This is a popular author and I’ve never read any of their books before. This book had an interesting back cover which tempted me into reading it. I am so glad I did. Now I’m a convert and I’m going to see what else the author has to offer. Brilliant just brilliant!

This is the first in a new series by Harlan Coben featuring billionaire Windsor Horne Lockwood III, in his forties, a good friend and sidekick to Myron Bolitar, providing him with help by accessing information that would otherwise be unavailable. There is much to dislike about 'Win', he reeks of white privilege, an exclusive lifestyle out of reach of almost everyone else, he has a narcissistic streak, exudes arrogance, acts with impunity, safe in the knowledge he is never going to be accountable for his actions or behaviour because of his class and wealth. He is generally not interested in other people, their lives or their opinions, and at the heart of him, there is a violent streak that he revels in unleashing. If he loves anyone at all, it is Myron, a friendship that means everything to him, the only others who have any claim on his affections are his family, upholding its honour and reputation is integral to who he is, protecting them, and he not keen for any concept of justice applying to him or his family. His inability to connect with others on a emotional level suggests he is on the spectrum.

There are antiheroes I have connected with but Win is not one of them, although there are occasions when I felt a little more ambivalent, such as the development of his relationship and feelings towards his biological daughter, Ema, which appears to signal the beginnings of the cracks in the walls around his heart. However, you do not need to like the protagonist to enjoy a novel, and it is Coben after all, a man with a reputation for conjuring complex and twisted fast paced thrillers where nothing is as it appears. Win finds himself at the scene of the murder of a recluse and hoarder at the Beresford apartment building where there are items that connect the victim to the Lockwood family. The first is a stolen family Vermeer, part of a long ago art heist, and a case with his initials, connected to the murder of his Uncle Aldrich, and the abduction, rape and torture of his cousin, Patricia, kept at the notorious Hut of Horrors where other young women were murdered.

Win investigates the murder of the victim, aided by his able assistant Kabir, who turns out to be Ry Strauss, a key figure in a 1970s case of domestic terrorism, as connections emerge with the art heist and the Hut of Horrors. This has all the thrills, twists and surprises you would expect from Coben, along with the nail biting tension and suspense that his multitude of avid fans would expect. There are numerous mentions of Myron and other familiar figures such as Hester Crimstein, helping to embed Win in his new central role. A entertaining and engaging thriller that leaves me wanting to read the next in the series as soon as it becomes available. Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone for an ARC.

Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series was an utter joy. Myron, an ex-basketball player turned sports agent and private eye and his friend Win (Windsor Horne Lockwood lll). Such a good series that kind of came to a natural conclusion. But Myron and Win were a fantastic pairing, a little like Cole and Pike in the excellent Robert Crais books.
And out of the blue we have a book featuring Win. Win always had less page time than Myron but was a strong presence when he appeared.
Win is a psychopath, a dangerous man. He is also immensely rich, arrogant and very loyal to his few friends. A guy you would very much want on your side, not the other.
In this, the past and family history catch up with a shock. A valuable painting is found in the apartment of a murdered recluse and there may be a link to the abduction of Win’s cousin many years ago. She escaped but odd connections remain. So Win decides to find out the truth that may be buried amongst family secrets and a arson attack by activists many years ago. Can power, wealth and violence find the truth after so much time?
It’s a page turner with much of the author’s famous twists and turns. Myron does not appear but is mentioned often and in ways that explain his absence and how the books have evolved.
First of a new series I very much hope.

Harlan Coben knows his art and always produces a well crafted story. He is my favourite author and I am always keen to read a new book by him so I was surprised when this one didn't hit the mark with me.
The problem was that I just couldn't engage with Win and as the main character and narrator that was a bit of an issue. I have come across him before but I found a full book of him too much, given his privileged attitudes.
That aside, I enjoyed the twists and turns and progress of the story and did not anticipate the ending so the book was entertaining and worth reading but I prefer Win diluted with Myron.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.

Like some other review books, this was really hard to read on Kindle, missing letters, formatting etc.
However, all that faded into the periphery when getting into the story! Although a fan of Myron Bolitar and kept hoping he would appear, a whole book from Win's perspective worked incredibly well and I'd say this is now one of the best Harlan Coben books.

Would definitely read another Win book, it is definitely a win!

A first for me! I haven’t read a Harlan Coben book before and I was quite pleasantly surprised. Win is a likeable character and there is a humour running through the book despite its dark subject. I’ll not be rushing to read another by this author although if Win makes another appearance then no doubt I’ll dive in again.

I didn't love this 🙈 it could be because I've never read any of the Myron Bolitar series, but I just didn't get on with the character of Win and the story felt a bit rushed to me 😬

When an unknown body is discovered in the Beresford, an apartment building on eighty-first street, Windsor Horne Lockwood III known to his friends and associates as Win, is asked to accompany some officers to the crime scene.

Having never been to the Beresford, Win has no idea what he’s doing there, that is until his family’s stolen piece of art, the girl at the piano by Johannes Vermeer is found at the unknown mans disheveled home along with a suitcase that had been made for Win and has his initials on it. Unfortunately this particular suitcase was given to another family member and he’d not seen it in years.

Win is perplexed and after speaking to a long time friend and associate who once worked for the FBI the murdered man is identified and that is where things become more twisted and complicated. Win has a lot of work ahead of him and it may not be as simple as it first seems.

This is the first book I’ve read by Harlan Coben although I have had the pleasure of watching some of his work that has been televised. I’ve been wanting to read his books for a while and what a book to start with. It was absolutely amazing. From the get go you are drawn in to Wins world and his story. No part of it is ever as it seems and there are so many twists and turns you are constantly kept thinking and wondering where things will go next. It goes into so much detail, and everything in the story is believable and at the same time unbelievable. What a book. Another of my favourites this year. What a privilege to get to read it before it’s release.

And boom! Cohen's back with a bang.

From the first paragraph your hooked and gripped. At the end of every chapter you are so on edge you just have to read another!

Very fast paced, tense and exceptionally gripping.

Cohen's style of writing and the American story telling along with the engaging writing engineers a heart pulsating rollercoaster of a story.

Told in 1st person, you really feel part of the journey. Each new chapter steering you to wanting to know more and understand where the story goes. Which so many twists anx burning need to have questions answers you just have to keep reading. Read in the space of just 24 hours, this is Coben at his best.

Following the resurfacing of a family painting, questions arise as to who had these family belongings and painting and why. Intwined with a link to a past event of a family kinnapping is there links to the resurfacing of family heir looms?

So intricately told with action, tension and dramatics it is yet another outstanding one from the great Coben.

The language and style is chatty and engaging making you feel as if you actually have a conversation with Win.

Linking past characters and other books spurs the story on and help develop this three dimensional character.

Overall it's a nitty gritty fast paced win-win again!

HARLAN COBEN – WIN

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If nothing else, this page-turner has to ‘win’ (sorry!) a prize for the years’ shortest title. If you like the type of book that Coben writes (and Netflix obviously do as they’ve entered into a multi-book deal to turn them into films or series), then you will enjoy this.

The first-person narrator is a privileged and rather objectionable man, who enjoys random violence and impersonal sex with women of similar wealth (if there is anyone!) to him. He uses his private jets and helicopters to fly around the country in search of clues and is impatient and largely dismissive of most other characters. He makes for a brilliant love-hate creation.

The final line of the book sums him up, talking to us, the reader, directly:
But since when have I cared what you thought?

It makes no difference what I say about this book. The author is Teflon. Suffice to say that the convoluted story is engrossing, with surprises and twists along the way, written in a terse, short-sentence style by a master craftsman of the genre that ensures maximum velocity through the pages.

With Coben it doesn't matter what the story is about: like a roller-coaster you go for the journey.

As quite a new reader of Harlan’s, I wasn’t sure what to expect but knew it would be unputdownable (I’m sticking with that word ha).
Win tells the story of Windsor Horne Lockwood III and begins court side at a basketball game, leading to Win dispensing his own particular type of justice to someone who has done wrong. This ends up being a subplot to the main storyline which involves a cold case investigation, murders, lies, theft and more.
I believe this will be the first in a series of books and references Myron Bolitar throughout (though I have them all stacked up to read I haven’t yet read them, and this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book).
Each time I thought I had figured out part of the plot, along came another twist in the tale but it all added up to make a really enjoyable read.. Would highly recommend.

I have always been a big fan of Harlan Coben. That said I prefer the stand alone books rather than those in a series. So unfortunately I never read the Myron Bolter books. Doesn’t that make a difference with this book?
This book is a spin off from the Myron Bolter books and features his friend. Windor Horne Lockwood III or otherwise known as Win. There were lots of references in the book to Myron in the book and I did feel I missed out on understanding this character. Initially he came across as a rich, arrogant, over privileged thug. However, by the end of the book I had warmed to Win. He ended up being the big brother you’d love to have fight your corner.
The story starts with a bit of revenge then goes straight to the crux of the story. A recluse has been found dead in his penthouse. In the property in a valuable painting that was stolen many years ago and a bag belonging to Win.
The murdered man is A terrorist but also might be the man responsible for the kidnap and torture of his cousin Patricia Lockwood.
Win uses his privilege and wealth to go places the FBI can’t and is able to track down clues as to what happened within his family all those years ago.
A riveting read. Really enjoyable. I’m only knocking of a star as I felt I may have understood the characters more had the previous series been read. However I’m really pleased that the publisher and Netgalley gave me the opportunity to read this ARC. Thank you

I am loving the Win stories by Harlan Coben.. This is the second I have read where Myron Bolitar is not the main focus of the story but we do get to see a different side to Win.

Pure escapism but there’s nothing better on a cold Sunday afternoon.

I’m not sure I really liked this one. Win on his own comes across as spoilt, entitled and basically has no problem bending the law to his own whom. Everything goes too smoothly for him. I hope win does evolve in the future books. I would expect someone more sophisticated and more charming with all his money.

Win is Mylon Bolitar’s extremely wealthy friend from previous books, but this is a stand alone novel. Win makes an unusual main character, takes a bit of getting used to, but his unique ideas about justice make an interesting read. At times this book is VERY funny.

Another well written thriller by Harlan Coben. Win sets out to discover who abducted his sister and stole art master pieces belonging to his father. Lots of uncover exploits and tension in this novel.

Articulate! Ok, here goes! You - Windsor Horne Lockwood III descended from old money, highly intelligent, arrogant, conceited, prone to the odd spate of violence, demanding and managing to achieve fierce loyalty, with a droll dry wit and heart! You have heart! Your biological daughter makes it beat a little faster, she mirrors you, it’s confusing, shock horror you feel pride! She even steeps her fingers for goodness sake! There is a murder, a theft and the family name is threatened! This cannot happen - family is all! A cousin is involved, there is history of a protest that went badly wrong. Your story gets a little confusing at times with names and timelines constantly changing but then I am not quite up to your level of intelligence. and all was nicely revealed and tied up in the end. Your story kept me on my toes throughout and was highly entertaining of course, but then I. wouldn’t expect anything less. I was disappointed not to have a sighting of Myron but then realised the story was all about you - of course it was, why on earth would you want to share the limelight! Will you be writing any more I wonder? Would I want to read more? You bet ya!

Articulate!

Win is back, on his own.
Win has no boundaries and no bureaucratic rules to restrict him in finding out the truth.
Win gets involved with a case that brings him back to twenty years ago and a family mystery for him to solve.
The story moves smoothly just as Win does. Missed Myron in this book, but he was mentioned!
Great book.

A book by the master of this genre is something to be savoured, every page lingered over as if viewing a masterpiece. Why therefore does the reader feel a compulsion to race ahead greedy for more: simply because authors such as Harlan Coben make every word of every page an exquisite joy, events unfolding in a tangled mystery of unrelated characters and facts that only his complex protagonist, Win will have the ability to decipher. and solve. A group of well intentioned students in the seventies orchestrate a demonstration which not only does not go to plan but causes the death of innocent victims. Decades later a recluse is found murdered in a wealthy apartment. Links are found in the apartment to the murder of a male from a wealthy family and abduction of his teenage daughter , a cold case that was never solved. And if this was not sufficient to satisfy his harshest critic, the author gradually allows us access to the background and family circumstances that became the very essence and foundations of this amazing protagonist as complex and multilayered as the thrilling mystery we devour unfolding on each page. To review a Harlan Coben is an impossible task as superlatives fail to do justice to the book or author. I cannot find the words to thank author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to savour yet another best seller from this fictional genius.

When I saw that the new Harlan Coben novel featured Windsor Horne Lockwood as the main character I was intrigued. For those who need reminding, Win Horne Lockwood was Myron Bolitar's best friend in Coben's Bolitar series - a series I adored by the way. I was excited to see how Win fared as a main character and I have to say I was not disappointed.
Win was always an intriguing character in the Bolitar books, but I always felt we didn't get to know him as well as we might. This is rectified now however, with Win older (in his late forties), a father and with Myron no longer a presence by his side. The years seem to have mellowed Win a little - that said, the story kicks off with Win in his familiar vigilante mode, punishing a stalker/rapist for a series of crimes with his own brand of violence. The difference, the older, more measured Win brings to the table is that when it goes awry, he has the grace to acknowledge his mistakes and this is something new for Win. I also found his relationship with his 'biological' daughter revealing. He understands that he can't claim to be her 'dad' for he has had little part in her upbringing, yet he is quite awed by his feelings for her.

Told in the first person from Win's point of view, Win takes us back in time to the murder of Win's uncle Aldrich and the subsequent imprisonment and rape of his cousin Patricia in the 'Hut of Horrors' when a family artwork stolen previously is recovered when the body of a man wanted for domestic terrorism in the 70's is discovered.

Win is approached by his FBI friend to employ his own tactics to work out how his family links to the group of students responsible for 12 deaths when an act of rebellion goes disastrously wrong. At this point, I want to pint out that, although Win intrigues me and his privileged lifestyle and his reactions to it are curious, I'm not sure that I like him. He has his own moral code, which becomes more evident as the novel unfolds and by the end, I did begin to empathize with him. What kept me totally invested in the plot was two things. The first was that Win's somewhat distant character was tempered by frequent references to his more human friend Myron's thoughts and opinions. These references to both Myron and his family served to humanise Win in a way that, had Coben omitted them from the narrative, would have left Win a two dimensional character - intriguing - yes - but perhaps lacking something...

The second was that as ever, Coben is a master of plotting. The interweaving angles of the investigation were beautifully crafted and the delivery had me questioning and backtracking on my own opinions throughout - I read this book quickly and was enthralled from beginning to end. I sincerely hope to hear more from Win in the future ... this book worked so well for me and it was a treat to gain insight into a character from past books.