Member Reviews

It was great to have a book from Win's perspective instead of Myron's for once. I've always loved Win; sure, he's a bit special, but the greatest characters always are. I enjoyed the story immensely and I recommend this book and all other books by Harlan Coben warmly.

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This is a real twist and turn story. I almost gave up after first couple of chapters as wasn’t getting into the story but glad I persevered. A real page turner and as good as any other Harlan Coben I have read.

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Finally, here is the book Harlan Coben fans have been waiting for.. Throughout the Myron Bolitar series we have been given tantalising glimpses of Windsor Horne-Lockwood III, known to his friends as Win. Time and again Myron has called on him but apart from knowing that he is wealthy beyond belief and totally ruthless we haven't had an insight into the man himself.
This book changes all of that. With three historical crimes tenuously linked to his family Win has to focus his powers of detection on solving them. The author gives us a much more rounded view of the eponymous millionaire. For the first time we learn all about his background and family, not forgetting his personal life. There was plenty of tension as Win digs deep into these very confusing crimes and almost gets himself killed on several occasions. I loved seeing him in a romantic setting and discovered that he possesses a very dry wit. Unfortunately I think there was a bit too much time devoted to Win soul searching and not enough of, what in my opinion was the most interesting story, the abduction and murder of more than 30 young women. All the same this was a very good read either as a standalone or part of a series

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

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This was the first Harlan Coben book I have read, I have mixed feelings about it if I'm honest.

The plot was interesting and had lots of different elements to keep you focused. However I also felt like parts of it were dragged out unnecessarily.

The main character Win is a morally grey guy who definitely seems to love himself maybe a little too much? He is incredibly rich though so I guess that makes sense hah.

The journey to answering the mystery of the suitcase and what really happened on one dark night was one of many twists.

Overall I liked it but I'm not a huge fan of Win

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"Win" by Harlan Coben is a thrilling mystery novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Coben's writing is fast-paced and engaging, and he expertly weaves together multiple plot threads to create a complex and intriguing story. The titular character, Win, is a fascinating and enigmatic protagonist who will leave readers wanting more. While some aspects of the plot may be a bit far-fetched, the book is still an enjoyable and suspenseful read. Overall, "Win" is a solid addition to Coben's oeuvre and a must-read for fans of the mystery genre. A strong four-star review.

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If you think about it, Bruce Wayne's only superpower was tremendous wealth.

WHL3 - Windsor Horne Lockwood the Third - or Win as his friends now him, finds himself entangled in a decades old mystery when a long lost suitcase is discovered.

Win is absolutely the antihero I never knew I needed. A man with the money, the means and the drive to get the answers he wants (and sometimes the ones he doesn't).



4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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I have finally caught up with this series! And was really happy to read more about Myron's right hand man, and very unique character, Win.

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Harlan is a great thriller writer and Win is no exception. Page turning, great ending and actually left me with my mouth dropping!

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EXCERPT: 'We found one item in the closet of this bedroom.' Brynn smiles. She has, I notice, a nice smile. 'Only one.'

I wait.

Lopez reenters the room. Behind him, a crime scene technician carries an alligator-leather suitcase with burnished metal hardware. I recognize the piece, but I can't believe it. It makes no sense.

'Do you recognise this suitcase?' Brynn asks.

'Should I?'

But, of course, I do. Years ago, Aunt Plum had one made up for every male member of the family. They are all adorned with the family crest and our initials. When she gave it to me - I was fourteen at the time - I tried very hard not to frown. I don't mind expensive and luxurious. I do mind vulgar and wasteful.

'The bag has your initials on it.'

The technician tipped the luggage so I could see the tacky baroque monogram.

WHL3

'That's you, right? WHL3? Windsor Horne Lockwood the third?'

I don't move, don't speak, don't give anything away. But, without sounding overly dramatic, this discovery has given my world a shove off its axis.

ABOUT 'WIN': Over twenty years ago, the heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family's estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin for months. Patricia escaped, but so did her captors — and the items stolen from her family were never recovered.

Until now. On the Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3. For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead — not only on Patricia's kidnapping, but also on another FBI cold case — with the suitcase and painting both pointing them toward one man.

Windsor Horne Lockwood III — or Win, as his few friends call him — doesn't know how his suitcase and his family's stolen painting ended up with a dead man. But his interest is piqued, especially when the FBI tells him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an act of domestic terrorism — and that the conspirators may still be at large. The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades, but Win has three things the FBI doesn't: a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune; and his own unique brand of justice.

MY THOUGHTS: Why does Win have to be such a egotistical, entitled, narcissist? I really disliked him. I didn't even admire his well-intentioned vigilante episode, mainly because I don't think that it was well intentioned. It was just Win, flexing his muscle and doing something he enjoyed with what he regarded as benevolent justification.

I struggled with WIN. The storyline may have held my interest had Win been more relatable, but it is very wearing having to listen to Win endlessly tell us just how good and wonderful Win is.

There is a distinct lack of suspense and tension. The book is slow-paced, almost boring, and by the time I got to the admittedly very surprising twist, I was just over it. That twist earned an extra half star from me.

There are numerous references to Myron Bolitar, the main character in another series written by Coben; one I sampled a couple of books of, but didn't enjoy and didn't continue with. I don't remember Win from my brief foray - he apparently features - and I probably wouldn't have picked WIN up to read had I known of the connection.

I have read some brilliantly good books by this author, unfortunately WIN isn't counted among them.

⭐⭐.5

#Win #NetGalley

I: @harlancoben @randomhouse

T: @HarlanCoben @randomhouse

THE AUTHOR: Harlan Coben was born in Newark, New Jersey. He still lives in New Jersey with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben MD, a pediatrician, and their four children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of WIN by Harlan Coben for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Insstagram, Amazon and my webpage

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This particular book I have had to read this for a while now, just over a year. I was so excited when it was released as I love Harlan Coben, but then I was too scared to read it as what if it disappointed? I finally got around to reading it and I am again split in my decision. It was a good read and gave us a deeper insight into Win's family life as we knew he was wealthy and a bit of a lone wolf from previous stories with Myron Bolitar. It was also great to see where he is now. I also love how the book was a past/present theme with The Jane Street Six. This was an awesome twist to the story and seeing where they are now or discovering the truth of what happened to the characters back then. The part that I didn't like was the fact that without Myron - Win just isn't as good and quirky. I know he always liked to give this lone wolf attitude, but I felt this book was lacking because we don't have the strong chemistry that the bromance had. These two worked as they complimented each other and without each other, Win's character just fell flat for me. I also didn't like the new lawyer Sadie as she was all attitude and you are ruining my career. It's like HELLO, he is a vigilante and he got Teddy off the streets and he even died almost doing it, give him some credit. She just didn't understand poor Win and how his mind worked. It was good though to see Win interacting more with his daughter as she is a mix of Win's personality and the OMG twist with his cousin and uncle's family was surprising. I am interested to see if we do get more Win stories and fingers crossed, we get some Myron cameos as that would be awesome.

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Ok so this was my first Harlan Coben novel! I know, I know… but at least I finally got to it. Being a read-now on @netgalley I knew it was now or never. Thanks NG!

Anyhow let me tell you that I was impressed by the writing style and the compelling story! You can tell he is a seasoned author who knows how to write. It almost felt like reading a screenplay up be honest. Very visual!

So I was introduced to Win, or rather Windsor Horne Lockwood III, hot unapologetic and someone you don’t want to piss off. Those of you who read Coben will probably know him from his earlier series with Myron Bolitar.

In my head I pictured him as Ryan Gosling, cool, elegant and deadly.
But I digress…. the story revolves around the Jane Street Six, six youngsters who did something stupid 40 years ago that resulted in the deaths of several people.

At present day a man is found dead in an apartment. It turns out he’s Ry Strauss, one of the infamous Jane Street six members, who went into hiding.
When Win is called in for questioning, it quickly becomes clear that Ry must also have been involved in the murder of Win's uncle and the kidnapping and rape of his cousin.
That night, two paintings were stolen, one of which is now hanging in Ry Strauss' flat.

This was a bit complicated to follow, especially if you haven’t read the previous series with Win, because the author introduces a number of characters and it’s hard to keep track of who everyone is.

Thank goodness I buddy read this with my lovely friends Natasa who has read the previous books and helped me understand so many things.

We put our heads together and managed to solve part of the mystery.
But definitely worth reading. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

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I always like Harlan Coben’s books and this one is no different. A good book from start to end and very easy to read. Definitely recommend and can’t wait to read more from Coben in the future.

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Love Harlan Coben as a rule but did not realise it was part of a series so put it down and intend to read the others first.

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Its been a while since I've read anything by Harlan Coben and now I'm a bit annoyed with myself for missing out.
'Win' is a superb, excellently constructed thriller with many facets, all of which tie up beautifully at the end.
I don't think we are supposed to like the protagonist (In the opening pages, we read that he is committing an act of severe violence for a start) but I loved him.
Obviously unapologetically wealthy with no real compassion but an amazing mind, Win is my sort of guy.
Looking forward to reading the next in the series already.

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I read a lot of Harlen Coben books about 10 years ago and always enjoyed them. In recent years I have enjoyed the netflix adaptations so I decided to dip in to his latest offering. I will admit the first few pages didn't win my over because the protagonist's voice took some getting used to but when I did I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling read.

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Win, the much loved side character from the Myron series, now has his own spin off series. I feel like I got a different view of Win from these books, and that he has aged really well.

Long hidden family secrets, an intriguing mystery and Win's cynical humour all added up to a great read for me. It's Harlan Coben, so it goes without saying the twists were mind-blowing, and jokes were old school, and the pace was faster than light.

Win was a winner for me. And I'm eagerly awaiting book 2.

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Loved this book and excited to see more! A thrilling, fast paced story which really pulls you in and leaves you unsure where things stand throughout but in the best way. On the surface the character of Win should be wholly unlikeable yet he endears himself to the reader in my eyes and you really gun for him with all you have.

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Tell No One is one of my favourite thrillers. In fact, I can say it was probably one of the first ones I read that really made me love the genre.
This one didn't reach the same heights for me.
Win was a pretty unlikeable character, and his arrogance oozed from each page, which was pretty off-putting. Not sure I really even want to read the next one, as it's apparently the first in a series about him.
The pacing was flat a few times and was pretty forgettable in my opinion.

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Win is a great character and I am so glas he finally has his own books.

It's been years since I've read Harlan Coben and I'm greatful to be reintroduced to his writing with win.

A good thriller detective gone rogue vibe, we learn about his family past and follow the repercussions of him carrying out justice.

He has a fun relaxed view of his family riches. He knows he can get away with a lot because of that money which gives a good bit of entertainment

If you don't know Cobens writing but want to try it this is a good one to start with without having to catch up on previous books.

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Although a thriller, the subject of this story was a little bit out of my comfort zone, but as a big fan of Harlan Coben I decided to give it a go and I wasn’t disappointed. I found it to be a very interesting and thrilling read.

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