Napoleon (Nap) Dumas is a cop. A cop mentally connected with his dead twin brother. He has never forgotten, nor will he ever forget. Nap still talks to his brother and seeks his guidance in some way, so when the fingerprints of Maura, Nap’s ex-girlfriend who disappeared off the face of the earth fifteen years ago, turn up as a match in an investigation involving a cop killing, he decides to seek vengeance and find out what exactly happened all those years ago. Nap is sure as anything that his brother’s death was no accident or suicide.

Coben has created an intriguing set of characters with Nap, Maura, Augie (Diana’s father and Nap’s mentor) and Ellie. They are all hiding secrets of their own, but what?! Every time I thought I knew what was going on, I was completely thrown off path by Coben; a genius at suspense and the perfect red herring.

Nap is troubled. He keeps himself to himself, still lives in his childhood home and the death of his twin brother still haunts him. Leo was found dead on a railway track alongside his girlfriend, Diana, in what is believed to be some sort of suicide pact involving drink and drugs. Nap needs closure in order to move on, and he thinks he is now going to get it.

With the help of his best friend, Ellie, Nap starts to seek answers to questions left unsaid. Nap has discovered some sort of “Conspiracy Club” a few kids invented back at school, one being his brother Leo, and Nap is sure that this is linked to all the mysterious things that have happened. What did the Conspiracy Club find out that has led to deaths?! These kids obviously found out something horrifying; a government cover-up or something even more sinister?! I could not wait to find out what. Locals kept influencing Nap to drop it and let go, leave the past in the past and all that, but Nap just couldn’t. He will get justice for what is right no matter the consequences.

Coben is the king at keeping me on my toes. His writing is a thrill-a-minute, sit down and devour in one sitting whilst keeping my eyes open with matchsticks. Coben knows exactly how to connect with readers to keep them engaged. His stories are original, his characters realistic and the scenery and dialogue are exactly what you would expect from small-town America.

Thank you to Century, Random House UK and Netgalley for an advanced copy of Don’t Let Go, it was pure enjoyment to read as can only be expected from Harlan Coben. The book is out to buy on 26th September so get pre-ordering now!

When I’m in the mood for a twisty fast-paced read, I know turning to a Harlan Coben book will deliver just what I need.  It’s my hard and fast thriller read rule and Don’t Let Go was no exception.

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First Line of Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben

“Daisy wore a clingy black dress with a neckline so deep it could tutor philosophy.”

My Thoughts on Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben

Things that I know Harlan Coben can deliver:

-          Interesting shadowy characters.  I love that his characters strut through the pages in various shades of grey.  The moral dilemmas that he positions his characters in, and just where they draw their own moral stance line fascinates me.  No black, no white, just lots of grey.

-          Wit.  ALL THE WIT.  I laugh, eye-roll and smirk my way through the pages, as I love his droll, sharp humour.

-          Twists.  Harlan holds the crown for master of twisty plots.  I devour suspense novels, and I have yet to read any other author who can deliver plot twist after plot twist with such rapid fire speed.

It didn't disappoint!

So basically I set pretty high standards for any Coben book that I read, but I’m never disappointed.  This book had me swiping as fast as I could on my kindle to absorb the plot, and unravel the mystery.

The main character Nap was a pleasure to spend time with.  In his own words,

"I’m a big county investigator with a hint of small-town cop. I have zero interest in money or glory. That’s not faux modesty. I’m happy being right where I am. I solve the cases and pass on the credit."

I loved Nap’s values and attitude, and as you quickly find out, he has own ideas on justice and on how the end justifies the means.  As a teenager, his twin brother Leo and Leo’s girlfriend Diane were found dead on railway tracks.  And while Nap was reeling from that horror, Nap’s girlfriend pulled a disappearing act.  Now 15 years, all these events are vibrating though Nap’s life again.  So he needs to find out just what, how and why this all happened and why it’s resurfacing.

I’m not going to spoil anything for you.  Basically all you need to know is I loved it, I didn’t guess the twists, and if you love suspense books you need to add it to your TBR!

The bottom line:

A fast-paced twisty thriller with a lot of heart running through the pages.  Roll on Harlan Coben’s next book, as it will be an auto-buy for me.

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Who should read Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben

I’d recommend this if you love lightning fast books, a mystery that makes you read as quickly as you can to join the dots, and characters that make you care.  Fans of previous books by Harlan Coben should enjoy.  I would also recommend it to you if you like authors such as Linwood Barclay, Tana French or James Patterson.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration.  As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

Although I enjoyed this book it's not one of my favourite books by the author. Great characters and fast paced fans of Harlan Coben will certainly enjoy this book full review to follow

An interesting psychological novel where the detective does not give up and doggedly pursues the plot.. Lots of twists and turns. A fast paced book which keeps you interested until the very end

At first this book was a bit slow and confusing and the character that it started with you didn't hear or see anything about till the end. The main character was having a conversation with his brother in his head all through the book as well which was quite nice. I thought this book was going to be like a any other American conspiracy type book which i don't really like, it was gearing towards that but in the end it changed course and was a normal who done it. There are somethings in the book that was mentioned but you never found out what happened but they happened to side characters so i don't suppose they really matter I would just liked to have known. I am new to Harlan Coben after seeing the programme he made for Sky and so far all of the books i have read have been brilliant and fast paced i don't want to put them down

I'm a huge fan of Harlan Coben, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one - and I read it in two days flat! I absolutely loved it!

Fifteen years ago, Nap's twin brother Leo, and Leo's girlfriend Diana, were found dead on the train tracks in a small town in New Jersey. Their deaths were put down to accident or suicide, and everyone moved on. Everyone except Nap, who is obsessed with finding out what really happened that night and if his brother's death is linked to the disappearance of his own girlfriend, Maura. Now another of Leo's old school friends has been killed, and Maura's prints have been found at the scene. Are the deaths connected, and what is the link to that mysterious old missile base hidden in the woods?

Don't Let Go is a fast paced-thriller and one of my favourite Harlan Coben novels to date. I loved the link between an old mystery and one in the present-day, and the way all the characters have secrets of their own. There is a theme running through the novel, very cleverly done, that I can't reveal because of spoilers, along with lots of false trails and red herrings, several of which I utterly fell for, and some great twists. The missile base is a real place, which I thought was a nice touch, and I found the way the story is told as though Nap is talking to his brother was endearing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fiendishly clever mysteries and fast-paced thrillers. Harlan Coben's existing fans will love it. I certainly did!

I was thoroughly looking forward to my second Harlan Coben novel ever since reading ‘The Woods’ (an instant 5 star for me).

Thankfully I wasn’t disappointed! This is yet another exceptionally well written addition to Coben’s repertoire. A 15 year old mystery, dormant until now, unravels at a great pace. The story is told through Nap, who is closely tied to both the events that occurred 15 years ago, and those that have started occurring in the current time frame.

Some great reveals, twists, and personal discoveries make for an enthralling read.
Not to mention some pertinent questions and perspectives on vigilantism.

Favourite quote: ‘The key to making time slow down is to have new experiences’

Thanks Netgalley and Random House UK for a review copy.

Another great book from this author, I read it in a couple of days. There's plenty of twists and turns but Nap is determined to find out how is brother and girlfriend died. He doesn't believe it was just an accident that killed them fifteen years earlier, he also wants to find the love of his life who disappeared at the same time. Thank you for the ARC, loved it

Don't Let Go was the first book I have read by Harlen Coben and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I recently watched Harlen Coben's The Five and this story has similarities in style to that. It follows Detective Nap Dumas who stumbles across a cold case where new evidence has come to light - the murder of his twin brother Leo. He enters into a world that he knew nothing about 15 years ago when his brother was still alive and uncovers some secrets that perhaps he wishes he hadn't. It's a very good story with lots of different twists and turns and I didn't see the ending coming at all. The only thing I will say is that it is quite 'American' and there was some language and phrases that I didn't understand, or didn't get. However, I will certainly recommend it as it kept me reading and interested and it was well written.

Cohen rarely disappoints and he doesn't here. Nap is haunted by the death of his twin brother when they were teenagers, but a chance appearance from his past makes him realise there may be more to it than a tragic accident.

Full of satisfying twists and turns and interlaced small-town realities.

A good read though not quite up to Coben's usual standard. As usual, the lead character is a flawed hero. Dumas is a good cop with a touch of vigilante. Will Dumas find out who killed his twin brother 15 years earlier. Even though the plot does stretch the imagination, it's so well written that you have to keep reading.

Nap, a police detective , is haunted by his twin brother Leo and Leo’s girlfriends Diana’s death 15 years ago. It was ruled as an accidental death by a train collision but the same night Nap’s girlfriend Maura also disappeared from his life. Now, after 15 years Maura’s prints turn up in a cop homicide case which throws out everything Nap believes to be true about his brother’s death.

I am a big fan of Harlan Coben and this book did not disappoint. It was a non-stop , fast paced, entertaining psychological thriller that I devoured in one sitting. Complex characters, witty dialogue with plenty of twists and turns makes it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone /Century& NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

A good story line with a great denouement I didn't see coming.

Coben tells a good tale, but his characterisation can get a bit unlikely. Our hero is everything a hero should be, apart from his very unlikely decision-making on occasion, when he puts not just himself but those close to him in danger - very odd when everything we're told about him elsewhere suggests he's not stupid and not impulsive. But hey, it all works out.

It's been months since I read a book! Life's been so hectic lately I just haven't had the time or inclination to sit down to read but when I saw a new book by Harlan Coben (one of my favourite authors), I decided I had to make time for it and was immediately sucked in as is usual with Harlan's books!

There are twists and turns, tension and likeable characters which just made me want to keep reading. The kind of book that makes you want to go to bed early to read! I was constantly trying to think of conspiracies and work out who did what, I was suspicious of various characters, it's a great fast-paced read.

Two teenagers were found dead, a suicide pact? Now, the dead boy's twin brother is a cop who has secrets that must be told. Having searched for answers for 15 years, he discovers truths that perhaps he didn't wish to know. Will they lead to a killer or will Nap reveal an even more sinister plot? As always, Harlan comes up with the goods in a fast paced, very easy to read style. He throws in a bit of humour and enough twists and turns to keep it interesting.

This is fast-paced and easy-reading entertainment, perfect for a beach or commute read. I've only read a couple of Cobens but can see a pattern emerging: the impact of a past crime on a man in the present, a lost love reappearing, twists galore.

Nap's 2nd person narrative (as if speaking to his dead brother addressed as 'you') can get a bit clumsy, as do the Chandler-esque similes: 'a neckline so deep it could tutor philosophy', 'the eyes of the male patrons crawling down her bare legs like earthworms', 'peered into the glass of whiskey in front of him as though he were a gypsy with a crystal ball' - and these are all on the first page!

Good switch-off reading or in between heavier books.

Cl,assic Harlan Coben. The twists and turns are as always well telegraphed so the read is pacey and fast, just like the action. The characters are again well drawn and if you are a fan then you will love this. If you are reading this master for the first time be prepared to buy more of his back catalogue after you finish this. Some of the plot stretches credibility but when did that ever get in the way of a good story. An easy fun read from someone who pleases every time.

A fast pacy thriller, cleverly linking past and present. What is the connection between events 15 years ago and events now?
And what has happened recently to cause the killings to begin again?
Harlan Coben has brought together an interesting set of characters in a fast moving , exciting story.
Highly recommended

A good stand alone thriller from Harlen Coben, with a cheeky Hitchcockesq cameo appearance by Myron Bolitar. Nap is a likeable hero, and the whole cast of characters are believeable. The story line hooked me right from the start. If you're a fan of Harlen Coben you'll enjoy this book. The twists keep coming, right to the end. Almost too much, I think I'd have enjoyed the book more if it'd been a bit shorter.