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“The Emperor of
Ocean Park is a delightful, sprawling, gracefully written, imaginative
work, with sharply delineated characters who dwell in a fully realized
narrative world…Carter deserves comparison with such successful practitioners
of the crime novel as Scott Turow.”
— New York Review of Books
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“Among the most
remarkable fiction debuts in recent years…[The
Emperor of Ocean Park] is full of musing about God, family, chess, the
politics of Supreme Court appointments, loyalty, unhappy marriage, the media,
depression, race, and academic infighting…[Carter] is a scholar and a lawyerly
commentator who has penned a rip-roaring entertainment.”
— Boston Globe
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“The Emperor of
Ocean Park is an intricately plotted work…A novel that is both thriller and
commentary on American racial relations.”
— Newsday
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“[A] fiercely
intelligent and original work…Carter explores an astounding variety of subjects
with the depth and delicacy.”
— Miami Herald
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“Yes, this
combination mystery/social commentary/thoughtful introspection is long. But the
characters are masterfully developed, and its gripping story, elegant writing,
and skillful illumination of a segment of society that has been notably absent
from popular fiction more than justify its [length]. The Emperor of Ocean
Park is an outstanding work of fiction worth every penny.”
— Sunday Star-Ledger
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“Stephen L. Carter’s
debut novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park, is a marvel: a deeply satisfying thriller that is as careful
with character as it is with conspiracy.”
— Contra Costa Times
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“More le Carré than
Grisham…A vivid, twisty puzzle of deceit and social commentary.”
— People
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“[The Emperor of Ocean Park] is…one
of the most discussed books of the year. It provides insight into the world of
the African-American haute bourgeoisie…and does so with a sophistication and
elegance of language.”
— Globe and Mail (Toronto)
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“Carter does for
members of the contemporary black upper-class what Henry James did for
Washington Square society, taking us into their drawing rooms and laying their motives
bare.”
— Time Out New York
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“The Emperor of
Ocean Park is, in a word, a humdinger.”
— Fortune
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“Like Scott Turow’s Presumed
Innocent it transports [you] into a different world and creates characters
that resonate long after you finish it.”
— USA Today
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“This first-rate
legal thriller, which touches electrically on our sexual, racial, and religious
anxieties, will be the talk of the political in-crowd.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“A melodrama with
brains and heart to match its killer plot.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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“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.”
— Booklist
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“[A] complex literary
thriller. Carter deftly weaves together several strands, from the relationships
of father and sons and husbands and wives to the politics of the Nixon and
Reagan eras.”
— BookPage