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erdallij's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
paulabrandon's review against another edition
3.0
While not an absolute ripper, this feels like a bit more of a return to form for Harlan Coben, as the last couple I read by him were not very good. This one was fast paced and delivered some good twists, and wasn't predicated entirely on characters knowing the truth and simply not saying anything (although there was still a lot of that going on.)
The protagonist is Simon Greene, who is still haunted by the fact he couldn't save his eldest daughter, Paige, from her drug addiction. But one day he sees her busking in the park, and when he tries to talk with her, she takes off again, and he ends up assaulting Aaron, the guy who got her hooked on drugs. Simon vows to find Paige, and of course, discovers much more than he bargained for.
This certainly kept me hooked, like the good Harlan Coben books of old. I wanted to find out how all the story threads would weave together. Although there is still too much of his characters knowing what was going on and refusing to divulge the information, at least they all had good reasons for it, as opposed to it just being a way to keep the truth at bay a little bit longer.
The other issue was I could feel the padding. This was mainly by way of a character arranging to meet somebody and the book would spend three or more pages describing what was done to get there. Seriously, I don't need that detail. I suppose it's to up the word count to an acceptable level, but it was annoying. When you can skim something and not miss anything, it doesn't need to be there!
All in all, a mostly exciting and suspenseful thriller from an author who delivers the goods more than he doesn't!
The protagonist is Simon Greene, who is still haunted by the fact he couldn't save his eldest daughter, Paige, from her drug addiction. But one day he sees her busking in the park, and when he tries to talk with her, she takes off again, and he ends up assaulting Aaron, the guy who got her hooked on drugs. Simon vows to find Paige, and of course, discovers much more than he bargained for.
This certainly kept me hooked, like the good Harlan Coben books of old. I wanted to find out how all the story threads would weave together. Although there is still too much of his characters knowing what was going on and refusing to divulge the information, at least they all had good reasons for it, as opposed to it just being a way to keep the truth at bay a little bit longer.
The other issue was I could feel the padding. This was mainly by way of a character arranging to meet somebody and the book would spend three or more pages describing what was done to get there. Seriously, I don't need that detail. I suppose it's to up the word count to an acceptable level, but it was annoying. When you can skim something and not miss anything, it doesn't need to be there!
All in all, a mostly exciting and suspenseful thriller from an author who delivers the goods more than he doesn't!
carolyn0613's review against another edition
3.0
I have read a lot of Harlan Coben's other books. Some of them I enjoyed a lot more than others, including those with the same characters like the Myron Bolitar ones. This book, while edgy and fast paced, is one that I didn't enjoy as much. I found myself getting annoyed with the main protagonist Simon and how much he'd put his wife on a pedestal. I enjoyed the characters of Ash and DeeDee. It's a good read, perhaps a little forgettable.
pemberly_reads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mckenziemartines's review against another edition
5.0
I love it when I can’t guess what the end is going to be
devansbooklife's review against another edition
3.0
My husband and I listened to this while making a long drive for vacation. The audible production was well performed and very entertaining. The story itself may have some hard triggers for others as much of the story revolves around drug addiction and the devastating effects it causes.
Simon and Ingrid had a wonderful life with three bright children. Their lives were close to perfect. But when their oldest daughter went to college things rapidly changed. Paige changed. She met a boy and started using hard drugs. She became and addict. And the ripples of destruction stemmed out everywhere in Simon and Ingrid's world.When a gruesome, vicious murder leaves one person dead and Paige missing, Simon and Ingrid will stop at nothing to find their daughter. The road they travel is full of danger and they stumble into a web of lies and deceit bigger than they could have imagined.
Harlan Coben does a wonderful job keeping the reader hooked. I figured out the rel mystery pretty early but it didn't make it less entertaining. The world is pretty dark, seedy, and violent. As mentioned above this may be difficult for people who have family members who are addicts as I felt it well represented that type of behavior and destruction.
Simon and Ingrid had a wonderful life with three bright children. Their lives were close to perfect. But when their oldest daughter went to college things rapidly changed. Paige changed. She met a boy and started using hard drugs. She became and addict. And the ripples of destruction stemmed out everywhere in Simon and Ingrid's world.When a gruesome, vicious murder leaves one person dead and Paige missing, Simon and Ingrid will stop at nothing to find their daughter. The road they travel is full of danger and they stumble into a web of lies and deceit bigger than they could have imagined.
Harlan Coben does a wonderful job keeping the reader hooked. I figured out the rel mystery pretty early but it didn't make it less entertaining. The world is pretty dark, seedy, and violent. As mentioned above this may be difficult for people who have family members who are addicts as I felt it well represented that type of behavior and destruction.