Harlan Coben the author of 41 best selling mysteries, introduces us to a wonderful cast of characters in this the first book of the Myron Bolitar series. These folks will provide laughs, sighs, and shocking turns of events through 11 Myron Bolitar books.

There’s Myron Bolitar, a 6’4″ All-American who led Duke to two NCAA titles and then was drafted in the first round by the Celtics only to be severely injured in a pre-season game and never play in the pros;  Winthrop Horne Lockwood III, Myron’s roommate at Duke who looks like an effete preppy but who can murder with his hands or his guns; Esperanza, Myron’s secretary who was a champion wrestler under the name of Pochahantas before leaving the ring and joining MBSports; and Jessica Culver, beautiful writer who Myron loves but who broke his heart once before.  When Myron’s meal ticket client, the All-American quarterback and All American boy, Christian Steele is threatened by a scandal surrounding the unsolved disappearnace of his girl friend, Kathy Culver, sister of Jessica, Myron and Win go into action.  The bodies pile up before the surprise ending in the final pages.

This is vintage Coben though that doesn’t sound correct in referring to the first book in a series, but they’re all there and they’re all in character. Coben knows how to be slick, funny, tense, and violent in appropriate spots, and he can write descriptions.  Here’s his description of Win: “Windsor Horne Lockwood III, however, looked exactly like his name.  Blond hair, perfect length, parted on the right side. His features were classical patrician, almost too handsome, like something crafted in porcelain.  His attaire was always thoroughbred prep—pink shirts, polo shirts, monogrammed shirts, khaki pants, golf pants, white bucks or wing tips on his feet. Win even had that creepy accent, the one that did not originate from any particular geographical location as much as from certain prep schools like Andover and Exeter.  He played a mean game of golf…..He had a perennial golf tan, one of those where the color could be found only on the arms and a V-shape in the neck….Win was full-fledged whitebread.”  Writing like that kept me turning pages at all hours of the night.

Having read all of the other ten Bolitar books, it was fun to return to the first one and see how the characters had developed. In fact, to my surprise and relief, they hadn’t changed at all, and that was spendid.  Myron, living with his parents in New Jersey, Win still avoiding love by dealing with prostitutes, Esperanza eventually joined at MB Sports by Big Mamma, the wrestler who always saved her from the villains in the ring.  Great cast, so why change them.  If you haven’t read Coben, grab any of these books and head for the beach.  You won’t be disappointed even if it rains.