The Book Bump

First Published: 2016
Author: Harlan Coben
Language: English
Reading Language: French (Sans défense)
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
My rating: 2.5/5

Ten years ago, two schoolboys are kidnapped from their family home. The kidnappers demand a ransom but go silent. No trace of the boys is ever found until, one day, one of the two boys turns up in London. What does he remember from that tragic day? What does he know about the fate of his friend, who is still missing?

Perhaps I should point out that this is the first Harlan Coben book I’ve read, and it was probably not a great idea to start with the eleventh book in the Myron Bolitar series.

The novel’s premise is very promising: after ten years of radio silence, there might be a chance to reunite the grief-stricken families with their long-lost siblings.

However, that’s where the excitement ended for me, I’m afraid. It takes approximately half of the book for any significant developments to happen. It felt as though the story lost steam before it even started. There is far too much rambling about things that are unrelated to the plot. Some chapters do nothing to advance the plot but don’t serve character development. Occasionally, it felt like the author had a quota of words he needed to write. Because Myron Bolitar is an established series with a following, having one mediocre book will not put off his fanbase.

As mentioned, the premise was great. The delivery was not. As the novel progresses, the plot becomes increasingly ludicrous, to the point where I can’t fathom this happening in real life. The big reveal at the end cements this sentiment.

For me, a good mystery/suspense must have that element of authenticity that makes you believe something like this could happen.

Most side plots only serve as a distraction or as “page-fillers”. The novel certainly didn’t need to be 400-odd pages.  

The book could pass as a standalone if the reader can bypass vague references to past books and events. There are enough elements to understand the characters for first-time readers without being repetitive for seasoned readers.

Despite this being the eleventh book in the series, the characters came across as unrealistic. They make so many choices and decisions that I just can’t imagine real people making. The theme “a mother will do anything to protect her child” is taken to the extreme… so extreme that it’s beyond belief. The novel had a soap opera dramatic feel, which wasn’t what I expected from Harlan Coben.

I’ll give Harlan Coben another go with Fool Me Once, as I never give up on an author after only one bad book.