Win by Harlan CobenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jacket Blurb: From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes this thrilling story that shows what happens when a dead man's secrets fall into the hands of vigilante antihero—drawing him down a dangerous road.
Over twenty years ago, the heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family's estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin for months. Patricia escaped, but so did her captors — and the items stolen from her family were never recovered.
Until now. On the Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3. For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead — not only on Patricia's kidnapping, but also on another FBI cold case — with the suitcase and painting both pointing them toward one man.
Windsor Horne Lockwood III — or Win, as his few friends call him — doesn't know how his suitcase and his family's stolen painting ended up with a dead man. But his interest is piqued, especially when the FBI tells him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an act of domestic terrorism — and that the conspirators may still be at large. The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades, but Win has three things the FBI doesn't: a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune; and his own unique brand of justice.
Read as an audio book.
If you've read the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben, then you've been introduced to Win. This...this is Win's book. Myron is mentioned a lot, but he's not present nor does he make an appearance, so it may be helpful to read the Bolitar series. If you haven't, you'll get the jist that Myron is Win's dearest friend.
As I mentioned, this is Win's story. By all rights, Win should be a despicable character - filthy rich, entitled, elitist, despicable (um...murder,anyone?), questionable methods, but yet, yet...we revel in his money, applaud his morals, and admire his devotion and dedication to those he has picked as "friend".
Why is that?
This first installment (of what I hope will be at least several books), bounces between the past and the present. Rare paintings were stolen, an uncle murdered, a cousin kidnapped, and a group known as the Jane Street Six committed an act of vandalism that lead to the deaths of several people and an FBI agent was shot in the line of duty. In the present, one of the paintings resurfaces and when the FBI contacts Win to help, this kicks of a chain of events that unravels everything.
This was, simply, classic Harlen. It was the perfect commute "read" where I could sit back and let the plot unfold and just enjoy the story.
But that's not to say I didn't have any quibbles. There is - repeated - mention of a "Hut of Horrors". The overuse of the "nickname" to this circumstance became a bit...much. There was an instance of someone getting shot in the shoulder. My impression was this was a through-and through (I don't remember mention that this was just a "graze" - it may have been?). From a medical standpoint, one does not get shot in the shoulder (assuming the through-and-through) and pick up with life as normal five days later. So...I'm hoping it was a graze and I misunderstood, but, even then, stitches, itching, clothing is going to irritated it, and you can't change a bandage on your back by yourself.
So, some minor quibbles.
Still, I'm thrilled that Win has been spun off from the Bolitar series and I look forward to seeing where this goes. Recommended.
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