Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Series: Myron Bolitar, Book One

Publisher: Orion

Format: Paperback

Published: 5^th April 2006

Number of Pages: 368

Book: Borrowed

Genre: Mystery, Crime-Thriller, Suspense, Humour, Action-Adventure, Gritty Realism, Adult

Recommended Age: 15+

Contains: Swearing, Lots of Violence Whenever Win's Around, Death, Alcohol and Drug References and Sexual Reference/Scenes

Author's Site: Harlan Coben

The novel that introduced Myron Bolitar – from the No.1 bestselling author

When a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead, makes a phone call to a young sportsman about to hit the big time, it seems that more than just his career is on the line.

Myron Bolitar investigates, and is plunged into a baffling mystery of sex and blackmail.  Trying to unravel the truth about a family’s tragedy, a woman’s secret and a man’s lies.  Myron soon realises that image and talent might make you rich, but the truth can get you killed…

                                                                   Review:

'He leaned back and wondered how to handle his three big problems: Chaz Landreaux's sudden departure, Kathy Culver's possible re-emergence, and the Toronto Hilton's plumbing.  He decided to forgo the last.  Only so much one man can do.'

Myron Bolitar is a sport agent.  His clients are all pretty uneventful. 

All except Christian Steele, an up-and-coming American football superstar quarterback. 

So when Christian rings Myron in a panic, Myron rushes to his star's aid. 

Turns out the athlete's missing-presumed-dead girlfriend could be very much alive.  After all, how does a dead girl make a phone call?

But as Myron begins to dig, he realises Christian's career might not be the only one on the line.  Can he unravel the web of secrets surrounding the missing girl - how, for instance, she ended up posing in a porn magazine - and discover the truth?

With other sports agents circling like sharks, it doesn't look promising.  Not even with the slightly unhinged Windsor Horne Lockwood III on his side - and watching his back...

Because let's face it.  With this case, Myron will need all the help he can get...

My aunt told me I had to read this series.  She adores Coben and said I would too.  Man, was she right!  I was hooked from the first page, cracking up at the wit and wry humour.  And, oh, it just got so much better from there.  Even though I seriously avoid any sport-related books like the plague, I found myself loving Deal Breaker to pieces. 

The characters were all so brilliant.  Admittedly, some were kinda stereotypical or flattish or whatever, but all the main characters were so real and brilliant and most?  So funny!  Like Myron: he was so brilliant - witty, smart, brave.  He constantly had me cracking up!  His wisecracking was addictive - so witty and just hilarious.  As for Win, he was just classic!  Is it wrong that my favourite character is a slightly unhinged, maybe-a-little-psychopathic millionaire?  Maybe.  But I don't care!  Sure, he was totally crazy and a little scary, but he literally killed me - in a really, really good way!  Jessica was a good character too.  She was strong and smart and determined, but there we too many "beautiful" references - I was like, ok, I get it already!!  But my opinion based mostly on personally issues aside, Jessica was a strong woman - not an idiot airhead or anything, which was a good thing. 

And I adored the relationship between Myron and Win.  I just loved the banter and quips and how Win always had Myron's back.  The two of them killed me!

I loved Coben's writing - it was so witty and gritty!  I loved how at times it was almost like Coben was making fun of himself.  He said things like: "Clever interrogation techniques.  Pay attention" and stuff, which obviously had me cracking up.  I'd die to possess the wit Coben so effortlessly writes. The plot was so, so awesome.  I wasn't really sure what to expect - I mean, how do you write a crime thriller when your main character is a sport agent?  But it really, really worked.  More than that - it blew my socks off!  I loved the fast pace, all the subplots and the secrets.  Yay!

Now, I must admit, I'm not a sport fan.  I barely know the rules of the games in my own country, let alone American football.  So I didn't get many of those references.  Luckily, though, after the first few chapters there were very few of them at all - it was all action.  So yay again. 

Ok, so this book had its shortcomings – namely the frequent bad language and some minor character clichés – but overall it was such a fun read because of our two main characters, the humour, and the suspense.  It was just so freaking addictive and suspenseful and more than I'd suspected.  I'm wishing my aunt had made me pick it up sooner – ‘cause it was awesome.  And I loved that even though it was a crime book with action and violence and whatever it wasn't completely scarring or damaging.  Whoopee!

A book full of action, suspense and wisecracks, Deal Breaker had me hooked from start to finish.  It was twisty, and gripping and shocking.  I loved it to pieces!  Forget deal breaking - it was a complete deal maker in making me desperate to read the rest of the series!  I can't wait for more Myron and Win!

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Mikey Bolitar Series by Harlan Coben

Crusher by Neil Leonard

Sid Halley Mysteries by Dick Francis

 Lacey Flint by S.J. Bolton

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Happy Reading

Megan

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton

Introduction By: Matthew Beaumont

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Format: Paperback

Published: 31^st March 2011

Number of Pages: 224

Book: For Review*

Genre: Classic, Mystery, Crime-Thriller, Fantasy, Spy-Thriller, Philosophical, Literature

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Alcohol References

No Drug References

“We dig deeper and we blow you higher.  We wish to deny all those arbitrary distinctions of vice and virtue, honour and treachery, upon which mere rebels base themselves.”

The Central Anarchist Council is a secret society sworn to destroy the world.  The council is governed by seven men, who hide their identities behind the names of the days of the week.  Yet one of their number – Thursday – is not the revolutionary he claims to be, but a Scotland Yard detective.  And, the question soon becomes, who and what are the others?  G.K. Chesterton unravels this unique fantasy in his own inventive and exuberant way, and uses this nightmare of paradox and surprise to probe the mysteries of human behaviour and belief.

Matthew Beaumont’s introduction examines the book’s themes of identity and confrontation, and explores its intriguing title.  This edition also contains a chronology, notes and suggested further reading.

                                                                   Review:

"I am a destroyer.  I would destroy the world if I could."

Our story begins with two poets.  Lucian Gregory argues that an artist is an anarchist and vice versa.  Gabriel Syme just as emphatically argues otherwise. 

Which do you believe? 

The New Anarchists are dedicated to changing the world.  To stay hidden, they are highly, highly secretive. 

But, pride can eclipse secrecy, as one undercover detective discovers. 

The detective becomes Thursday, one of the seven most powerful men in the group. 

Now, the detective knows who and what he is – definitely not an anarchist, that's for sure. 

But who are these six men who hide behind days of the week?

Who is the all-powerful and mysterious Sunday, the man in charge of them all?  And can the anti-anarchist detective shut down the New Anarchists - before they manage to end the world?

This book has such an unusual name.   The Man Who Was Thursday.  Weird, right?  I mean, how can a guy be a day of the week.  It's got to be a typo, doesn't it?  But it isn't.  And the story got more and more mad from there.  It was definitely a gripping read, one that kept me hooked.  But the plot gave me a wee bit of a headache: the language was very complex and Dickens-esque, very good for visualisation but with loads of references I'm pretty sure went over my head.  I think it's a book I need to read a few times before I get its full effect.  Nonetheless, I did enjoy it. 

Chesterton's characters were all so wonderfully written – so weird and varying and real. All of them could be mentioned and I'd love to ramble about them, but I can't, just in case I give anything away.  But I will say all are intriguing and not at all what you first expect them to be.  As for Thursday, he was a sneaky one, that's for sure.  He was so clever and analytical and intuitive.  He was just a very likeable sorta character.  He was also totally and utterly off his freaking rocker. 

On second thought, I will also mention the head of the anarchists.  I mention him why, you make ask.  Well, I mention him because he scared the heebie-jeebies outta me.  I think it was because he was constantly made out to appear as a godlike figure that got to me...  Or maybe just cause we had no idea who he was. 

As I said, the writing was very Dickensian – super detailed so you could see everything.  I liked how lyrical it was but sometimes it felt a little bit heavy.  I really liked the witty banter between the characters, even though much of it was very wordy.  But the visualisation was intense, amazing.  The plot was so complex and twisty.  Much of it was completely nonsensical - a dream: a really freaking weird dream.  It was also really fast paced and addictive, but parts made no real sense.  It seemed to get more bizarre as the plot went on – and more addictive too.  The end?  Well.  Weird.  Really, really odd actually...

And it's kind of shocking how relevant the events in this book are, even today.  Anarchists, religious fanatics doing horrible things in the name of someone holy, bombings, terrorists.  Admittedly, the New Anarchists were hard-core - no mind games or disruptions for them.  Oh no, blowing things up, killing, dynamite stuff.  Basically, anything violent.  They were driven by personal beliefs.  Much like today. 

I'm pretty sure much of the book's themes and messages went over my head.  There were loads of religious and mythical messages - like, loads of them.  It's the sorta book you can imagine being picked to pieces in A Level English Lit – the kind of book you pick and pick and pick at.  Because this isn't an easy book.  It's heavy - the kind of book you probably need to read a few times to really understand everything and let it sink in.  

The Man Who Was Thursday was a brilliant and bizarre book.  Almost as confusing as it was compelling, I sped through the book.  It was definitely surreal but was also exciting and addictive too.  I will read it again sometime soon – maybe when I'm not reading to find the answers to the plot I'll get a fuller experience of the book.  Maybe it will even be one of my favourite classics.  For now, I'll say a barmy but thrilling spy-ish book that had me guessing to the end. 

Star Rating:
3¾ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Books Challenge 2012 (Hosted by The Overflowing Library)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Spinebreakers in exchange for an honest review