Live Wire (Myron Bolitar Series #10)

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Overview

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben proves once again that "nobody writes them better" in a thriller that asks a provocative question: Is a pretty lie better than the ugly truth?

Harlan Coben published his first Myron Bolitar thriller, Deal Breaker, in 1995, introducing a hero that would captivate millions. Over the years we have watched Myron walk a tight rope between sports agent, friend, problem solver and private eye, his big heart quick to ...

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Live Wire (Myron Bolitar Series #10)

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More About This Book

Overview

  • Watch a video
#1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben proves once again that "nobody writes them better" in a thriller that asks a provocative question: Is a pretty lie better than the ugly truth?

Harlan Coben published his first Myron Bolitar thriller, Deal Breaker, in 1995, introducing a hero that would captivate millions. Over the years we have watched Myron walk a tight rope between sports agent, friend, problem solver and private eye, his big heart quick to defend his client's interests so fiercely that he can't help but jump in to save them, no matter the cost.

When former tennis star Suzze T and her rock star husband, Lex, encounter an anonymous Facebook post questioning the paternity of their unborn child, Lex runs off, and Suzze - at eight months pregnant - asks Myron to save her marriage, and perhaps her husband's life. But when he finds Lex, he also finds someone he wasn't looking for: his sister-in-law, Kitty, who along with Myron's brother abandoned the Bolitar family long ago.

As Myron races to locate his missing brother while their father clings to life, he must face the lies that led to the estrangement - including the ones told by Myron himself. If we thought we knew Myron Bolitar, Coben now proves we didn't. An electric, stay-up-all night thriller that unfolds at a breakneck pace, Live Wire proves that Harlan Coben still has the ability to shock us anew.

*Associated Press

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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

Live Wire is the tenth Myron Bolitar mystery and, in some ways, the novel that reveals him best. At first, it seems that our favorite sports agent/culprit hunter is typically pursuing good deeds for a walk-in client; but before long, it becomes clear that Myron and, indeed, his whole family are integrally involved with the proceedings. As always, Harlan Coben was calibrated a plot that manifests Rube Goldberg-like ingenuity and surprises. A revelatory peek into the life history of one of mystery's most fascinating protagonists.

Publishers Weekly
It's no surprise that Steven Weber, a familiar TV presence (Wings, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) who specializes in glib, wisecracking characters, would be a perfect fit for both Coben's protagonist, witty sports superagent, Myron Bolitar, and his droll partner, the suave sociopath Windsor Horne Lockwood III. The investigation into the drug overdose death of a tennis star client takes a painfully personal turn for Myron. Along with the jokes, puns, and banter, the author puts his hero through the most grueling emotional roller-coaster of his 11-book story arc, with his estranged brother missing, his sister-in-law on heroin, his teenage offspring despising him, and his father suffering a possibly fatal heart attack. Weber handles Myron's mood swings and meditations effortlessly, matches Win's smugness and odd moments of friendship, and effectively creates a full cast of characters, including series regulars Esperanza, Big Cyndi, and the elder Bolitars, with vocal versatility. A Dutton hardcover. (Apr.)
Library Journal
Myron Bolitar, Coben's wisecracking sports agent and private eye, helps a former female tennis pro who is eight months pregnant defend the paternity of her unborn child. With his sidekick, Win, Myron has unexpected encounters with his estranged sister-in-law, who's entangled with rock stars, scandals, and drugs. Adding momentum to Myron's search, his dad suffers a life-threatening heart attack and asks to speak with Brad, his long-lost son. Along the way, Myron confronts his own buried secrets and recognizes that his abandoned sister-in-law and nephew interpret his big-heartedness as unwanted interference. A career-changing cliff-hanger ends his search. VERDICT In this tenth Bolitar mystery (after Long Lost), Coben reveals the introspective side of his slick character, as Myron tackles a different sort of hidden mysteries—those deeply embedded within himself and other family members. Fans will enjoy the change of focus and wonder how Coben will re-create his hero in his next adventure. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/10.]—Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA
Kirkus Reviews

A client's case of online harassment brings the chickens home to roost for agent Myron Bolitar and his whole family.

Retired tennis star Suzze T (née Trevantino) is so happy about her pregnancy that she can't understand why one of her virtual friends would post "NOT HIS" on her Facebook page. She swears that the father really is her husband Lex Ryder, the Australian-born rocker who's been the public face of the band HorsePower ever since a lurid scandal involving 16-year-old Alista Snow sent HorsePower front man Gabriel Wire into seclusion over a decade ago. Now Suzze wants Myron to unmask the false friend who questioned Lex's paternity and bring her runaway husband, who didn't take the rumor well at all, back home. It isn't long before Myron, frequently bailed out by his bionic preppy sidekick Win Lockwood, has identified the rogue poster. Instead of resolving Suzze's domestic problems, however, the revelation just drags Myron's own family—his estranged brother Brad, Brad's wife Kitty and their son Mickey—into them, along with another notable family, the mobbed-up Ache brothers. How deep can Myron dig without running afoul of fearsome Herman Ache? And how deep does he want to dig when the results threaten his own parents' peace of mind and his possible détente with the brother he hasn't seen for 15 years?

Despite the promise of dark family secrets, this is the most conventional of Myron's recent cases (Long Lost,2009, etc.), heavy with cheesy cliffhangers and eye-popping coincidences. Fans will be rewarded by the nonstop plot twists Coben must have patented.

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780451233936
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 2/28/2012
  • Series: Myron Bolitar Series , #10
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback
  • Edition description: Reprint Other
  • Pages: 448
  • Sales rank: 71,139
  • Product dimensions: 4.20 (w) x 7.40 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen previous novels, including Caught, Long Lost, Hold Tight, and Tell No One, as well as the popular Myron Bolitar series. Winner of the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, Coben lives in New Jersey.

Biography

Harlan Coben may be the only mystery writer to have inspired the dubious endorsement, "Raymond Chandler meets Bridget Jones" (as the Chicago Tribune wrote about Darkest Fear). But it's not hard to see what the critic means: Coben knows how to create a good chase, but he is also adept at generating laughs along the way. His books often start with a few pieces of bad news and end with the closet door flung open to reveal a few skeletons.

Debuting in 1995, the series that cemented Coben's reputation revolves around Myron Bolitar, a wisecracking sports agent who always finds himself getting into trouble, via his clients or his own past. What's endearing about these books is Coben's willingness to have fun as he spins a story. He might poke fun the yuppie wardrobe of Bolitar's partner, Win, or his gal Friday (and sometime female wrestler), Big Cyndi's, tendency to wear "more makeup than the cast of Cats." There's a slight boys' club air to the series, but it's more frat house than locker room -- or more appropriately, rec room, since Bolitar finds himself still living at his parents' in his early 30s.

Sports-averse readers should not avoid the Bolitar books; in the end, sports play only a peripheral role in the story, which is primarily about the mystery. Given this, it's not surprising that Coben has called William Goldman's Marathon Man one of his favorite thrillers and has cited Philip Roth and Alfred Hitchcock as influences.

And yes, there's certainly life beyond Bolitar! Coben has crafted a number of superb stand-alone thrillers filled with tortuous twists and turns and peopled with characters you can't help but root for. In a 2001 interview, the author stated, "I love a book that sneaks up behind you at the end and slaps you in the back of the head." Ultimately, that describes everything in Harlan Coben's oeuvre.

Good To Know

Coben has four children with wife Anne, his sweetheart since age 20.

Coben advises aspiring writers thusly: "Write. Don't take classes. Don't join workshops. Don't listen to me," he told the Charlotte Austin Review. "Just write. Oh, and cut. Cut a lot. You're probably not editing yourself enough. Then rewrite. Then rewrite again. Repeat. Like with shampooing."

Coben says his mother was his best literary inspiration in an interview with the Page One literary newsletter. "We'd go to the old Barnes & Noble in Manhattan (back then, if you can believe this, I think there was only one) and spend the entire day. We didn't have much money back then and we almost never bought toys -- but we were always allowed to get whatever books we wanted."

In our interview, Coben shared more fun facts:

"I once worked as a tour guide in the Costa del Sol of Spain."

"I pretty much only wear Lilly Pulitzer ties because my best friend owns the company."

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    1. Hometown:
      Ridgewood, New Jersey
    1. Date of Birth:
      January 4, 1962
    2. Place of Birth:
      Newark, New Jersey
    1. Education:
      B.A. in political science, Amherst College, 1984
    2. Website:
      http://www.harlancoben.com

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 421 )
Rating Distribution

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 425 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 22, 2011

    Rate the BOOK, not the PRICE!

    Okay, seriously. Harlan Coben doesn't set the price, the publishers do. The man worked hard to write the book, and the book critics have already been singing its praises and calling it his best book. Those are big words, considering the success he's had. The rating system is for the book itself, to give prospective customers an idea if it's any good. Don't throw up 1 and 2 star ratings because you think it's too expensive. I agree, the ebook does seem overpriced, but come on, use your heads! I got an advanced copy and must say it was great. Classic Harlan Coben/Myron Bolitar. I'm recommending it to all my friends. Readers -- Don't be turned off by all the people who want to rate a book based on it's price.

    21 out of 24 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 22, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Live Wire is an exciting investigative thriller

    Former tennis star Suzze Tervantino visits MB Reps to ask her agent Myron Bolitar for help. Eight months pregnant, Suzze is hysterical as her husband rock star husband Lex Ryder, also a client of Myron, has vanished. She shows Bolitar an entry on Facebook claiming the child she carries is not sired by Ryder. Although other inline innuendos make the same proclamation, Suzze T swears to Bolitar that Ryder he is the dad (thanks to Maury).

    Bolivar has family issues so he feels for his client. With Windsor "Win" Horne Lockwood III at his side, he begins the search for Ryder at a time his father is dying and wants to see his estranged other son Brad. The inquiry into finding Brad leads Myron to his abandoned sister-in-law Kitty and his fifteen years old nephew Mickey whom he never met. Neither wants him in their lives.

    Live Wire is an exciting investigative thriller in which Bolitar works two family oriented cases. The insight into his past enhances what long time fans know of his first and second quarters of his life while the Suzze T inquiry forces the agent to look into her family's darkest secrets. With Win causing havoc, a great late twist, and a powerful look at family, fans will see a different compassionate side to the wise cracking agent.

    Harriet Klausner

    12 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 6, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Live Wire

    Myron Bolitar is an agent who represents both former tennis star Suzze Tervantino and her rock star husband Lex Ryder. Suzze, who is about to give birth, asks Myron to locate her missing husband. Lex has vanished when a posting on Facebook says that the Suzze's child is not his. While searching for Lex, he sees the wife of his long estranged brother. Myron certainly has his plate full with not only dealing with his clients and the secrets they keep but with also his family and the hopeful reconciliation with his brother. This novel investigates family dynamics and the painful struggle we all face. I enjoyed the suspenseful searches and the exciting characters that a part of Myron's team. I will have to read more of these stories.

    8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 25, 2011

    Myron and Win are the best

    I loved this book. I read this book in two days. I could not put it down. Talk about being shock and plot twisting. The ending will really shock and suprise you. Also very touching. What a bunch of great charchters in this book. This is my favoirte book in the series. This is a must read!

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 22, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Long Lost (Myron Bolitar Series #9)
    Caught
    Drop Shot (Myron Bolitar Series #2)
    Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar Series #1)
    Promise Me (Myron Bolitar Series #8)

    LOVED IT TIMES 3

    We first met Myron Bolitar back in 1995 in the book Deal Breaker. He was an athlete knocked out of the game by an injury right before his first professional start so he became a Sports Agent to keep him in the game if only from the sidelines. But he was more than an agent, he was a friend, a confidant, a problem solver, and a guy with an enormous heart that to protect his clients he also eventually becomes a private eye.

    With the help of his friends, Windsor Horne Lockwood III (Win), and two gals who were a former tag team with the Fabulous Ladies Of Wrestling (FLOW), MB Reps has grown into a firm that not only handles athletes, but authors, actors, artists, and musicians.

    In this book we learn more about Myron's family and his past as he is forced to deal with some family issues. He is also trying to help former tennis star Suzze T (Trevantino) and rock star husband Lex get to the bottom of a paternity issue being posed about their unborn child on a Facebook page. Myron also learns that his family issues and these baby issues are intertwined in a way that leads him down a very dangerous path as he tries to find the truth that has been hidden for more than 15 years.

    I LOVED IT!!!!! I LOVED IT!!!!! I LOVED IT!!!!!


    If you have read the previous 9 Myron Bolitar novels and you think you know Myron Bolitar you will realize early into this book that you didn't know him at all.

    Harlan Coben is by far the best author ever of the suspense thriller. He grabs you from the first word and like the title of one of his previous novels HOLD(s on) TIGHT until the very last word and leaves you wanting more. The difference between this novel and others in this series is than we learn more about Myron Bolitar than we ever have before and Coben ties it into the latest mystery brilliantly. What starts out as a simple question of who posted the anonymous Facebook comment builds into the thriller Coben is famous for, and brings to light the things Bolitar has kept hidden or to himself in the other books.

    This is definitely a book you will want to read in one sitting, so plan accordingly and be prepared for a few surprises. This book proves than even Harlan Coben still has plenty up his sleeve to thrill and entertain us. Coben himself is the LIVE WIRE!!!

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Dutton, A Division of the Penguin Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 8, 2011

    don't complain to B&N

    I checked Amazon, and the Kindle version is $14.99. Seems that this could be the future of e-books due to the author and publisher demands. Too bad because the pricing was one of the reasons I bought one.

    2 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 21, 2011

    myron keeps getting better

    could not put it down. between yu and mee, this was the best myron yet!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 26, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Pass on this one

    I have rarely been as disappointed as I am with Harlen Coben's latest book, Live Wire. The plot is so mundane that reading the telephone book would provide a better story. I was over half way into the book and had the urge to just stop there. This is so different than the normal experience with a Coben book that I found myself wondering if he really wrote it or just sat ten monkeys in a room with typewriters. I used to believe that Harlen Coben was the best writer of fiction alive today. Let's hope this was a one-off fluke and that his next book sees him back on track. Everyone has an off period, I just wish I hadn't pad $20+ to read this one.

    1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 22, 2011

    Are you serious?????

    I would GLADLY pay more for this book, in HARDCOPY!!! What the hell is the big deal??? It is a new release and you are getting it for much less than those who do not have a Nook or e reading device. Like some one has already stated, the price is not set by the Author so why punish him for it by not wanting to read it for another year???

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 26, 2013

    In reply ro " Coben's latest" 2 below this one

    Gone For Good is not a Myron Bolitar novel I am sorry to announce. Get your facts straight.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 27, 2012

    Tori

    Here

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  • Posted July 18, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Coben’s latest Myron Bolitar novel is a little better than

    Coben’s latest Myron Bolitar novel is a little better than Gone For Good, the previous entry in the series. That story was completely beyond belief. The plot of Live Wire is still so improbable that it makes me wonder why he receives so much critical acclaim. The earlier Bolitar novels at least had some anchor in sports agent realities, but Coben seems to be getting his latest plots from bad 60s and 70s TV shows.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 16, 2012

    Peter to Mikoto

    Please come back.I see your post u were my best friend!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 10, 2012

    I am a die hard Harlan Coben fan but was disappointed by this bo

    I am a die hard Harlan Coben fan but was disappointed by this book. There wasn't much to feel good about at the end.

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  • Posted June 9, 2012

    poor

    Very short for the money. Not very engaging. Written for teenagers?

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 23, 2012

    out of ideas

    This was painful to read. I think it's time to create some new characters because this was the first predictable Coben book I've read out of a dozen or so. Brutal!

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 14, 2012

    Fantastic read

    With out a doubt one of my favorite books. If youre going to read it pick up the first myron book. They are fantastic. Cant get over how much i loved it.

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  • Posted April 28, 2012

    Good mystery

    Good but slow in many parts

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 25, 2012

    Rayne

    Hey. Im new :P

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 24, 2012

    Lo

    Hiya.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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