Live Wire Quotes

“We are often told during times of bereavement that time heals all wounds. That's crap. In truth, you are devastated, you mourn, you cry to the point where you think you'll never stop - and then you reach a stage where the survival instinct takes over. You stop. You simply won't or can't let yourself "go there" anymore because the pain was too great. You block. You deny. But you don't really heal.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“With everyone else, you put up this facade so you can hide the crud and make them like you. But with real friends, you show them the crud-and that makes them care. When we get rid of the facade, we connect more.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Myron remembered something his father once told him: People have an amazing capacity to mess up their own lives.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“We don’t pray in foxholes because we are ready to meet our Maker. We pray because we don’t want to.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“There are two people in a tennis match. One ends up winning, one ends up losing. And I think the pleasure comes not from winning. I think the pleasure comes from beating someone.” She scrunched up her face like a very puzzled child. “Why is that something we admire? We call them winners, but when you think about it, they really get off on making someone else lose. Why is that something we admire so much?” “That’s”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“What we so admire and call "single minded dedication" was really "obsessive self-involvement". What in that exactly is admirable?”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Dimonte spit into the can again, trying hard to cover up his obvious body language. “We’re still working on it.” “Uh, let’s pretend for a brief moment that I’m not a mentally dehydrated numb nut.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Suzze T just stopped by,” Myron said. Win nodded, jaw jutted. “I saw her on the way out.” “Did she look upset?” “Didn’t notice,” Win said, taking a seat. Then: “Her breasts were engorged.” Win. “She has a problem,” Myron said. Win leaned back, crossed his legs with his customary coiled ease. “Explain.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“He leaned in conspiratorially. “Do you know why the fans turned on those two guys so horribly?” Just to keep him talking, Myron shook his head. “Because those pretty boys pointed out the truth: We are all shallow. Milli Vanilli music was pure crap—and they won a Grammy! People listened to it simply because Rob and Fab were handsome and hip. That scandal did more than rip away the façade. It held a mirror up to the fan’s face and let him see a total fool. There are many things we can forgive. But we can’t forgive those who point out our true foolishness. We don’t like to think of ourselves as shallow. But we are. Gabriel Wire looked brooding and deep but he was anything but. People thought that Gabriel didn’t do interviews because he felt he was too important—but he didn’t give them because he was too dumb. I know I was mocked over the years. Part of me was hurt—who wouldn’t be?—but most of me understood that this was the only way. Once I started, once I created Gabriel Wire, I couldn’t destroy him without destroying me.” Myron tried to let this information settle. “That’s what you meant with all that talk earlier about Suzze falling for you or falling for the music. About being Cyrano.” “Yes.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“He traveled back again, to when she was that adorable teenager dominating center court, and his favorite Yiddish expression came back to him in a rush: Man plans, God laughs. This was not a kind laugh. “Kitty?”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Talk about life’s bookends.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“We are often told during times of bereavement that time heals all wounds. That’s crap. In truth, you are devastated, you mourn, you cry to the point where you think you’ll never stop—and then you reach a stage where the survival instinct takes over. You stop. You simply won’t or can’t let yourself “go there” anymore because the pain was too great. You block. You deny. But you don’t really heal.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“He was losing her—time to change tacks again,”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Suppose, Myron had asked his mother, Dad woke up only one more time. Suppose Myron missed his last chance to talk to his father. Mom had replied matter-of-factly: “What would you say that he doesn’t already know?”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“We think that we will always be young, that the moments and people we cherish are everlasting. But they’re not.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“We have a tendency to believe good things will last forever. It is in our nature.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Good things are rare. They are to be cherished because they always leave us too soon.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Win Golf Credo #12: It is perfectly acceptable to stink at golf. It is not perfectly acceptable to stink slowly.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“We all have our scars and torment and ghosts. We all walk around and smile and pretend everything is okay. We are polite to strangers and share the road with them and stand in line at the supermarket and we manage to disguise the hurt and desperation. We work hard and make plans and more often than not, that all goes to hell.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Life is like a river and when you change its course, you’re responsible for where it goes.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“The great thing about the Internet: It gives everyone a voice. The bad thing about the Internet: It gives everyone a voice.”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Win was still in hiding. Myron had only gotten one message from him in the past six weeks—an e-mail with a short, simple message: You are in my heart. But Yu and Mee are in my pants. Win. Terese,”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“The biggest of the beefy bruisers—he had to be six-seven, three hundred pounds—knocked on Win’s window with his ring. Win rolled down the window. “May I help you?” “Get a load of this.” Beefy looked at Win like he was something that had just dropped out of a dog’s behind. “So you’re the famous Win.” Win smiled brightly. “You don’t look like much,” Beefy said. “I could offer up several clichés—don’t judge a book by its cover, big things come in small packages—but really, wouldn’t that just go over your head?” “You being funny?” “Evidently not.” Beefy”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Win unfastened his seat belt and walked over to Evan Crisp. He handed him the satellite phone. “I need you to call Herman Ache. Tell him we will meet him at his Livingston residence within the hour.” Crisp offered up skeptical. “You’re kidding, right?” “I am indeed a mirthful fellow. But no.” “He won’t let you in armed.” “That’s”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“We are going to pay dearest Herman a visit,” Win said to him. “The four of us will sit down, perhaps over a nice latte. We will all cooperate. We will reveal all. And then we will work out a mutually beneficial understanding so that no one gets harmed.” “Meaning?” “Détente. Have you heard of it?” “I have,” Crisp said. “I’m not sure Herman has.” Myron’s thought exactly. But Win seemed untroubled. “Herman is a sweetheart, you will see,” Win said. “In the meantime, what happened to Myron’s brother?” Crisp frowned. “The guy married to Kitty?” “Yes.” “How the hell would I know?” Win sighed. “Cooperate. Reveal all. Remember?” “I’m serious. We didn’t even know Kitty was around until she contacted Lex. I don’t have a clue where her husband is.” Myron”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“They pushed Crisp into a seat. Win wrapped him in restraints. Crisp was still blinking through the tranquilizer. Win had used a diluted form of Etorphine, a sedative normally used for elephants and potentially fatal to humans. In the movies, sedatives work instantaneously. In reality, it’s hardly a guarantee. In”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Both boys giggled at that one. Then growing more somber, Blakely said, “But man oh man, what a total Babe Lair.” “Love Nest.” “Herpes Haven.” “Penile Palace.” “Beaver Trap.” Myron tried not to sigh. It was like hanging out with a really annoying thesaurus. He turned to Win and asked what the plan was. “Follow”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“During the car ride Myron asked for details. Kitty sat up front next to him. In the back, Mickey ignored them. He stared out the window, white iPod earbuds in place—playing the part of a petulant teenager, which, Myron surmised, he was. By”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Yes. In the meantime, arm yourself.” “I’ll pick up a gun when I get back,” Myron said. “No need to wait. There is a thirty-eight under your seat.” Terrific. Myron reached under his seat, felt the bump. “Anything else I need to know?” “I birdied the last hole. Shot two under par for the round.” “Talk about burying the lead.” “I was trying to be modest.” “I”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire

“Esperanza sat back and looked at him for several beats. “Do you remember when Suzze won the US Open?” “Of course. What does that have to do with anything?” “She’d cleaned up her act. She focused solely on her tennis, and bam, right away, Suzze wins a major. I never saw someone want something so badly. I can still see that final cross-court forehand to win, the look of pure undiluted joy on her face, the way she threw her racket up in the air and turned and pointed at you.” “At”
― Harlan Coben, Live Wire