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Hold Tight [Hardcover]

Harlan Coben
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (256 customer reviews)


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Book Description

April 15, 2008
#1 bestselling author Harlan Coben asks that provocative and terrifying question with his fifteenth thriller. How much do parents really want to know about their kids?

#1 bestselling author Harlan Coben asks that provocative and terrifying question with his fifteenth thriller.


#1 bestselling author Harlan Coben has become an unstoppable force in suspense fiction. His most recent novel, The Woods, spent more time on the New York Times bestseller list than his previous books and sales reached his highest levels to date. His latest page-turner, which is about just how far parents will go to protect their kids, is destined for the top of every bestseller list.

Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they’d become the type of overprotective parents who spy on their kids. But their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his classmate Spencer Hill—the latest in a string of issues at school—they can’t help but worry. They install a sophisticated spy program on Adam’s computer, and within days are jolted by a message from an unknown correspondent addressed to their son: “Just stay quiet and all safe.”

Meanwhile, browsing through an online memorial for Spencer put together by his classmates, Betsy Hill is struck by a photo that appears to have been taken on the night of her son’s death . . . and he wasn’t alone. She thinks it is Adam Baye standing just outside the camera’s range; but when Adam goes missing, it soon becomes clear that something deep and sinister has infected their community. For Tia and Mike Baye, the question they must answer is this: When it comes to your kids, is it possible to know too much?


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Parents will find this compulsive page-turner from Edgar-winner Coben (The Woods) particularly unnerving. A sadistic killer is at play in suburban Glen Rock, N.J., outside New York City, but somehow he's less frightening than the more mundane problems that send ordinary lives into chaos. How do you weigh a child's privacy against a parent's right to know? How do you differentiate normal teenage rebelliousness from out-of-control behavior? When and how do you intervene if suicidal signs appear? Other issues include single parenting; career versus family; marital honesty; and how much information you should share with a child at what age. Coben plucks each of these strings like a virtuoso as Mike and Tia Baye try to deal with the increasing withdrawal of their 16-year-old son, Adam, after a friend's suicide. A pair of brutal, seemingly senseless killings, punctuate the unfolding domestic troubles that ratchet up the tension and engulf the Baye family, their friends and neighbors in a web of increasing tragedy. The this could be me factor lends poignancy to the thrills and chills. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for The Woods

The Woods might just be the best thing Coben has written. . . . A gripping story, filled with fine characters and dark secrets.”
Chicago Sun-Times

“Gripping. . . . The characters are authentic, the writing spare, and the courtroom drama so riveting.”
Boston Sunday Globe

“Harlan Coben has been keeping me awake at night. . . . I devoured his latest bestseller The Woods. . . . Fortunately you won’t have to worry about navigating impenetrable woods. Coben is the perfect guide, clearing all the hurdles with maximum speed and efficiency.”
The Orlando Sentinel

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Dutton Adult; 1 edition (April 15, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0525950608
  • ISBN-13: 978-0525950608
  • ASIN: 0525950605
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 9.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (256 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harlan Coben is the bestselling author of sixteen previous novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers "Long Lost" and "Hold Tight." Winner of the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award, and the Anthony Award, Coben lives in New Jersey with his family.







Customer Reviews

Hold Tight is an interesting read. rry007  |  64 reviewers made a similar statement
I found the ending a little hard to swallow, just too many coincidences. Grey Wolffe  |  37 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 67 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Thriller By a Master of the Genre May 29, 2008
Format:Hardcover
Harlan Coben has a tendency to create mulitiple plot threads that never seem like they will ever come together. This book is no exception.

In his new book, Coben, explores a problem in today's society. Privacy. He explores how the internet changed everything. Now, that anyone can post anything they want about you and there isn't much you can do.

At the center of these themes is the Baye family (pronounced "by"). Mike and Tia have recently installed a spy program to keep an eye on their sixteen-year-old son, Adam. They do this after a friend of Adam has recently commited suicide. After a cryptic IM, Mike tries to keep Adam home but then he runs away. So begins the search for the teenager. The search takes Mike into the seedy part of the Bronx.

Meanwhile, a killer is at large and killing what seems to be random women. The reason behind it all will keep you guessing until the end. Also, a patient of Mike and his partner needs a kidney transplant and the mother holds a devestating secret. A father tries to come to terms with the fact that he cannot keep his daughter from harm after a popular teacher embarrasses her in class. We also see the police working the killer's case.

All threads converge very nicely into a sweet bow. Some are a little too forced but all in all, the suspense never relents and Coben once again keeps you guessing until the very end when the final secret is revealed.
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82 of 90 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A complex jigsaw that marks a change of pace May 6, 2008
Format:Hardcover
Harlan Coben specializes in writing intricate and suspenseful mysteries that keep you turning pages late into the night. His first (and to my mind, his best) standalone murder mystery was "Tell No One". Since then he has written several more novels which have been increasingly similar in plot. I was pleasantly surprised that "Hold Tight" marks a departure in formula, in that it doesn't center on an ancient murder case or the long ago disappearance of a family member. While this does mean that the book struggles a little to find its own momentum, at least Coben is trying something different instead of giving us more of the same.

"Hold Tight" juggles a number of different stories, all of which in some way center on the theme of parents trying to protect and/or understand their children. While initially they seem to be quite disparate plotlines, eventually the connections between them become apparent and it is this process of putting the jigsaw pieces together that is the most satisfying part of reading "Hold Tight". One of the things that I really like about Harlan Coben's writing is that there are never any loose ends or things that get left unexplained.

"Hold Tight" is a little slower in pace than his other novels and at times it gets confusing keeping track of so many people, but it's still is a satisfying mystery that keeps the suspense going right until the final pages.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent read April 22, 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have read all of Harlan Coben's books - I was totally addicted to Myron, Win & Esperanza and at first, was disappointed that his new books did not include these favorite characters. But once I read the first non-Myron book, I had a different opinion about Coben's literary skills. I believe he not only develops interesting and pertinent plots and subplots, but does so with a commanding literary skill. I do not believe the Myron books were as skillfully written as his recent books.

I could not put this book down once I started reading. It took hold within the first pages and I felt this is the best book he has written. I especially like how he develops subplots that seamlessly come together until there is only one plot. I also like the way he chose a topic that is very prevalent to every parent today - internet, text messaging. Before the advent of this technology it was easier to keep track of your child/teenager without totally invading their privacy. With this technology, it becomes almost impossible to know what your child is doing.
I can't wait for his next book! or the TV series being developed on Myron.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great writer
This was my first Harlan Coben book. I've since bought a few more. They are classic murder mysteries with characters you want to continue to follow.
Published 6 days ago by Denise Zabawski
4.0 out of 5 stars Quick and Quirky
Hold Tight is a jig-saw puzzle spinning in so many directions that one's head spins along with the plot. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Patricia J. Mills
5.0 out of 5 stars He Just Keeps Them Coming
What would you do to save your child? Anything. Everything. A son becomes sullen, he disconnects from his family, he's sullen, he's changing right in front of you. Read more
Published 22 days ago by LBreezee
5.0 out of 5 stars Page turner.
Read this book in one day. A good book. Not exactly edge of your seat but I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Published 25 days ago by JMS
2.0 out of 5 stars sigh
It looked promising, it started out well, it hooked me. But then it dwindled down to a stop. The conclusion was lame and the ending anti-climatic. Read more
Published 28 days ago by emilyrk
4.0 out of 5 stars Full of suspense
This book is chock full of twists loaded with suspense. The only problem I found with it was the jumps back and forth between situations with the different players in the plot. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Catharine D
5.0 out of 5 stars Never ceases to amaze with a surprise ending
Great book. Another great one by Coben. He is the master of the surprising ending. I have been a fan since reading two of his books "Gone for Good" and "Tell No... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ramon Loureiro
5.0 out of 5 stars This book would make a great movie
Love how the author wrote about the characters individually and then at the end tied the story lines to one. Awesome read!
Published 1 month ago by Alicia
4.0 out of 5 stars Riveting right until the end...
If you are in the mood for a great mystery, Harlan Coben never fails to deliver! He is such a great storyteller because his plots although complex and compartmentalized, always... Read more
Published 1 month ago by L. Forman
3.0 out of 5 stars Much better
A pleasant surprise. After reading two other Coben books and finding them lacking this one was very enjoyable. Good read.
Published 1 month ago by janet atkins
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Topic From this Discussion
The dust jacket?
If you like great thrillers Larry Bond's "Cold Choices" is a terrific one. It's on the extended New York Times bestsellers list.

OG
Jun 1, 2009 by Robert Gottlieb |  See all 3 posts
The Appeal
I am confused: Does "this book" refer to The Appeal by John Grisham, or to Hold Tight by Harlan Coben? (It appears in a discussion forum for the latter, but the title of the post seems to refer to the former.)
Apr 15, 2008 by Stephen D. Cole |  See all 6 posts
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