Book Review: Shelter by Mickey Bolitar

The first in the Mickey Bolitar series, the "nephew" of Myron Bolitar who is the hero of so many of Harlan Coben's previous novels. As I understand it, this is supposed to be aimed at children but I enjoyed the read as well even as an adult in my 50's.

I read this on holiday in New York and it was a lightly written read, and I mean that in the sense that it gave the impression of a teenager's mind but by the pen of a master writer.

Mickey is haunted by the death of his father and the pain of this and dealing with his seemingly overbearing and unwanted uncle Myron. He starts a new school and the first friend he makes disappears mysteriously. In his efforts to find her, Mickey teams up with three other slightly dysfunctional teenagers to track her down.

We are soon in the world of human trafficing and Mickey takes the situation on to help recover his friend. Myron is often there to lend a helping hand too.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Live Wire by Harlan Coben

I love to read Halan Coben novels and particularly the Myron Bolitar ones. This is the last published novel for both Harlan Coben and Myron Bolitar. Unfortunately for me it is the last Harlan Coben that I had on my shelf to read too.

I read through this novel at a pretty swift pace. Having read the nine previous novels I was familiar with the great characters of Win, Big Cyndi and Al Bolitar etc. You feel for Myron's family and friends so much too.

The crime/mystery part includes the Ache Brothers and a mystical and mythical rock god pop star. The plot moves on really nicely and you cannot wait to find out what happens next and how Myron and Win blow away the smoke of confusion.

We also learn about Myron's brother Brad as well as the sadness of his parents El Al getting older and dealing with the emotions and practicalities that poses.

Brilliant novel 9/10 without a doubt.

Book Review: Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben

This is one of the early Harlan Coben novels and he makes excuses for it in his introduction. This is a little unfair as it is quite readable if not as good as his Myron Bolitar novels etc. I read it in three days so that is a pretty good sign that it is OK. However, having written that it is really only a novel for the people (like me) who want to read all of Halan Coben's novels.

The book is set in the medical world and the thirst for research dollars and the conflicts that exist there. The characters are likeable and fairly real. The plot is reasonably good and the pages for me kept turning relatively quickly.

The fun part of the novel for me was that as it was written in the early 1990's the perception of AIDs was really quite strange looking at it now from 20 years later. The gay tag has definitely gone from this subject. Also the lack of mobile phones and the use of pagers for me was a fairly short lived era.

6/10 for me.

Book Review: Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Enjoyed reading this novel by Harlan Coben. It is a stand alone novel but it does tie in with some of the previous books. It was nice to be on familiar territory with Cope and Muse etc and also the geographical location.

The story concerns the interactions between families and within families. Coben has got a nice mix in this novel with the growing angst of teenagers that goes too far. Also younger teenage girls and they also add to the mix too.

I enjoyed the parts where a small fairly insignificant action resonated like a ripple on a pool to much bigger and tragic consequences. The book encompasses drugs, murder but all seemingly in a suburban setting with some diversions to the seedier side of town.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: The Woods by Harlan Coben

Really enjoyed reading this stand alone novel (ie not a Myron Bolitar novel) and I whizzed through the pages. Although this is a stand alone novel, Harlan Coben uses characters from other novels (eg Muse) so you feel some familiarity with the characters. Also, the settings for HC's novels all seem to be set around the same area so I am familiar with the area too.

Read this novel in May 2011 on my Kindle in Doha, Qatar.

The novel centres on a District Attorney called Paul Copeland "Cope" who's past revisits him. The woods in question hold dark secrets from the past that involve the disappearance or murder of Cope's sister, it is unfinished business. He reunites with an old flame from his youth to unravel the mysteries.

What he discovers via the links to the past and his Russian heritage change Cope's world around. I particuarly enjoyed the Russian angle and also the family parts.

Well worth a read and an 8/10 from me.

Book Review: Play Dead by Harlan Coben

This is Harlan Coben's first published novel so you have to give a little leeway here! If you want to read all of his novels then you are going to read it anyway. As a novel it is not great but it is nice to see how much someone learns as Harlan Coben very soon becomes a good then a great writer with later novels.

Having written that it is a readable novel and the plot is a trifle implausible but you can identify with the characters and appreciate the story as it unfolds. The world of basketball is well portrayed (I think!) and the dynamics of the Baskins marriage and Laura's career too is interesting.

Only a 5/10 for this one for me.

Book Review: The Innocent by Harlan Coben

A great stand alone novel by Harlan Coben. The tale of an ordinary guy who gets involved in a fight and accidentally kills the other man. He serves his time and when he comes out he meets the love of his life. She gets pregnant, he is about to move home and he seems now set for life.

However, all is not what it appears with his wife. She is pulled back into her past life. Will Matt and Olivia survive all the challenges that they are subjected to? Who are the good guys? Will good triumph over evil?

I really enjoyed this novel, 9/10 from me.

Book Review: Caught by Harlan Coben

A reporter corners a child abuser and puts him in the media spotlight. He then disappears and presumed dead. It looks like the father of a victim has killed him. The reporter, Wendy moves on to the story of a missing girl that is gripping the country. She looks to be taking great strides in her journalist life. Then the wheels come off of her wagon.

Secrets from long ago are uncovered that shake Wendy's world. Her story on the child abuser become less sure and she has to adjust to the new discoveries. She appears to have set up an innocent man.

Well worth the read to find the truth.

7/10 for me on this Harlan Coben stand alone novel.

Book Review: Long Lost by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar number 9

Myron travels to Paris to meet up with an old flame, Therese. She is in trouble and he goes to her rescue only to discover that her ex-husband has been murdered. She is also the chief suspect.

Blood found at the murder scene matches his daughter. But she died ten years earlier. What is going on? Did she die or not? Is there another child?

The truth is revealed in the novel.

8/10 for me.

Book Review: Promise Me by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar book 8

The Myron Bolitar series are my favourite books of the moment, although the Harlan Coben stand alone novels are generally great too.

This novel comes after quite a gap in time since the book 7, six years in fact. In the interim Myron appears to have had a quiet life doing his day job of Sports Rep.

This all changes in this great novel. He tries to protect a friend's daughter by offering her a lift home to shield her from abductors and drunk drivers. He is persuaded not to drop her back at her parents but at another address.

When the daughter goes missing, it is discovered that Myron is the last to have seen her. His world begins to unravel and he heads into another plot of excitement and intrigue.

Great book, 9/10 for me with this one, really great.

Book Review: Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar number 7

Myron is shocked into finding out that he has a teenage son. The son needs a bone marrow transplant. A donor has been found but has now disappeared.

Myron is on the case of course in a desperate search to find the donor. This however leads to more problems involving kidnapping and sailing close to the wind with the FBI.

The plot unfolds and you feel for Myron. Great to be in Myron Bolitar world with Win, Little Pocahontas and Big Cyndi etc.

9/10 from me.

Book Review: The Final Detail by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar book 6

Myron is not having a great life at the start of this book. And then it gets worse! His heart has been broken and he is recuperating with a passionate woman he barely knows on a tropical island.

His strange friend Win turns up out of the blue and informs him that Esperanza (his business partner) has been accused of murdering one of their clients. Esperanza does not tell Myron what has happened and he has to find out for himself.

Why did a washed up pitcher get a place with the New York Yankees? What happened twelve years ago in Myron's past that has now come back to haunt him?

A strain on relations with Esperanza, how does Myron smooth this out and right their worlds? Well, you need to read the novel to find out.

Bang on form 9/10

Book Review: One False Move by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar 5

Myron's life is going along just fine as a Sports Rep. Then he meets a bright young female sports star. She has lost her agent and then her father disappears. The mafia begin to close in on her too.

There is more to this glitzy sports star than meets the eye and Myron soon becomes involved up to his neck and beyond.

My rating 7/10

Book Review: Back Spin by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar 4

A boy from the rich streets is last seen on the less luxurious side of town and then disappears. He is the son of one of Myron's major clients and Myron's top priority is to track him down and bring him back to his family.

Myron is faced with villains and liars from both the rich and poor parts of town. Myron has to pull out all the stops to unravel the mysteries that he is faced with.

A good read 8/10

Book Review: Fade Away by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar 3

Myron Bolitar, Sports Representative, ex-basketball star and ex-FBI man is set to find Greg Downing. Greg is the husband of one of Myron's old loves and they were also big rivals on the basketball court before Myron received an injury that ended his professional career.

The team boss wants Myron to find Greg before the media finds out he is missing. A mystery unfolds when Myron finds blood in Greg's basement and the finds the body of a woman. The mystery begins to unfold in earnest.

Myron has to revisit his past and survive violent encounters before he finally gets all the pieces to the mystery.

8/10 from me.

Book Review: Drop Shot by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar 2

A once big tennis star is shot and dropped outside a stadium. During the height of the US Open another tennis star is on the rise. Represented by Myron Bolitar.

Myron investigates the murder and finds out that his client and the victim are connected. This leads him back into a murder in the tennis world from six years earlier.

Myron soon becomes involved in matters of life and death with the mob on his tale and a strange mother in the mix too.

Gets an 8/10 from me.

Book Review: No Second Chance by Harlan Coben

This is an excellent book (as usual) from Harlan Coben. You feel for the main character Marc as he recovers from a shooting where his wife was killed and his baby daughter goes missing. Handovers of ransom money go wrong, and he becomes the chief suspect.

Two really nasty psychotics are the abductors. Coben adds to the pot by introducing Marc's helper from the FBI called Rachel who has issues of her own. She too brings some enemies with her as well.

Fantastic stuff 8/10

Book Review: Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar 1

Was so glad that I stumbled upon Harlan Coben novels and the Myron Bolitar series in particular. Read one of the stand alone novels first and then moved on to read about Myron. People say you should never judge a book by its cover but I did with Harlan Coben and I am very glad that ignored this old saying.

Myron is a Sports Representative and when Myron's prize client gets a phone call from his girlfriend who everyone thinks is dead, his dealings with his star start to go off track. Myron tries to investigate this sudden reappearance of the girlfriend and strays into the dark side of the sports world. Sex, blackmail and a family tragedy are all in play. Lies and half truths keep the plot boiling.

A good start to the series to get you hooked 8/10

Book Review: Gone for Good by Harlan Coben

A murder eleven years previously led to the alleged killer absconding and he is never contacted again. His brother Will gets on with his life and he has a lovely girlfriend called Sheila. Then his mother tells him on her deathbed that his brother is still alive.

Then Sheila disappears.

Will starts to chase after Sheila and searches for his brother too. Sheila's past is not what Will thought was the truth. As the plot unfolds the two events become intertwined.

A fantastic novel 9/10

Book Review: Tell No One by Harlan Coben

A chilling novel by Harlan Coben that has you turning the pages. An event eight years previously comes back to haunt David Beck. His wife had been killed by a vicious attack but here she was trying to contact him.

He tries to follow the clues to see whether she exists in fact or not. The FBI are also involved and try and pin his wife's murder on him too. Despite this hindrance, David Beck continues to press on to find out the truth.

The truth inevitably turns out to be something different to what you expect.

This novel gets an 8/10 from me.