Don't Let Go: A Novel

Harlen Coben was one of our best late 20th century suspense writers. He became known for his middleweight Myron Bolitar series, which was very enjoyable. His first couple of non-Bolitar novels marked his peak. Engrossing, emotionally cogent, suspenseful. DON'T LET GO is a poor book. It seems to me that Coben had a story outline about a tragedy which would have made a good 125 page novella and turned that into a manipulative, clunky "suspense" novel. I found the on again, off again conversation with the protagonist's dead twin brother to be particularly unprofessional and annoying.

I really liked this book and did not see the final outcome at all. Coben is a gifted writer. However - and for you who haven't read the book yet, you might want to stop here - the ending was a mixture of pat and not logical. He ends up with the girl (who he loved 15 years ago in high school and never forgot, to the point that he seemingly had no social life now) and it is implied that the case is solved and they will ride off together into the sunset. The big problem with this is that they killed someone and are on tape for doing so. And that death - an ex-federal agent - is being investigated by the FBI. I don't see them having a happy ever after. I see them in jail. Also, I still don't really see why the two current deaths had to occur. I know that they were in revenge, but still why wait 15 years when both were sitting right under your nose? The viral video did not explain that to me.I would love to have someone explain this to me because I actually really liked the book up until the end, which was marred for me by the illogic.

Like most of Coben's standalone books this one has a bittersweet ending.And that's not a bad thing.Nap Dumas is a detective with several secrets in his past and a few ghosts that don't keep him up at night. Until a case in another state where a cop and former classmate has been killed drags him into something bigger than he ever imagined.Just when you think the book is over it keeps going and the ending has a sudden stop. I love how it ends. I didn't see the twists coming.Coben's writing is fast paced with beautiful plot points and chapters that vary in range but are, for the most part, small enough to get one in here or there.For the audio book the narrator does a beautiful job with voices and pacing.

Napoleon Dumas has a successful career as a detective in his home town but is a sad, melancholy soul. He continues to mourn the death of his twin brother when they were high school seniors fifteen years prior in what was considered an accidental death with his girl friend. Nap is convinced there is more to their death than the accepted story. That same night Nap's girlfriend, the absolute love of his life, disappears as well. Now, fifteen years later, other members of his brothers group of friends who were with him the night he died begin to get murdered. And so starts this sad story. As if this weren't sad enough, Nap keeps up a running dialogue with his dead brother throughout the book and anguishes over the disappearance of his girlfriend, Maura, for whom he has never stopped searching.The plot to tie all these pieces together is contrived and requires a suspension of disbelief I was not willing to make. To add to my discomfort the first 80% of the book is very slow paced for a Harlan Coben novel. He has done much better in the past with other books. Combine a slow pace with a sad sack protagonist and a contrived plot and you have a three star book at best.

This stand-alone is easy to follow and difficult to put down. No editing errors, gratuitous violence or drag-you-down drama.Descriptive writing that draws the reader into each scene. Realistic procedures, actions and reactions. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Thought-provoking and occasionally snarky dialogue.'I overtip. For a cop, I’m fairly rich. Why wouldn’t I be? I’m Dad’s sole heir. Some people claim that money is the root of all evil. Could be. Others say that money can’t buy you happiness. That may be true. But if you handle it right, money buys you freedom and time, and those are a lot more tangible than happiness.''The woods are completely still. No birds coo. No leaves rustle. I can hear only the sound of my own breathing. The past does not simply die away. Whatever happened here still haunts these grounds. You can feel that sometimes—when you visit ancient ruins or old estates or when you are alone in the woods like this. The echoes quiet, fade away, but they never go completely silent.'I may re-read this book and always look forward to works by this author.

So I really love Harlan Coben and was very excited when I got his new book. It definitely did not disappoint. The story was captivating, never a dull moment. The characters were all well developed as was the plot. Harlan's humor was present and Myron Bolitar made a guest appearance! Given that the basis of the story, the black sites within the US, was actually true blew me away. I had no idea. What a writer. What a great book.

I remember skipping non-Myron Bolitar books, but now some of those same books I didn’t bother reading are some of my favorites. Don’t Let Go is for sure a favorite (although all Harlan Coben books are my faves.)Mr. Coben has a way of making you love his characters and that’s never been more apparent to me than how I enjoyed Leo, Nap’s deceased twin. Nap talks to Leo all throughout the book and even when I learned things about the two of them that were kind of iffy, I still enjoyed them. This book is a testament to a brother’s love - for his twin and the missing love of his life - and his search for justice. It’s also nice when Myron and Muse have parts in the standalone books - it reminds me that Coben knows us Myron super fans need our fix between his stories.And by the way, I could use some more Nap in my life, please.

The plot of Don't Let Go was very intriguing to me; it is set in a small town where not much has happened since the tragic events of 15 years ago, when Nap's twin brother, Leo, and Leo's girlfriend, Diana, killed themselves. Nap's girlfriend, Maura, also disappeared and has not been seen or heard from since.Nap has never been able to completely accept what happened to his brother, and it is his tenacity to discover the truth that makes him such an admirable character. He fights for what he believes to be right and does not let go of his values. I additionally loved him for his sarcastic demeanour as some of his comments made me smile and laugh out loud. You really feel sympathetic towards him for losing his brother and girl that he loved. The not knowing what exactly happened to them has clearly left him scarred.The plot is so gripping; you're constantly asking yourself what really happened 15 years ago and that question isn't answered until the final chapter, which makes you want to read on all the time. At times, the book is tense and fast-paced which made me sit up and eager to finish the novel. This is balanced nicely with some reflective and thought-pondering scenes, where Nap tries to make sense of facts, events and other people.Overall, Don't Let Go is a novel that will hook you in from the very first chapter and you won't be able to put it down until you have reached the end.

While this Harlan Coben stand-alone thriller didn’t blow me away like some of his other titles, it was still typical Coben fare: gripping, easy to read and fast-paced, with a great final twist. The story centers on Nap Dumas, a maverick cop, who suspects a link between a recent spate of murders and the tragic deaths of brother Leo and his girlfriend 15 years before. The plot isn’t overly complex but still manages to be exciting - not edge-of-your-seat thrilling, but a page-turner nonetheless.For me, one of Coben’s greatest gifts is his ability to invent great characters. Nap is exceptionally likable - tough but vulnerable, determined and passionate, with a bagful of great one-liners á la Myron Bolitar. My only issue with the book is that Nap is just a tad too much like Byron (who, funnily enough, makes a brief cameo appearance), which is why I’ve awarded 4 stars instead of 5. Otherwise, a perfectly enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon. You can easily romp through it in 3.5 hours.Thanks for reading my review. I hope you found it helpful. You can find more candid book reviews on my Amazon profile page.

This was the first Harlan Coben I've read, though I've been aware of his books for a while but never got around to actually reading one.It's clear he's mastered his craft thoroughly and is sure-footed in his plotting, and the dialogue is sharp, crisp, to the point and believable. It's a page-turner, no doubt, and I've really enjoyed reading it, and when I had to put it aside when the outside world required me to, I did so reluctantly, which is a sure sign that a novel is doing its job, and it's author has done this before.I expect I'll read another Coben, maybe more than one, but I also have the slight feeling that when I do so, certain narrative similarities between his books may emerge, like he's whipping up a slightly different dish each time by using the same ingredients but in a different order and in different quantities. That said, I expect I can enjoy that experience just as much on future occasions, as long as this dish is this tasty.

This book is typical Harlan Coben, very hard to stop reading. The story is very gripping and as with all of Coben's books you don't find out what it's all about until right at the end. A couple of times I had worked out what I thought was going on only to find out a few pages later that I was totally wrong. His books are always tight around the storylines and this book is no exception. A great writer and a great story, you will love it!!

Detective instigates the suspicious death of his brother and his girlfriend. Talks to his dead brother constantly who talks back to him. Long winded discussions with family friends which are very boringNot an interesting read, for sure.