Win - Harlan Coben

Thriller

Rating: 8/10

Win is the rakish, sarcastic, uber rich, unabashedly arrogant star of Coben’s latest offering. He has a predilection for violence and a desire for justice outside of the lines that the law dictates. For those of us who are regular readers of Coben’s, this is not our first time meeting him.  Win was the charming sidekick of Myron Bolitar, the central character of the sports related mystery series that Coben cut his teeth on.

This story opens with Win being called to a bizarre crime scene with a dead hoarder who was in position of a famous painting that was stolen twenty or so years before from his family.  Taken on the same night that his uncle was murdered and his cousin was kidnapped. Missing his sleuthing days with Myron, Win decides to try and piece together all the threads of this puzzle. Which, as it turns out is no small feat.

From start to finish we get quintessential Coben; lots of twists and turns, crackling dialogue, intriguing motivations and a fast pace. A perfect escapist read for a lazy weekend!

The plot here is inarguably contrived and I could see the ending coming miles away.  But as the saying goes, it’s the journey, not the destination.

Footnote: It was a delight to catch-up with Win and makes a girl wonder if a long-awaited visit with Myron can be far behind?