THINK TWICE

4 stars out of 5

Three words I'll use to describe this book: complex, confusing (a little bit) and sad. The complex and confusing, I think, come because there's a ton of characters to keep straight - making it a bit confusing when I couldn't remember who someone I'd read about six chapters earlier was. The sad part I'll get to in a bit, so bear with me.

Attorney and former basketball great Myron Bolitar has returned to his agency that represents celebrity clients, mostly those in sports, which he shares with partner Win Lockwood in New York City. One fine day, a couple of Feds march in demanding to know where to find Myron's former friend and client, basketball star Greg Downing. And they won't take Myron's word when he tells them Greg has an excellent reason for being missing: he's been dead and buried for three years.

Needless to say, all this is news to Myron and Win, both of whom were at Greg's funeral. The Feds, however, offer compelling evidence to the contrary; Greg's DNA was found at the scene of the recent murder of Cecelia Callister and her son Clay. So back to the original question - where is Greg, really? 

The case is further complicated by the fact that Greg "stole" Myron's girlfriend away years ago, leaving her as his widow when he "died." He also left a grown son, Jeremy, who actually is Myron's son but who believes Greg to be his biological father (all this has been revealed in previous books in the series, of which this book is the 12th). So while Myron and Win have mixed feelings about Greg including whether or not he's found, they feel a responsibility to locate him - if in fact he's really alive - and represent him if he's arrested for the murders.

From this point on, almost anything I'd say would be too much; but trust me, there's plenty of action as well as some surprises. And that brings me to the end (well, almost), which is where the aforementioned sad part comes in. Here, too, I can't get specific, but suffice it to say I was plenty worried (and remain so days after I finished the book). To be sure, I'm already hoping the next installment will be forthcoming sooner rather than later. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

Think Twice by Harlan Coben (Grand Central Publishing, May 2024); 362 pp.