Member Reviews
A catch up with Harlan Coben, and his character Win Lockwood III whose ego is something else. However an extremely colourful character. Crimes involving his illustrious family spread over several years in the past, finally solved and family secrets uncovered.
Very cleverly written from the title to the plot. I have read many of the Myron Bolitar books where best friend Win helps out Myron, but here he has a debut all of his own. Not always likeable, but with his own strong sense of justice for the underdog. Win has his immense wealth to smooth his way; private plane to get to a meeting in another State-no problem! In itself interesting to see just how much his wealth helps.
Win is the sole narrator, worldly wise and excellent at explaining his motives, but so self assured not bothered if they are not believed.
The story starts slow but soon picks up as Harlan’s books always do, with enough twists and turns to keep everyone happy. There are many characters, but all have their place and lead to a surprising outcome. I enjoyed it and I think fans of Myron will too!
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
A gripping tale from the start. Win is a character that you'll instantly like. A one man wrecking machine who isn't afraid t0o hide his thoughts on the subject at hand. A brutal tale of historical consequences catching up with the here and now. A must read.
I am a long time fan of Harlen Coben and loved Myron Bolitar so was excited to read a book based around Win, who was always there to help out Myron when he needed it.
After a bit of a slow start the book really took off and the character of Win was beautifully drawn out via his experiences and musings and his interactions with family members.
The case itself was also intriguing but not as much as Win!
A great re-introduction to Coben and I will be digging out my Bolitar series to re-read over Christmas!
This is the first Harlan Coben book I've read. I had recently watched a couple of adaptations of his books on Netflix and enjoyed them so thought I'd give this a go. I won't be reading any more of his books. I should have been warned by the blurb which states at the end that the protagonist has a 'unique sense of justice'. I must have been sleeping not to realise that this means he was a vigilante.
The main character was not at all likeable. Other characters were hard to differentiate and there were so many I found it hard to keep track of them. The pace was uneven at times, slow to begin with (so slow I nearly gave up) but it did perk up towards the end. This is not a genre of book I normally read but I'm always willing to give different things a try. I think if you do like this genre you'll probably enjoy it but it wasn't for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this advanced copy of the new Harlan Coben novel , “Win”. Yes he is back and from reading the first mention of Articulate, you can settle back and enjoy diving into the pages of a fast paced, page turner of a book told from Win’s perspective. This story is full of all the things we have come to expect from a Harlan Coben novel - action, twists and turns, humour , the list is endless.. This is story telling of the highest order and I have no hesitation in recommending it. 5 stars all the way.
I have read and enjoyed a number of books by Harlan Coben, but this one left me cold. Win is an unappealing, and frankly boring character, with no discernible personality. He is also irritating, unable to differentiate between "you and I" and "you and me", believes that MO stands for Method of Operation rather than Modus Operandi, and seems to think that OCD is an adjective rather than a medical condition. The story is good, if a little complicated by the large number of characters involved, but I'm afraid that I really don't want to read another book about Win Lockwood.
There was a time when I regarded Halan Coben as one of my favourite authors but unfortunately I have found his writing a little hit and miss. This for me was a miss and although it was an ok read I found it instantly forgettable. I can see by other reviews I am in the minority but it is my honest opinion.
Windsor Horne Lockwood III is known as Win to his friends and probably just as well given the mouthful. A few years back his family had some expensive paintings taken as well as his monogrammed suitcase. The items have now been located in the penthouse of an exclusive NYC building, which is the home of a recently killed man and apparent hoarder. Win wants to know what the connection is that this man had to his family and his cousins' abduction years earlier.
I just couldn't connect to this story and although the usual Harlan Coben humour was evident I lost interest in the plot. I am sure many others opinions will differ but sorry not for me.
I would like to thank Netgalley & Random House, Cornerstone for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I have reached 65% and cannot read any further. This book started with such promise but the combination of many plots, sub-plots and unconnected threads combined with endless characters and no chapters, I’ve had it!
Windsor Horne Lockwood III - or Win as he's more commonly known - is called to a New York penthouse where a hoarder has been murdered, and also where both his family's Vermeer painting and a suitcase bearing his initials were found. This leads him onto a quest to find out who the old hoarder is and how he gained possession of two items relating to Win himself.
Win is also - as it happens - incredibly rich. He's doesn't much trust the legal system, and he has some vigilante tendencies. He also has a particularly soft spot for righting the wrongs when it comes to men who prey upon women, thanks in part to the brutal murder of his uncle and kidnap of his cousin twenty years ago.
This is a superb book. Win is equal parts righteous hero and violent anti-hero at times and it's a really fun balance when you try and work out what is going to happen next. My only negative is that the ending is quite abrupt - the pacing is brilliant for most of the book, and then everything is tied together just a little too rapidly for my liking. One particular plot thread is wrapped up in only a sentence at the end, as if it was a bit of an afterthought.
A gripping read.
The hero of the story, Win, is a well heeled scion of a wealthy house, who uses his wealth to stop human predators. When his family's stolen painting comes to light, he is suspected of the murder of the man who has it. The plot then becomes complex when the murdered man is identified, setting off an investigation by Win of how he came by the painting in the first place.
Win as a character is believable and three dimensional, and we are drawn into his world quite quickly. He is thoughtful but strange, and it works well, in my view. The book itself is well plotted and twists satisfyingly around, whilst giving a nod to the first person gumshoe detective novel.
I don't want to give any spoilers but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good detective novel.
In New York, a man is found murdered in his penthouse apartment . He was a hoarder and recluse. A valuable painting and a suitcase found in the penthouse were taken during a murder and abduction over 20 years earlier. Win Lockwood III is under suspicion because the suitcase is his and he has no idea how it got there. Win is extremely rich, smart and used to getting his own way. He needs to find out what happened, particularly as it also involves his cousin, Patricia, who had escaped from her abductor the night her father was murdered.
I hadn’t read any books by this author previously but I realise I have been missing out. Although the main character, Win, has been mentioned in previous novels by this author, it is a stand-alone read. Win is tough, believable and knows his own mind, although I’m not sure I like him. However, the story is compelling, and I read this book very quickly, as I really wanted to know the outcome. And I wasn't disappointed. At times the pace was so fast I almost forgot to breath while I was reading it. I’ll definitely look for this author again.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Another classic Harlan Coben mystery!
I steamed through this book because i just couldn’t carry on my day not knowing the fates of the Jane Street Six and the connection with the stolen artworks and the Lockwood family.
As always with Coben there are twists and turns in every chapter and although i half pieced together some clues i was still baffled at the final revelations.
Really well written, and i liked that the main character, Win, was talking directly to the reader.
Windsor Horne Lockwood III, or Win as he known to most, has been popping up in Harlan Coben books for a while but this is his first standalone and it does not disappoint. The good news is that if you haven't ever read a Coben book before or never read one of the Myron Bolitar series (where Win pops up) it won't matter. We are introduced to Win as though we have no previous knowledge.
Win is a rich man. A very rich man from a very wealthy background and for that, he makes no apologies. He knows that he is very lucky to have been born into this life and he makes it work for him.
Over 20 years ago, Patricia Lockwood, Win's cousin was kidnapped during a robbery of her family home, where her father was also shot dead. After being locked in a cabin for months, Patricia managed to escape but so did the men who were her captors and killers of her father.
In New York, a recluse in found murdered in his penthouse apartment. In this apartment is a piece of art that was stolen on the night of Patricia's kidnapping and a suitcase that she had taken with her.
Win has no idea how this suitcase or the family painting have ended up in this apartment - but he means to find out. This is where Win puts his ridiculous wealth and connections to good use.
During his investigations, Win discovers some uncomfortable truths regarding his own family that he wants to keep from damaging the good family name.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Windsor Horne Lockwood III is quite rich. His family was robbed some years back and some expensive paintings were taken as well as his monogrammed suitcase. Now these items have been found in the penthouse of an exclusive NYC building, which is the home of a recently killed man and apparent hoarder. Win takes it upon himself to determine what connection this man had to his family and his cousins's abduction years earlier.
Harlan Coben is my #1 top author. I have enjoyed Win as Myron Bolitar's best friend for years. I really enjoyed getting to know him better in this book and would love to see more of him as the lead character as he really is quite colorful. As always, this was a solid story with lots of clues being turned up, so my interest never waned. My only issue and why this was a 4 star and not a 5, is that there were a lot of characters from the past that were introduced and I had a hard time remembering who was who and what their piece of the story was. Anyway, a new Coben is always a treat and the sad part of finishing this is that now I have a long wait for the next one.
I usually really enjoy reading books by Harlan Coben but to be honest, this book wasn't really for me. I can tell right from the start if I'm going to enjoy reading the book but unfortunately on this occasion, I didn't enjoy it.
I wasn't initially sure how Win would work in a solo book without Myron, but I really shouldn't have worried. Harlan Coben is such a brilliant story teller it was always going to be a cracker. The murder of a hermit uncovers a priceless Vermeer owned by Win's family and sets him off on an investigation tied to the murder an uncle, abduction of his cousin and discovery of some dark family secrets.
Harlan Coben is one of those writers with whose books the reader can never go wrong! Win, featuring the eponymous protagonist whose full name is Windsor Horne Lockwood III, is another fine example for this claim.
Win is superrich. Scion of the renowned Lockwood family, he knows how to put his wealth to use—both to entertain himself and to deliver his own brand of justice as per his own moral code. This time, he is confronted by a murder that seemingly has links to unsolved crimes committed almost twenty and forty years ago—one of them involving the abduction and abuse of his only favourite cousin and famous philanthropist, Patricia Lockwood. Win employs his considerable resources and his own diverse talents in tracking down people that the authorities have failed to find for decades. In doing so, he uncovers some startling truths about his own family that, if out in the open, can seriously damage the Lockwood family’s reputation. Apart from this quest, Win also has to escape intact from the mortal peril he finds himself in due to his justice-delivering.
Win is unique in the sense that he has money and authority on his side, in contrast to most other literary heroes who have to fight against the powers of money and authority to deliver justice. He comes off as arrogant, irreverent and blunt to the point of being rude, and wields his wealth like the mighty weapon it is. If at all he has any vulnerabilities, Coben offers only a few fleeting glimpses of them. Like him or not, Win undoubtedly leaves an indelible impression on the reader. In spite of Win hogging all the limelight, there are other interesting characters in this novel like Ema, Win’s biological daughter, and Nigel Duncan, Lockwood Estate’s butler-cum-attorney; Win's interactions with both of them are pretty amusing. The plot of Win flows smooth and fast the way its hero wants it to, making the book difficult to put down.
Going by the rave reviews Win has garnered in his earlier—albeit secondary—appearances, this novel is sure to be loved by loyal fans. As for me, this was my first experience with Win and I have not made up mind yet as to whether I like him or not. But, irrespective of my feelings about him, I have no hesitation is saying that I was tremendously entertained by this novel and would like to see Win pitted against stronger adversaries in the future.
A huge ‘Thank you!’ to the author and the publisher of Win, and netgalley.com, for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
This was my first foray into the world of Harlan Coben. I was eager to read his books after watching the Netflix adaption of The Stranger and loving it. Granted I started with a new series involving an existing, and from what I hear much loved, character from another Coben series I was prepared to not entirely get it. However, this read much like a stand alone thrilling crime mystery.
Windsor Horne Lockwood III is an extremely entertaining character. He's a little bit Bruce Wayne and a little Wade Wilson, meaning he is basically an anti-hero. He believes in righting wrongs and getting justice but only if it suits himself. He's exactly my kind of characters and I knew I was in. However, the multitude of story lines was exhausting. There was a lot going on and it all started twenty odd years before. Without giving too much away, it involves a stolen suitcase, two missing paintings, a kidnapping, a murder, a vigilante bombing, six missing hippies and a crime family wanting revenge. Like I said, exhausting. The saving grace was how Coben managed to weave all of these stories together and tie everything up nicely at the end with no real cliffhangers. I was great writing and I'll be sure to pick up more from Harlan Coben in the future.
Huge thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and Netgalley for my advance review copy.
Harlan Coben never disappoints and this thriller is as always page turner.
Win is very rich and very entitled man, who also fights for justice and against the crime. But what to do when your family is envolved in one?
As author says: "This isn't a John Grisham managainst-the-system novel - in reality, the little man can't stand up to it."
Money helps, but does it in this case?
Characters are very interesting and the plot twisted.
Joy to read.