Live Wire by Harlan Coben

I’ve read a lot of Harlan Coben. He’s the author I pick when I can’t find one of my favorites to read. Reading Live Wire reminded me again why he is not on my favorites list. Coben has been writing about his lead character, Myron Bolitar since 1995. Myron grew up in a blue collar New Jersey town, won a basketball scholarship to Duke, became an all American, was drafted by the Celtics, then blew out his knee before he could play his first professional game. He then opens a sports agency in New York representing basketball and tennis players primarily but somewhere along the line accepts musical clients as well. Myron’s best friend and owner of the building where Myron’s agency resides is Windsor Horne Lockwood III (aka Win). Win inherited a fortune but is proficient at financially advising Myron’s clients as well as beating the crap out of anyone who crosses Myron. Myron is known for protecting and nurturing his clients with a passion so Win is called to the rescue quite frequently.

In Live Wire Myron’s clients are Suzze Trevantino, a former tennis star and Lex Ryder, an aging rock star who are married to one another. Suzze is pregnant with their first child and an anonymous post on her Face book page, “Not His” brings her to Myron. With her sorted ‘party with the rock stars’ past, Suzze is afraid Lex will leave her and calls upon Myron to intervene. While looking for Lex in a NYC nightclub, Myron spots his sister-in-law, Kitty who is also a former tennis star, client, and drug addict. Myron has not seen her or his brother, Brad in 15 years since his attempts to break up Brad’s relationship with Kitty resulted in his estrangement from the couple. Myron finds that Brad is missing, Kitty is back on heroin, and Myron has a 15 year old nephew he’s never met. Myron’s attempt to help his clients and find his brother uncovers secrets from the past that involve the mob, deceit, extortion and murder. Win’s flair for violence and disrespect for legalities place him square in the middle of helping Myron uncover secrets and right old wrongs.

I like a good mystery with multiple twists and turns that leads you astray and surprises you in the end. Live Wire does that. I guess I just don’t find Coben’s characters real somehow. For example, what independently wealthy thirty something guy do you know that enjoys stirring up the mob for the sport of it? Several of Coben’s characters have this ‘who does that?’ quality. But I’ll probably pick Coben again when none of my favorites are on the shelf.