The Emperor of Ocean Park: Summary and book reviews of The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen Carter, plus links to an excerpt from The Emperor of Ocean Park and a biography of Stephen Carter.

An extraordinary fiction debut: a large, stirring novel of suspense that is, at the same time, a work of brilliantly astute social observation. The Emperor of Ocean Park is set in two privileged worlds: the upper crust African American society of the eastern seaboard--old families who summer on Martha's Vineyard--and the inner circle of an Ivy League law school. It tells the story of a complex family with a single, seductive link to the shadowlands of crime. The Emperor of the title, Judge Oliver Garland, has just died, suddenly. A brilliant legal mind, conservative and famously controversial, Judge Garland made more enemies than friends. Many years before, he'd earned a judge's highest prize: a Supreme Court nomination. But in a scene of bitter humiliation, televised across the country, his nomination collapsed in scandal. The humbling defeat became a private agony, one from which he never recovered. But now the Judge's death raises even more questions--and it seems to be leading to a second, even more terrible scandal. Could Oliver Garland have been murdered? He has left a strange message for his son Talcott, a professor of law at a great university, entrusting him with "the arrangements"--a mysterious puzzle that only Tal can unlock, and only by unearthing the ambiguities of his father's past. When another man is found dead, and then another, Talcott--wry, straight-arrow, almost too self-aware to be a man of action--must risk his career, his marriage, and even his life, following the clues his father left him. Intricate, superbly written, often scathingly funny, The Emperor of Ocean Park is a triumphant work of fiction, packed with character and incident--a brilliantly crafted tapestry of ambition, family secrets, murder, integrity tested, and justice gone terribly wrong.

Media Reviews

New York Times - Michiko Katutani ....a contrived, implausible and needlessly baroque melodrama, which reads as if it were written for serial publication, with nearly every chapter ending on a hokey cliffhanger.   Fortune In a word, a humdinger.   Library Journal - Jennifer Baker Those who enjoy a leisurely pace to their suspense and subscribe to Carter's philosophy of conservatism will enjoy it. The rest will stick with Grisham, Martini, and Margolin.   Book Magazine - Chris Barsanti The book's subject, an often-ignored segment of American society, is a welcome departure. However, the author is prone to lectures on race relations and the state of academe, and the story suffers from his tin ear for dialogue and portentous tone.   Kirkus Reviews This sleek, immensely readable first novel is custom-designed for the kind of commercial success enjoyed by John Grisham's The Firm 11 years ago. . . . A melodrama with brains and heart to match its killer plot. . . . Irresistible.   Booklist Fascinating. . . . [A] suspenseful tale of ambition, revenge, and the power of familial obligations. . . . An elegantly nuanced novel, with finely drawn characters, a challenging plot, and perfect pacing   Publishers Weekly Starred Review. This first-rate legal thriller, which touches electrically on our sexual, racial and religious anxieties, will be the talk of the political in-crowd this summer. Gay Talese A novel of great originality and insight a saga of an African-American family of affluence and privilege forced to reckon with their misadventures and crimes. But Carter's novel also explores, perhaps for the first time in recent memory, a less familiar vision of the black experience in America one of pride and optimism, and possibility. I've never read a book quite like it, and I enjoyed it very much indeed.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Bv
One of the best books I have been reading for while so far! Very detailed but it doesn't start to bore you at all.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants to enjoy some very exciting evenings.

Rated of 5 by susan v
The only thing that saves this horrible book is the interesting (to a white girl) descriptions of black upper-middle class life in the ivory towers. Other than that, I'd have to say it was one of the worst novels I've ever read: bloated,...   Read More

Rated of 5 by JK
To be honest, I struggled to stay with the story the first quarter of the book. Wordy and detailed...at times I put the book down for another day. Yet, once into the story, the characters, the chess theme and the unpredictable twists carried me...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Billy Bass
Ignore the NY Times review and read this book. True, there's a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter and that is what makes it so much fun to read. The story is complelling, the mystery is suspenseful.The author puts you inside the head of the...   Read More

Rated of 5 by elp
A very good read--and a great mystery novel. Yes, it takes a bit longer to read than most, but it's definitely worth the time and effort. The motif of chess is well done and thoroughly explained so that even a "chess dummy" like me...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Patricia Tohill
This book is not for a person in a hurry. I decided to take what ever time it took to enjoy, and time it took,about 3 weeks. I read every word to make sure a wouldn't miss any important information. I 'm not sure i understood every part of...   Read More

...2 More Reader Reviews

Readalikes

If you liked The Emperor of Ocean Park, try these:

---

---

This is one of 3 readalike suggestions for The Emperor of Ocean Park. Members have full access to all readalikes. If you are a member, please login. To find out more about membership, click here.

Books with similar themes

• Thrillers
  
• Legal, Medical & Corporate Thrillers
  
• Ordinary People (Thrillers)
  
• USA 
  
• Mid-Atlantic 
  
• Washington DC 
  
• 1st Books/1st Novels 
  
• African American Authors & Leads