Review: THE MATCH by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors when I am in search of mystery and suspense. I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy of The Match from the publisher via NetGalley. Today, I’d like to tell you a bit about the book, which released last week.

About the Book*

After months away, Wilde has returned to the Ramapo Mountains in the wake of a failed bid at domesticity that confirms what he’s known all along: He belongs on his own, free from the comforts and constraints of modern life.

Suddenly, a DNA match on an online ancestry database brings Wilde closer to his past than he’s ever dreamed, and finally gives Wilde the opening he needs to track down his father. But meeting the man brings up more questions than answers. So Wilde reaches out to his last, most desperate lead, a second cousin who disappears as quickly as he resurfaces, having experienced an epic fall from grace that can only be described as a waking nightmare.

Was his cousin’s downfall a long time coming? Or was he the victim of a conspiracy as cunning as it is complex? And how does it all connect to the man once known as The Stranger, a treacherous fugitive with a growing following whose mission and methods have only turned more dangerous with time?

*As per publisher’s description on Amazon

My Review

This book brings the return of Wilde, a unique character introduced earlier in the series – the boy who was found in the woods as a child. Now an adult, he has yet to find out who his parents are or how he ended up in the woods. In keeping with the times, Wilde submits his DNA to an online family search database, which generates two familial matches. One of the matches appears to be a cousin who reaches out to Wilde. He is in trouble and Wilde decides to try to help him. The result is a complicated story that exposes complex relationships and criminal activities, as well as some unique insights into the world of reality TV. Wilde and his mysterious background provided an intriguing basis for storyline, helping readers better understand Wilde’s behavior and lifestyle choices. I really enjoyed the book, although I must say that it was less fast-paced, with a slightly different feel than other books I have read by this author.

FTC disclosure: I received an ARC from the publisher and have voluntarily written this honest review.

Review: WIN by Harlan Coben

Earlier this month, Harlan Coben’s latest mystery/thriller was released. A fan of the author’s earlier work, I was eager to read WIN and am happy to share my review with you today.

Description*

Over twenty years ago, the heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family’s estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin for months. Patricia escaped, but so did her captors — and the items stolen from her family were never recovered. 

Until now. On the Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3. For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead — not only on Patricia’s kidnapping, but also on another FBI cold case — with the suitcase and painting both pointing them toward one man.

Windsor Horne Lockwood III — or Win, as his few friends call him — doesn’t know how his suitcase and his family’s stolen painting ended up with a dead man. But his interest is piqued, especially when the FBI tells him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an act of domestic terrorism — and that the conspirators may still be at large. The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades, but Win has three things the FBI doesn’t: a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune; and his own unique brand of justice. 

* as appears on Amazon

My Review

In this novel, the story is told from the point of view of Win Lockwood, an enigmatic character who emerges from the shadows in several of this author’s Myron Bolitar novels, however whose backstory was never divulged. Win is a complex character – his violent nature and the liberties he takes in dispensing his idea of justice counter the traditional sense of what a good guy is. How can identify with a protagonist who has a thirst for violence, who leverages his wealth and social standing to get what he wants? Well, somehow as the story unfolds and we learn about his family and their past, and we view his actions on the backdrop of persons whose crimes and propensity for cruelty are truly unfathomable, our perspective shifts a bit. This book is all the multi-faceted Win – the good and the bad, the violent and the benevolent, and made for a fascinating read. The plot was fast-paced, with surprising twists and a healthy dose of tension that kept those pages turning.

FTC Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Review: DON’T LET GO by Harlan Coben

Having read and enjoyed many of  Harlan Coben’s books, I jumped at the chance to read a pre-release copy of  Don’t Let Go.  I wasn’t disappointed. It’s quite a page turner.

Description (from Amazon)

Suburban New Jersey Detective Napoleon “Nap” Dumas hasn’t been the same since senior year of high school, when his twin brother Leo and Leo’s girlfriend Diana were found dead on the railroad tracks—and Maura, the girl Nap considered the love of his life, broke up with him and disappeared without explanation. For fifteen years, Nap has been searching, both for Maura and for the real reason behind his brother’s death. And now, it looks as though he may finally find what he’s been looking for.

When Maura’s fingerprints turn up in the rental car of a suspected murderer, Nap embarks on a quest for answers that only leads to more questions—about the woman he loved, about the childhood friends he thought he knew, about the abandoned military base near where he grew up, and mostly about Leo and Diana—whose deaths are darker and far more sinister than Nap ever dared imagine.

My Review

Nap, who provides the first-person narrative, is an interesting and well-developed character.  He is a good person and a good cop, but he doesn’t have a problem with breaking the law when it suits him. He is a bit of a loner, with the exception of Ellie, with whom he became friends as they shared their grief so many years before. Nap’s unanswered questions about his brother’s death and Moira’s disappearance drive his actions and fuel a fast-paced tale.  With its with intrigue, conspiracies,  hidden secrets and plot twists,  this suspenseful read kept me reading late into the night. Another great read from this author.

FTC Disclosure:  I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley and have voluntarily chosen to share my honest review.