Promise Me: Amazon.co.uk: Harlan Coben: Books

Review

'I liked Myron Bolitar, the laidback hero of many of his books... but I never really got to know Myron properly until this latest book. This is the humanization of Myron Bolitar. Just 12 pages from the end of the book I still had no idea about how it was going to be resolved. There are lovely light-hearted lessons in life sprinkled throughout but PROMISE ME is not about preaching, it is about catching you by those short hairs on the back of your neck.' (Maeve Binchy THE SUNDAY TIMES, 3 May )

"Gripping, violent and original." (LITERARY REVIEW, May 2006 )

"Delivers the kind of assured storytelling and quirky characterisation which he is celebrated for. Coben's narrative skills are second to none, and this is very much the author firing on all cylinders." (GOOD BOOK GUIDE, 1 May )

"Bolitar is a glorious character, full of the right kind of quips and wise-ass backchat. Coben's thrillers always have a dramatic twist at the end, sometimes even two or three, and this does not disappoint on that score." (Matthew Lewin THE GUARDIAN, 20 May )

"A brilliant new Myron Bolitar mystery. Coben proves why he's one of the top crime writers in the world." (DAILY MIRROR, 26 May )

"Coben is on a roll... Twists galore." (PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH, 27 May )

"Coben's usual charm turns it all into an entertaining read." (Susanna Yager THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )

"Coben's hugely popular series character Myron Bolitar returns in a new thriller jam-packed with the trademark twists and turns." (LANCASHIRE EVENING POST, 26 May )

"Rejoice. After a temporary absence, Myron Bolitar is back. Coben proves yet again that mean, twisted minds inhabit the deceptively squeaky-clean suburbs of New Jersey." (Daneet Steffens TIME OUT, 21 Jun )

"Coben is on a roll... twists galore." (PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH, 27 May )

"Slickly plotted, the story ends with a trademark twist." (John Dugdale THE SUNDAY TIMES, 9 Jul )

"A fast-paced revenge tale." (THE OBSERVER Extra Time (sports section), 9 Jul )

"Coben fans won't be disappointed by the trademark serpentine twists." (Carla McKay DAILY MAIL, 23 Jun )

"If you only read one book this year, make it a Harlan Coben novel, and we recommend his latest offering... wonderfully well described characters wrapped into a deeply personal and emotional story. It is a real page turner... and the climax is so unexpected it will knock you right off your seat." (EUROPEAN CEO, Jul/Aug 06 )

'Coben is one of of the most popular crime writers in the US - and this searing novel shows why.' (GLASGOW HERALD ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'I liked Myron Bolitar, the laidback hero of many of his books... but I never really got to know Myron properly until this latest book. This is the humanization of Myron Bolitar. Just 12 pages from the end of the book I still had no idea about how it was going to be resolved. There are lovely light-hearted lessons in life sprinkled throughout but PROMISE ME is not about preaching, it is about catching you by those short hairs on the back of your neck.' -- Maeve Binchy THE SUNDAY TIMES, 3 May "Gripping, violent and original." LITERARY REVIEW, May 2006 "Delivers the kind of assured storytelling and quirky characterisation which he is celebrated for. Coben's narrative skills are second to none, and this is very much the author firing on all cylinders." GOOD BOOK GUIDE, 1 May "Bolitar is a glorious character, full of the right kind of quips and wise-ass backchat. Coben's thrillers always have a dramatic twist at the end, sometimes even two or three, and this does not disappoint on that score." -- Matthew Lewin THE GUARDIAN, 20 May "A brilliant new Myron Bolitar mystery. Coben proves why he's one of the top crime writers in the world." DAILY MIRROR, 26 May "Coben is on a roll... Twists galore." PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH, 27 May "Coben's usual charm turns it all into an entertaining read." -- Susanna Yager THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH "Coben's hugely popular series character Myron Bolitar returns in a new thriller jam-packed with the trademark twists and turns." LANCASHIRE EVENING POST, 26 May "Rejoice. After a temporary absence, Myron Bolitar is back. Coben proves yet again that mean, twisted minds inhabit the deceptively squeaky-clean suburbs of New Jersey." -- Daneet Steffens TIME OUT, 21 Jun "Coben is on a roll... twists galore." PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH, 27 May "Slickly plotted, the story ends with a trademark twist." -- John Dugdale THE SUNDAY TIMES, 9 Jul "A fast-paced revenge tale." THE OBSERVER Extra Time (sports section), 9 Jul "Coben fans won't be disappointed by the trademark serpentine twists." -- Carla McKay DAILY MAIL, 23 Jun "If you only read one book this year, make it a Harlan Coben novel, and we recommend his latest offering... wonderfully well described characters wrapped into a deeply personal and emotional story. It is a real page turner... and the climax is so unexpected it will knock you right off your seat." EUROPEAN CEO, Jul/Aug 06 'Coben is one of of the most popular crime writers in the US - and this searing novel shows why.' GLASGOW HERALD --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Welcome back, Myron ' we missed you 4 July 2006

By OEJ TOP 100 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

There are two sides to the Coben portfolio : one features Myron Bolitar, the other doesn't. This is my seventh novel by the great man and of course I'm here to pass on the message that everyone already knows, which is that if you want to read the best that Coben can offer, stick with Myron. Over the six year period since his last escapade, we have been presented with lead characters such as Will Klein in Gone for Good, Matt Hunter in The Innocent and Dr Marc Seidman in No Second Chance, but none have been so readable, durable and plain enjoyable as sports-agent-cum-amateur-sleuth Myron Bolitar.

Promise Me is, as usual, full of such highly colourful characters that it's almost like reading a comic. Myron himself is relatively normal, but you can't say the same about his friends, family and accomplices Win, Esperanza, Big Cyndi, Zorra and El-Al, nor some of the baddies conjured up such as the 'very bad hombres' known simply as The Twins. (If Win warns you they're bad, that means bad bad) The central theme of the story is parent-teenager relationships and how variously most of the characters in this book act them out. There's a fair slice of violence of course, which often tends to happen when Win's around, but there are also regular helpings of humour and romance. You could accuse Coben of trying to please all of the people all of the time with such an all-bases-covered approach, but he gets away with it. And it's true to say that he does keep you guessing until the last page.

Much as I enjoyed the story, and in particular the way it was told, I can't help but feel that it's somewhat forgettable. When I look at this title in a year or two I can imagine myself thinking "Great book, I really loved it" followed a moment later by "What was it about again?" Maybe it's just my weakening memory, but although I regard Darkest Fear (another Myron Bolitar outing) as a better read than Promise Me, I can't remember what it was about! Is this what they call popcorn writing? Whatever the answer, Harlan Coben has a deservedly huge fan club and the next time that Myron features, I'll place my order.

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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful

Myron is back and better than ever (well, kind of) 26 April 2006

By Peter

Format:Hardcover

I was very excited to learn that Mr. Coben was bringing back the character of Myron Bolitar after a long absence, that I order my copy months ago and was very happy to see it arrive a day before the publication date! After two nights of page turning thrills I am happy to say that it was worth the wait! Coben's characters and dialog are as sharp as ever. Myron is trying to be a good guy and has for the last 6 years. But when he over hears the teenage daughter of the woman he is dating talking to her friend about being driven home from parties by drunk and stoned friends, Myron makes her and her friend an offer. He tells the girls he will offer them a no questions asked taxi service to and from parties. The problems start for Myron when he drops off one of the girls at New Jersey cul-de-sac wear she claims her friend lives. The next day the parents of the girls report the girl as missing, and guess what?-Myron was the last person to see her alive! Poor old Myron is back in trouble again. The book takes off from here with Coben's trade mark style (and I do mean style) with plenty of twists, turns and suspense. Its an over used cliche, but this is a truly a page turner! If you like Coben's style I highly recommend you check out the thriller "A Tourist in the Yucatan."

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Another Coben Tour de Force 29 May 2006

By R. Calver

It's been a while since Harlan Coben produced a Myron Bolitar novel, but the wait is well worth it. It is great to have Myron, Win and gang back. After a couple of dodgy novels, Coben is back on form with a great story full of the trademark twists. In his acknowledgements Coben claims that he wanted to wait for a good idea before bringing Myron back. He hit gold with this one, because it is a gripping page-turner. If you take longer than two or three days to read this novel I'd be surprised!