading about me here, and I hope you enjoy my novels.

Customer Reviews

The first 640 pages were slow with just a burst of action at the very end. C M Martin  |  84 reviewers made a similar statement
Too much depends on the events and characters of that book. Patrick J. Sullivan  |  92 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
170 of 180 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If The Gate House was a race horse, I'd say it came out fast from the gate, pretty much coasted for the large part of the race, then put on the speed in the last couple of lengths. For this reader, The Gate House "placed" in the race but was not the big "winner." I've been a big fan, but with diminishing intensity, of Nelson DeMille since his first book, By The Rivers Of Babylon. Demille's The Gold Coast, to which The Gate House is the sequel, is one of my favorite books of his; and so, when I recently received an ARC of The Gate House I put it at the very top of my to-be-read list. Overall, I enjoyed The Gate House but not as much as The Gold Coast. I'd grade it a B-.The main reason being that with the exception of the last 25 pages of the 667 copy I read, little of any substance happens after the first 100 or so pages. In typical DeMille fashion, his character development is very strong -- particularly in regards to his main male character, John Sutter, whose sarcastic wit permeates throughout this book -- and his narrative ability is at the top of his game. However, after several hundred pages of appreciating these characteristics I was getting very impatient for some action and thrills to occur. I would have enjoyed The Gate House much more if it had 200-300 pages less fluff/filler. The Gate House, for me, is a classic example of the adage, "Less is more." Despite these limitations, if you're a fan of The Gold Coast you're going to want to read The Gate House, which takes place ten years later when Sutter has come home to the Gold Coast of Long Island to attend the funeral of an old family servant. I doubt if you're going to dislike The Gate House. As a matter of fact, you'll probably think it is pretty good. The purpose of my review is to urge you to not -- as I did -- expect a book as good as the one on which it is based.
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112 of 119 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but definitely not DeMille's best October 31, 2008
Format:Hardcover
I was so pleased to be able to read Nelson DeMille's latest novel that I didn't even wait for Amazon to it deliver to me, as is my wont. Instead, I rushed out to my neighborhood bookstore to buy an undiscounted copy on the day of publication.

First, let me state that DeMille is my favorite novelist, which may be obvious from reading the paragraph above. Therefore, it is possible that I hold him to a higher standard than I do other writers. Either way, THE GATE HOUSE is a good book. It's just not a great book, though I think that most authors would be pleased to craft anything as worthwhile as this. DeMille, however, may be a victim of his own success, because THE GATE HOUSE simply is not up to the bar he set himself.

John Corey, his protagonist in a quartet of books, is a wiseguy (not the Mafia kind) who is lovable in spite of his big mouth. John Whitman Sutter, the protagonist of THE GATE HOUSE, merely seems like a self-impressed, condescending jerk. I did read and like THE GOLD COAST, which also was about John Sutter, but I don't remember having such a negative reaction then to this character.

In THE GATE HOUSE, DeMille blends some of his favorite themes, including Long Island, the Mafia and the Muslim terrorists. The only thing missing is Russian oligarchs; having read and admired THE CHARM SCHOOL, I suspect that he is saving them for his next novel.

The novel is well-structured and never seems strained, as happens with many thrillers. At the same time, Sutter and his wife, Susan Stanhope Sutter, are so unsympathetic that it is hard to become engaged in their problems. It is difficult to care about them, it is difficult to like them.

In addition, a few plot points are a bit pat. Why did Sutter's former in-laws always hate him with such intensity? By the standards of these characters, he seems an ideal consort for their daughter. And the resumption of feelings between the former spouses also seems too fast to be realistic.

As for the "Gold Coast," Long Island's North Shore, I grew up near there myself (but light years away in terms of affluence) and DeMille does an excellent job of conveying a sense of the place. Dominick Dunne, however, does it better. With the exception of perhaps Palm Beach in the United States and certain royal palaces in Britain and Europe, there are few other communities where the occupants retain the expectations and entitlements of those remaining old-money families of the Gold Coast.

DeMille also makes good work of the region's fascination with the Mafia. He explores this fascination meaningfully, and his descriptions definitely feel authentic.

As for the terrorists, this subplot turns out to be insignificant yet, ultimately, important in advancing the story.

There are a couple of oddities. DeMille gives a retired Mafia lawyer the exact same name as am important Federal judge in New York; it does not appear, from the acknowledgments at the back of the book, that this was done intentionally, as a compliment. And he gives the Mafia Don's limousine company the same name as a car service/ limo company that has been a presence in New York for decades. Just seems sloppy, when one thinks about it....

In fairness, the whole story all works. The plot is intricate, careful and plausible. Maybe it was nothing more, nothing less, than unsympathetic characters, but I was not engrossed by THE GATE HOUSE. By the end of the book, I did not care about the outcome, one way or another. And this never before has happened to me with a DeMille novel, and it is why I found THE GATE HOUSE a disappointing read.
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105 of 117 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Give us a break November 9, 2008
Format:Hardcover
Nelson, Nelson, Nelson...get an editor, man. And then get a plot. And then find yourself a nice quiet place where you can write undisturbed and undistracted. I've always thought Nelson DeMille was an uneven writer. I've loved some of his books, or parts of them, and barely tolerated others. But this mess was unreadable. I got through 150 pages and thought, "what am I doing with this time-waster?" The main character was insufferable and obnoxious. The scenes dragged on interminably. It took him 6 or 7 pages to get out of the old lady's bedroom from right when he was on the verge of leaving. And then he gives her a kiss! But I thought he hated her. Let's not even talk about the scenes with the Mafia Don's Son, Anthony. Just so much could have been cut here to make the book tighter and more interesting. No, I mean it, Nelson. Get away by yourself where you can think and then hire an excellent editor to help you craft your story. Then we'll see.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars DeMille the Humorist
I don't usually expect humor from DeMille, except in passing - comments about obnoxious characters, etc. but this book is funny! Read more
Published 16 hours ago by Joe
4.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to The Gold Coast, Good Read
The sequel to The Gold Coast, this book was also a good read. More of the same with a similar plot line, nonetheless DeMille provides an entertaining read. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Barkis
5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the Best
One of his best. Have no idea why it is not as popular as the rest. Best humor of all his books.
Published 28 days ago by JimD
3.0 out of 5 stars Repetitive
In the first several chapters of this book he continually repeats the same event. I mean, how many times do we need to know about the affair his wife had. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Pamela Davis
3.0 out of 5 stars I expected more
This is the sequel to The Gold Coast, which I loved. I thought the book was overly long and a bit contrived. I guess I expected more after reading The Gold Coast.
Published 1 month ago by dsnr
3.0 out of 5 stars Sequel
Not as good as the first book. Lots of repetiton explaining what happened in the first book. The story line is almost exactly the same as the first book but involves the son of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by English Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
My wife likes this author. great story teller; good character development, humorous in spots. Very well written; hold's your attention.
Published 1 month ago by Viejo
2.0 out of 5 stars Wish I'd read the reviews here before wasting time on 200 pages
I LOVE Nelson DeMille...ever since "The Panther" I went back to read many of his other books. And I will still read "Night Fall" and "Charm School" and some others... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robert L. Mahlstedt
1.0 out of 5 stars Worse book I've ever read...
There is not a character in this book that is likable. At about 300 pages you just want the 2 main characters (John and Susan Sutter) to go away. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Frank Gallagher
4.0 out of 5 stars gate house
When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in... Read more
Published 1 month ago by knight
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Is this a "chick book" or..
This will be my last DeMille novel, after reading several. What a disappointment! I will finish it but, it's almost torture, such a bore.
Feb 9, 2009 by S. J. Franklin |  See all 8 posts
MUST READ!!!! Be the first to reply
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