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Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1)
by
Harlan Coben
Sports agent Myron Bolitar is poised on the edge of the big time. So is Christian Steele, a rookie quarterback and Myron's prized client. But when Christian gets a phone call from a former girlfriend, a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead, the deal starts to go sour. Trying to unravel the truth about a family's tragedy, a woman's secret, and a man...more
Mass Market Paperback, 343 pages
Published
October 20th 2010
by Dell
(first published May 1st 1995)
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We all classify and judge; every review written here is a form of classification. Binaries are bit more emphatic. You're in or you're out; you're good or you're bad. I enjoy David's binaries, though some were not included in the chart to keep the peace :). David's binaries came to mind when I thought of the 15 BOOKS I read by Harlan Coben during my book wallow. And by the way, this review provides considerable bang for the buck, as it treats 15 books in one review.
The s...more
I’ve been aware of Harlan Coben’s series of crime/mystery novels starring a sports agent named Myron Bolitar for some time but never read one because I thought it’d be something like Jerry Maguire crossed with Murder, She Wrote. I figured Myron would always be tripping over dead baseball players killed by pitching machines or discovering basketball players hanging from rims.
What I should have realized sooner is that modern sports can offer a great backdrop for a gritty mystery. Y...more
What I should have realized sooner is that modern sports can offer a great backdrop for a gritty mystery. Y...more
I haven’t exactly resisted reading Harlan Coben before, but I somehow didn’t think a mystery series about a sports agent could be that riveting. I mean, I like teams of sweaty men in skimpy uniforms as much as the next girl, but a sports agent just sounded smarmy and, well, kind of dull. Man, was I wrong. Myron Bolitar is smart and funny and tough and big-hearted, and who doesn’t like those qualities in a man? He’s a former FBI agent, too. Coban writes pretty good women, although, of course, the...more
I was surprised that this is the first in the Myron Bolitar series (I've been reading them out of order). There was not an undue amount of exposition to 'set up' the characters as I would have expected when introducing a new cast of characters. Loved the book and the dry humor of many of the characters.
There is a fairly large 'supporting cast' in this story, and for the brief time that you spend with some of them you still get to know enough of the character so that they don't seem ...more
There is a fairly large 'supporting cast' in this story, and for the brief time that you spend with some of them you still get to know enough of the character so that they don't seem ...more
This is the first of Coben's, Myron Bolitar series. I enjoyed this one, because of the plots twists and the fantastic development of both Bolitar and his best friend Win. I did not enjoy that fact that the language was at times much worse than the other novels I have read by him. I did enjoy it and like all of what I have read by him so far...it is a quick read, because you don't want to put it down.
If you're like me, you fall in love with characters. If I find a good character, I can read a dozen books in a series. With Myron Bolitar and Windsor Lockwood III, you have two such characters.
Myron is a quick witted, often hilarious sports agent with a deep backstory. He is a two time NCAA champion basketballer whose metioric rise was halted by an injury years before its apex. He then went to Harvard Law and then did work of questionable morality with the Feds. His past as an athlete inf...more
Myron is a quick witted, often hilarious sports agent with a deep backstory. He is a two time NCAA champion basketballer whose metioric rise was halted by an injury years before its apex. He then went to Harvard Law and then did work of questionable morality with the Feds. His past as an athlete inf...more
This book is everything I want in a good book. It was a fun easy read but not total cotton candy trash. It's the first book in the series but feels like I've picked one up in the middle only because the characters feel so developed. Harlan hints at all this backstory which I think (I hope) will be revealed in future novels but he doesn't muddy up the water with a lot of exposition. A sentence here or there and then he just moves on. I -love- it when an author doesn't feel like they have to expla...more
Myron Bolitar, ex-federal agent turned sports agent, became involved in a case of missing person, Kathy Culver. As it happens, Kathy Culver was a fiancé of Myron’s most promising client, Christian Steele. Christian received an anonymous mail containing a magazine showing a picture of Kathy. Is she alive and well somewhere? How will this disappearance affect Christian’s career?
I enjoyed the book thoroughly and would’ve read it in one sitting if I didn’t have to work. I love Myron...more
I enjoyed the book thoroughly and would’ve read it in one sitting if I didn’t have to work. I love Myron...more
My four stars should be taken with a huge grain of salt. This was not a "four star" book. It is the most reluctant of reviews I've given here.
All I want from a good mystery story is a deeply layered plot with lots of unexpected and yet organic twists. And Harlen Coben spins quite a yarn here with this novel. It was a literal page-turner for a mystery lover like myself and it thrills from beginning to end. I read it in the span of the day.
So why the reluctance ...more
All I want from a good mystery story is a deeply layered plot with lots of unexpected and yet organic twists. And Harlen Coben spins quite a yarn here with this novel. It was a literal page-turner for a mystery lover like myself and it thrills from beginning to end. I read it in the span of the day.
So why the reluctance ...more
I thought Deal Maker was so-so. Since it was the author's first effort I'm willing to give him a second chance.
The story itself is not all that bad. A coed who has been missing for going on two years may still be alive. Sports agent/former NBA 1st round draft pick/former FBI agent/attorney Myron Bolitar is trying to help out his biggest client yet who was engaged to the missing girl. There are enough twists in the plot to make a reader want to pop a Dramamine. I never even came ...more
The story itself is not all that bad. A coed who has been missing for going on two years may still be alive. Sports agent/former NBA 1st round draft pick/former FBI agent/attorney Myron Bolitar is trying to help out his biggest client yet who was engaged to the missing girl. There are enough twists in the plot to make a reader want to pop a Dramamine. I never even came ...more
A great first book in the Myron Bolitar sports-agent-detective series. His friends-co-workers Win and Esperanza provide a lot of wit and color to his life, as well as critical help in overcoming obstacles on his way to solving a case.
I almost didn't make it through the first few pages. I don't really like sports and the first pages were all about a sports agent negotiating a contract - I really couldn't have been more bored.
But by the end of the second chapter where it was ...more
I almost didn't make it through the first few pages. I don't really like sports and the first pages were all about a sports agent negotiating a contract - I really couldn't have been more bored.
But by the end of the second chapter where it was ...more
I read a review of detective fiction and this author commented that Robert B. Parker was the best of all
detective fiction writers. That gave him great credibility with me, so I've started his series of books about sports agent Myron Bolitar who also solves crimes. I like Bolitar, though not as much as Spenser. They both notice the girls and make witty comments and have a tough friend to help them stay
alive in tough times. Lots of funny lines. "He sounded like an aardvark ne...more
detective fiction writers. That gave him great credibility with me, so I've started his series of books about sports agent Myron Bolitar who also solves crimes. I like Bolitar, though not as much as Spenser. They both notice the girls and make witty comments and have a tough friend to help them stay
alive in tough times. Lots of funny lines. "He sounded like an aardvark ne...more
My first Myron Bolinger & certainly NOT my last! Myron has a strange sense of humor & you must be quick-witted to catch it. His humor consists of dry one-liners dripping with sarcasm & he can be at times crude. He's almost more of a 'guy's guy', in a way that I think more men can relate to him as a person. Despite that, Myron has really grown on me! I have to overlook some of his behavior, such that Myron is not a romantic kinda guy like many of the characters I read about. But, he's real ...more
Deal Breaker sebenarnya cuma kisah detektif, dengan sedikit modifikasi yang cukup aneh tapi asyik dibaca. Aneh karena detektifnya seorang agen olahraga (pernah nonton Jerry Macguire? Itu loh, orang yang jadi 'manajer' para atlet dalam soal negosiasi kontrak), dan bukan sembarang agen karena sang agen sendiri sebenarnya seorang mantan atlet yang pernah main di NBA, pernah kerja untuk FBI (entah gimana FBI mau-maunya merekrut atlet basket???), lulusan hukum Universitas Harvard, dan pemegang sabuk ...more
Book 1 in the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. We are introduced to Myron Bolitar a sports agent who does some criminal investigating on the side. We also meet his ex-wife Jessica, his best friend Win Lockwood III, and his secretary Esperanza - all part of the team that makes his investigations work out. This time around, Myron is asked by one of his clients (a potential superstar quarterback) to investigate the disappearance of his girlfriends - who coincidentally happens to be the sist...more
This was a nice change of pace from the usual detective/suspense story. Instead of a detective, we have Myron Bolitar, a sports agent. Granted, he *used* to be a Fed, and he has a law degree, but he’s not a cop, nonetheless. I liked Myron, though his friend Win is a little…. weird. But an interesting character.
The mystery itself was interesting, and I really didn’t have it figured out by the end. I like that! I also like the dry humor. A series I will continue with!
The mystery itself was interesting, and I really didn’t have it figured out by the end. I like that! I also like the dry humor. A series I will continue with!
The first of the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. A very engaging character, whose character and life story develops over the series. He's an American sports agent who always seems to get pulled in to solve crimes and mysteries that lead him and his cronies into regularly life threatening situations. Luckily, his rather trusting nature is helpfully counterbalanced by friend and colleague Win, the preppy sociopath, who is an adept at martial arts. Win believes that an over tender conscien...more
I've been looking for audiobooks that I think my hubby will enjoy, and that I can tolerate, for our long commute to work. This is the first one I've found that rates a solid four stars. If the whole series is this good, then we will be enjoying a lot more of Myron Bolitar in the future.
This had plenty of action and suspense to keep hubby interested. There were enough twists in the storyline to keep us both guessing, and paying attention. And there was enough humor to lighten the ...more
This had plenty of action and suspense to keep hubby interested. There were enough twists in the storyline to keep us both guessing, and paying attention. And there was enough humor to lighten the ...more
another book feted for its humour that i was quite expecting to detest when i began. the humour here is sarcastic and not overstated and that surprised me. the central character myron is a bit of an overacheiver, once a star basketball player, then a lawyer and an fbi agent, he's now working as a sports agent. it's not clear in this first book how he got into this line of work though it's obvious that he's more of an investigator than an agent. i guess this way coben gets to write his way throug
...more
Myron Bolitar is new at being a sports agent but had the good fortune to sign the number one NFL quarterback draft choice, Christian Steele. Christian's been drafted by the Titans whose owner, Otto Burke, is playing underhanded during the contract negotiations. Nude pictures of Christian's missing girlfriend have surfaced and Otto is threatening to release them publicly unless Myron has his client agree to a pretty lousy deal. Christian's girlfriend, Kathy Culver, is also the sister of Myron's e...more
The third book I've read by Harlan Coben, and I'm starting to notice some common themes - female characters who may or may not be dead, incredible personality transformations on the part of said female characters, and a wisecracking narrative. That's not to say I disliked this - it moved along at an impressive pace, and kept me guessing until the end. This is the first time I have encountered Coben's character Myron Bolitar, a man who doesn't realise it is an author who was saddled him with a na...more
This is the second book my book club had read written by Harlan Coben. The first book was Tell No One and it must be said that the prevous was a much better read.
Alas, this was not a bad book. Well, let me rephrase, this book could be considered "bad" since there are numerous references to pronography, very shady characters and situations and a lot of profanitt. But it is not a bad read, just a little far fetched. There were too many characters to keep track of, I'm sure this wa...more
Alas, this was not a bad book. Well, let me rephrase, this book could be considered "bad" since there are numerous references to pronography, very shady characters and situations and a lot of profanitt. But it is not a bad read, just a little far fetched. There were too many characters to keep track of, I'm sure this wa...more
he first appearance of Myron Bolitar, a would-be professional basketball player whose career was derailed before it started due to injury, now courageously attempting a new career as a sports agent - an honest sports agent, which is almost a contradiction in terms. With a shot at the big time through representation of an up and coming young football player, Myron and his violently quirky pal Win (think Kung Fu on steroids) soon find themselves embroiled in a mysterious murder. Along the way enou...more
I have read several independent thrillers by Coben but this was my first of the Myron Bolitar series. When I first heard about it, I really wasn't all that interested but after hearing several friends tell me they loved the series I had to give it a shot, as well as the fact I just love Coben's thrillers!
It wasn't far into the book that I absolutely loved Bolitar! The mix of the sports agent and investigation background, I really had no idea how good it would be but I really enjoyed...more
It wasn't far into the book that I absolutely loved Bolitar! The mix of the sports agent and investigation background, I really had no idea how good it would be but I really enjoyed...more
I haven't read the Myron Bolitar series in order, not that it matters except it seems to me that the style has changed somewhat. For example, the book I read before this seemed to be written only from Myron's point of view. This book is told from the perspective of some of the other characters. The change is neither good nor bad, but it's just a bit weird to me because I like consistency.
This book was entertaining and a good read with a weird twist 3/4 of the way through that set u...more
This book was entertaining and a good read with a weird twist 3/4 of the way through that set u...more
Toby Andersen
added it
funny and witty - with an excellent twist.
although in retrospect you kick yourself for not getting it, coben uses a very clever mix of misdirection to keep you guessing and crossing out suspects when you shouldn't be.
the three lead characters are all brilliant, Myron and Win and excellent and Jessica is interesting.
the prose has an element of noir to it, but is also really witty and laugh out loud funny in places. Myron is the epitomy of sarcasm.
anyways - it is up there in the best crime novels ...more
although in retrospect you kick yourself for not getting it, coben uses a very clever mix of misdirection to keep you guessing and crossing out suspects when you shouldn't be.
the three lead characters are all brilliant, Myron and Win and excellent and Jessica is interesting.
the prose has an element of noir to it, but is also really witty and laugh out loud funny in places. Myron is the epitomy of sarcasm.
anyways - it is up there in the best crime novels ...more
Ron Arden
added it
Another great Myron Bolitar book by Harlan Coben. This is the first one, so it introduces me to all the main characters in the other books and it gives a bit of history to Myron and Jessica.
This book starts with Myron trying to sign a new rookie quarterback in the NFL and turns into a complicated tale where the quarterback and his fiance are tied directly to his old flame, Jessica. As usual there is a mix of humor, sports, tough guys, sleazeballs and the like to keep the story moving. This wa...more
This book starts with Myron trying to sign a new rookie quarterback in the NFL and turns into a complicated tale where the quarterback and his fiance are tied directly to his old flame, Jessica. As usual there is a mix of humor, sports, tough guys, sleazeballs and the like to keep the story moving. This wa...more
Myron - pro basketball player/blown knee; lawyer; FBI investigator; sport’s manager
Wyn - friend from FBI time; the ‘muscle’; the moneyman
Christian - BB player
Kathy - missing
Jessica - Kathy’s sister; Myron’s exgirlfriend
Adam - Kathy’s father, medical examiner
Carol - Kathy’s mom / Paul - Adam’s best friend & Carol’s lover
Nancy - Kathy’s friend - murdered after talking to Adam
Jake - policeman
...more
Wyn - friend from FBI time; the ‘muscle’; the moneyman
Christian - BB player
Kathy - missing
Jessica - Kathy’s sister; Myron’s exgirlfriend
Adam - Kathy’s father, medical examiner
Carol - Kathy’s mom / Paul - Adam’s best friend & Carol’s lover
Nancy - Kathy’s friend - murdered after talking to Adam
Jake - policeman
...more
I was not sure what to expect when I opened up this novel. It was a recommendation from someone in my book club and since they seemed to have good taste I just went out and bought this without really reading anything about it. Which is probably good. I likely would not have picked it up. I'm hardly a huge sports fan and Myron Bolitar is a sports agent trying to solve a case. The first one hundred pages or so were hard for me to get through for this reason. Too many references with me and my litt...more
Alexandre
added it
Premier volume de la série mettant en scène Myron Bolitar; ancien champion de basket, ex agent du FBI devenu agent sportif. Celui-ci gère son agence tant bien que mal, avec ses amis de toujours, Win et Esperanza. Quand soudain, Jessica, l'amour de sa vie refait surface dans sa vie alors que Kathy, la petite soeur de cette dernière, a disparu depuis quelques mois. Sans parler de Christian, son poulain, graine de champion qui est victime de chantage, l'affaire se corse pour devenir tordu.
Les perso...more
Les perso...more
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International bestselling author Harlan Coben's last seven novels, The Woods, Promise Me, The Innocent, Just One Look, No Second Chance, Gone for Good, and Tell No One have appeared at the top of all the major bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Book Sense, The Times (London), Le Monde, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as many others throughout the Uni...more
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“A dancer on break approached him. She smiled. Each tooth was angled in a different direction, as if her mouth were the masterwork of a mad orthodontist.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi."
"You're really cute."
"I don't have any money."
She spun and walked away. Ah, romance.”
—
9 people liked it
"Hi," she said.
"Hi."
"You're really cute."
"I don't have any money."
She spun and walked away. Ah, romance.”
“He tried to read, but the words swam in front of his eyes in meaningless waves. He put on the television. Nick at Nite, the cultural equivalent of aerosol cheese.”
—
1 person liked it
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Thanks, Meredith...more
Jun 21, 2010 05:39pm
Jun 21, 2010 07:30pm