Deal Breaker: The First Myron Bolitar Novel

So this is an older series Coben did about a sports agent named Myron Boliter. Myron and his friend/partner have quite the skill set. Really enjoyed and will read others.

...at its best. Lots of suspects and surprising twists in a missing person/murder investigation. Very surprising ending on this thriller.

This book is a rollercoaster ride of non-stop action and heart-pounding suspense. From the very first page, the reader is thrown into a world of danger and intrigue that doesn't let up until the final page. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. Each chapter brings a new surprise, and just when you think you have the story figured out, the author throws in another twist that takes you in a completely different direction. The pacing is relentless, and the tension never lets up, making this a true page-turner that you won't be able to put down.Jeffrey Miller, author of No Way Out

Harlan has a total knack for great moving stories. A page turned for sure. On to the next Myron story.

Harlan Coben has created a series of novels that feature a cast of characters spearheaded by Myron Bolitar. I am trying to make my way through all of the extant Bolitar books. With each book I read, I feel like I am attending a college reunion watching the class clowns continue to cavort and entertain. Even if the stories that Coben writes were not as interesting and well-crafted as they are, I would probably read them for the sake of the witty repartee that ricochets like verbal sniper bullets among the regulars in the series. Let me describe the core of the team of protagonists, antagonists and hangers-on:Myron Bolitar - Jerry McGuire meets Wally Szczerbiak. Top Boston Celtics' pick in the NBA draft, Bolitar's athletic career ended suddenly with a knee injury in training camp his rookie year. He did a stint as a mysterious government agent, earned a law degree from Harvard and then turned to being a sports agent and amateur detective and do-gooder. He has a knack for interjecting himself into the most labyrinthine entanglements imaginable.Win (Windsor Horne Lockwood III) - Myron's best friend, roommate at Duke and perpetual sidekick. A Harvard MBA grad, he handles the financial side of Myron's sports agent business on the side while running the family business - a hugely profitable investment firm with palatial headquarters on Park Avenue. Windsor hides a Bruce Lee-like mastery of martial arts beneath the serene and polished exterior of Jay Gatsby. "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."Esperanza Diaz - Bolitar's "girl Friday," Della Street and Erin Brokavich - all rolled into one. She is a former professional wrestler, known on the circuit as "Little Pocahontas," and knows her way around the mean streets of New York and northern New Jersey.Aaron - The "goon", enforcer, muscle for Roy O'Connor, a ruthless and rival sports agent. O'Connor and Bolitar often run afoul of each other, and Aaron is usually sent to straighten out Myron. He plays Bluto to Bolitar's Popeye!Jessica Culver - Myron's love interest. She is a gorgeous, famous published author who keeps waltzing in and out of Myron's life. Esperanza, protective of Myron, hates Jessica!Here is a small sampling of the sometimes sophomoric and totally addictive repartee that is characteristic of Myron and Win playing a wise-cracking game of "Good Cop - Bad Cop" with a suspect in the disappearance of a high school girl:"Now, we can discuss this with you or with the school board. Up to you."Gary glanced at his watch. "You have two minutes.""Fine." Myron gestured to the right. "Why don't we step into the teachers' lavatory? I assume you have a key.""Yes"He opened the door. Myron had always wanted to see a teachers' bathroom, see how the other half lives. It was unremarkable in every way."Okay, you have me here," Gary said. "What do you want?""Tell me about this ad."Gary swallowed. His enlarged Adam's apple bobbed up and down like a boxer's head avoiding jabs. "I don't know anything about it."Myron and Win exchanged a glance."Can I stick his head in a toilet?" Win asked.Gary straightened his back. "If you are trying to frighten me, it won't work."Win's voice is semi-pleading. "One quick dunk?""Not yet." Myron turned his attention back to Gary. (Page 114)The story line of "Deal Breaker" involves the disappearance of the girlfriend of a star quarterback who has just been drafted by the Jets. Bolitar is Christian Steele's agent, and becomes involved when his client is accused of being complicit in the disappearance of Kathy Culver - who also happens to be the younger sister of Jessica Culver, Myron's once-and-future love interest.The tale is told with Coben's characteristic New York - New Jersey attitude, sense of irony and humor and taut plot developments and hairpin twists and turns.Enjoy.Al

An easy read. The story build quickly a d as with other Corben books, he adds pieces of the puzzle along the way and you can never really guess the ending

The book had too many characters for me to remember and keep them all in the right place in order to fallow the story

"Deal Breaker" is, I believe, the third novel of Harlan Coben. It is a modern mystery novel set in New York and New Jersey. It has a distinct Hard Boiled "Noir" feel to it and put me in mind of a modern iteration of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. It very vaguely reminded me of "The Big Sleep"., but that is very subjective. I like the novel. I consider it an adult read.In that it is more modern American in style there are many more vulgarities than one will find in any novel that I ever read by either Mister Chandler or Mister Hammett. The protagonist, Myron Bolitar, has the hard cynical edge of the Noir American Private Detective of the past. He is not an actual detective, but a sports agent with a non specific past affiliation with the F.B.I. In that it has to do a good bit with sports, some readers might not enjoy that part of it as much as other readers. Personally I was ambivalent.In what may be a complete coincidence, Myron Bolitar at one point discusses with another person the proper use of "who and whom". This is the fourth early detetcive novel in which I have found this. The previous three being "The Godwulf Manuscript" by Robert B.Parker, "Indemnity Only", by Sara Paretsky, and "Baltimore Blues" by Laura Lippman. I have no idea what, if anything, is to made of that.I read the first two novels of Mister Coben, "Play Dead" and "Miracle Cure". This third novel is distinctly different and marks a distinct improvement over the first two novels. Except for the purpose of comparing and contrasting those first two novels, they are otherwise forgetable. In all fairness to Mister Coben, he states that himself in the latest introductions of his first two novels. I completely respect that and am glad that I had a chance to study them but a casual reader might skip them if one wants to start with this series for casual reading enjoyment.In summary, I liked this novel and plan on reading more Harlan Coben novels in the future. I listened to the accompanying audiobook as I read. The reading was very professional. The narrator was Jonathan Marosz. This is the first Harlan Coben novel that I read in chronological order that I would recommend to someone who wanted a casual fun reading experience, as long as one does not mind sexual content and nomenclature. Thank You...

Having just finished reading Deal Breaker, I am amazed to discover that it was first published almost 25 years ago (in 1995). It has stood the test of time partly because the central character (sports agent Myron Bolitar) does not rely on the use of technology for solving the crimes in which he gets involved and also because I had not really noticed the references to some of the U.S. sports stars are mainly from that era.What I particularly enjoy about this novel is the plot, characterisation and the author's writing style. It is a very easy book to read even though it contains some U.S. (sports) jargon. The pacing of the story is very good in part due to the variation in chapter length. Shorter chapters tend to be more action focused and often end on a cliff hanger while longer chapters tend to focus on character development or background scene setting.The plot is quite complex and contains quite a number of twists and turns as we follow the central characters' investigations as they uncover a number of different criminal activities. However, all these different threads of the story are pulled together in a quite dramatic climax.However, it is the characterisation that I found particularly interesting. Myron Bolitar has film star looks, an athletic build and a marvellously understated sense of humour which is often revealed through the depiction of what he is thinking ... but, related to this, the writing shows its age through the number of women who seem to 'swoon' when in his presence. Other characters are also well depicted and seem quite interesting individuals, even if perhaps a little scary (e.g. Myron's partners and friends Esperanza Diaz and Windsor Horne Lockwood III to name just two!).So, if you enjoy crime mystery thrillers that have plenty of twists and turns in the plot and a really interesting cast of characters, then Deal Breaker is well worth a look / read. As for me, I will certainly be reading more stories in the Myron Bolitar series.

Harlan Coben is a new discovery for me. Deal Breaker is my first of his books. I am not disappointed. His writing style is fresh and he keeps the story moving forward at a good canter. His sense of humor, expressed in observational thoughts, meshes with my own outlook on life. Sometimes you don’t get a writer or character. But Myron is on my wave length I get what he is thinking. In lock down it was like a conversation with someone who shares your outlook. Coben expressed emotion, and touched the love interest, with just enough emphasis to leave you wanting more, a great tease.Overall a great example of the crime genre.

I have read one of Harlan Coben's stand alone novels, albeit some time ago, and wanted to start at the beginning of his very popular series of books featuring Myron Bolitar. When I started this book, it didn't take me more than a few chapters to fall head over heels for the character Myron. One of the reasons for this is the element of his character that is witty and sarcastic, always a winning combination for me.In addition to Myron we meet his friend and sidekick Win Lockwood and his work colleague Esperenza. All of them seem to make an extraordinary yet very believable group of friends. Their relationships throughout the book had me smirking at some of the more sarcastic comments they make to each other.With the added benefit of really gelling with the characters we see the story start to unfold with Myron's star client Christian Steel. The story itself is quite complex and there are a lot of plot threads that we pick up along the way. What I loved was the endless possibilities this story threw up and that I was actually none the wiser towards the second half of the book.The one element that I didn't like and I don't know why, was the one involving Myron's ex Jessica. Maybe it was because I just didn't like the character but I was irritated by how flawless and beautiful she was meant to be. Overall and by the end of the book I had warmed a little to her, although in all honesty not that much! I was pleased with the ending and thought it was all wrapped up nicely with enough intrigue for me to wonder what is next for Myron and Win. Will look forward to reading the next instalment! The fact that this book was first published in 1995 and there are now another 9 books to be read doesn't put me off; it makes me wish I could read faster!

Once again, I completely guessed wrong when I tried to predict the killer, as HC always manages to throw me! Really good read, brilliant details, I'm officially a fan!Definitely the good starting point for a series, I will acquire more of the collection when the exorbitant prices are reduced on a special - they have to do it at some point!

First in a series of books&I really enjoyed it.Had started with "Win" a spin off with one of the "investigaters" in the book. Loved it so much I bought the first three in the series.Going right into book 2 now.Highly recommended