Live Wire (Myron Bolitar) [Hardcover]

Harlan Coben (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 22, 2011 | Series: Myron Bolitar

Is a pretty lie better than the ugly truth?

Harlan Coben published his first Myron Bolitar thriller, Deal Breaker, in 1995, introducing a hero that would captivate millions. Over the years we have watched Myron walk a tight rope between sports agent, friend, problem solver and private eye, his big heart quick to defend his client's interests so fiercely that he can't help but jump in to save them, no matter the cost.

When former tennis star Suzze T and her rock star husband, Lex, encounter an anonymous Facebook post questioning the paternity of their unborn child, Lex runs off, and Suzze - at eight months pregnant - asks Myron to save her marriage, and perhaps her husband's life. But when he finds Lex, he also finds someone he wasn't looking for: his sister-in-law, Kitty, who along with Myron's brother abandoned the Bolitar family long ago.

As Myron races to locate his missing brother while their father clings to life, he must face the lies that led to the estrangement - including the ones told by Myron himself. If we thought we knew Myron Bolitar, Coben now proves we didn't. An electric, stay-up-all night thriller that unfolds at a breakneck pace, Live Wire proves that Harlan Coben still has the ability to shock us anew.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Edgar-winner Coben's 10th Myron Bolitar novel (after Long Lost) is a perfect 10: providing readers with new information about the past of the former athlete turned agent and owner of MB Reps; a satisfyingly complex mystery; and the always entertaining, sometimes shocking exploits of Bolitar's partner and friend, Windsor Horne Lockwood III (aka Win). Suzze Tervantino, a former tennis prodigy and one of Bolitar's first clients, visits his New York office and shows him a Facebook posting that suggests that her husband, rock star Lex Ryder, isn't the father of the child she's carrying. When Ryder, also a client of MB Reps, disappears, Suzze begs Bolitar to find him. In the process, Bolitar catches a glimpse of his sister-in-law, Kitty, at a crowded nightclub, and begins a search for her and his estranged younger brother, Brad, whom he hasn't seen for 16 years. This explosively fast thriller will leave fans clamoring for more. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Coben, who has perfected the techno-thriller, in which social media tools are used in ingeniously devious ways (Hold Tight, 2008), has won the trifecta of mystery awards: the Edgar, the Shamus, and the Anthony�and is the only writer to have such a clutch at his command. Here, he returns to his humble roots and resurrects his sports agent and sleuth Myron Bolitar, who appeared in Coben�s debut, Deal Breaker, in 1995, and has starred in nine other novels. Coben may be a little too fond of Bolitar; over the years, he has transformed him from a struggling New Jersey sports agent to a wildly successful superagent who handles all forms of entertainment and, bad news for the reader, is now given to self-indulgent introspection, rumination, and endless dialogue with his sidekick, Win. This overwriting changes the Bolitar novel from spare and lively to a flabby 350-plus pager. A prime example of this work�s need for a less-indulgent author (or editor) is the cringe-inducing scene in which Win appears with two Asian beauties, named Mee and Yu. Bolitar and Win carry on with sophomoric puns and a forecast of sexual activity that is supposed to be hilarious but reads as incredibly insensitive. The plot is fairly standard, involving a client whose husband disappears, with a link to Bolitar�s sister-in-law and estranged brother. Bracing action, a Coben staple, is bogged down by bloated writing. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Coben takes a literary misstep with his return to series character Myron Bolitar, but his name-brand status ensures an audience. --Connie Fletcher

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (March 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525952063
• ISBN-13: 978-0525952060
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (241 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,336 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.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#50 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#11 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#11 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#13 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#14 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

#24 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#11 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#11 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#13 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#14 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

#24 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

113 of 123 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Myron's Nephew Will Be Taking Over Series March 24, 2011

By carol irvin TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This story involves a rock and roll duo, one of whom is Myron's client and the other of whom is a recluse who hides out at his permanent offshore Massachusetts' island estate. Something is going on with this duo and Myron needs to find out what as his brother's family is caught up in it plus his tennis star client Suzze is married to one of the duo. Things started going wrong for this duo sixteen years ago when a high schooler killed herself by jumping out of a window after having sex with the lead singer. The duo still release records but they are all recorded at the island retreat. They stopped touring at the time of the suicide. The lead singer never appears in public. All they do is release records--enormously popular records. Naturally Myron and Win want to meet this recluse so as to find out why people involved with this duo are dying and/or are under fire.

There is a major introduction of a new character in this book and that is Myron's high schooler nephew Mickey. We are told at the end of the book that when we next pick up on Myron's story, Mickey will be a major character and the books will be aimed at garnering a more youthful market. Mickey is very talented at basketball, as talented as his uncle, so expect that aspect of the story to reignite as well. I am willing to give the next story a try knowing that this is where we will be going with the story. Mickey and Myron will be living together.

I read this in a day. It was very enjoyable as are all of the Myron and Win books. I recommend it.

I will once again say that I don't know why readers here are taking down the stars on their reviews because they don't like the price of putting it on their kindles. This throws the rest of us off when we see three stars next to the book as its overall rating and then discover all the one and two star reviews relate to the price of the book for the Kindle. Readers here are reading this book in a variety of formats and want to know how we consumer reviewers liked the reading matter itself. If we don't own a Kindle (and many of us do not), that is not germane to our decision.

I read this book on an iPad using the iBooks app (adobe's epub format) and it was a great reading experience using that app on the iPad, as usual.

65 of 71 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not his best - so unfortunate. March 29, 2011

By book lover in Honolulu

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a huge Harlan Coben fan - I've read all of his books and have for the most part LOVED them. They can catch you right from the first page and you're off and running, turning each page until all hours of the night just to find out what happens. They're addictive. And I have greatly loved the Myron Bolitar books. But this was one left me a bit disappointed. I wanted to love it, but couldn't. It had some witty humor and the writing was fine, but I can't say that I cared much for the ending - or maybe it was more the epilogue that I didn't like. I don't want to spoil it for you, but it's not clear to me if Coben will continue the Myron books or not. It felt like he got to the end of the book, ran out of time/ideas and wrapped everything up in a couple of sentences. I felt a little cheated perhaps. But, having said that, I must also admit I would be sad to see the series end.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This Time It's Personal March 24, 2011

By William Skipper

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I stumbled across CAUGHT last Summer and spent the rest of the season reading all of Coben's books in order. Readers of the series can understand what a joy it is to curl up on the couch with old friends: Win, Esperanza, Big Cyndi, the Ache Brothers, and Myron's parents El-Al.

Some of Bolitar's early clients reappear, as well: teen tennis stars Suzze T and Kitty (also Myron's sister-in-law). Suzze needs Myron to locate her missing husband Lex, second fiddle of the rock duo Horsepower. Myron's almost pitiable need to make things right leads him on an odyssey to find his estranged brother. Along the way, buried truths are exposed putting all the characters into mortal danger.

Myron fans will find LIVE WIRE irresistible at any price. Could this be the last in the series?