I never did read any of Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar novels, and since Win is a spin-off character from those books, perhaps I started with a disadvantage? But I really had trouble getting into this one, and I usually don't with Coben's books.

384 pages

4 stars

I've decided that I don't much care for Mr. Coben's character Win. He is a dog. 

That aside this is a very well written and plotted novel. The transitions are smooth and almost unnoticeable. I liked the action and mystery in the book. So taking Win's personality for what it is worth, this novel is a winner. I loved the surprise ending. I was baffled until then. 

Win is a some-time FBI Agent who sometimes investigates cases. When his old boss calls him to put him on a case, Win is somewhat surprised. This is after the FBI hauls him to a penthouse apartment of an elderly man who is a terrific hoarder. The man has been murdered. Does Win know him? No. But the FBI is suspicious. His family's stolen Vermeer is hanging on the man's wall and his monogrammed suitcase is in his closet. 

Apparently the murdered man was none other than Ry, the leader of a group of domestic terrorists responsible for a bombing and murder some number of years earlier. How did this man end up with Win's family Vermeer? And where is the Picasso that was also taken?

Win's cousin, Patricia, was kidnapped twenty years earlier at the same time her father Aldrich was murdered in their home. After months, Patricia managed to escape her captors. What is the connection between the two crimes? Is there one? 

Win takes the case and it leads him all over the United States tracking leads. Since he is very clever (as one hears him tell it), he slowly figures out the connections and motives of those involved in the crime. 

Along the way, Win makes some of what he terms “grey” decisions. I appreciated this about him. Perhaps it was one of his redeeming aspects. 

I want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to  read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This was truly one of the best, most thrilling novels I’ve read in a long time. Win is the protagonist of this novel with a penchant for righting wrongs and digging for truth, despite all the consequences.  Since Win is incredibly wealthy this pursuit is a large part of his life. 

The story is triggered by the death of a recluse found to possess a very valuable painting which had been stolen from Win’s mega-wealthy family. The body is that of a man believed to have led a radical 60’s group known as the Jane Street Six. Win seeks all the members of the 6 as well as the mystery behind his own family tragedies. 

He is a fascinating man and this book in extremely well-written. Honestly, I was captivated by this super hero, on his campaign to right past wrongs. 

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read this riveting novel.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

I've been a fan of Coben's "Myron Bolitar" series since it first came out, and really enjoyed the portrayal of Myron's friend and sometimes sidekick.  When I read that Coben was publishing a new book with Win (said sidekick) as the main character, I couldn't help but look forward to it.  The author has done a fine job on this book, keeping Win's character and personality intact, while fleshing out his background and family.  Win is not someone you would likely want as your best friend, someone to share a laugh with, to be your emotional support.  However, Win is the person you would want on your side when extreme trouble enters your life and you need to move beyond social norms in order to deal with it.  It was fun seeing Win dealing with feelings for his daughter, while still denying that he has those feelings.  I expect she will turn up regularly in his future adventures.  Great fun to read.

A man is found dead and in his possession is a painting that was stolen from the Lockwood family.  Win Lockwood can’t explain how the man got the painting along with a suitcase that used to belong to Win.  There are all sorts of twists in this story that go back to events in the past so you have to pay attention.  I wasn’t wild about the main character, Win.  Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thanks to NET GALLEY for a ARC

I enjoyed this one more than his last one by far

WIN  the man is never truly likeable other than he looks out for the "little guy/girl" which is a leap as you read because he is amoral pretty much through out the rest of the story.  The saving grace is the mechanics of the mystery and it gives us hope Mr. Coben will get back to his earlier super form

Worth the read

So  WIN is a novel starring Myron Bolitar's sidekick, Win Lockwood (hence the name).  Win, as a character, is completely ridiculous.  He has the intellect and fighting skills of Jack Reacher (i.e., he could kill you with just his thumb) but he is as pretentious and fussy as Kelsey Grammer's character on FRAZIER (Win answers the phone by saying "Articulate").  I mean, please.  And of course he is superrich and thus can get information, helicopters, armed goons at a moment's notice.  Oh, and he doesn't believe in forming emotional attachments with women, choosing to use a hook-up app designed only for the superrich to meet other superrich for sex (sex is like a religion for Win).  In other words, Win is an arrogant jackass and I hope I never meet anyone like him. Ever.  In spite of my distaste for the main character, the plot was enough to keep me reading and on that level, the book was very satisfying.

Wow!  This book grabbed my attention quickly and kept it until the very last page.  Win's story is filled with twists and turns, ending in a place I never expected.  This is the first (of many, I hope) in a new series spun off from the Myron Bolitar series.  I really enjoyed the story unfolding from Win's point of view.

If you like fast paced action filled with unconventional investigation and intervention, you will love this book.  I loved this one and couldn't put it down.    This is a must read for fans of the genre.  The author is on my must read authors' list.

In this first book of a new series, fan favorite Win has family issues on his mind. Having been called to the scene of a murder at one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan, he finds something surprising: a valuable oil painting that once adorned the wall of his family’s pile in Pennsylvania. How did it end up here and what journey did it take along the way. Through a friend and former mentor – the man who pulled him to this place – we learn of a possible link to a radical left wing group responsible for the death of seven people.

 A complex but intriguing puzzle starts to take form. Win has access to a private plane a full-time assistant and an ample store of contacts to aid his investigation. And, driven on by the various familial connections he identifies, he finds this particular mystery pretty much all consuming.

All in all, Win is a very good and highly complex protagonist to build an intriguing series around. Recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

Win is the first stand alone book in the Myron Bolitar series that focuses entirely on, you guessed it, Win. 

I read the book without having read the book jacket summary so I had no idea of the plot. There were so many different mysteries for Win to solve. 

Win is an odd character. I always liked him as the rich, cold, and loyal best friend of Myron. I wasn’t sure how he would translate to a main character given he is known for being Uber wealthy, not having personal attachments, and enjoying violence. 

Harlan Coben does an excellent job showing us more of Win’s world and backstory. I enjoyed the book and hope that he will continue with this series.

This book from Win’s point of view was everything I could have hoped and dreamed. Easiest 5-star rating I’ve made. 

If you know me, you know that I love all things Harlan Coben. It is rare to find an author whose work you love each and every time, but here we are. Coben has given me (and hopefully you) the gift of Myron Bolitar. His Myron Bolitar series is the absolute best character series I have ever read, hands down. Not only is each plot full of twists and fun, but the cast of characters is actually amazing. Never have I wanted to be part of a friend group more than I do with Myron, Win and the gang.

Which leads me here, to WIN. Win has always and will always be the best. His questionable morals, but unyielding friendship to Myron are just some of the ways that make him a great character. Therefore, when I found out that Harlan was writing a book based on Win's perspective - my inner fan girl may have died a bit. This was the BEST news and guess what? This book delivers!!

I hate to say "long story short" after I have already rambled on, but I think it's imperative that you know how amazing of a character Win is. I highly recommend reading a few of the Myron Bolitar books before coming into this, just so you have a full appreciation for the joy that this book will bring. If not, it is an absolute great book in and of itself, anyway and I am confident that you will love Windsor Horne Lockwood III as much as I do.

The plot is thick as always, and the investigation with Win at the front couldn't be better. It starts with a murder of an (at first) unknown man in a NYC apartment, but quickly is linked to the kidnapping of Win's cousin, Patricia Lockwood, over twenty years ago. Throw in a few other items that link Win to this murder and BAM - you have Win's attention. Win is on the case and will stop at nothing (really - he has all of the money and hardly any morals) to solve it.

If you do one thing, make it pre-ordering this book.

If you were not aware, I am Harlan Coben’s #1 fan ... so when I was offered an opportunity to review an early copy of Win, you know I dropped everything to do so. ⁣
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This freaking book you guys!!! Win is a love letter to all of Harlan’s long time fans - those who know Windsor Horne Lockwood as Myron Bolitar’s billionaire badass sidekick with a penchant for the finer things, and a man you certainly don’t want to stumble across in a back alley. But, what we’ve never gotten is an entire novel from Win’s POV and when I tell you this is everything you ever hoped for - it’s MORE. ⁣
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Now, you’re probably wondering - what if I’m new to Coben? What if I’m a casual reader of his but not caught up on Myron Bolitar? That’s ok! (Well it’s not and you should fix it immediately cause you are missing some of the best books of all time) This can totally be read standalone - the plot and wit will still “win” you over. ⁣
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In every book of Coben’s, he uses the line “man plans, g-d laughs” and I think this quote is truer than ever in 2020, but reading this book felt like visiting some of my oldest friends for a moment and everything was alright once again. ⁣
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If you didn’t get the gist by now, this is without a doubt 5 stars for me, one of my favorite reads of the year, and one you must read when it releases in March 2021.

"What's this about?" Sadie asks.
"We'd like to talk to Mr. Lockwood."
"So I gathered," Sadie replies with a bit of bite. "What about?"
Brynn smiles and puts her badge back in her pocket. "It's about a murder."

It's time to articulate, folks, and if you haven't had the absolute privilege of meeting Windsor Horne Lockwood III, you've come to the right place. He's a little bit this:

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And quite a bit of this:

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Truly, Win is the reason why I have an unhealthy, obsessive love affair with every fictional morally gray character I come across. He's a cheeky gentleman in public settings, and an absolute animal behind closed doors, and I mean that in multiple ways. He has no problem delivering a good beat down and toeing around the constraints of the law to get what he wants, and he's also the proverbial ladies man. If you're a long time Coben fan like moi, they you'll already be quite familiar with Win and his WASPish, deviant ways due to his reoccurring appearances in the Myron Bolitar series. Win is more times than not the avenue Myron uses when he needs access to things that the police have, but cannot obtain through his typical private investigating channels. If you know me, then you know that I'm a huge fan of Myron and co., and would beat myself up if I didn't take the opportunity to encourage the reading of said series for all the background and Easter eggs you might find in this book, but if you're not up for a massive 13 ish book binge read, I would at least recommend reading Home first, as there's a major twist dropped right at the end that could be helpful going into this book.

As someone who has been waiting for a novel from Win's POV for 12 years, this book is kind of a big deal. Clearly, a reader who is brand new to the author's work won't have the same visceral reaction to this story that I have, but if I can't win you over with the excellent characterization and "coming home" feeling that these books provide, perhaps I can win you over with the plot. <--- win... see what I did there? hehe I'm actually not going to touch on any specifics, because I know a LOT of people have been desperately waiting for this book, and it would be an honest shame if I didn't give readers the same opportunity I had to go in blind. Here, we get not one but TWO mysteries to solve! The first crime was when Patricia Lockwood was kidnapped over 20 years ago during a robbery at her family's estate, and she's held captive for awhile before escaping. Unfortunately, so did her captors, and what they stole from her family. Fast forward to modern day POV, and a man is found murdered in a NYC apartment, and Win's briefcase, along with the family's missing painting, turn up at the crime scene. Clearly both crimes are tied together, and Win decides to branch out in his own investigation of sorts.

I think I'll leave it there, but this book truly exceeded my lofty expectations. It has action, intrigue, a dash of romance, and mention of some old characters that I think readers will be happy to be reunited with. Whether or not you're a fan of the Myron Bolitar series, I think you'll be able to sink into this standalone and enjoy it just the same.