Harlan Coben

[Dottie]

Kathy Reichs YA book Virals was great. Just finished it yesterday and my 13 yr old is reading it now. She should have a great new series from that one.

[T]

Just finished "Live Wire" this morning, and whipped through it in a couple days. While I enjoyed the book, it ended leaving me feeling a little sad and like this is the end of the Bolitar line as we know it. Reportedly Myron will live on through the upcoming YA book, "Shelter", and with his nephew Mickey coming in to play, but I just felt kind of sad.

BTW, read "Live Wire" before "Shelter" as there are spoilers....

[Linda]

T, that Mickey Bolitar book will be out next month, I saw it on the "Coming Soon" section on Barnes and Nobles, not really sure how I'm feeling about that - I love Myron, I need to get caught up on the series and I am sure that I will give the Mickey Bolitar book a try.

[T]

I will try the Mickey book and hope that I can get my Bolitar fix that way. I read the Reichs' spin-off to YA-dom and didn't feel that it was something I would follow....Hoping I will feel differently with Mickey....

[Linda]

Hmmm, I wonder why the spin off to Mickey - but if he tells in one of the Myron books - don't tell me, I would rather find out by reading. :)

[Laurin]

I ADORED Tell No One. I read when I was about 13, which was probably a bit too young, but oh well. I started one of the Myron books, and I'm having trouble getting interested.

[T]

It seems to be the trend for authors to venture into YA books. Ridley Pearson has been doing it for some years, and this year it's Kathy Reichs and Harlan Coben.

I happily have read the Harry Potters, but just didn't feel like I would follow the Reichs' Viral series, and now waiting to see how the Mickey Bolitars will work out.

[Linda]

I guess they need to broaden their reading audiences, and as long as they are done well then I suppose it is a good thing. But come to think of it - we as adults don't really need to enjoy their YA books, as along as the teens/tweens do.

[Tay]

I read Tell No One a while back and thought it was okay. I started Deal Breaker and it's got pretty much the same theme as Tell No One. I'm having a hard time finishing this book and hopefully the series gets better from here.

[Afsana]

i think the authors trying to get into YA are trrying to broaden their audiences and changing the ir style to freshen up their writing for existing fans as its not straight YA but dual writing that is readable by both adults and kids


With myron boltair his character and the way he banters with win and is I think you either like him or you don't

and after a good fair few you may just get a bit fed up with the ridiculous banter that they have going in serious times

[Ethan]

I've noticed that my local library has many copies of this author's novels. I've never read any by him. Am I missing anything special or worth my time?

[Gatorman]

Es135 wrote: "I've noticed that my local library has many copies of this author's novels. I've never read any by him. Am I missing anything special or worth my time?"

I think so. I prefer his stand alones to the Bolitar series and have found almost all of them to be quite good.

[James]

You might want to give him a try--there's a bood reason why he's sold a bazillion books. I like the Bolitar books, but I agree that the stand alones are better.

[T]

I like them all, series & stand-alone.....okay, so they may not be earth-shattering, but they're fun reads.

[B.]

I haven't read any of the Bolitar series, but his standalones are exceptional, particularly if you enjoy plot twists. He is a master at plotting, and at creating characters who are more or less than they appear to be.

[James]

I heard Coben once say that he was a "Twist Slut," and I think there's more than a little truth to it. My only real complaint about his books is that he just can't seem to resist throwing in one too many twists at the end of them.

[Gatorman]

James wrote: "I heard Coben once say that he was a "Twist Slut," and I think there's more than a little truth to it. My only real complaint about his books is that he just can't seem to resist throwing in one to..."

I find that's true in some of the books, but not all of them.

[Linda]

I love everything by Harlan Coben - has anyone started his new series yet with his newphew - Mickey?? I forgot the title but I think it is out now.

[Afsana]

Linda wrote: "I love everything by Harlan Coben - has anyone started his new series yet with his newphew - Mickey?? I forgot the title but I think it is out now."

I think called shelter?

[Nooks Full Of Books]

Harlan Coben is becoming one of my favourite authors! I've read 'The Innocent' and 'Live Wire'. Absolutely loved both, especially the latter.

[Curlyhair]

Recently finished Promise Me which is the best Myron Bolitar book so far, I think.

[Aneela]

Bumping this thread as I couldn't find anything more recent but just a heads up that The Woods by Harlan Coben is currently free on the Amazon UK Kindle store http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004I...
Grab it before the offer ends ;)

[Sandysbookaday (taking a midwinter break)]

Six Years by Harlan Coben

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This novel was supposed to explore the depth and passion of a lost love . . . and the secrets and lies at its heart. Six years have passed since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man.But six years haven’t come close to extinguishing his feelings, and when Jake comes across Todd’s obituary, he can’t keep himself away from the funeral. There he gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife he’s hoping for . . . but she is not Natalie. Whoever the mourning widow is, she’s been married to Todd for more than a decade, and with that fact everything Jake thought he knew about the best time of his life is turned completely inside out. Mutual friends of the couple either can’t be found or don’t remember Jake. No one has seen Natalie in years. Jake’s search for the woman who broke his heart—and who lied to him—soon puts his very life at risk.
This could have been, and should have been, a good book. It's not.
Six Yearsis poorly written; the writing is leaden and uninspired, and instead of using suspense (this is meant to be a suspense thriller) he uses violence. If there was a "writing by numbers" kit - this would be the result.
It's about as suspenseful as a child's early reader - in fact Enid Blyton's The Famous Five Series and The Secret Seven have far more to recommend them.
Another Did Not Finish (two in a row for Coben books now), and I will be in no hurry to read anything else he has written.



View all my reviews

[Skye]

Great review; I could never get into Harlan Coben.

[Rob]

I initially liked Bolitar but some of the recent ones just seemed really forced and quite dull. I think either he's taken the character as far as he can or maybe he's tied himself into a long publishing deal and is just throwing half-assed books out to get it over and done with!

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Sandra wrote: "

Six Years by Harlan Coben
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
This novel was supposed to explore the depth and passion of a lost love . . . and the secrets and lies at its heart. Six years have passed sinc..."

Re Enid Blyton being more suspenseful -- LOL

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Rob wrote: "I initially liked Bolitar but some of the recent ones just seemed really forced and quite dull. I think either he's taken the character as far as he can or maybe he's tied himself into a long publi..."

You know, I was having a discussion a few days back with someone about letting a mystery/crime series die a dignified death. It's sounding like that needs to happen here, from what a lot of people are saying.

[Wendy]

Nancy wrote: "Rob wrote: "I initially liked Bolitar but some of the recent ones just seemed really forced and quite dull. I think either he's taken the character as far as he can or maybe he's tied himself into ..."

I have read Harlan Coben since his very first book and I really hate to agree about his Bolitar series needing to end but you guys are so right. Coben used to be one of my favorite authors but I would rather see the series end before I really start to dislike him.

[Irenecsi]

I really hope Harlan could write about stories when Win and Myron worked for CIA...I don't like the most recent one either(disappointed when he started to write about Myron's nephew... For God's sake!) but I really want to read more about Win...

[Wendy]

Irenecsi wrote: "I really hope Harlan could write about stories when Win and Myron worked for CIA...I don't like the most recent one either(disappointed when he started to write about Myron's nephew... For God's sa..."

Kernels, I agree will you about that especially the nephew series he's turned to now but it is so hard giving up on a long time favorite author. It makes me sad.

[Nikki]

Read my first Harlan Coben book. Tell No One. It was great. Which one should I read next?

[Katheryn]

Mama wrote: "Read my first Harlan Coben book. Tell No One. It was great. Which one should I read next?"

I love the Myron and Win series but would start with the first, Deal Breaker, and as far as stand-alone books, such as Tell No One, goes, my favourite is The Woods. But, to be honest, you can't go far wrong whatever you choose!

[T]

I may have dreamt this up, but I thought I read that Coben has another Bolitar book coming out soon, after seemingly ending the series....

[Wendy]

I really would live to read another book in the Bolitar series. I hate the way it ended if he really did end it.

[T]

Wendy wrote: "I really would live to read another book in the Bolitar series. I hate the way it ended if he really did end it."

Didn't dream it!
http://harlancobenbooklist.com/harlan...

[Wendy]

T wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I really would live to read another book in the Bolitar series. I hate the way it ended if he really did end it."

Didn't dream it!
http://harlancobenbooklist.com/harlan..."

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing!

[Barbara]

I wasn't aware the Bolitar series had (presumably) ended..... but I'm glad there's another book coming out. :)

[Gayle]

I've read one of the Bolitar books, which I liked but can't remember the title. I recently read a standalone called The Stranger. It kept me interested and curious until the end, which seemed rushed and not believable. But I think I'll put The Woods on my TBR list as a lot of people have liked that one.

[Nikki]

I've read, Tell NoOne, Hold Tight, The Woods, Gone For Good, and Caught. I likedthem all except Caught. I just couldn't get inyo that one.

[Joi]

I recently finished Caught. I liked it once I got into it....but I must admit that it took me a minute to get into it.

[Pete]

Fun guy.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

[T]

Wendy wrote: "T wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I really would live to read another book in the Bolitar series. I hate the way it ended if he really did end it."

Didn't dream it!
http://harlancobenbooklist.com/harlan-co..."

Hey Wendy - just started "Home" with the return of Win and Myron.....old friends!