Drop Shot (Myron Bolitar)
by Harlan Coben
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Book Reviews of Drop Shot (Myron Bolitar)
Book Review: High Quality High Camp
Summary: 4 Stars
A thoughtful, literary friend recommended Harlan Coben to me recently--I had never heard of him. But my friend said his main character, Myron Bolitar, was a lot of fun--neurotic, still living with his nudgie Jewish parents, wise-cracking--and the stories sizzled.Well, I read Drop Shot, and I gotta say, the book feels like it rolled off of the modern detective assembly line. Another friend once decided to become a mystery writer, and after studying the reigning deities (and attending courses on writing mysteries) he told me the secret recipe: the character has to be situated in a city; you have to refer to great restaurants and places to go in that city like you were a tour guide; and the detective has to be a lone wolf with all sorts of quirky personality traits.
If this is true, then Bolitar comes straight out of central casting. I live in Northern Jersey and work in New York, and believe me, Coben hits all the hidden hot spots as if he were a native. Bolitar has the obligatory quirks--encyclopedic memory of classic movie and television dialogue, wise guy reparte to the point of overkill--and the requisite sense of righteous indignation at the bad guys. The dialogue often sounds like nothing real people would ever say outside of a bad take off on Damon Runyon (filtered through Chandler and McBain). And the main characters (including the bad guys) are more like cartoon superheroes than real people. Worst, I saw the "plot twists" coming from miles away, despite the fact that Coben tries to play the ending like a real stunning who-dunnit.
Yet, for all this, I could not put the book down. And then I read Deal Breaker and the same thing happened. And I plan to read all the rest of his books, one after the other, soon. Because Coben is FUN. The books move with lightning speed, and like a good comic book, you are willing to suspend your disbelief, go along for the ride, because the author is so clearly enjoying what he is doing. It may read like high camp at times, but it is high quality high camp with characters you can care about even if they are unbelievable at heart.
Book Review: Another solid Coben effort...
Summary: 4 Stars
I will be the first to admit that I am a fan of Harlan Coben's work. Myron Bolitar led novels are among my favorites. Bolitar is a well-written character and you generally know what to expect from him. Wise-cracking, hard working and usually quite a bit of fun.
This novel is no exception. With that said, I have given it 4 stars because it was not as good as some of his other work. The story follows Bolitar around as he investigates the death of a potential client (former tennis star player). His current client, a rising tennis star that is making a big splash in the tourney, may be involved or have some knowledge of the dead former tennis player. Now it is up to Bolitar to figure out if there is an relationship between the dead player and is current client. The plot twists a little here and there and Bolitar continues to fight against those that want this case buried (and an older case buried).
The Senator involved and the cover up from years ago of another murder (a murder that may have a connection to the dead tennis player and his current client) left a little to be desired. The details are sketchy and though it is later cleared up somewhat, I wish there were a few more details and a little more info.
The tennis also could have been portrayed better...his current client, the rising tennis star goes through the tourney and we don't know much about this guy's tennis career even though he is rushing through the tourney. A little more backround (has he played in many tourney's before this, is he ranked, etc.) would have made his run in the tourney one that the reader could have been more interested in.
The novel is solid. It is a fun read and will keep you entertained...I just wanted a little more from a good writer and a fun character.
Book Review: Coben Serves Up Another Ace
Summary: 5 Stars
This is yet another solid effort by Harlan Coben. DROP SHOT is the second book in the "overhand smash"-ing Myron Bolitar series. Sorry, I couldn't help the tennis play-on-words.Once again, athlete-turned federal agent-turned sports agent, Myron Bolitar graces the pages of this fast-paced book. He is the agent of Duane Richwood, a hot twenty-one year-old tennis sensation, who is hoping to go far in his first U.S. Open tournament. During his opening match, Valerie Simpson, a fallen tennis phenomenon wishing to make a comeback, was shot dead at the food court.
Upon investigating the murder, Bolitar uncovers a connection between Richwood and Simpson and a six-year-old murder. Add in the mafia and a seemingly crooked United States' Senator, and you have one interesting novel.
Like all of Coben's books, the one super underlying facet is the incredibly witty dialogue that would also be perfect for television or the "silver screen." Bolitar and his friend, Win, are hilarious together, not to mention the straight humor of the wrestler-turned office assistant, Esperanza. His characters are all so well-developed, and three-deimensional. Even more importantly, they all are blended together so nicely. Everyone from the snakeskin boot wearing cop, Rolly Dimonte, to the mob-muscle man, Aaron, has a very intricate role in making this such a good book.
The plot is fast-paced, and the twists are full of suspense and never-ending. Coben's writing is sensational, and the storyline is very fluid as usual. DROP SHOT is a definate page-turner. This is a very good novel, and with the surprise ending, a very enjoyable read.
Book Review: Don't Drop and Lose a Coben Book Before Reading It
Summary: 4 Stars
The second book in the Myron Bolitar series Drop Shot might not be the greatest adventure for Myron in his sensational series but it is still a very good read. Myron is the sports manager for ex street kid Duane Richwood who is playing in the US Open and is expected to be the next biggest thing in male tennis. Valerie Simpson, the ex women's champion who had a breakdown is rumoured to be on the verge of a comeback. She makes an appointment with Myron but is gunned down at the US Open just before they are supposed to meet. Police suspect Duane has something to do with her murder and Myron feels a responsibility to solve her murder to both clear him and because Valerie would have been his client. When he discovers Valerie's ex boyfriend Alexander Cross (is Coben starting a friendly rivalry with James Patterson by killing of someone with a very similar name to Patterson's most popular crime solving character?) was also murdered he knows he has stumbled onto something big. Alexander Cross was the son of a US senator and the mafia also doesn't want Myron poking around into their business but we all know Myron, he can't resist.
The Bolitar series are fast paced can't put down until the last page reads. Start with the original masterpiece Deal Breaker though as plots of former novels are given away in later ones if you read them out of order. Once you have read one you will have to read them all. Coben's independent novels Tell No One, Gone For Good and No Second Chance are also masterpieces. Buy them too.
Book Review: Enjoyable Early Novel from Coben
Summary: 4 Stars
Harlan Coben is a superstar of suspense fiction, but didn't really become a major bestselling writer until his tenth novel, TELL NO ONE, in 2001. Before writing TELL NO ONE, Coben wrote a highly enjoyable murder mystery series involving a sports agent named Myron Bolitar. The Bolitar books have quite the cult following, but never achieved the sales success of Coben's standalones. DROP SHOT, the second novel in this series, is a fun read.
Unlike Coben's more recent novels, DROP SHOT is pretty much structured as a traditional mystery. A has-been tennis star gets murdered, and the murder may have a connection to one of Bolitar's superstar clients. As a result, Bolitar investigates the crime himself, and along the way manages to unearth a lot of skeletons from powerful peoples' closets.
I enjoyed this novel a lot. It's a fast read, filled with humor and a lot of fun dialogue. Coben knows how to plot a book in a manner that maintains the reader's interest, and I found the central mystery of DROP SHOT to be very intriguing. The characters in this novel are on the cartoonish side, but they are likable and fun to spend time with. I finished this book in a few sittings.
DROP SHOT isn't a particularly great novel, but it's a fun whodunnit, the type you enjoy reading on the sofa on a weekend afternoon. This book isn't as breathlessly exciting as TELL NO ONE or GONE FOR GOOD, but it's a solid book for people who like well written mysteries.