Detective Kat Donovan is persuaded to put her profile on an online-dating site. As she clicks through possible matches, she sees a familiar face. The name is not that of the man she first fell in love with, but the face convinces Kat that is the same man. From this very coincidental event, the entire plot will develop, involving missing men and women and an adaptable villain who has moved from a low-level early career to something more profitable and deadly.
What I liked: the actual mystery was suspenseful.
What I didn't like: The romance. How sweet that Kat's first look into online dating comes up with her first love's picture, and the fact that she has never loved again, and that he dumped her and disappeared, and that she still loves him eighteen years later. Neither the back-story or the current story involving the romance appealed at all. The other secondary plot line about Kat's father also left me cold.
I was expecting a mystery or thriller with this novel, and it was there, but only after suffering through two tedious secondary story lines. This was my first Harlan Coben novel, but it didn't leave me wanting more.
NetGalley/Penguin Group
Mystery. March 18, 2014. Print version: 400 pages.
Though I haven't read all of Coben's books, I have read enough to say, don't give up! Some of his are so suspenseful that you hold your breath the whole time. He also has a mystery series - Myron Bollitar, and a new YA series that is a spinoff from it. My daughter is wild about all his books, and my husband has loved all the ones he has read.
ReplyDelete:) A friend on Goodreads also mentioned that I shouldn't give up! The mystery part of this one was definitely suspenseful. I think I'm going to try the Myron Bollitar series, I've heard good things about it. Thanks, Nan.
ReplyDeleteAnother friend who loves this author was really disappointed with this book. It doesn't sound like it's his best.
ReplyDeleteWendy - I'm going to give him another, eventually. The mystery part was suspenseful.
ReplyDeleteI read another Coben book last summer (can't remember the title right now) but it sounds a bit like this one. I keep hearing that his books are really good but that one was ok but didn't wow me. I have this one on my Kindle and I'm curious what I'll think of it.
ReplyDeleteIliana - I'm interested in what you will think about it. I was not impressed, in spite of the fact that the actual mystery was good.
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