Back Spin by Harlan CobenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jacket blurb: Kidnappers have snatched the teenage son of super-star golfer Linda Coldren and her husband, Jack, an aging pro, at the height of the U.S. Open. To help get the boy back, sports agent Myron Bolitar goes charging after clues and suspects from the Main Line mansions to a downtown cheaters' motel--and back in time to a U.S. Open twenty-three years ago, when Jack Coldren should have won, but didn't. Suddenly Myron finds him self surrounded by blue bloods, criminals, and liars. And as one family's darkest secrets explode into murder, Myron finds out just how rough this game can get.
"Read" as an audiobook. In fact, I "read" the first CD twice, it was that enjoyable.
Myron has become entangled in the world of golf. Jack Coltrane is on the cusp of winning the tournament he choked on 22 years earlier. His wife is the LPGA top player. His son has been kidnapped. Win refuses to help for personal reasons. Esperanza will help, but she wants to become a partner in MB Sportreps when she graduates law school. It's up to Myron to untangle this tangled bag of golf clubs and he does it with wit, humility, and dogged determination.
I simply enjoyed this book. The narrator is absolutely perfect for the voices, conveying the haughtiness of the upper crust in Win's character and Myron's more humble roots. You can really see Esperanza rolling her eyes at Myron as she snarks back at him. The writing really pulls the reader along, alternating between laugh out loud and baited breath anticipation.
My commute mantra became "please let me hit a red light, I need a red light!" Wish I could get these consistently on audiobook from the library, but the system seems to be hit or miss.
Highly recommended.
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2 comments:
Hi. I read your reviews sometimes, looking for hints of good books to try myself.
I thought I would suggest two amazing British writers for you to try.
Justina Robson has written some amazingly fertile books.
One you could start with is called "Natural History". It's good, but its sequel "Living Next-Door to the God of Love" is transcendently good.
The other author has written Dr Who scripts as well as quite a few other British TV programmes.
Ben Aaronovitch. He has a CRACKER of a present day magic using, vampire, witch and other nastys fighting London Metropolitan Police Force series, the first of which is "Rivers of London". You have to try them, they are something special.
Both these writers I suggest to you because of the quality of the actual writing, as much as for the fertility of imagination.
Hope you enjoy them, thanks for the reviews.
Thanks for the recommendations - I'm also always looking for tips on books.
I have to admit I had forgotten about Justina Robson. I read Natural History back in Feb 2005 (had to look that up). Good to know the sequel is even better. I see she also has a series out now. Is that worth pursuing?
Ben Aaronovitch's books look intriguing! Now added to the 'to read' list and might even bring this to my book group. :)
Thanks again!
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