Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
I think the other reviewers have it all wrong. Yes, it's not the greatest book. Yes, you can tell it's written by an inexperienced writer. But reading Coben's first book after others of his only makes you appreciate what an amazing writer he is now. What a great way to show his growth as a writer. And I think that's what he was trying to do by reissuing this book. He talks in the introduction about how in the reissue he doesn't rewrite anything and how he wanted to present it as is. For which I applaud him.
It's a long book and there are times I just yelled out in frustration at the language and superfluous use of words. But in the end I am appreciating it for what it is. Harlan Coben's first novel.
It's a long book and there are times I just yelled out in frustration at the language and superfluous use of words. But in the end I am appreciating it for what it is. Harlan Coben's first novel.
This book was like a soap opera. Entertaining enough that if I finished it, but bad enough that I exclaimed, “This book was so dumb,” when I finished it.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Looking back on the last Harlan Coben book I read, I can't believe I said I liked his writing style. It may have just been because this was his first book, but I did not enjoy it. The story was drawn out for far too long. I kept reading, because again, I wanted to know what happened, but the end of this one was pretty far-fetched. I'm really not sure if I will pick up another one of his books...
I am a huge Harlan Coben fan, but this one wasn't as good as his others. It seemed to have a lot more language and the plot was predictable from early on in the book. His writing was still good, and the suspense there, but no originality. He explained at least a dozen times how gorgeous the protagonist was which was about eleven times too many.
This is Coben's first published work, originally released in 1990.
The book is interesting, and like all of Coben's works, it gets you interested right away. However, I see that Coben grew as a writer between this work and his first Myron novel, "Deal Breaker," from 1995.
When you pick up this paperback and read the back of the book, you immediately know a big chunk of the mystery. I don't know if Coben had any say-so about the blurb written on the back, but I think the novel would have been much more intriguing if I hadn't read the back. Anyway, the plot itself is fine, but once again, due to the information revealed on the back of the book, it was predictable. My main disappointment with this novel was the fact that Coben reveals a lot of the "secrets" during the story. In his later works, he usually saves them all for the "here's what happened" ending.
Overall, an enjoyable mystery read from Mr. Coben.
The book is interesting, and like all of Coben's works, it gets you interested right away. However, I see that Coben grew as a writer between this work and his first Myron novel, "Deal Breaker," from 1995.
When you pick up this paperback and read the back of the book, you immediately know a big chunk of the mystery. I don't know if Coben had any say-so about the blurb written on the back, but I think the novel would have been much more intriguing if I hadn't read the back. Anyway, the plot itself is fine, but once again, due to the information revealed on the back of the book, it was predictable. My main disappointment with this novel was the fact that Coben reveals a lot of the "secrets" during the story. In his later works, he usually saves them all for the "here's what happened" ending.
Overall, an enjoyable mystery read from Mr. Coben.
I had liked other books by this author, but this one was so trite and outlandish. What a waste of time!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. I’m a big fan of Harlan Coben and this one definitely didn’t disappoint.
Pros:
Great story
Well written characters that I connected with
Authors intro is well written
Twist and turns
Part of it was set in Australia
Clever reveal at the end
Cons:
It was predominantly set in MA
If you’re a fan of Harlan Coben (and even if you’re not) go read this book. Definitely written differently than his other books but it’s worth the read.
Pros:
Great story
Well written characters that I connected with
Authors intro is well written
Twist and turns
Part of it was set in Australia
Clever reveal at the end
Cons:
It was predominantly set in MA
If you’re a fan of Harlan Coben (and even if you’re not) go read this book. Definitely written differently than his other books but it’s worth the read.