"Long Lost"

This is not the kind of Myron Bolitar book that Harlan Coben was writing 15 years ago. Sure, the main elements are there - Myron, Win, Esperanza, Big Cyndi, and his parents - but in "Long Lost," the stakes are much higher. This isn't the gangster Ache brothers or his arch-rival Greg Downing that Myron is up against this time - it's one of the most feared terrorists in the world. And while Myron's confidence is at its typical high level and Win's abilities are what they always were, for much of this book the two of them are in well over their heads.

After some preliminaries where Myron's relationship with Ali Wilder is brought to its logical conclusion, the plot takes off when he heads to Paris to be with Terese Collins, last seen almost ten years ago. Needless to say for those who have been read Coben books, things take off right away, and before you know it just about everyone's life is in danger. It's hard to write more without giving too much away, but along the way Mryon encounters a terrorist cell, the Mossad, torture, and a French police captain named Berleand who is much more than he seems. There are buried secrets, a Coben specialty, and as usual the solution to them is not quite what was expected.

About ten years ago, Coben stopped writing Bolitar books on a regular basis, because he felt that there wasn't anything new he could do with the character. This is the second since he changed his focus to stand-along thrillers, and it is probably the best.

A quick note about the photo: a friend bought me the book for my birthday, and by coincidence Coben was in town the week prior for a book signing. He graciously signed the book with a birthday wish.