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A review by markalkman
Schijnbeweging by Harlan Coben
4.0
There used to be a time when I gave every Harlan Coben book I read 5 stars. And when I wasn't completely blown away by it, I toned it down to 4 stars. I've become a bit more sceptical and critical over the years (still not sure whether or not that's a good thing, but alas), so I don't give books 5 stars just because I 'liked' them. 5 stars is the best score you can give a book. There's no topping that. So when you give every single book you 'liked' 5 stars, what does that say about your judgement?
Anyhow, back to this book. The Dutch edition of 'One False Move', book 5 in the Myron Bolitar series. When I started reading my first Coben book, it was in Dutch. So I stuck with it. This is my 19th Coben book, and I'm still reading them in Dutch. I don't know why, exactly, maybe because I own all his books in my native language. And even though I prefer reading books in their original language, sometimes it’s nice to switch back to your own languague. I love Dutch (don’t think many Dutch people will agree with me on that one), so why not read a book in Dutch every now and again (and get angry at the translators for using really weird words)?
First things first, though. What I don’t understand is that people say you can read the Myron Bolitar series as standalone thrillers. Trust me: YOU CAN’T. There’s so much history and past dynamics between the main characters, there’s a lot you wouldn’t understand if you read this book first. Why Win is the way he is, for example. Or what Jessica did to Myron and why Esperanza hates her so much. Or why Myron is a thirty something, who’s only just recently decided to live on his own. Or why Myron decided to make a comeback in basketball last year, when he knew his knee was way too messed up to ever play again. You just can’t read these thrillers as standalone books. IT’S A SERIES. THIS IS BOOK 5. Just start with book 1, people, it’s not that hard.
“I’m also an exciting vocalist,” Myron said. “Want to hear my much-loved rendition of ‘Volare’?” “You’ll be singing out the other end of your ass if you don’t get in the car.” “Other end of my ass,” Myron said. He looked up as though in deep thought. “I don’t get it. Out of the end of my ass, okay, that makes sense. But out of the other end? What does that mean exactly? I mean, technically, if we follow the intestinal tract, isn’t the other end of your ass simply your mouth?”
Myron remains one of my all time favourite Coben characters. A close second to number 1, Paul Copeland from 'The Woods'. Myron's hilarious, sarcastic and not too serious. He runs around New York with a gun tucked away somewhere, he knows how to defend himself (or how to kick someone's ass) and yet he's still a big 'ol softie. He's got such a big heart for the people around him: his parents, Esperanza, Win, Jessica and of course, his clients. Honestly, there's nothing he wouldn't do for them. Maybe that is one of his flaws as well, one of the things that continually gets him into trouble or troublesome situations.
Luckily, his buddy Win is always there to save the day. I love the dynamics between these two entirely different characters. Where Win is at times describes as a pscyhopath with a craving for violence, Myron doesn’t like to use his gun or his hands when it’s not necessary. They often debate topics like these. Topics about revenge, justice, innocence, violence, friendship and love.
Win, on the other hand, always carried a gun—at least two, actually, not to mention a prodigious potpourri of concealed weaponry. The man was like a walking Israel.
It’s fun to see the change in times while readig this series. The first book takes place somewhere in the early nineties, book five is set in 1998. So they have mobile phones now, and yet they still use car phones and call centers to connect with people in other parts of town. It’s hilarious to read this book in a time where we all have a mobile device with internet and where call centers are definitely something ancient from the past.
Win and Myron use these changing times to keep an eye out for each other. For instance, when Myron goes into a dangerous meeting alone, he calls Win first so his friend can listen to everything that’s happening. And Win – excuse me, Windsor Horne Lockwoon III – is like a ninja. People don’t see him coming, they never do. They always understimate him because of his size and his really good aristocratic looks. He’s a really interesting character and I hope to learn more about him as the series progresses.
Win nodded. “Open the glove compartment. Arm yourself like a paranoid despot. This may get ugly.
Now, back to the story. At the start of the book, there’s a flashforward to the funeral of someone Myron obviously deeply cared about. He’s waiting fort he ‘murderer’ to appear, and at the end of the prologue, someone steps forward and confesses to killing someone. He then asks of Myron feels better and before you get an answer, time goes back a couple of days. It’s an interesting way to start the story, because you have no idea who the buried person is or who the murderer is and who his/her victim is. Definitely a great way to grip the audience and leave them wanting more.
We go back a couple of days, and we see Myron meeting Norm Zuckerman – another character that shows up in almost every Myron Bolitar book so far. So again, I press everyone to just read this series in order!!! Norm asks him to take on Brenda Slaughter as a client, a professional basketball player who’s apparently being threatened. Brenda is dark skinned – now, note that this takes place in 1998, so it’s an entirely different world than the one we live in now. Or… maybe not so different after all. Anyhow, Myron takes her on as a client and helps her to find her father. Later on, he comes kind of obsessed with this entire case and tries to track down Brenda’s mother as well. Her mother, who left her and her father when she was only 5 years old.
Myron’s search brings him to dark places and get him all tangled up in the games of corrupt politicians, mafia crime lords, bribed cops and of course his own feelings for both Brenda and his current girlfriend Jessica. I liked the fact that Myron finally decided to look past Jessica, more or less, but what I didn’t like was the fact the he was ‘in love’ with Brenda after knowing her for two days. He couldn’t have fallen in love with her, not that fast and not when his heart truly belongs to Jessica as he’s always saying. On the other hand, this is fiction and everything can happen in fiction. Plus, maybe it wasn’t exactly love that he felt for Brenda… Hmm. Okay, that’s not really important.
The story was good. I liked it. Like every other Coben book I’ve ever read (18 so far), it was fast-paced and well written. It had humour, really intense moment, action packed scenes and some really great dialogues. Coben yet again did what he does best: write a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. That’s one of the things I admire most about him. He manages to write a book that makes so much sense when you’ve read it in its entirety, yet when you’re halfway through you have no idea how things are going to. Coben is a great writer and I will never stop recommending his books.
Anyhow, back to this book. The Dutch edition of 'One False Move', book 5 in the Myron Bolitar series. When I started reading my first Coben book, it was in Dutch. So I stuck with it. This is my 19th Coben book, and I'm still reading them in Dutch. I don't know why, exactly, maybe because I own all his books in my native language. And even though I prefer reading books in their original language, sometimes it’s nice to switch back to your own languague. I love Dutch (don’t think many Dutch people will agree with me on that one), so why not read a book in Dutch every now and again (and get angry at the translators for using really weird words)?
First things first, though. What I don’t understand is that people say you can read the Myron Bolitar series as standalone thrillers. Trust me: YOU CAN’T. There’s so much history and past dynamics between the main characters, there’s a lot you wouldn’t understand if you read this book first. Why Win is the way he is, for example. Or what Jessica did to Myron and why Esperanza hates her so much. Or why Myron is a thirty something, who’s only just recently decided to live on his own. Or why Myron decided to make a comeback in basketball last year, when he knew his knee was way too messed up to ever play again. You just can’t read these thrillers as standalone books. IT’S A SERIES. THIS IS BOOK 5. Just start with book 1, people, it’s not that hard.
“I’m also an exciting vocalist,” Myron said. “Want to hear my much-loved rendition of ‘Volare’?” “You’ll be singing out the other end of your ass if you don’t get in the car.” “Other end of my ass,” Myron said. He looked up as though in deep thought. “I don’t get it. Out of the end of my ass, okay, that makes sense. But out of the other end? What does that mean exactly? I mean, technically, if we follow the intestinal tract, isn’t the other end of your ass simply your mouth?”
Myron remains one of my all time favourite Coben characters. A close second to number 1, Paul Copeland from 'The Woods'. Myron's hilarious, sarcastic and not too serious. He runs around New York with a gun tucked away somewhere, he knows how to defend himself (or how to kick someone's ass) and yet he's still a big 'ol softie. He's got such a big heart for the people around him: his parents, Esperanza, Win, Jessica and of course, his clients. Honestly, there's nothing he wouldn't do for them. Maybe that is one of his flaws as well, one of the things that continually gets him into trouble or troublesome situations.
Luckily, his buddy Win is always there to save the day. I love the dynamics between these two entirely different characters. Where Win is at times describes as a pscyhopath with a craving for violence, Myron doesn’t like to use his gun or his hands when it’s not necessary. They often debate topics like these. Topics about revenge, justice, innocence, violence, friendship and love.
Win, on the other hand, always carried a gun—at least two, actually, not to mention a prodigious potpourri of concealed weaponry. The man was like a walking Israel.
It’s fun to see the change in times while readig this series. The first book takes place somewhere in the early nineties, book five is set in 1998. So they have mobile phones now, and yet they still use car phones and call centers to connect with people in other parts of town. It’s hilarious to read this book in a time where we all have a mobile device with internet and where call centers are definitely something ancient from the past.
Win and Myron use these changing times to keep an eye out for each other. For instance, when Myron goes into a dangerous meeting alone, he calls Win first so his friend can listen to everything that’s happening. And Win – excuse me, Windsor Horne Lockwoon III – is like a ninja. People don’t see him coming, they never do. They always understimate him because of his size and his really good aristocratic looks. He’s a really interesting character and I hope to learn more about him as the series progresses.
Win nodded. “Open the glove compartment. Arm yourself like a paranoid despot. This may get ugly.
Now, back to the story. At the start of the book, there’s a flashforward to the funeral of someone Myron obviously deeply cared about. He’s waiting fort he ‘murderer’ to appear, and at the end of the prologue, someone steps forward and confesses to killing someone. He then asks of Myron feels better and before you get an answer, time goes back a couple of days. It’s an interesting way to start the story, because you have no idea who the buried person is or who the murderer is and who his/her victim is. Definitely a great way to grip the audience and leave them wanting more.
We go back a couple of days, and we see Myron meeting Norm Zuckerman – another character that shows up in almost every Myron Bolitar book so far. So again, I press everyone to just read this series in order!!! Norm asks him to take on Brenda Slaughter as a client, a professional basketball player who’s apparently being threatened. Brenda is dark skinned – now, note that this takes place in 1998, so it’s an entirely different world than the one we live in now. Or… maybe not so different after all. Anyhow, Myron takes her on as a client and helps her to find her father. Later on, he comes kind of obsessed with this entire case and tries to track down Brenda’s mother as well. Her mother, who left her and her father when she was only 5 years old.
Myron’s search brings him to dark places and get him all tangled up in the games of corrupt politicians, mafia crime lords, bribed cops and of course his own feelings for both Brenda and his current girlfriend Jessica. I liked the fact that Myron finally decided to look past Jessica, more or less, but what I didn’t like was the fact the he was ‘in love’ with Brenda after knowing her for two days. He couldn’t have fallen in love with her, not that fast and not when his heart truly belongs to Jessica as he’s always saying. On the other hand, this is fiction and everything can happen in fiction. Plus, maybe it wasn’t exactly love that he felt for Brenda… Hmm. Okay, that’s not really important.
The story was good. I liked it. Like every other Coben book I’ve ever read (18 so far), it was fast-paced and well written. It had humour, really intense moment, action packed scenes and some really great dialogues. Coben yet again did what he does best: write a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. That’s one of the things I admire most about him. He manages to write a book that makes so much sense when you’ve read it in its entirety, yet when you’re halfway through you have no idea how things are going to. Coben is a great writer and I will never stop recommending his books.