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paulabrandon's review against another edition
1.0
When I think of Harlan Coben, I think of twisty mystery thrillers about ordinary people blindsided by the secrets that lie below the surface in the everyday suburbia they live in. I certainly don't think of hackneyed, YA-style conspiracy thrillers involving secret missile military bases. What the heck happened here? Did Harlan Coben even write this?
But, sadly, I'm pretty sure he did. For about the umpteenth time for Coben, this features a protagonist mourning the disappearance of the person they loved. In this case, it's Nap (Napoleon) Dumas, a cop who still hasn't got over the disappearance of high school girlfriend Maura 15 years ago. When her fingerprints are found at the site of a murder scene, in which the victim was another school chum, Nap figures this is a way to find out what really happened to her. It's also a chance, he believes, to find out the truth about the death of his twin brother, Leo, 15 years ago, and Leo's girlfriend Diana. They died right around the same time as Maura disappeared. So it all has to be connected, right?
After a promising start, this just descends into monotony, repetition and silliness. A conspiracy around a missile military base and the secrets that might have gone on in there? Really?!? There's no real story. No surprises. No plot twists. Just Nap going from person to person and most of them saying, "You don't want to know the truth," or, "You have no clue," or something equally dumb and evasive, because otherwise there wouldn't be a book. It's not particularly interesting or clever when the only reason a book exists is because several characters know everything and just choose to be silent about it. And one thing that really, really bugged me It was just unbelievably stupid.
Nap wasn't my favourite of Coben's protagonists, either. To me, he came across as an uppity jerk who thinks the sun shines out his own butt. Coben tries to soften this with a laughable vigilante side-plot in which Nap goes after the scum of society to help others. WTF? And what was with that pointless, gratuitous Myron Bolitar cameo?
I save up Harlan Coben's books for when I'm in a bit of a reading rut. So maybe I went into this with my expectations too high? I don't know, but I certainly didn't expect to get one of the more tiresome, pointless and silly books of recent memory from this otherwise talented story-teller. Maybe stay away from the government/military conspiracy plots, Harlan.
But, sadly, I'm pretty sure he did. For about the umpteenth time for Coben, this features a protagonist mourning the disappearance of the person they loved. In this case, it's Nap (Napoleon) Dumas, a cop who still hasn't got over the disappearance of high school girlfriend Maura 15 years ago. When her fingerprints are found at the site of a murder scene, in which the victim was another school chum, Nap figures this is a way to find out what really happened to her. It's also a chance, he believes, to find out the truth about the death of his twin brother, Leo, 15 years ago, and Leo's girlfriend Diana. They died right around the same time as Maura disappeared. So it all has to be connected, right?
After a promising start, this just descends into monotony, repetition and silliness. A conspiracy around a missile military base and the secrets that might have gone on in there? Really?!? There's no real story. No surprises. No plot twists. Just Nap going from person to person and most of them saying, "You don't want to know the truth," or, "You have no clue," or something equally dumb and evasive, because otherwise there wouldn't be a book. It's not particularly interesting or clever when the only reason a book exists is because several characters know everything and just choose to be silent about it. And one thing that really, really bugged me
Spoiler
if Andy Reeves was involved in the top secret torture of terror suspects, why the fuck is he still hanging around in the same town where he did it and carrying out a seemingly high-profile career as a for-hire piano player under his real name?!?Nap wasn't my favourite of Coben's protagonists, either. To me, he came across as an uppity jerk who thinks the sun shines out his own butt. Coben tries to soften this with a laughable vigilante side-plot in which Nap goes after the scum of society to help others. WTF? And what was with that pointless, gratuitous Myron Bolitar cameo?
I save up Harlan Coben's books for when I'm in a bit of a reading rut. So maybe I went into this with my expectations too high? I don't know, but I certainly didn't expect to get one of the more tiresome, pointless and silly books of recent memory from this otherwise talented story-teller. Maybe stay away from the government/military conspiracy plots, Harlan.
pemberly_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hartd21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bethersjayne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kellyngrace's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
chantelleleblanc's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
wkilgannon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
sammy15's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
2.25
Ending was surprising but the heart of the book was very boring.
jeriann's review against another edition
4.0
This novel was so engrossing at the start. I found myself putting aside important tasks, or at the very least putting minimal effort into them, to finish this story.
Nap is a great protagonist. He's dry and cynical and very well developed. His conversations with his late twin brother manage to only be tinged with a hint of sadness and longing, which makes the things he says to him much more real.
Maura and Ellie were horrible characters because the author did not seem to care about developing two very integral women to a plot that hangs on small details. I had to start taking breaks to finish the book whenever Nap had a conversation with Ellie, and even moreso when Maura came back into Nap's life to be some sort of hero and sex god.
Ending was not /that/ predictable, so that's a plus. I would recommend this book to readers who like thrillers.
Nap is a great protagonist. He's dry and cynical and very well developed. His conversations with his late twin brother manage to only be tinged with a hint of sadness and longing, which makes the things he says to him much more real.
Maura and Ellie were horrible characters because the author did not seem to care about developing two very integral women to a plot that hangs on small details. I had to start taking breaks to finish the book whenever Nap had a conversation with Ellie, and even moreso when Maura came back into Nap's life to be some sort of hero and sex god.
Ending was not /that/ predictable, so that's a plus. I would recommend this book to readers who like thrillers.