Win

I usually just grab new books by favorite authors when they first come out and can beat the other lovers of my favorite series off with a big stick. If that fails…I just somewhat patiently await my turn…but this one??? No way was I waiting and taking a chance on getting it first. I put my name on the list for it right up there at the top when I first heard it was going to be Win’s story, almost a year ago. I can in all honesty say that it has easily been one of…if not The most, anticipated reads of the year….perhaps of my entire life! If you’ve read any of Harlan Myron Bolitar series, you know (and probably love) Win…Windsor Horne Lockwood III. At last a book that had Win at its center, and it didn’t disappoint. Win is show more rich, handsome, cunning, and manipulative and…lethal. Think of him as being a little like Bruce Wayne without the Batmobile. I’m glad Harlan Coben waited to feature Win in his own story. As result he did an outstanding job of writing a twisty, fun thriller that keeps readers on their toes. If this series is new to you I’d recommend giving one or two of the Myron Bolitar books a try first, so you have a chance to become acquainted with Win and his friends before reading his story. Thank you, Harlan Coben, for this treat. show less

Well truthfully, if Harlen Coben wrote it - I want to read it. Even more so when I discovered this latest featured Windsor Horne Lockwood III - aka Win.

Coben has penned a great series featuring Myron Bolitar - sports rep/detective. I know, odd combo, but it really works. And Myron's sidekick is the aforementioned Win. Win doesn't say too much in those books, but later entries have given readers peeks into this enigmatic character. Until.....yes, you guessed it, this book features Win as the lead!

Win is hauled in by the FBI and taken to the site of a murder. A missing painting that belonged to his family as well as a suitcase bearing his crest and monogrammed initials has been found at the scene. And Win is now officially a suspect.

Did I show more mention that Win is incredibly rich? Has his own sense of justice? Is drawn to violence? Is not someone you want to cross? Is unpredictable? Is a man who loves the finer things in life? Yup, all that and more. Oh, and that the exterior belies who is really inside that designer label suit. Which only adds the delicious unknown in predicting where the plot is going to go.

And it heads places completely unexpected - domestic terrorism, with some side stops along they way. We learn more about the Lockwood clan. The plotting in Win is unique and I was surprised by every revelation - and twist. I so appreciated being unable to guess what's next. Coben kept me on my toes, right 'til the last pages.

It was fascinating to get into Win's thought processes, his reasoning and what makes him tick. Scary, but brilliant. His inner dialogue and observations are also darkly humorous and sardonically witty and wry.

Win was such a great read for me - addicting, page turning, unexpected and has just left me wanting another 'Win' book. show less

Win, a frequent character in the Myron Bolitar series, is not all that easy to like, but with Win, what you see is what you get. He is handsome, rich, and very violent. This is an engaging mystery involving 60s radicals, stolen art masterpieces, and a mysterious death in Win's own family. I enjoyed it very much!

I would have enjoyed this thriller more if only the main protagonist had been less obnoxious! Win is a super rich, talented guy, who takes on the wrongs of the world when legitimate ways don’t work fast enough for him. He is immoral, arrogant, narcissist, conceited, and egotistic. He and his family come first, and their superior name and reputation must be protected at any cost. How can you not like a guy like this? Let me count the ways! Well, I don’t have enough time for that now - you can figure it out anyway. The suspense builds throughout the novel, and the mystery is a good one, right up to the contrived and convoluted conclusion. There is more than one mystery to solve, and Win’s patience is wearing thin. He is a man of show more action, after all! There are some graphic murder descriptions, some torture, some really hurtful fights, and so on. I know many people like this sort of writing and enjoyed this novel, but it was a bit over the top for me. Harlan Coben does write well, but I really didn’t care for his characters in this one. show less

Difficult to stay engaged with this piece of writing: convoluted, often obscure plotting, and many characters that remain two-dimensional without much pull. The MC (Win) is one hot mess of a dysfunctional OCD trope. Coben is definitely an accomplished writer and the idea of the plot had a good basis, but it never flows smoothly. Too much angsty rationalization by Win intrude and the wrap up was prolonged and a bit flat. YMMV, especially if you want to read thrillers with some philosophical 'I don't care what you think, this is how I am' interludes..

I’m surprised it’s taken me so long to find Harlan Coben. Glad I have. He writes mysteries with plot twists right up to the last chapter. Unlike some writers who claim the same genre, Coben plays a deft hand at keeping the reader on track. The main character in “Win” is an unpleasant fellow, yet Coben gave me enough of Win’s inner life to make me like him. Or, if not like, forgive.

Win is an interesting character when he makes appearances in Myron Bolitar stories but, on his own, he's completely unlikable. Arrogant, self-absorbed, violent, remorseless, annoyingly quippy. The plot is fast-paced and convoluted. Character relationships are not realistic. The dialogue tries to be clever (Win likes to respond "as rain" when other characters offhandedly say, "Am I right?") but often ends up obtuse. For example, after a lengthy conversation solely about the victim who lived in the tower of the building, Win asks the security guard, "Did he ever talk to you?" The security guard responds, "The guy in the tower?" Duh. This kind of pointless dialogue occurs too many times throughout the book. Coben always crafts an show more interesting story but, with Win, it's hard to care about the outcome. show less