The Emperor of Ocean Park

By: Stephen L. Carter

Narrated by: Richard Allen

Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In his triumphant fictional debut, Stephen Carter combines a large-scale, riveting novel of suspense with the saga of a unique family.

The Emperor of Ocean Park is set in two privileged worlds: the upper crust African American society of the Eastern seabord - families who summer at Martha’s Vineyard - and the inner circle of an Ivy League law school. Talcott Garland is a successful law professor, devoted father, and husband of a beautiful and ambitious woman, whose future desires may threaten the family he holds so dear. When Talcott’s father, Judge Oliver Garland, a disgraced former Supreme Court nominee, is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Talcott wonders if he may have been murdered.

Guided by the elements of a mysterious puzzle that his father left, Talcott must risk his marriage, his career and even his life in his quest for justice. Superbly written and filled with memorable characters, The Emperor of Ocean Park is both a stunning literary achievement and a grand literary entertainment.

©2002 Stephen L. Carter (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A thrilling read, driven by a cocktail of plot and character." (The Observer)
"An elegantly nuanced novel, with finely drawn characters, a challenging plot, and perfect pacing." (Booklist)
"[A] complex literary thriller. Carter deftly weaves together several strands, from the relationships of father and sons and husbands and wives to the politics of the Nixon and Reagan eras." (Bookpage)

Good reader, good plot, good story, took too long to tell it. I grew weary, and had to force myself to finish it.

Good reader, good plot,good story, but it took too long to tell it. I grew weary, and had to force myself to finish it.

Outstanding

The Emperor of Ocean Park is an excellent book, both suspenseful and rich in characters. The narrator does an outstanding job, as well. I would highly recommend this audiobook.

A great read...

Loved it. Insightful, erudite, and a cliff hanger! I actually want to play chess, lol. I love Richard Allen's soothing voice, may he rest.

Exciting

The mystery was enthralling right up to the very end. I haven’t read (listened to) a story that kept me guessing who, what and why about the main character in many years.

If John Grisham wrote longer books...

I am amazed at the range of love vs. hate of this book. I liked it. Having read all of John Grisham's novels I was looking for a similar type story and ran across this book. I read it when it was first released in paperback and was so excited when it came to audible. I will not kid you, it is very lengthy the paperback is just over 650 pages (unlike Mr. Grisham's style). But I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! There is an academic feel that i greatly enjoyed with the main character being a professor of law. It felt like I wasn't just reading fluff but rather like I might actually be learning about law and the tension still felt between the darker and paler nations. The tale Mr. Carter waves is so in-depth and rich. I was amazed by the little details he gave to the places and people. I could smell Uncle Jack's illness, I could hear Bently's "dare you," and feel Tal's tortured wonderings about his wife's fidelity. I also thought the strategic game of chess was a great way to lead the reader through the plot and unto the end. So if you are looking for a good long book of intrigue and complexity give this one a listen.

Absolutely Riveting!

Stephen L. Carter expertly weaves together this suspenseful, riveting story of a lawyer seeking the truth about his father's death. Feeding tiny bits of information here and there, and raising questions that are to be answered later, he holds your attention throughout the book, making it excruciating to have to hit the "stop" button. For once I wish my commute, during which I listen to this great book, was much, much longer!

Wanted To Like It More...

I really wanted to give this book more stars. I actually listened to the audiobook as opposed to reading it and had I read a printed version, I'd have probably skipped over a great deal of it. I found it to be a fascinating story, though somewhat overwritten-the repeated 'darker nation' and 'paler nation' descriptors got to be rather grating after a while. I adore stories with lots of characters and had hoped Mr. Carter would've made better use of his large cast in the outcome of the story which I found to be rather anti-climactic. Overall a very long story that would've been more dynamic with just a few editorial tweaks.

Enjoyed

Although slow, this book was still captivating and kept me interested to the end. I was intrigued.

I'd happily listen to all 26 hours again!

The plot and the performance were captivating. I don't know what the author's inspiration was, but it's the best whodunnit I've read in a long time! Everybody in the entire story is a suspect.

Wasn’t sure about this

I wasn’t sure about this book. Whoopi Goldberg raved about it on The View. But then I listened to it and I loved it! The reading was flawless and the story exciting.