DON'T LET GO

5 stars out of 5

Prolific readers know what I'm talking about: That "afterglow" that happens when you've finished a knock-your-socks-off book and hate to spoil by starting another one. Such was the case with this book, which followed close on the heels of one of the best I've read in a while. But this time, I really wasn't worried; the author has long been on my list of favorites. And from page one, yet again, he didn't disappoint. It's an easy-to-read, super-engrossing story that moves along quickly with plenty of intriguing twists and turns along the way.

So let's get to the nitty-gritty. Napoleon Dumas, a cop in suburban New Jersey, got a double whammy right before high-school graduation; his twin brother Leo and Leo's girlfriend Diana were killed by a train. As if that weren't bad enough, his girlfriend - with whom he expected to spend the rest of his life - that same night dumped him and ran off, never to be seen again. Needless to say, "Nap" - who narrates the story - has been despondent to a degree ever since as well as determined that someday, some way, he'll find out what really happened back then. His only comfort over the years is his friend and mentor, Augie; the about-to-retire local police chief encouraged Nap to join the force and serves as a sort of surrogate father.

As the story unfolds, Nap learns that another cop who was part of the high-school crowd has been murdered - apparently a shoot-and-run during a routine traffic stop. But then comes a surprising revelation: Maura's fingerprints are found in the rental car believed to have been driven by the killer, who has not been identified. That gets Nap's attention big-time, prompting him to set out with renewed vigor to find his old love. It turns out to be a complex journey that circles around a clandestine club and a long-since-closed missile base and puts him squarely in the crosshairs of some very nasty people who will go to just about any lengths to make sure their secrets stay that way.

Anything else that happens I will keep secret as well, lest I spoil things for others. But I'll shout one thing from the rooftops: This book is not to be missed. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben (Dutton, September 2017); 361 pp.