Drop Shot

"He sounded genuine, but Myron knew that meant nothing. People were amazing liars."

Duane Richwood, an unseeded tennis player, is playing against an opponent ranked much higher than him in the US Open and beating that opponent comfortably. Towards the end of Duane's first ever Grand Slam win, his agent Myron Bolitar, who is watching his client from the player's box, hears a gun shot. Myron goes to investigate the disturbance and discovers the body of Valerie Simpson, herself once one of the hottest new prospects in tennis until she career dramatically plummeted.

Valerie Simpson had tried calling Myron earlier but failed to get through to him. Myron feels a certain responsibility because of this and decides to investigate the murder show more himself. He finds a connection between Valerie's death and another one that took place outside an exclusive tennis club six years previously. When his client, Duane, seems to be involved, what will Bolitar do? Keep digging in to the past or protect his client’s future?

I found the ending a little predictable but overall this didn't really spoil things for me. Mixing sport and crime made this book an engaging read. Myron is a wonderful character. He’s an agent, but he cares about his clients rather than simply looking to make money out of them. He’s honest, conscientious, determined and very persistent. The secondary characters, Win and Esperanza are also well drawn. I'm unsure as yet about Jessica, Myron's love interest, but hopefully we will learn more about her in future novels. This is a nice piece of escapism and as such well worth reading. show less

Myron Bolitar is a pretty interesting guy — a sarcastic ex-athlete-law-school-grad-turned-sports-agent who used to work with the government, has a sociopathic best friend (who I always picture as the young James Spader playing Steff in Pretty in Pink), and now lives in his parents’ basement and plays basketball with the neighborhood kids (when his on-again/off-again girlfriend is out of town). Who comes up with this stuff? Apparently, Harlan Coben does. This series has a lighter edge that his stand-alone novels do not, and Coben does his usual great job of weaving an interesting tale. I did have a key piece of the mystery figured out about 3/4 of the way through, but the final whodunnit was definitely a surprise. This is a series show more I’ll stick with. show less

I think it's time I took a break from Harlan Coben - the similarities between novels are beginning to become tiresome. I also find that he tends to leave all the twists and turns and revelations for the last section of the book and it's a lot to take in. I guessed this one well before the end too...

Drop Shot is the second book by Harlan Coben featuring Myron Bolitar, a former basketball phenom, now working as a sports agent. Drop Shot opens with Myron watching his client, tennis star Duane Richwood, make it to the finals of the U. S. Open. Former tennis legend, Valerie Simpson, has been trying to get in touch with Myron all day but he's been unable to return her calls. During the match, a gunshot is heard and Myron finds out that Valerie has been shot dead in the Food Court.

The police want to question Duane as a possible suspect because Valerie's phone records show she called his house several times. His alibi seems to be airtight since he was playing tennis in front of millions at the time she was shot. Myron feels some guilt show more about Valerie's death because she was on her way to see him, so he and his best friend, Windsor “Win” Horne Lockwood III, decide to investigate the murder.

Myron's banter is quick and funny, and the secondary characters are very well developed. Myron is quirky and a real master of the one liner, especially during times of stress. Win is one of the most interesting characters I've ever encountered, as is Esperanza Diaz, Myron's associate and a former wrestler with the Fabulous Ladies of Wrestling. I'm becoming a huge Myron Bolitar fan and plan to read the rest of the series throughout the year. show less

Fluffy.

I was considering a one word review, but I decided I really had more to say about this mess of a book. This is the guy's equivalent of a chick flick -- sports, beautiful women, sex, fast cars, fine restaurants, and casual violence. That might be good enough for a quick read, but for one small problem. The ending makes no sense whatsoever. Yes, the protagonist has solved two murders (that the reader solved in the first third of the book), but now what? He certainly isn't going to report these solutions to the police. Will other innocent people be blamed? Will the police (shown mostly as bumbling fools) find the killers anyway? Did the author expect his readers to be satisfied with this ending? This is the only Coben book I have show more read and likely to be the only one I will ever read. show less

Myron Bolitar, sports agent/lawyer, has signed on a new, desired male tennis player named Duane. A past female tennis star, Valerie, is trying to make a comeback and wants to hire Myron as her agent as well. Unfortunately, during Duane's tournament, she is murdered and Myron's new star is being accused. Seems like a no-brainer, Duane was playing tennis at the time of her murder, so couldn't be him. Many people including the Senator all the way down to the Mob are involved - in one way or another. Myron is determined to find the murderer.

While I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, it was still a good read. The mystery had some solid components and a few twists - nothing astounding, but good. Myron's wit and sarcasm are by far show more what kept me interested. This time around, I found Win to be a bit too kill happy; it was disturbing, not funny. However, Myron is aware of this, so hopefully he'll keep him in check during the third book in this series titled Fade Away. (3.5/5)

Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..." show less

Valerie Simpson is a young female tennis star with a troubled past who's now on the verge of a comeback and wants Myron as her agent. Myron, who's also got the hottest young male tennis star, Duane Richwood, primed to take his first grand slam tournament, couldn't be happier. That is, until Valerie is murdered in broad daylight at the U.S. Open and Myron's number one client becomes the number one suspect.

Clearing Duane's name should be easy enough. Duane was playing in a match at the time of Valerie's death. But why is his phone number in Valerie's black book when he claims only to have known her in passing? Why was she calling him from a phone booth on the street? The police stop caring once they pin the murder on a man known for show more having stalked Valerie and seen talking to her moments before the murder. But Myron isn't satisfied. It seems too clean for him.

Myron pries a bit and finds himself prying open the past where six years before, Valerie's fiancee, the son of a senator, was brutally murdered by a juvenile delinquent and a straight-A student was subsequently gunned down on the street in retaliation, his death squandered in bureaucratic files. And everyone from the Senator to the mob want Myron to stop digging.

The truth beneath the truth is not only dangerous, it's deadly. And Myron may be the next victim. show less