The Emperor of Ocean Park

By: Stephen L. Carter

Narrated by: Peter Francis James

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • INSPIRATION FOR THE MGM+ ORIGINAL SERIES • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • 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.

“Beautifully written and cleverly plotted. A rich, complex family saga, one deftly woven through a fine legal thriller.” —John Grisham

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 suspicioius 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 Random House Inc., Random House Audio, a Division of Random House Inc.

The Emperor of Ocean Park

Fast-paced and suspenseful. It was a bit difficult at times to know if I was in the 'present' or flash-back but it grabbed me from the beginning and held me tight.

An Extradordinary Story

Carter is always insightful and articulate and with "Emperor" he proves he's a master storyteller. Unlike much of what passes for popular fiction these days, Carter invites the reader's intelligence into the story. If you're not engaged, you're just not paying attention! He weaves social observation and commentary into the storyline and combines them with a well-develop mystery. This one is worth listening to/reading more than once!

Wow

I've owned the hardback version of this book since two months after it's release years ago. I read half but could never quite get back to it. I pulled the trigger (wink) and finished on Audible. I was not disappointed. Full of clever suspense to the end. *Spoiler Alert - at the end, my household heard me scream, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"😉
Great read!

Disappointed

I was really hopeful this book would offer a lot of suspense making it difficult to put down. It took too long to get to the main points. Transition between characters was pretty good except for the voice of the little boy that was unconvincing and annoying. And it helps to understand how the game of chess is played to grasp the storyline.

Abridged Version is only So-So

Great performance by the reader. The abridged version cuts out too much from the story, rendering the narrator, Talcot, boring and flat. I wish they would've kept some of his musings from the unabridged version.