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ISBN: 9780778308393

Publication Date: 5/7/19

Publisher: Park Row Books

THE EAST END opens with Corey Halpern, a Hamptons local from a broken home who breaks into mansions at night for kicks. He likes the rush and admittedly, the escapism. One night just before Memorial Day weekend, he breaks into the wrong home at the wrong time: the Sheffield estate where he and his mother work. Under the cover of darkness, their boss Leo Sheffield — billionaire CEO, patriarch, and owner of the vast lakeside manor — arrives unexpectedly with his lover, Henry. After a shocking poolside accident leaves Henry dead, everything depends on Leo burying the truth. But unfortunately for him, Corey saw what happened and there are other eyes in the shadows.

Hordes of family and guests are coming to the estate the next morning, including Leo’s surly wife, all expecting a lavish vacation weekend of poolside drinks, evening parties, and fireworks filling the sky. No one can know there’s a dead man in the woods, and there is no one Leo can turn to. With his very life on the line, everything will come down to a split-second decision. For all of the main players—Leo, Gina, and Corey alike—time is ticking down, and the world they’ve known is set to explode.

Told through multiple points of view, THE EAST END highlights the socio-economic divide in the Hamptons, but also how the basic human need for connection and trust can transcend class differences. Secrecy, obsession, and desperation dictate each character’s path. In a race against time, each critical moment holds life in the balance as Corey, Gina, and Leo approach a common breaking point. THE EAST END is a propulsive read, rich with character and atmosphere, and marks the emergence of a talented new voice in fiction.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Time passed as Leo sat cockeyed on one of the lounge chairs beside the pool with an elbow on one knee and the bag of ice pressed to the back of his head, staring at the water, his vision like that of an old television set with poor reception, blurring between two channels.

They stared at each other, locked in that tension like animals at a watering hole— one predator, one prey, but who could say which was which now?

The water kept on running, the pills still cradled in her palm. This loneliness, she thought, should be classified as a disease.

The thing about regrets, Corey— it’s much better to regret something you have done than something you haven’t done.

My Review:

I am in need of a spa day after reading this brilliantly crafted suspense/thriller. It was masterfully written, taut with tension, devilishly paced, and cast with an intriguing set of deeply flawed and fractured characters who were reaching a peak period of crisis or transition, and I couldn’t help but root for them. Each riveting storyline was thrumming with stress and the disses – dismay, despair, discontent, and distress. This tale had a bit of everything; abuse of all types from people to substances, a gamut of personality disorders and vices, blackmail, adultery, bribery, rich vs. poor, and a closeted gay who had more than that one skeleton in his closet.

The writing was simply stellar.   Mr. Allen’s writing style was lushly descriptive with evocative and emotive word choices that conjured keen visuals and kept me on edge. I was chewing my lower lip and feeling rather conflicted as while I wanted to savor every well-chosen word, I also felt as if I couldn’t read fast enough as I sensed the build-up to a shattering crescendo. I am doubly impressed since noticing this was his first novel. I hope the cunning Mr. Allen isn’t easily frightened as he now has a rather rabid fangirl…

Author Website

Twitter: @EathanJason

Facebook: @jasonallenauthor

Goodreads

Jason Allen grew up in a working-class home in the Hamptons, where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs for wealthy estate owners. He writes fiction, poetry, and memoir, and is the author of the poetry collection A MEDITATION ON FIRE. He has an MFA from Pacific University and a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he teaches writing. THE EAST END is his first novel.