Customer Reviews

Back Spin: A Myron Bolitar Novel

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Myron Bolitar, MB Sports Rep returns for another fast paced can't put down adventure with so many twists in the ending you feel like you're in a backspin. This time round Myron's at the US Open golf tournament. Not a huge fan of golf he doesn't really want to be there but Win tells him it is an excellent opportunity for clients. Turns out Win's right, but for personal reasons Win doesn't want Myron to accept this case. Myron can't say no though, so he's on the case of kidnapped spoilt rich kid Chad Coldren, who is the son of the top female Golf player Linda Coldren and her husband tournament choker Jack Coldren who is leading the US Open for the first time in 30 years.

Of course not everyone likes Myron poking his nose where it does not belong and to Myron's disappointment Win is at the top of that list. Win of course would never harm Myron but others don't share that point of view.

You don't have to be a fan of golf to enjoy this in fact if you don't like Golf Myron's comments along the way are so much funnier. This is one of the best Myron stories, you can read it as a stand alone novel but you'll get a lot more out of this book if you read the prior novels first. Also check out Coben's independent Masterpieces such as Tell No One as well as the rest of Myron's adventures including the next in the series One False Move.

I read "Drop Shot" and absolutely loved it, so I picked up "Back Spin" hoping it would be of the same quality. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. The plot is simply TOO complicated--twists and turns are fun, but this book read as if Mr. Coben made it up the night before it was due. Some of the character's motivations are murky, even at the end of the novel, when Myron does a little bit too much "explaining" (to me, it's always a sign of bad writing when a detective has to "explain" a bunch of stuff away at the end of a mystery), and Mr. Coben asks us to accept some pretty improbable coincidences. I guess my willing suspension of disbelief just wasn't working the day I read "Back Spin."

Also, one important plot mechanism just doesn't ring true--that is, we're asked to believe that a professional golfer could possibly mistake an eight-iron for a six-iron. I'm about a 24-handicap, but even I can tell the difference between the two clubs. I'm sure a professional golfer, who hits thousands of balls a week and knows to the yard how long each club carries, could tell the difference.

Anyway, I still think "Drop Shot" was great and look forward to reading other Myron Bolitar books because he is such an engaging character. But "Back Spin" has all the signs of a book produced under the pressure of an impending deadline.

It kept me guessing and had the typical Coben twists. However, I like his non-Myron Bolitar books better. If you liked this book, then you will love Tell No One, The Innocent, Gone for Good, and No Second Chances. You really can't go wrong with Harlan Coben for a wonderfully written suspense thriller.

In Back Spin, Harlan Coben not only manages to provide a glimpse into the psyche of a champion (whatever their field of expertise), but weaves together a chilling tale of kidnapping, family secrets, and the beauty and eccentricity which is golf. While Myron Bolitar, sports rep and rival of Henny Youngman for king of the one-liners, attempts to enter the world of professional golfing at the US Open, he is more than a little side-tracked by frantically working to find the missing son of the leader of that prestigious event. This is a story of violence, in the graphic, physical sense and also in terms of betrayal; particularly the pain that family members can inflict upon one another. Back Spin also moves us along in our understanding of Myron, Esperanza and especially the charming, but lethal Win. For those already acquainted with those characters (in every sense of the word!), Back Spin is a "must read." For those not yet acquainted with this trio, or the author, you can look forward to a great story, with more twists and turns than the golf hole of your worst nightmares, and more empathy and eloquence than all the jokes and snappy come-backs might lead you to expect. Whatever the author's golf handicap may be, with this latest addition to the Myron Bolitar series, Harlan Coben shows he definitely qualifies as a Master of his craft

Please order all of Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar novels at once. Not only will you read about the world's most honorable sports agent Myron Bolitar but you get a murder mystery to follow as well as some memorable characters to cheer for. The mysteries are excellently written, hilarious and fast-paced. Once I started reading the book, it is hard to put it down, so I didn't, I finished it the day I received, as I did with the previous Bolitar novels. What draws me to this series is Myron's interactions with the people closest to him - his girlfriend, his parents, his assistant/partner(?) Esparanza and last but not least Win Lockwood - psycho-yuppie. I can only read books in the mystery genre and this is one of the best series ever. To all you potential Cobenatics - order all Bolitar novels at once! Please note that you can reserve the new novel - The Final Detail before its release in June. Hurry - catch up with Myron, Win (my favorite) and crew before the June deadline.

Harlan Coben spins a dramatic series with Myron Bolitar that out does Evanovich's Plum. It's intelligent and yet funny, funny. I intend to read the entire awesome Bolitar series.

Harlan Coben is a great thriller author, and I really enjoyed the first three novels in his Myron Bolitar series -- DEAL BREAKER, DROP SHOT, and FADE AWAY. The fourth novel, BACK SPIN, is also enjoyable, but I found it a bit too convoluted for its own good.

BACK SPIN is probably Coben's first novel where he designed an ultra-complicated plot filled with one twist after another. The storyline is decent (it involves the kidnapping of a boy of two championship golfers), but I just found it somewhat clumsily structured, with a lot of different subplots that don't mesh very well together. All of the golfer characters struck me as flat and underdeveloped, which robbed the story of a great deal of drama and tension. The result is an interesting read, but not one that particularly excited me.

I think a medicore Coben novel is better than most other thrillers out there, but my advice is to avoid BACK SPIN unless you've read some other books in the Bolitar series. This book will probably not turn you into a fan.

What an amusing and humorous tale; kept me guessing until the very end. After I read the last page and shut the book I had to sit back and recap all the twist and how each person was involved and why? Great Story, even if (like me) you don't "get" golf.

Another in my quest to update myself to Myron Bolitar. This book is a hoot!

Myron tries to dig himself out of a bunker of mishaps while trying to find the son of Golf's leading lady. Altho I found a few yips in golf procedure in this book, Mr. Coben is forgiven by giving an excellent read.

Esperanza is on the verge of graduating from law school, and we are treated to an up close and personal view of Win's psyche!(almost)

The sarcasm and wit are very good. As a golfer, I enjoyed all the divots made into the sport of golf and its varied characters. Mr. Coben always entertains. Could not put this book down. On to the next!

This book is a thriller that you can't put down. I've been reading mysteries for many years, and have long since stopped staying awake until I finshed one. This was an exception. I didn't even regret losing a few hours sleep! It is best to read this series from the beginning so you will appreciate the development of the friendship between the two main characters. In Backspin, Coben not only gives the reader a fine plot, but delves into the psyche of Win and the acceptance of Myron. Even though I don't particulrarly like golf, I appreciated Coben's insight into the personality of a champion. This was not only a good book, I learned something. A must read for anyone who likes mysteries with depth and has a sense of humor.