A review by laurapk
The Match by Harlan Coben

5.0

4.5 stars because there were a few issues but oh my! This book hooked me and believe me I had a hard hard hard time putting it down. I've rarely been able to sink into a book like this and just completely ignore the world around me. So obviously, rounded up to 5 stars.

The author knows very well how to build tension and twist your expectations around. The DNA match chase got a bit complicated and could have used a small clarification in the final chapter, but it was such a fun ride. And the dialog was SUPERB! Loved it!

There were a few small questions I had about the book:
Spoiler
- It was unclear to me how Wilde setup all the safety protocols on his phone before powering it up.
- How did Wilde know how to turn on a VCR player as a kid?


The ending was a bit abrupt because I felt like one very important plot issue was left unsolved:
SpoilerI'm talking about the part where Wilde was kidnapped and tortured by 4 cops from Hartford who thought Wilde may know who killed their former colleague, and nothing happened to them! That's a pretty big issue! One that I wanted solved.
However, I suspect this novel connects with other ones from the author, so it may get addressed in a future novel. And while Wilde was a good person to follow, character development was pretty sparse for my taste--with the exception of Hester, she was brilliant I want to see more from her in another book.
Spoiler I'm also a bit hesitant about the "Peter was framed by a woman for SA" plot, even though I give the author props for opting to leave the possibility that Peter actually schemed together with his wife Jenn, thus taking him off the victim pedestal.


And now, excuse me while I search more books from the author and overload my already over-full TBR.