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Promise Me by Harlan Coben

The New Myron Bolitar Thriller

Sep 28, 2007 Jem Bloomfield

Harlan Coben's first "Myron Bolitar" novel in six years is an exciting and well-plotted thriller, but possibly tries to pack in too many themes and subjects.

Promise Me is the latest Myron Bolitar novel by Harlan Coben, and fans of the series will not be disappointed by the new addition. Promise Me is as fast-paced, witty and involving as the previous Myron Bolitar books, with the sports agent and occasional investigator providing the usual doses of frenetic action and dry quips. Other long-term characters in the series – such as Myron’s psychopathic WASPy friend Windsor Horne Lockwood III, and the ex-wrestler Esperanza – also make their appearance.

The Return of Myron Bolitar

Interestingly, Coben expressed a reluctance to bring back “Myron and the gang” without the right story to put them in – he obviously felt uncomfortable at the idea of churning out “Myron Bolitar Rides Again” or “Myron Bolitar and the Seventh Innings Stretch” without the characters developing further. (Such a concern with not writing simple series thrillers might surprise some readers irritated with Coben’s habit of introducing the recurring character with practically the same spiel every time – which can give the opening chapters of his novels an eerie sense of deja vu) The six-year gap since his last Myron Bolitar (which Coben spent writing standlone thrillers) novel has actually been written into the story, with Myron reflecting on his attempts to avoid “playing the hero” in the intervening years.

The plot covers a lot of ground, including a new relationship for Myron, the brief return of his old flame Jessica, a complex multi-layered plot which involves kidnapping, a lot of violence, and some rapid twists and turns at the end. In fact Promise Me feels rather crowded at time, as if Coben is trying to get too many themes and too many interlinked characters into one novel, and Myron the thinker sometimes seems to be treading on the toes of Myron the man of action, or vice versa.

Harlan Coben and Violence

The violence in the novel does seem shocking and awkward, but that is surely a credit to Coben rather than otherwise. The Myron Bolitar series has always has a disconcerting tendency to bring sudden violence into the suburban world it depicts, and Coben’s style prevents it from becoming too stylised and acceptable. The moral wrangling over how far into violence parents would go to protect their children is interesting, but again it seems to simply confuse the tenor of the book when a gangster explains the abstract principle upon which he is about to torture someone.

Harlan Coben is obviously genuinely interested in writing a thriller which has greater dimensions than plot and action, and Promise Me provides a lot to think about. Even if the final performance isn’t completely satisfying, it is a rewarding experience after the six years hiatus.

The copyright of the article Promise Me by Harlan Coben in Mystery/Crime Fiction is owned by Jem Bloomfield. Permission to republish Promise Me by Harlan Coben in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.