Call number
MYST COB
Collection
Genres
Publication
Dutton (2013), Edition: Reprint, 448 pages
Description
Three people--a suburban housewife, a talented documentary photographer, and a detective--living lives they never wanted, hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect, will find that the past doesn't recede ... and that desperation and hunger can lurk behind even the prettiest facades.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Beamis12
Although his Bolitar series is my favorite, h still manages to do what many authors don't, and that is to write thrilling stand alones. This book is no exception, many twists and red herrings and although I did have a feeling on who did it, I had no clue as to why. Another fantastic read by Coben.
LibraryThing member mikedraper
Megan is a former entertainer who worked at a men's club. She's moved to New York and married and has two children.
Ray is a former action photographer who now is in a dead-end job.
The action results from a man who went missing 17 years ago. Lt. Broom is a detective who was on the case at that
The story tells of the connection between these three characters.
Ray is a former action photographer who now is in a dead-end job.
The action results from a man who went missing 17 years ago. Lt. Broom is a detective who was on the case at that
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time. It was never solved and now, another man has gone missing in the same conditions.The story tells of the connection between these three characters.
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LibraryThing member dgmlrhodes
This is my favorite Harlan Coben book (so far)! It had the right mix of suspense, character development and storyline.
The story itself is about Megan, a suburban soccer mom, Ray a former photojournalist (turned paparazzo) and Broome, a cop who can't let a cold case rest. These individuals had a
The story is fast paced and has many twists along the way. The author reveals the information and story line gradually and takes the reader along without giving away too much at once. Overall, a great suspense story for fans of the genre.
Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads.
The story itself is about Megan, a suburban soccer mom, Ray a former photojournalist (turned paparazzo) and Broome, a cop who can't let a cold case rest. These individuals had a
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horrifying event from the past that converges with present circumstances in a fascinating and easy to swallow story. The story is fast paced and has many twists along the way. The author reveals the information and story line gradually and takes the reader along without giving away too much at once. Overall, a great suspense story for fans of the genre.
Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads.
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LibraryThing member she_climber
Love Harlan Coben, one of my favorite authors. I have read all 22 of his novels, but I have to say that this one just didn't live up to the standard of the others. I can't really seem to pinpoint it, but it sort of fell flat. Still good and entertaining with some of that trademark Coben wit, but
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really didn't have the suspense that I've come to expect from him. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sharn
I liked this book but I always like Harlan Coben. With that said, I find myself comparing this book to his others and I just didn't think it was as good as some of those.
The book was about housewife, Megan who has two kids and a past that even her husband didn't know about. When one thing leads to
Coben is very good at coming up with psycho characters that cause fear to bubble up in me when I see their names and boy, he nails it this time with Ken and Barbie.
There is one part of this story that was misleading and unnecessary (I won't say what part so I don't ruin it for others) and I hate that but I'll let it slide this time since Coben never disappoints me.
Recommend? Absolutely!
The book was about housewife, Megan who has two kids and a past that even her husband didn't know about. When one thing leads to
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another and characters are connected one by one this story flares up with suspense yet leaves you in the dark until the very end.Coben is very good at coming up with psycho characters that cause fear to bubble up in me when I see their names and boy, he nails it this time with Ken and Barbie.
There is one part of this story that was misleading and unnecessary (I won't say what part so I don't ruin it for others) and I hate that but I'll let it slide this time since Coben never disappoints me.
Recommend? Absolutely!
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LibraryThing member dyarington
Not as good as earlier Coben books--too much philosophizing.
LibraryThing member wirtley
Never finished. Too many characters and too many stories. The stories were not connecting well enough for me. This is his worst.
LibraryThing member norinrad10
If Coben wasn't such a good a good writer this book would be garbage. As is its barely passable. A nonsensical tale full of people you'll find unsympathetic with a message delivered so ham fisted Ayn Rand would blush. still not a bad beach read.
LibraryThing member mysterymax
The story was good, but there was too much back-story. I wound up skipping several paragraphs at a stretch. An example is when a policemen is going to tell a father that the body of his grown son has been found, first you have two and a half pages of the father remembering watching a basketball
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game with his son. If you had read the previous 330 pages you already knew how he felt about his son. It's really difficult to build suspense with those lengthy digressions. Show Less
LibraryThing member khiemstra631
More of Coben's fairly standard suspense fare although without the presence of Myron Bolitar. (I kind of missed him!) This one deals with a former stripper gone straight and a series of killings of men that happened at the same time each year. I listened to the audio book and found it a very good
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way to make the miles pass more quickly. Try it; you'll like it. Show Less
LibraryThing member susiesharp
Stay Close by, Harlan Coben narrated by, Scott Brick
I chose this book for my #JIAM challenge of listening to new to me narrators and with a bonus of a new to me author that I have been meaning to read ,I am so glad I picked this one what a great book and great narration!
I now see why Harlan Coben
This mystery will keep you guessing and keep you on the edge of your seat, as I said this was my first book by Harlan Coben and it will not be my last.
Scott Brick’s narration was fantastic I just love his deep voice and was impressed with his characterizations. I will be seeking out more from him and I can see now why he has so many fans and I now count myself in that group!
4 Stars
I chose this book for my #JIAM challenge of listening to new to me narrators and with a bonus of a new to me author that I have been meaning to read ,I am so glad I picked this one what a great book and great narration!
I now see why Harlan Coben
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is so popular here at the library this was a really good mystery, it kept me guessing all the way to the end. Coben’s writing kept me glued and I didn’t want to stop listening. I liked all the different parts of the story and trying to figure out how they all came together. The cop still trying to solve a 17 year old disappearance, the ex-stripper with so much to hide, the ex-photo journalist who has lost everything; how do all these people fit together and why after 17 years is it all coming to a head.This mystery will keep you guessing and keep you on the edge of your seat, as I said this was my first book by Harlan Coben and it will not be my last.
Scott Brick’s narration was fantastic I just love his deep voice and was impressed with his characterizations. I will be seeking out more from him and I can see now why he has so many fans and I now count myself in that group!
4 Stars
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LibraryThing member PatrickJIV
Disappointed in Coben's latest storytelling. Not up to those in the past and I've read every one of 'em. Kind of a spread out and slow read...
LibraryThing member bookczuk
So, normally, I like Harlen Coben as an audio read in the car, to help keep me company while driving (and with my hands on the steering wheel, I can't bit my nails.) However, two things happened this time. Early into the book, my car CD player got cranky and stopped working. This was not a hardship
As to the story, a pretty good one. I liked the characters this time round and there were a couple of interesting twists and diversions. I didn't form speculations as to "who done it" because my mind wandered recalling the plots of books I was packing. But, I still followed closely enough to this one to give it a thumbs up.
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because I took the book inside, and then the second "thing" occurred - I had to start packing our library for our move at the end of February. So win! I finished up the book while emptying 7 bookcases. As to the story, a pretty good one. I liked the characters this time round and there were a couple of interesting twists and diversions. I didn't form speculations as to "who done it" because my mind wandered recalling the plots of books I was packing. But, I still followed closely enough to this one to give it a thumbs up.
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LibraryThing member Suzannie1
ok for an American "crime" book, didint predict the ending for this one though which suprised me - & i actually didint mind this book for an easy read.
LibraryThing member ASmallHolding
It is refreshing to find a good stand alone thriller and have all you need to know encapsulated in one book.
Harlan Coben is new to me and he very nearly lost me with the first chapter. I would have preferred to meet Megan first, but that is just a personal preference. It did take me a while to get
The plot unfolds around a housewife with a secret, a cop with a nagging cold case, and a photographer who is haunted by a vision of blood. They are bound together by one night seventeen years ago and an event that touched each of their lives.
It's a familiar plot that twists and turns its way to a satisfying and unusual ending. I didn't quite see it coming, nor the aftermath.
The characters are well drawn but Ken and Barbie had the biggest impact on me; simply unforgettable and the stuff that nightmares are made of.
I was an enjoyable read, and I do like a good stand alone novel, so I shall be staying close and reading more of Mr. Coben.
Harlan Coben is new to me and he very nearly lost me with the first chapter. I would have preferred to meet Megan first, but that is just a personal preference. It did take me a while to get
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used to his style and rhythm but, as the characters revealed themselves and the plot began to spin, I was in.The plot unfolds around a housewife with a secret, a cop with a nagging cold case, and a photographer who is haunted by a vision of blood. They are bound together by one night seventeen years ago and an event that touched each of their lives.
It's a familiar plot that twists and turns its way to a satisfying and unusual ending. I didn't quite see it coming, nor the aftermath.
The characters are well drawn but Ken and Barbie had the biggest impact on me; simply unforgettable and the stuff that nightmares are made of.
I was an enjoyable read, and I do like a good stand alone novel, so I shall be staying close and reading more of Mr. Coben.
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LibraryThing member silversurfer
Once again Mr. Coben gives us a complex tale that has your head reeling by the final pages. He never disappoints.
LibraryThing member bohemiangirl35
Typical Harlan Coben. Suburan wife and mother with a secret past. Cops trying to solve a murder mystery. I didn't really care about any of the characters. But I was happily surprised that I didn't guess the ending!
LibraryThing member binadaat
a master of plotting, I'm getting seriously tired of the sleaze in his books. I don't like these people. Enough. Go back to Myron.
LibraryThing member DavidKessler
Not as good as Coben's previous efforts - more linear and without the usual twists and turns. We knew there was some withheld information being saved up for the denouement, but no real surprises.
LibraryThing member Kelslynn
I had trouble getting into this Coben book, but it could be because I started reading it right before bed. The mystery takes place in Atlantic City, most of it occurring in the seamier parts near the Boardwalk. A man is killed on Mardi Gras, and this murder brings to mind another that occurred on
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the same night 17 years before. Somehow involved are a cop, a photographer, and several strippers (both past and present) from a local club: their lives were changed by what occurred that night. Throw in two psychopathic hitmen killers, and the story gets interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member sareiner
The plot unfolds around a entertainer who worked at a men's club turned housewife named Megan, a cop with a nagging cold case named Lt. Broom who was on the case at the time it happened, and a photographer named Ray who is haunted by a vision of blood. They are bound together by one night seventeen
It's a familiar plot that twists and turns its way to a satisfying and unusual ending. I didn't quite see it coming, nor the aftermath.
The characters are well drawn but Ken and Barbie had the biggest impact on me; simply unforgettable and the stuff that nightmares are made of.
This mystery will keep you guessing and keep you on the edge of your seat, as I said this was my first book by Harlan Coben and it will not be my last.
Scott Brick’s narration was fantastic I just love his deep voice and was impressed with his characterizations. I will be seeking out more from him and I can see now why he has so many fans and I now count myself in that group!
Show More
years ago and an event that touched each of their lives.It's a familiar plot that twists and turns its way to a satisfying and unusual ending. I didn't quite see it coming, nor the aftermath.
The characters are well drawn but Ken and Barbie had the biggest impact on me; simply unforgettable and the stuff that nightmares are made of.
This mystery will keep you guessing and keep you on the edge of your seat, as I said this was my first book by Harlan Coben and it will not be my last.
Scott Brick’s narration was fantastic I just love his deep voice and was impressed with his characterizations. I will be seeking out more from him and I can see now why he has so many fans and I now count myself in that group!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Talaskat
I had a hard time reading it. Not sure if it was the book or myself not being a reading mood. But i ususally read his book in a couple days...
LibraryThing member everfresh1
I liked it. It follows parameters that became quite typical for Myron Bolitar-less novels by Harlan Coben - namely, suburban life, hidden secrets in the past, etc. Even so, it's a very entertaining and easy read, and more importantly, the plot makes sense.
LibraryThing member adpaton
A comfortable read with just enough thrills, twists and wit to lift it above the average but not enough quite frankly to bring it up to Coben's usual standard. An easy stroll through American suburbia that detours into the hidden and often sordid underbelly of the mom and apple pie families and
Megan seems to be living the American dream of a happy marriage, a loving husband and a comfortable life - but she's bored and misses her days as a stripper consorting with low-lives in a seedy Atlantic City club. Her husband Dave has no idea of her past and Megan thinks she has escaped that life until she is contacted by a woman she used to work with,
Ray was a rising name in the world of photo-journalism but now he masquerades as a paparazzi, pretending to photograph the celebrity-obsessed or those wanting to impress. Like Megan, who was his girlfriend at the time, his glory days were spent in Atlantic City and the two of them were lovers.
Finally there's Lieutenant Jack Bloom, a policeman who is obsessed with a cold case - the disappearance of a family man from a strip club in Atlantic City - and that's the point of intersection for the three main characters. It appears a murder has occurred in Atlantic City every Mardi Gras for the last 17 years, and it seems as though hidden secrets are about to be revealed, including Megan and Ray's involvement in murder.
The story does not have too many surprises and is a reasonable stand-alone: it is not quite up to his usual high standard but still a lot better than most other writers at their best - Coben is always a delight.
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lifestyle. Harlan Coben would never mix metaphors however as egregiously as I just have. Megan seems to be living the American dream of a happy marriage, a loving husband and a comfortable life - but she's bored and misses her days as a stripper consorting with low-lives in a seedy Atlantic City club. Her husband Dave has no idea of her past and Megan thinks she has escaped that life until she is contacted by a woman she used to work with,
Ray was a rising name in the world of photo-journalism but now he masquerades as a paparazzi, pretending to photograph the celebrity-obsessed or those wanting to impress. Like Megan, who was his girlfriend at the time, his glory days were spent in Atlantic City and the two of them were lovers.
Finally there's Lieutenant Jack Bloom, a policeman who is obsessed with a cold case - the disappearance of a family man from a strip club in Atlantic City - and that's the point of intersection for the three main characters. It appears a murder has occurred in Atlantic City every Mardi Gras for the last 17 years, and it seems as though hidden secrets are about to be revealed, including Megan and Ray's involvement in murder.
The story does not have too many surprises and is a reasonable stand-alone: it is not quite up to his usual high standard but still a lot better than most other writers at their best - Coben is always a delight.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
Coben spins a wild tale and, as long as you don't need much reality in your page-turning suspense, STAY CLOSE is an entertaining ride.
Pages
448
ISBN
0451233964 / 9780451233967