Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
First read of the new year and my first time to read Harlan Coben. Good story line but figured out who the bad guy was before it was revealed. Story not gripping enough, but I would still give this author
another try.
another try.
Harlan Coben's books are such fun reads, and Don't Let Go is no different. Okay, this is only the second one I have read, and both so far have been enjoyable. Clearly, he is an author I should have discovered much earlier in my reading. A familiar location, developed characters, and a fast-paced mystery that keeps me guess make me a Harlan Coben fan.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/12/dont-let-go.html
Reviewed for NetGalley & Penguin First to Read.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/12/dont-let-go.html
Reviewed for NetGalley & Penguin First to Read.
This only gets a three because his books are formulatic. Some crazy over the top thing happens, people do unorthodox things to get answer, and a crazy solution is revealed.
Even with all that I still enjoy reading his novels,
Even with all that I still enjoy reading his novels,
Typical Coben. This is a solid thriller that sucks you in and moves pretty quickly. The topic of the missile sites was really intriguing, as it turns out there was one in my town. Prior to reading this, I wasn’t aware of that. Pretty interesting!
I really love Harlan Coben and his wild plots I can never figure out before the big reveal. This is still a Harlan Coben book, and therefore still enjoyable, but this is my least favorite of his so far. I guess I should have guessed when I read the first line of the book (“Daisy wore a clingy black dress with a neckline so deep it could tutor philosophy”) and my eyes rolled back into my head so far that they almost got stuck. I wasn’t particularly rooting for the main character, and Coben’s strategy for using inner monologue to advance the story is to have the main character talk to his dead brother, which I found pretty annoying. But, like I said, he’s such a good writer that even that doesn’t ruin the book.
Ok....WHERE HAVE I BEEN????? This author is completely killing me!!!! He’s 2 for 2 at this point with me. I’m once again COMPLETELY blind sided! How???? Why????? How????
Quick read, but also a kinda forgettable. Literally so: I had two novels by Harlan Coben on my night stand, and when, a month or so later, I decided to read the second, I actually ended up picking that one again by mistake, but it took me a couple pages to even realize it. And then I found myself re-reading the last couple pages too because I couldn't actually recall what had happened!
That being said, it's Harlan Coben, so even if that's less satisfying than others I have read from him, it is still fine. We get all what makes the Coben's touch: very likeable hero, credible and touching cast overall, character driven stories, alternating point of views, twisting and ever evolving plotlines, no lose end left, fast pace investigation and page turner effect...
What made it a bit subpar imo: 1) the "that's it?" feeling at the end of all this, and 2) (which is related, I guess) the consequences felt very disproportionate compared to what actually happened. For example,.
That being said, it's Harlan Coben, so even if that's less satisfying than others I have read from him, it is still fine. We get all what makes the Coben's touch: very likeable hero, credible and touching cast overall, character driven stories, alternating point of views, twisting and ever evolving plotlines, no lose end left, fast pace investigation and page turner effect...
What made it a bit subpar imo: 1) the "that's it?" feeling at the end of all this, and 2) (which is related, I guess) the consequences felt very disproportionate compared to what actually happened. For example,
Spoiler
in the end Moira kinda wasted a lot of her life for no reason, no? Am I missing something here? Wasn't it a bit sadly ridiculous that she went that far and for so long... for quite nothing in the end? And it didn't feel like that disproportion was meaningful in anyway or the point of the story. Instead it made her dramatic past a bit laughable, imo
Like his others, pretty much candy. The ending was a bit sudden and unlikely, but still an enjoyable read.
You know that moment when you reach a certain point in a book and you just can't. stop. reading? Well, that usually happens to me with every Harlan Coben book I read.
“We pay attention to what works with our narrative. We tend to dismiss that which does not.”
This... this was definitely a Coben worth reading. I love how, after reading 21 of his books, his plots still surprise me. He really is one of the best thriller/mystery authors out there, in my opinion. I can't help but love his characters and even though some of the plots are perhaps a bit far fetched, they're still plausible when he writes them. Of course, some books are better than others, but I absolutely loved this one. It took me 2,5 days to finish it.
“My great-grandfather, Dad often told us, saved his best wines for special occasions. He was killed when the Nazis invaded Paris. The Nazis ended up drinking his wine. Lesson: you never wait. When I was growing up, we used only the good plates. We used the best linens. We drank out of Waterford crystal. When my father died, his wine cellar was nearly empty.”
Napoleon 'Nap' Dumas is the main character of this story, and what I really liked is the fact that throughout the book he was telling his entire story to his dead brother. Leo, his twin, died 15 years ago. Nobody knows what really happened - if it was an accident or if he and his girlfriend Diana commited suicide. On that same night, Nap's girlfriend Maura went missing. Now, 15 years later, another one of their old classmates is killed - and they found Maura's fingerprints at the crime scene. Nap is the one who reported her missing and, now he's a cop so he gets involved in the investigation. It doesn't take long before he and his best friend Ellie find out both Leo and Maura were members of a Conspiracy Club in High School. Together with Rex, Hank and Beth they investigated the old army base in their hometown. Convinced his brother and girlfriend knew something they weren't supposed to, Nap throws himself in the investigation like there's no tomorrow. He wants to know what really happened to his brother - and most imporantly, he wants to know if his ex-girlfriend is still alive.
“He just said the base did boring agriculture stuff. Counting cows and crops, that’s how he put it.”
“What’s the second thing?”
“The closing of the base.”
“Right, when was that?”
“Fifteen years ago,” Kaufman says. “Three months after your brother and Augie’s daughter were found dead.”
Halfway through I still had no idea what really happened. Like I said, Coben is the master of suspense. He knows how to mislead his readers, to convince you something happend while it didn't. And when you get to the end and you find out what actually happend? Well, it's usually mindblowingly good. It just fits. It all works out. If you were to read it again, you would probably see the signs along the way. I don't know what else to say? Coben never disappoints.
“Libraries for me have always had a cathedral-like ambiance, a hushed sanctuary where learning is revered, where we the people elevate books and education to the level of the religious.”
Oh, and his writing style? It's fast. It's plot-driven and character-driven. His dialogues are brilliant and believable. He describes the surroundings in a real and touchable way because you know he's been there. You know he's telling it as it is. I absolutely love his unorthodox comparisons, they make me want to be a more creative writer. Oh, and he touches the real dilemma's like no other. Just... this:
“There are various theories about why the years seem to pass faster as you get older. The most popular is also the most obvious. As you get older, each year is a smaller percentage of your life. If you are ten years old, a year is ten percent. If you are fifty years old, a year is two percent. But she read a theory that spurned that explanation. The theory states that time passes faster when we are in a set routine, when we aren't learning anything new, when we stay stuck in a life pattern. They key to making time slow down is to have new experiences. You may joke that the week you went on vacation flew by far too quickly, but if you stop and think about it, that week actually seemed to last much longer than one involving the drudgery of your day job. You are complaining about it going away so fast because you loved it, not because it felt as though time was passing faster. If you want to slow down time, this theory holds: If you want to make the days last, do something different. Travel to exotic locales. Take a class.”
If you haven't read one of his books yet: please go read one. And here's a tip: don't start with his first books. Start with this one, or The Woods. Or maybe Caught or No Second Chance. Read it. Enjoy it. Love it. Become a fan like I did.
“We pay attention to what works with our narrative. We tend to dismiss that which does not.”
This... this was definitely a Coben worth reading. I love how, after reading 21 of his books, his plots still surprise me. He really is one of the best thriller/mystery authors out there, in my opinion. I can't help but love his characters and even though some of the plots are perhaps a bit far fetched, they're still plausible when he writes them. Of course, some books are better than others, but I absolutely loved this one. It took me 2,5 days to finish it.
“My great-grandfather, Dad often told us, saved his best wines for special occasions. He was killed when the Nazis invaded Paris. The Nazis ended up drinking his wine. Lesson: you never wait. When I was growing up, we used only the good plates. We used the best linens. We drank out of Waterford crystal. When my father died, his wine cellar was nearly empty.”
Napoleon 'Nap' Dumas is the main character of this story, and what I really liked is the fact that throughout the book he was telling his entire story to his dead brother. Leo, his twin, died 15 years ago. Nobody knows what really happened - if it was an accident or if he and his girlfriend Diana commited suicide. On that same night, Nap's girlfriend Maura went missing. Now, 15 years later, another one of their old classmates is killed - and they found Maura's fingerprints at the crime scene. Nap is the one who reported her missing and, now he's a cop so he gets involved in the investigation. It doesn't take long before he and his best friend Ellie find out both Leo and Maura were members of a Conspiracy Club in High School. Together with Rex, Hank and Beth they investigated the old army base in their hometown. Convinced his brother and girlfriend knew something they weren't supposed to, Nap throws himself in the investigation like there's no tomorrow. He wants to know what really happened to his brother - and most imporantly, he wants to know if his ex-girlfriend is still alive.
“He just said the base did boring agriculture stuff. Counting cows and crops, that’s how he put it.”
“What’s the second thing?”
“The closing of the base.”
“Right, when was that?”
“Fifteen years ago,” Kaufman says. “Three months after your brother and Augie’s daughter were found dead.”
Halfway through I still had no idea what really happened. Like I said, Coben is the master of suspense. He knows how to mislead his readers, to convince you something happend while it didn't. And when you get to the end and you find out what actually happend? Well, it's usually mindblowingly good. It just fits. It all works out. If you were to read it again, you would probably see the signs along the way. I don't know what else to say? Coben never disappoints.
“Libraries for me have always had a cathedral-like ambiance, a hushed sanctuary where learning is revered, where we the people elevate books and education to the level of the religious.”
Oh, and his writing style? It's fast. It's plot-driven and character-driven. His dialogues are brilliant and believable. He describes the surroundings in a real and touchable way because you know he's been there. You know he's telling it as it is. I absolutely love his unorthodox comparisons, they make me want to be a more creative writer. Oh, and he touches the real dilemma's like no other. Just... this:
“There are various theories about why the years seem to pass faster as you get older. The most popular is also the most obvious. As you get older, each year is a smaller percentage of your life. If you are ten years old, a year is ten percent. If you are fifty years old, a year is two percent. But she read a theory that spurned that explanation. The theory states that time passes faster when we are in a set routine, when we aren't learning anything new, when we stay stuck in a life pattern. They key to making time slow down is to have new experiences. You may joke that the week you went on vacation flew by far too quickly, but if you stop and think about it, that week actually seemed to last much longer than one involving the drudgery of your day job. You are complaining about it going away so fast because you loved it, not because it felt as though time was passing faster. If you want to slow down time, this theory holds: If you want to make the days last, do something different. Travel to exotic locales. Take a class.”
If you haven't read one of his books yet: please go read one. And here's a tip: don't start with his first books. Start with this one, or The Woods. Or maybe Caught or No Second Chance. Read it. Enjoy it. Love it. Become a fan like I did.