I haven’t exactly resisted reading Harlan Coben before, but I somehow didn’t think a mystery series about a sports agent could be that riveting. I mean, I like teams of sweaty men in skimpy uniforms as much as the next girl, but a sports agent just sounded smarmy and, well, kind of dull. Man, was I wrong. Myron Bolitar is smart and funny and tough and big-hearted, and who doesn’t like those qualities in a man? He’s a former FBI agent, too. Coban writes pretty good women, although, of course, they’re all gorgeous and sexy and you get the idea. Myron’s pro-wrestler-turned-night-school-law-student secretary Esperanza is particularly memorable.
I listened to DEAL BREAKER in snippets walking around the lake each morning, and it’s absorbing even read with the ear. Rookie quarterback Christian Steele is about to launch Myron’s career into the big time. But a photo of Steele’s girlfriend Cathy, who disappeared two years before, shows up in a porn magazine. Is Cathy still alive? Who placed the ad and what are they after? And what will her sudden reappearance do to Steele’s career—and Myron’s?
Coben is the master of the bon mot, the wizard of the wisecrack. I laughed out loud in DEAL BREAKER so many times that I lost count. His descriptions are dead on—a jock’s dorm room floor is “carpeted in underwear.” And he does a hell of a job of interweaving story lines and revealing just enough of the mystery and backstory when necessary to keep you turning the pages. Of course, there is a lot of pretty ripe cussing from drug dealers and other lowlifes, so if that offends you, be prepared. Maybe you can skip those parts and still enjoy the ride. I think it’s worth it.