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Loading... Long Lost (Myron Bolitar) (original 2009; edition 2010)by Harlan CobenI've become a fan of Harlan Coben's over the past year. His several mini-series on Netflix are entertaining and are quite different from one another. I came across "Long Lost" at the semi-annual "Friends of the Library" book sale. This novel is #9 in the Myron Bolitar series. There are references made in this novel to Bolitar's previous adventures. I have not read any of the previous novels in this series and did not feel that I was left confused. The novel definitely stands alone from the previous ones in this series. The plot is well written, and the dialogue and actions of the characters are realistic. If you're looking for a thriller, I would recommend this novel. ( ) I've read several of his books but how did I miss this terrific series?? I'll go back to the beginning and catch up over time. Fast paced action, page after page. Myron Bolitar and his crew are a very creative group of characters so no wonder this is the 9th book in the series!! Interesting that none of the covers showing is the one on the book that I am holding. Review: Long Lost by Harlan Coben 3.5* 01/23/2022 I read a few of Coben's books in this series that it didn't take long to get caught up with some of the characters and what roles they played. Coben is a great writer and he can hold a reader's attention with his well-developed characters. This is the ninth book in the series. It's a very fast-paced book and includes plenty of wonderful twists and turns. As I read the plot reached a certain point where the mystery was predictable but I was entertained and kept reading. There are areas of humor, some fantastic descriptions of Paris, and plenty of adventure and action. The plot is intricate, and not all issues turned out well in the end. I am a superfan of Harlan Coben. I have read a lot of his books and a particular fan of Myron and Win. I usually find the banter fantastic, the jokes amazing and all in all the books a thrill. Maybe I have read too many Harlan Coben. This time I found the jokes were mostly only around MEE. The Win dialogues, the Myron comebacks were not particularly funny. An OK book. For a person just trying out Harlan Coben,maybe this would be a good book If you have read many of them, maybe this one can be skipped One guarantee in a Harlan Coben is it is never a happy ending. ********SPOILER********************************* Knowing that it was obvious that the blond girl would not turn out to be the long dead daughter of Terri. ************************************************ Myron, the wise-cracking agent and former almost-basketball-great, is off to Paris at the behest of an erstwhile love. I must say this novel has something for everyone: Huntington's, terrorists, Paris, les flics, the CIA, MI6, a shootout, bisexuals, sports references, waterboarding, black sites, parents, abortion, hysterectomies, adoption, multiple girlfriends and I think there was an implausible plot in there somewhere. I have probably forgotten some others, but you get the idea. What saves the book is the unusual characters. This is the 9th book in the Myron Bolitar series. I started reading this series when there were only two books but it's been 12 years since I read number 8. Even after a long absence it was fun to spend some time with some familiar characters that I've enjoyed for a long time. While there is a mystery involved this one is much more of a suspense thriller than it is a classic mystery. The action takes place in Paris, London and back in the US. Myron and his best friend the wonderfully inappropriate and wealthy Win help out a long lost love of Myron's, tangle with the French Police and several other international law enforcement agencies, unearth long buried secrets, run up against international terrorists, and beat up some really annoying kids basketball coaches. Believable? Certainly not. Entertaining? You bet! I think Harlan Coben is a very talented author and I absolutely love his Myron Bolitar series. The book was well-written and I loved the interactions between the characters. However, the plot of Long Lost didn't work for me. I didn't understand the terrorist plot, which was convoluted and not very plausible, IMO. I don't know why Coben veered away from the sports aspect, but I missed that and I hope he brings it back next time. This wasn't a bad novel by any means, just not what I come to expect from this series. 3.5 stars Myron Bolitar has found himself in a settled and grounded relationship, except well, the woman he loves, Ali has just dumped him. And suddenly, a call from a very beautiful woman from the past spurs him to catch a flight to Paris. Myron finds himself being followed in another country as he tries to sort out what has happened to Terese's ex-husband, who has been murdered and WHY? Adding to the mystery, it seems as if Terese's long lost deceased daughter may not be deceased at all...or is she? A story of murder, mystery, adoption, terrorists...what have Myron and Win gotten themselves into? This is my first Harlan Coben book and I'm not sure what to think. Well, I know what to think, how to think and thinking is something I like to do to keep me from watching reality TV. My opinion of this book, however, is rather undecided. Myron seems like an interesting enough character, the character of Win is a scene stealer, and the mystery is interesting enough. About half-way through the book, the pace picks up and things change around a bit. Even so, I'm still left unsure as to whether I enjoyed the book or not. I think this may be that this book is number nine in the series and is written with Myron fans in mind, rather than fresh readers. As such, the Myron character feels a little flat and sappy. It might also be that the plot twist is a little improbable and pointless - as another reviewer pointed out, using an expensive procedure rather than just kidnapping is a bit silly. Might have to try one of the earlier Myron Bolitar novels to see if I enjoy Harlan's work. I really enjoyed listening to this book. It includes all the characters we enjoy -- emphasizes Win's particular talents of kicking the shit out of the bad guys to keep Myron alive. One girlfriend goes away and another, previous one, takes center stage. The plot evolves in to a terrorist thing with genetic overtones--cool! Even though, it would have terminated the plot, I thought Myron's decision to follow the terrorists, vice go back to work and earn a buck as Esperanza suggests, was a little funky. Great dialogue, again. Eh? Where's #10? I love these books! They are like getting on a crazy roller coaster ride, then getting back in line as soon as it's over. The characters are not overly developed and none of these books will probably make you tear up, but you will enjoy yourself immensely and wish you had a friend just like Win! These books would make a GREAT series of movies, much like the Jesse Stone made-for-TV movies. Terese Collins was very secretive. She wanted Myron to come to Paris where she was staying, but she didn’t want to tell him why. Myron had an affair of convenience with Terese nearly ten years before. Now he’s committed to Ali. But, that’s about to change. Ali decides to end it with Myron. She’s going to go back to her home town. So the option of going to reacquaint himself with Terese is wide open. But, Terese has stumbled upon something extremely dangerous and she pulls Myron into it. A secret she had been holding back from Myron now comes to the surface. She was responsible for an accident ten years earlier that ended her seven year old daughter’s life. Terese had been injured and was in a coma for a couple of weeks after the accident. Before he was killed, her ex-husband led her to question the accident. Could it be possible that her daughter was still alive? This ninth Myron Bolitar novel is very fast paced and includes many wonderful twists and turns for the reader. I may have mentioned in previous reviews of Harlan Coben books that he is my favorite author. However, I honestly don’t feel that this was one of his better novels. I’m not sure the international aspect worked in a Myron Bolitar novel and Myron seems to have been given super human strength. Also Win’s ramblings of Mee, his personal flight attendant, appeared more like comments you’d expect to hear from high school jocks. I like how all of the characters we’ve come to love are still accounted for. Myron’s parents are aging and he continues to worry about them – an emotion most of us are very familiar with. There is only one novel left in the series, Live Wire. I have to say I’m not looking forward to the end. But at this time, I don’t foresee another Myron Bolitar novel. A new series develops after Live Wire which is that of Myron’s high school nephew, Mickey Bolitar. That series is geared for young adults. I rated Long Lost at 3.5 out of 5. I've been trying to dip into a few different authors recently and for a while I'd been thinking about reading something by Harlan Coben, so this is the first one of his books that I've read. I chose this book at random from all of his work on offer, and I don't know if the love interest in the story had appeared in a previous novel, but right from the first time she's mentioned I got the deep impression that this was a genuine old flame catching up. It felt as if they'd met before, and that gave the story a foothold in reality. From there on the story has elements where one needs to suspend disbelief, accept that it's a thriller, and that the hero and his best friend are only a spit short of being super heros, even though they bleed and are affected by the horrors they encounter. The plot reached a certain point where the mystery of what is going on was easily guessed at, but the fast pace kept me reading on, so that I could check I was correct. There are sprinkles of humour, some fanastic descriptions of Paris, but on occasion the author had me confused about where the hero was in relation to simple things like a road or building. On the other hand there's a superbly crafted shoot out, in which I knew precisely where each character was positioned. That scene is pithily written and had me right in the middle of the action. It's a quick read, with some interesting characters, and well worth picking up if you're on a long journey and looking for some quick fix entertainment. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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