Customer Reviews

Fade Away

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read a few Harlan Coben books recently and I have thoroughly enjoyed his Myron Bolitar series. In Fade Away, he definitely raises the bar and moves from being not just an entertaining mystery writer, but also a well-written one.

Myron Bolitar is a 32 year old lawyer who runs his own sports agency. At one time, he was one of the top college players in the country. But after being drafted by the Celtics, he blows his knee out in a preseason scrimmage and his potential career is history. Now, the owner and general manager of the New Jersey Dragons want him to find one of their stars, Greg Downing, who has gone missing right before tournaments are to begin. In order not to raise suspicions, they place Bolitar on the team so that he can better investigate what has happened. Downing and Bolitar have been in competition since they were in high school, and it wasn't always about basketball. Bolitar finds many reasons for the possible disappearance of Downing that range from compulsive gambling to possible murder.

When I first started reading Coben, I thought the characters were a little too much like Robert Parker's Spenser and Hawk. But I've come to appreciate them on a new level. As a person who has played and coached basketball, Coben is right on in his observations about the game and the players. In describing Bolitar's complicated relationship with Downing, he says "there is a special bond between competitors. Kinda like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. You become defined by one another. It was like that with Greg and me. It was unspoken, but we both knew the bond was there." TC, the other Dragon star tells Bolitar about the price of being a star. " The real price is you ain't a person anymore. You're just a thing, a shiny thing like one of these Benzes out there. The poor brothers think I'm a golden ladder with goodies at every step up. The rich white boys think I'm a fancy pet."

The plot in Fade Away is also much more intricate than usual, and the ending has a stunner of a surprise. I never saw it coming. The one thing that kept me from giving it five stars is that the plot line where Bolitar is recruited to play is a big stretch. Otherwise, this was a pretty awesome book.

First and foremost, I do NOT consider myself a reader of mysteries, UNLESS of course, they are written by Harlan Coben. "Fade Away" is a wonderful example of what a writer can do with character development in a book series. With each book, we learn a little more about Myron Bolitar and what makes him tick - and we always like what we learn. This is the third of Coben's "Myron Bolitar" mysteries that I have read and each one just gets better. By now, I have learned to not try to figure out whodunnit before Myron does, because I will fail misrably. Coben tosses you red herrings like you were a performing seal at SeaWorld. And you will gobble each one up, with enthusiasm! Honestly, I resist the urge to read all of the Bolitar novels at once (even tho' I own them all). Coben's books are like Godiva Chocolates. You love them so much you just hate to gulp them down all at once.

Being an avid reader of mysteries, I am thrilled to find an author such as Coben to add to my list of must-reads. Thanks to Amazon.com's recommendation, I first read Fade Away, then scampered to the computer to order the rest of Coben's books. Even if you aren't a sports person, this book will be a joy to read and hard to put down. His characters are interesting and just neurotic enough to be believeable. The reader instantly likes both the hero, Myron, his best friend, the anti-hero, Win, as well as Myron's assistant and girl friend. The plot is intricate and you wonder if it will all be tied together at the end. This is one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. Try it - you won't be disappointed!

When Myron Bolitar, a sports rep and one time first round draft to the NBA, is signed on by the New Jersey Dragons it isn't so that he can make a comeback. In fact, Bolitar has been signed to track down his teammate and former arch-rival Greg Downing. What he doesn't know when he accepts the job is that far from being a simple missing persons case, this becomes a murder hunt. But, who is the victim, who killed her, what is their motive and, why is someone attempting to blackmail not only Greg, and the team but also Myron himself?

Full of twists and turns the third book in Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series is also full of the usual witty dialogue. Although Myron is of course the protagonist in this story numerous appearances are made by other familiar characters, Jessica, Esperanza, Big Cyndi, Myron's parents and of course Win, and it's great to follow what's going on with them. Don't think that you have to have read the earlier Bolitar books to get into this though, it's a great stand alone novel but once you've read it I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to read the rest.

I initially bought this book to pass time on a train journey but still found myself reading it that evening long after I was home and I finished it the following day. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery novel. If you're new to Coben I'd say read these great books and then don't miss his great thriller Tell No One.

This author writes a good story straight through. I will be reading more of his books. If you want read a solid story with plenty of humor,this is one for you.

I purchased this as part of my mission to reread the Myron Bolitar series from start to finish. This puts me another step closer. Thanks

Love this series of books. The characters are great, the stories keep you guessing... good, easy reading, suspenseful, and funny. I am on the 5th book of the series....I recommend it.

Not just a winnng series, but the best series in contemporary mysteries. Harlan Coben brings a new wrinkle to an old genre, the buddy amateur sleuth novel. Readers can vent the frustration one feels at an unjust world, as Myron and his pal, Win, set out to right a specific wrong. Vastly satisfying.

I purchased this book for my son-in-law who is an sports nut! He read the first book in the series and was hooked. This was the third in the series. The series is sports related and Coben's writing is entertaining. This was a good price for the book. I would definitely purchase more in the series as he really liked it.

I discovered Harlen Coben's Myron Bolitar a few months ago. I started with the first novel in the series, fell in love with Myron and his friends, and have continued to move forward from there. Myron just keeps getting better all the time, and so do his friends... the maniacal Win and best friend/assistant Esperanza.

Myron staging a comeback with the Dragons may seem like a stretch, but it fits with the plot. From there the plot takes some breathtaking twists and turns, finally arriving at a crescendo of an ending with a surprise you won't see coming.