Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Harlan Coben (Author) "Otto Burke, the Wizard of Schmooze, raised his game another level..." (more)
Key Phrases: sports agent, worm food, yellow sweater, Kathy Culver, Dean Gordon, Adam Culver (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A mystery thriller with all the right stuff, intrigue, suspense, romance and humor...Coben keeps you in suspense from beginning to end."—The Newark Tribune

"Like fellow wise-cracking P.I.'s Spenser and Elvis Cole, Myron Bolitar is great fun in the best hard-boiled tradition."—Houston Chronicle

Product Description
Sports agent Myron Bolitar is poised on the edge of the big time. So is Christian Steele, a rookie quarterback and Myron's prized client. But when Christian gets a phone call from a former girlfriend, a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead, the deal starts to go sour. Trying to unravel the truth about a family's tragedy, a woman's secret, and a man's lies, Myron is up against the dark side of his business--where image and talent make you rich, but the truth can get you killed.

In novels that crackle with wit and suspense, Edgar Award winner Harlan Coben has created one of the most fascinating and complex heroes in suspense fiction--Myron Bolitar--a hotheaded, tenderhearted sports agent who grows more and more engaging and unpredictable with each page-turning appearance.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Dell (May 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440220440
• ISBN-13: 978-0440220442
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,852 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #12 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Coben, Harlan
  #14 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Series

• This is item 1 in The Myron Bolitar /  Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book, Or You'll Be "Squirrel Lunch", May 25, 2001

By	Chad Spivak (North Miami Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

You have to read the book to get the humor in my review title...

The first in the "Myron Bolitar" series, DEAL BREAKER is the perfect start. Bolitar, a college basketball star turned sports' agent,... has just landed his best prospect, rookie quarterback, Christian Steele. While negotiating his contract, Christian gets a phone call from his assumed-to-be-dead fiance... Throw in a mob contract on Myron's head, and you have one entertaining read.

The storyline is forever twisting, but Coben never suspends reality. The plot is always believable and never farfetched. Each character is incredibly well-developed, and the group meshes together quite well. This first book serves to introduce this wonderful cast of people that will be in other "Bolitar" books.

What makes Coben's books so enjoyable is the dialogue between the characters. Myron is incredibly witty, and he clearly rubs off on all the other characters in the book. It adds a much greater human element to the novel, which allows the cogent storyline to develop exceptionally well, and keep the reader forever guessing.

This is an excellent book that was truly hard to put down. The writing is sensational, and it is quite clear that Coben puts a lot of thought into each storyline. The suspense, alone, is great, making the book that much better.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Beginning to a Great Series, November 6, 2000

By	Michael Chu (Newport Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

The first book in Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar novels, DEAL BREAKER is a great example of everything one could possibly want with a mystery novel. Unlike many less accomplished mystery authors, it is obvious that Coben actually works backwards, so that readers are given a plot that actually makes sense, whereas some authors convey the feeling that the culprit was merely selected out of a hat. Coben's Edgar Award winning writing is top notch. Moving from more serious subjects to the tongue-in-cheek "Myronisms," Coben is an incredibly versatile author.

Myron Bolitar is a star college basketball player turned Fed turned sports agent who has just landed his first big client, top rookie prospect quarterback Christian Steele. Everything is going fine until Kathy, his assumed-to-be-murdered ex-girlfriend, calls him on the phone. It's all downhill from there, as Myron and his associates are thrust into the dark world of the sports business. DEAL BREAKER introduces the incredibly diverse cast that makes up Myron's world. From Myron, to the egotistical, elitist Win, to the beautiful ex-wrestler Esperanza, to fiery writer Jessica Culver, Coben's cast of characters is completely three-dimensional.

With excellent plot, characters, romance, and humor, DEAL BREAKER is one of the best mystery novels out there today.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As best as a mystery novel can offer, September 17, 2005

By	T. W. M. Philip "kitano_takeshi" (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the 1st Myron Bolitar book I read, and beyond my satisfaction, this is a superb book. Not only it offers sufficient twist and suspense to the end of the book, the characterization, humour, romance are perfectly blended in a page turner. It is sometimes shock, sometimes hilarious, sometimes violent and sometimes sexy. Absolutely highly recommended and one of the best in the genre.
I am now having a new series of books waiting for me to read, together with Alex Cross and Lincoln Rhyme and Harry Bosch series.