WIN

5 stars out of 5

How did I love thee? Let me count the ways. Well, for openers, how about 5 stars?

Mostly, that's because of the brash, ballsy character, Windsor Horne Lockwood III (Win to his family and friends), who never misses an opportunity to articulate his vast wealth and abilities. A braggart? Yep. Arrogant? No doubt. A undeniable success at everything he does? Sure - as he'll be glad to remind you of that at every opportunity.

And to be sure, he gets plenty of those in this book, which, I hope, signals the beginning of a series just for him. He's also appeared in the author's Myron Bolitar series, so those who have read those books know who I'm talking about (but not having read any has no effect on enjoyment of this one). 

As this begins, Win is finishing up some payback business with a particularly nasty dude (oh, did I mention that he doesn't hesitate to take the law in his own very capable hands when he feels it's appropriate)? Mission accomplished, he heads back to New York and the scene of a murder, where in addition to a very dead body he spots an ultra-valuable painting that was stolen from his family many years earlier. Could it be that the victim was the art thief? If so, how, where and when did he acquire it? Complicating matters is that another family-related item is discovered in the dead guy's posh penthouse - one that could pose serious questions and open old wounds within Win's tight-knit, uber-protective family. When the victim is finally identified, even more questions are raised - mostly relating to possible ties to a 1970s radical group dubbed "The Jane Street Six." 

And that's where I'll stop. The twists, turns and nosedives come hard and fast from this point on, and needless to say I won't reveal anything except to say that nothing - and I do mean nothing - came between me and my Kindle until I'd reached the very last page (with all due respect, Mr. Coben, I admit to saving the acknowledgements section to read the next day). I'm a diehard Coben fan, so I can't say I'm surprised at how good this book is, but I will say it exceeded my already in-the-sky expectations. Kudos, and thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. 

Win by Harlan Coben (Grand Central Publishing, March 2021); 384 pp.