Dante Halleyville, a local athlete, is accused of the triple murder of three whites in East Hampton, N.Y., the wealthiest resort town in America. That Halleyville is a rising star in basketball can't shield him from the fact he is black and the victims were white.

Halleyville asks Tom Dunleavy, a friend who is a former basketball star and now a lawyer, to represent him. Dunleavy is barely making a living for himself and his dog serving the year-rounders he grew up with -- people who earn their livings through service to the wealthy who swarm the beaches in summer.

Though he believes Dante to be innocent, Tom doesn't think they stand a chance unless he gets some special help. The person he turns to is Kate Costello, his former girlfriend. And that's a hard sell since she has known him at his worst. After meeting with Dante and concluding that he was framed, Kate agrees to help and begins to soften her stance against Tom as they work together to clear their client.

The story held my interest till near the end, when it takes a route I found totally unbelievable. Still, Beach Road is typical Patterson: fast moving, entertaining and with adequate suspense to keep one going. In short, a good alternative to TV and great for the beach.

And, with this audio version, you don't even have to turn pages. Billy Baldwin and the other readers are top flight and I have no complaints about them.