The Murder House by James Patterson and David Ellis — a book review
A hint of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, multiple characters thrown in as probable suspects, characters running around circles, visiting, revisiting and again visiting the same sites few more times, a stretched out finale which could've been better if there was more unraveling and less walking through darkened corridors, rooms, & basements - this is "The Murder House" by James Patterson and David Ellis in a nutshell. But it's not all bad. It's good. The problem is it's not great when it had all the makings of being one. The synopsis goes:
"No. 7 Ocean Drive has been the scene of a series of depraved killings that have never been solved. Neglected, empty, and rumored to be cursed, it's known as the Murder House. Detective Jenna Murphy, the former New York City cop finds herself dealing with double murders of a Hollywood power broker and his mistress found dead in the Murder House. And what at first seems like an open and shut case turns out to have as many shocking secrets as the House itself, as Jenna quickly realizes that the mansion's history is much darker than even the town's most salacious gossips could have imagined."
The story has a very strong start with a monologue from an unnamed character, followed by a twisty court room drama. Besides the court room scenes, there were situations that served no purpose to the original storyline. The authors did inculcate some solid twists to complicate things. But there are outdated tropes that stick out as sour thumbs. The toxic materialistic boyfriend whose presence just occupies pages with no purpose other than to show us that detective Murphy does have a love life. The female protagonist ogling over the biceps of a male character every chance she gets, this being the only reason for their mutual attraction.
It's almost always mentioned in police procedurals that cops work on a hunch, instinct, or gut feeling. But they don't make assumptions based on lack of killer vibes coming from a handsome hunk of a character with, might I mention again, bulging biceps. Another trait in this book that stands out like a thorn - there's no logic or reason behind the pull, the connection that any two characters feel towards each other. It makes it difficult to relate to these people. I cannot root for a character if I cannot connect to them. The only real relationship that exuded a connection was the bond between Jenna and her uncle.
Looking at things logically, why didn't Jenna Murphy seek out therapy after deaths of so many loved ones is beyond me. Yes, it would've solved the mystery a little sooner but then what's the fun in that. Also what fun is therapy when we have a gasping, sweating detective dealing with her inner demons by herself.
It's boring when the narrative focuses on the killer's POV. I'm immune to their hunts, their obsession, urges they can't control and the gory methods they use to torture and kill victims which, as a writing style, has become redundant. I wished I could just skip pages. The interesting part is not the act of killing, rather the investigation, the horrors of the investigators as they peel off layers of the killer's personality, his backstory and the mayhem he caused. When the state of a dead body and the result of the forensic report spins the wheels of a reader's mind, is when you have captured your reader hook, line and sinker.
The Murder House is a rapturing story that chronicles decades, but starting in the middle it falters till its conclusion. The execution of the ending is a very "been there done that" in countless other books.
I may not have spared words to make this review brief and sweet, but the authors definitely could have trimmed out atleast 50 pages off of this one.
