Book Look Review "Long Lost"

“Long Lost”

Harlan Coben is one of my favorite crime fiction writers. I enjoy his sense of humor and his smart-alecky dialogue. The main character, Myron Bolitar, reminds me of that charming guy in high school who could crack up the whole class with his witty comments. Of course the teachers weren’t quite as entertained as the rest of us but even they had to hide a smile occasionally. Listening, you always wished you were brave enough and smart enough to say those things. Daryl Yurek was our popular class clown and consequently the senior prom king. Just to give you one idea of a typical escapade, picture him parading a live chicken around Latin class while loudly conjugating the verb “to be”. Hard not to like a guy who can make high school entertaining.

Myron Bolitar is that class clown guy after he grows up. Not that he matures, he just grows older. He is a likeable, wise-cracking sports agent who plays detective when his talents are needed for clients and friends. When he gets a call from Terese Collins asking him to come to Paris to help her, Myron can’t resist. He remembers her although she disappeared almost a decade ago. Terese needs Myron to help her find the person who murdered her reporter ex-husband so the police will stop thinking she did it. There are plenty of plot twists to keep you up late at night turning the pages. Of course Myron needs his blueblood friend Win to save him from his many impulsive mistakes which usually result in death or disfigurement. Win is the kind of guy who throws money at a problem and solves it. The French detective Berland becomes an ally when terrorists and international thugs get involved. Add Esperanza, the lawyer who was once a professional wrestler and you have a crack investigative team on the case.

“Long Lost” is the latest in the Myron Bolitar series and one of the best written. Coben fans will again enjoy the story and humorous dialogue. It stands alone - although when you read previous titles off a list can you even be a qualified judge? Reading at least the first book “Deal Breaker” will give you a better idea of the characters and their back stories but it is not required. If you miss that guy in high school that made you smile at his inappropriate remarks, reading Bolitar dialogue will bring back your guilty pleasure. You’ll wish once again you had thought of that and been brave enough to say it while everyone in class laughed.