Hard to put down 
Despite what others have written, I thought this was quite engaging. Perhaps it ~was~ written to read like a blockbuster film- it's one I would go see. I love the characters, I thought the plot was very creative and frighteningly enough didn't find it all that far-flung. Myron definetly was more violant than in previous books, and Win less so, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Win and Myron's exchanges are always entertaining. I enjoy and appreciate the other characters' perspectives changing as they live their lives as the series goes on. I hope Coban continues the Myron Bolitar series.
A thriller that zips along (3.5 stars) 
This is the first time I have read Coben, so I'm sort of jumping into protagonist Myron Bolitar's life in the middle. He's an interesting character, although perhaps a little too much of a crusader in this book (if he wasn't, of course, he would not get into such interesting trouble). His Bruce Wayne-like friend Win was difficult to accept as real. The plot is far-fetched but original. More than anything else, what struck me about this thriller was how perfectly it was paced. The reader is on a rocket-sled ride from Page One. That may sound like Dan Brown, but Coben is better - the story pauses at the right sports and for just long enough. The result was a quick, entertaining read, and I'll seek out more in this series.
A Winner 
Harlan Coben's latest novel is notable not only because it features the welcome return of Myron Bolitar (last seen in 2006's PROMISE ME), but because it is a sequel of sorts to THE FINAL DETAIL and DARKEST FEAR. One does not need to have read these previous books, however, to fully appreciate LONG LOST, which may well be the author's best work to date.
Myron is an appealing character imbued with a real-world humanity that is rarely found in fiction with such clarity. A former pro-basketball prospect whose career ended before it was barely off the ground, he has broadened his career as a sports agent to include all manner of celebrities. Myron notwithstanding, the appeal of the series is due in no small part to the cast of characters with which he has been surrounded. Arguably, the greatest of these is Win --- Windsor Horne Lockwood III --- the rich pretty boy who is unexpectedly dangerous and is the heavy hitter upon whom Myron must frequently rely. Myron's romantic life is also intriguing and, for many reasons, not always successful. So the reappearance of Terese Collins at the start of the book is a welcome surprise.
Terese, perhaps the most intriguing of Myron's past paramours, contacts him with a surprising and almost irresistible request: come to Paris. Myron is involved with someone else, but after she is deftly and cleverly removed from his life, he is on his way to France where he is swept up into a murder investigation involving the brutal demise of Terese's ex-husband Rick. Terese is initially the prime suspect in the case, until evidence demonstrates that her daughter was present at the crime scene. This, however, is an impossibility, since her daughter was killed in an automobile accident several years before.
Coben thus sets up a mystery that leads Myron and Terese across Europe and back to New England, even as shadowy pursuers dog their footsteps along the way. The always capable Win is along to help, but it is ultimately Myron who must solve the seemingly inexplicable mystery of Rick's murder, as well as deal with the violent confrontation his discovery precipitates.
My initial reaction to the solution of LONG LOST was that Coben had perhaps jumped the shark with respect to his revelation concerning the villain of the piece. After some reflection, however, his method doesn't reflect madness so much as a reliance upon the time-honored method of cloaking a wolf in the guise of a lamb. There is also a hint of irony, which may or not have been intentional, that will get readers thinking and certainly talking. Most of the discussion regarding the novel will concern the return of Myron Bolitar and the surprising reprise of Terese. From its opening sentence to its chilling final paragraph, LONG LOST is a winner. Now how about a novel featuring Win?
Not the Best of Bolitar 
I'm a big fan of Harlan Coben, but mostly his independent, non-series works. Coben can definitely weave a complicated story, and this is my third "Myron Bolitar" book. I must say it wasn't up to the standards I had envisioned for Coben's work. This book seemed to sputter and meander occasionally, then it kind of fizzled at the end without any real "pop" to it.
I guess I'm realizing that I'm perhaps not a real fan of 'Myron Bolitar.' The characters of Myron and Win seem a bit too perfect physically, like they are both at the 99.999th percentile of fighters. Myron (and Win to a lesser extent) seems intent on making silly jokes in very dramatic situations, which come off very lame to me. By contrast the John Corey character in some Nelson DeMille books is constantly spewing hilarious lines, but they come off perfectly and make the reader laugh out loud. Myron's jokes: not really. It's more of a cringe than a laugh. I'm also a bit put off by Myron's co-workers, "Little Pocahontas" and "Big Cindy." These characters are almost clown-like, way out on the bare edge of believability.
Those are the only nits I have. The book was a decent read, but not a great one, nor the best "Bolitar" book.
reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
The #1 New York Times bestseller
It begins with an early morning phone call to Myron Bolitar. His old flame Terese Collins is in Paris, and she needs his help. In her debt, Myron makes the trip, and learns of a decade-long secret: Terese once had a daughter who died in a car accident. Now it seems as though that daughter may be alive-and tied to a sinister plot with shocking global implications.
What I'm buying for my Kindle My Top 20 Thriller Writers Favorite Kindle Mysteries my favs on kindle Book Choices
long lost, long, lost
|