Starred review from May 29, 2000
Book seven in Coben's wonderfully rich series (after 1999's The Final Detail), which features sports agent Myron Bolitar, former basketball player and totally believable human being, is all about fathers, sons and the intricate and often painful chains that link them together. Myron, who has just moved out of his parents' house at the age of 34, is worried about his father's health after a heart attack, but it's hard for either of them to talk about the older man's condition. Myron tends to have long relationships with women that end in tears. ("You're in your mid-thirties, single, sensitive, and you like show tunes," says his current lover, a troubled television star. "If you were a better dresser, I'd say you were gay.") Emily, his college girlfriend from Duke who dumped him for a more successful basketball rival, re-enters the picture to tell him that her critically ill 13-year-old son needs a bone marrow transplant, but the only suitable registered donor has disappeared. Can Myron find him? And, by the way--Myron is the boy's real father. The search takes Myron deep into some decades-old unsolved crimes involving another father and son--a sadistic deranged killer and a conflicted newspaper columnist. Myron's deadly preppy friend, Win, is on hand to supply his own frightening brand of violence, and the gorgeous Esperanza Diaz, the former wrestler who's now a full partner in MB SportsReps, supplies wisdom as well as glamour. But the heart of the novel is, as always, the fallible but infinitely appealing, accessible figure of Myron Bolitar--a modern Don Quixote complete with knee brace and cell phone, ready to take on the world's problems.
May 1, 2000
Manhattan sports agent Myron Bolitar is shocked when his former college lover informs him he is the father of her 13-year-old son, who has anemia. But the girlfriend--now inimically divorced from her husband--only uses that fact to convince him to locate the boy's bone-marrow donor, who has disappeared. Bolitar's subsequent quest pits him against a wealthy, publicity-shy, and bitterly scrapping family with hitherto secret connections to a crazed kidnapper. Crisp, focused prose, a wisecracking but gallant hero, and a busy plot make this essential for most collections.
Copyright 2000 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2000
YA-Struggling to keep his sports agency afloat, Myron Bolitar is not thrilled to have a former girlfriend resurface after many years. Sadly, her 13-year-old son desperately needs a bone-marrow transplant from a person who has mysteriously disappeared. The woman asks for Myron's help in locating the missing donor and confides to him that he is the boy's father. Against his better judgment, the protagonist begins to search for the man who can save Jeremy's life. The plot twists are numerous as Myron stumbles upon a powerful family hiding a grave secret, a serial killer reinvented from a plagiarized novel, and a missing person with a dual identity. Myron's wit and personality- plus his partners, Win and lesbian-wrestler lawyer Esperanza-add a light touch whenever the novel becomes too dark. Suspense, mystery, DNA matching, missing persons, and a shoot-out at the end will keep YAs enthralled. This seventh book in the series will make new fans and not disappoint old ones.-Katherine Fitch, Rachel Carson Middle School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2000
Sports agent Myron Bolitar is busy hustling new clients and schmoozing old ones when his first love drops back into his life. She has some news for Myron: she broke up with Greg, and her son, who is dying of a rare form of anemia, is also Myron's son. The boy, Jeremy, needs a bone marrow transplant if his life is to be saved. A possible donor has disappeared. Will Myron help? The search points to the son of powerful East Coast parents, but they aren't talking. Then Jeremy is kidnapped by a serial killer who seems intent on psychologically torturing his victims' families. The Bolitar thrillers are always leavened with humor, no matter how grim the content, and this one is no exception. Even so, the darkness of the plot and the seriousness of the theme--the reponsibilities of parenthood--give this installment added impact. Thought-provoking issues and mind-numbing terror made more real by their human context. ((Reviewed May 1, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)