Thanks to Century, Harlan Coben and NetGalley for the ARC; this is my unbiased review.

Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben
Century Publishing, 26th September 2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:
Fifteen years ago in New Jersey, a teenage boy and girl were found dead.

Most people concluded it was a tragic suicide pact. The dead boy's brother, Nap Dumas, did not. Now Nap is a cop - but he's a cop who plays by his own rules, and who has never made peace with his past.


Review:
Harlan Coben never fails to disappoint, and with the multilayered Don't Let Go, he's crafted a tense page-turner to electrify your nerve endings.

Nap's character is thoroughly fleshed out, and his first person narration draws you in from the outset. The town is full of intriguing personalities, who each have their story to tell, as the plot thickens.

With each new chapter, the feeling of unease grows, as is the author's tantalising trademark. When you feel yourself glancing into a dark corner whilst reading in the evening, or an involuntary shiver breaks out for no apparent reason, you know the writing is THAT good.

Coben's books are not just to be read. They are to be devoured!

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Why change a winning formula? Harlan Coben delivers yet another excellent thriller where the past and the present ultimately collide causing nothing but trouble. Intensely layered with flawed but relatable characters it's another gripping read.

This was a reasonably fast paced story. Nap needs to investigate his twin brother's death from 15 years ago and track down his missing girlfriend.

Utterly brilliant.
From start to finish, as always, I was totally gripped and read in one sitting.
I will never get bored with Coben's books. He's a fabulous writer.
Loved it and will be recommending it to the whole world!

I used to really love Harlan Cobens books but now I find them very similar. Something has always happened years before and comes back to haunt them. Didn't enjoy this book sadly.

Two members of the high school's senior class, Leo and Diana, were found dead on the rail tracks. In the 15 years that have passed, Leo's twin brother Napolean has become a cop, mentored by Diana's father, the police chief. Nap's still looking for answers. Then his former girlfriend, Maura, who disappeared without trace on the night of the accident, seems to have resurfaced, her prints found at the scene of the murder of another member of the group of Leo's friends, Rex – a cop killed during what seemed to be a routine traffic stop. Then another of the group is found dead, the final member has vanished, and it all seems to be connected to something that the friends may have seen. Who is after the rest of the group, and why now, after so many years have passed? What really happened that night 15 years ago?

My first Harlan Coben book, and by no means my last. A layered, ingenious plot that evolved and turned at just the right pace. Characters I cared and rooted for. Tight, wise and knowing prose. This guy might just catch on :)

Fast-paced and full to the brim with unexpected twists and turns, Don't Let Go is a strong mystery thriller from bestselling author Harlan Coben.

The story plunges straight into the action from the very first page, instantly setting the scene for what will be an exciting journey through an old, unsolved case. The main character is Nap, a cop with a score to settle and a decades-old mystery to solve. He is determined and persistent, vowing to himself that he will finally get to the bottom of what really happened on that fateful night.

From Nap's best friend Ellie to his mentor Augie, the supporting characters are well fleshed out and interesting to read about. It seems that every resident of the town has a hidden story just waiting to be revealed, and each revelation leads Nap to a new stepping stone on the path to the truth.

At times tense and thrilling, while at others much softer and emotional, Don't Let Go is expertly crafted to draw the reader in and involve them in the story. Nap is flawed yet endearing, traits which make him the ideal centre-point of the book. With each twist and turn, we are left willing Nap to succeed and finally learn the truth of his brother's death and his girlfriend's disappearance.

fab plot lots of twist and turn gripping plot dark characters a page tuner your be glued i was a fab read

I've bee a fan of Harlan Coben for years and years and maybe that led me to expect too much from this book.

While it has an intriguing plot and the characters are fully fleshed out it simply didn't grip me in the way his books usually do.

It was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end and the final twist is exciting and believable but in my opinion, this isn't Harlan at his best

For me this seemed a bit of a departure for the author but to be honest with the odd rare exception I find all his books are 4 star upwards.

Nice book.

I’ve learned to accept that Harlan Coben could never write a bad book. I’m picky with crime thrillers, but I haven’t been disappointed yet! I love how this particular book was based on Harlan’s hometown and events, the humour is priceless, and it isn’t rigid and predictable. This is everything I could want from a crime novel!

Harlan Coben writes another fantastic book - an all time favourite author has done it again!
With unmatched suspense and emotional insight, Harlan Coben explores the big secrets and little lies that can destroy a relationship, a family, and even a town in this powerful new thriller.

Suburban New Jersey Detective Napoleon “Nap” Dumas hasn't been the same since senior year of high school, when his twin brother Leo and Leo’s girlfriend Diana were found dead on the railroad tracks—and Maura, the girl Nap considered the love of his life, broke up with him and disappeared without explanation. For fifteen years, Nap has been searching, both for Maura and for the real reason behind his brother's death. And now, it looks as though he may finally find what he's been looking for.

When Maura's fingerprints turn up in the rental car of a suspected murderer, Nap embarks on a quest for answers that only leads to more questions—about the woman he loved, about the childhood friends he thought he knew, about the abandoned military base near where he grew up, and mostly about Leo and Diana—whose deaths are darker and far more sinister than Nap ever dared imagine.

A well written book from a great author. Not sure if this is one of his best but definitely worth a read. Fast paced and tense throughout.

This is a book that I should have read two years ago. It is my oldest ARC and I have no idea why except for the fact that it is written in very American English and I wasn't in the mood for that at the time.  Since then I have read all the Jack Reacher books (ironically written by an Englishman), and have been searching for something to fill the void and Harlan Coben's books may well be it.

This is a mystery novel.  Told as a first-person by Nap, a police detective, speaking to his twin who has been dead fifteen years.  Nap, put his ex-girlfriend Moira's prints into the police database when he joined the force.  Moira disappeared on the night Nap's brother was found dead on the train tracks with his girlfriend and there has been no trace of her ever since.

Then one night Moira's prints turn up connected with the murder of another cop in another state, and the cop was somebody Nap went to school with.  Coincidence?

This is written in an easy, conversational style and I got hold of an audiobook through my library and listened to it instead of reading it.   This was a good choice as the plot is twisty, but as the account always comes from one narrator its easy to follow.

The setting of the book is a predominantly middle-class small town, USA, where many people's families have lived for generations.  The inspiration for this book was the number of small army bases scattered around America, many of which near towns and cities.  During the cold war, they held surface to air missiles, but what happened to these bases when the cold war was over?

The character of Nap, as with all good first-person narration, is well rounded and we feel his hopes and fears right along with him.  His obsession with his girlfriend 15 years ago was plausible, just, but only because of her abrupt departure and complete lack of closure. It also seemed like he had put her firmly on a pedestal, and one she didn't deserve.
I didn't guess who did it at all, but like all good mysteries, looking back, it seems obvious. A good solid mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm just sorry it took me so long to before I picked it up.

Another book to keep me up at night. This is my first Harlan Coben read although have watched a TV series. Fifteen years after an event in a small town happened the answers are finally revealed after twists many twists to keep you intrigued. Really glad I've finally read one of the books by this author and will certainly be adding him to my list of who to look out for in the future

With unmatched suspense and emotional insight, Harlan Coben explores the big secrets and little lies that can destroy a relationship, a family, and even a town in this powerful new thriller.

A very engrossing and twisty mystery thriller. This is my first Harlan Coben but it will not be my last. Recommended.

A tense and well written thriller that keeps the reader guessing.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I was blown away when I discovered Harlen Coben and I am still a big fan of his Myron Bolitar series but I have some reservations  about his one off's and Don't Let Go has not changed that view.

A cop who doesn't play by the rules, a pair of unresolved teenage deaths, hints of conspiracy. coven keeps the pace up in this easily readable book but it just seems to unbelievable and by the end pointless. I wouldn't bother, if you want to read Coben at his best go back to the beginning of the Myron Bolitar series and start there.

3/5