Book Review: Harlan Coben's Don't Let Go! Our introduction to a character I very much hope we meet again! Release date is today!

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Napoleon Dumas (Nap to his friends) is a great, yet troubled, character.  Still affected by the loss of his twin brother fifteen years previously, followed soon after by the disappearance of his girlfriend, Maura, Nap lives an almost solitary existence in his family home.  He is a police officer who occasionally works outside the law to bring people to justice.  



In Don't Let Go, the murder of an old school friend opens up

old wounds for Nap when his ex-girlfriends fingerprints show up at the crime scene.  Knowing that she is still alive , Nap becomes intent on discovering what caused her to disappear all those years ago and he soon begins to question if it had anything to do with his brother's death.

Harlan Coben possesses that rare 'I can create a brilliant character' gene that we authors all envy.  He also possesses the 'I can create a damn good story gene too' and that is exactly what he does in Don't Let Go ; he creates a compelling fast paced read, tempered by appealing characters with real personalities that draw us in and have us rooting for them. From Nap, (thoughtful, morally superior, loner and sexy as hell), to Nap's mentor, Augie (old, irascible, straight talking and whisky swilling) to Maura (desperate, intense, vulnerable) Coben casts his line and pulls us in.  
Throw in a mysterious old air base, a missing conspiracy theorist and an old recording and all the ingredients are in the mixing bowl.

The cameo role by one of my favourite Coben characters, Myron Bolitar was a sweet bonus.  Coben is a master writer. He really empathises with his characters and is great at taking a community and exposing its flaws, goodness, secrets, vulnerabilities and the pain of the people within the community.  
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I hope I get to meet Nap Dumas again very soon.