Fade Away by Harlan Coben

   

     March Break reading at its best and easiest! I quickly zipped through another Harlan Coben book while in sunny St. Lucia last week. I am a HUGE Coben fan and have read several of this fantastic books. Fade Away by Harlan Coben is one of Coben's early works and it's been on my bed side book table for a long time. It was a great vacation getaway book for the pool side and plane rides.

     Fade Away is another of Coben's Myron Bolitar series. Myron Bolitar is a character Coben has written several books about and recently, Coben created a teen series about Myron's nephew Mickey. Any book by Coben and any book about Myron Bolitar is sure to satisfy. Myron is a former NBA basketball star whose career ended before it really began when he was injured in his first pre-season game. Myron is now a sports agent. Windsor Horne Lockwood III, better known as Win, is Myron's best friend, business partner, and crime-solving master. In any Myron Bolitar book, these two men work together to solve some kind of mystery such as a missing person or murder.

     Myron is an altruistic character who is always trying to right the wrongs of the world. Win is not nearly as caring, though he will defend Myron to his death. In this book, Myron's long-time basketball rival Greg Downing has gone missing. The owner of Greg's NBA team hires Myron to play on the team as a way to "get in good" with Greg's teammates and try to locate Greg. In his search, Myron uncovers a murder, a few affairs, a gambling debt to New Jersey mobsters, and a long list of secrets that no one wants revealed.

     As usual, Myron gets himself caught in a number of dangerous situations, in which Win always manages to save him. As with all of Coben's books, the suspense is intense and the pages quickly turn in Fade Away. His books are difficult to put down because they are action packed and plot-driven. Coben will not likely win any prestigious literary awards in his career. However, I think that's irrelevant because his books are purely entertaining and enjoyable. I'm an unusual English teacher because I don't really care for flowery language and imagery. I like PLOT. I like books that are plot and character driven, not theme or setting driven. I like books that keep my attention for each and every sentence, as Coben always does.

     Coben's characters, particularly Win, are incredibly sarcastic and witty, something I thoroughly enjoy because I have the same wry sense of humour. I am often chuckling or gasping on every page because of Coben's humour and suspense. I always recommend Coben to my students and friends, especially for reluctant readers who just need a book they can't put down.

     While I would normally recommend ANY Coben book to every person, I do not recommend this one to you IF you have never read a Coben book. If you are new to Coben, start with something like Caught, Live Wire, Drop Shot, or Promise Me because they are more recent. Fade Away is a great book; however, because it's set in the early 1990s, the references to car phones, floppy disks, and old-school security systems may not mean anything to a young generation who has never lived with these technologies. However, if you've read Coben, go ahead and grab this novel. You won't be disappointed. I give this novel 4/5 stars. And I give Coben 5/5 stars for his sheer talent!