Rating: 
Summary: LAST ONE?
Review: I loved the book. The plot and conversational dialog is outstanding. When the charcters have something to say, Harlan makes you feel like you are right there listening to them. Harlan's development of the characters in this series is outstanding. There is an ongoing development of the characters, but the writing style is such that you can follow the character development without having to read each and every one of the books to keep up with the characters. There is always a short "recap", but never too long and boring. The "father/son" touch and the call to the social issues (bone marrow transplants) was wonderful. Done in a way that makes you aware of them, but without the "soap-box". GREAT JOB HARLAN. "The last one for awhile" please say it isn't so Harlan!
Rating:
Summary: Grabs the heart from page ONE!
Review: I noticed that many of the other reviewers here have read other books by the author, Harlan Coben. I have not so I can't compare this one to others by Coben. What I CAN say, however, is that this book held my interest from the start, containing believable personalities, a gripping plot and plenty of unforeseen twists. When an ex-girlfriend pops up unexpectedly in Myron Bolitar's life, he is far from thrilled...at first. Then she reveals a secret that rocks his soul to the core and the story never drops its pace from then on. Coben writes as though he were in his characters' shoes and as if he truly sees (and understands) the world from their eyes. I consider it a rare pleasure when I find a book that is so far above the usual, stereotypical, rather average suspense story. This one won't dissappoint you!
Rating: 
Summary: A conceited writing style and an unreadable book
Review: I read everything: fiction, non-fiction, heavy, light--even cereal boxes, and I almost always stick it out and read to the end of a book. This book was a dismal exception. Harlan Coben clearly thinks he is very clever. The first five chapters of Darkest Fear are peppered with insidious little quips like, "And professional women's wrestling is struggling right now, what with the competition from Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake." Is this supposed to be deep and insightful? Amusing? It is annoying at its best. The characters are shallow and flat (like Myron, for example) or ridiculously exaggerated (like Windsor Horne Lockwood III). The crises are contrived. Dialog is a joke. The last straw for me, the point at which I closed the book for good was at the opening sentences of Chapter 6: "Myron mixed childlike Froot Loops and very adult All-Bran into a bowl and poured on skim milk. For those not reading the Cliffs Notes, this act denotes that there is still a great deal of boy in the man. Heavy symbolism. How poignant." Puh-lease! I assume Mr. Coben (if that's really his name) is trying to be funny and is not trying to be insulting, but what he really is is irritating. Every page that I read of this book was littered with this kind of rubbish! I could not bring myself to read any further, and I would discourage anyone who considered reading anything by Harlan Coben--expecially Darkest Fear.
Rating:
Summary: Last of the Series?
Review: I really enjoyed this book (along with all of the other in the series). The plot was ok, but what make a Harlan Coben book so good is the character interaction. The wit and humor between the characters make you feel like you are listening in on the conversation "first hand". The characters are "ongoing" but Harlan does a great job of recapping them without being boring. First time readers can pick up anyone of his books and not get lost in the character development, like with some other authors, who write "series" type novels. A nice touch about a series subject (bone marrow transplants), without hitting you over the head, or getting on a soapbox. Makes you wonder why everyone doesn't get registered!
Rating:
Summary: My darkest fear is Coban writing a book that isn't good.
Review: I started out reading this booking thinking I don't care about the main character and whether he helps a sick child. But I perservered and read on and man am I glad I did. This story has so many twists and entertaining characters that I didn't want it to end. Thank you Mr. Coben!
Rating: 
Summary: Decent but the characters are annoying
Review: I'll skip the background. Coben's book "Tell No One" was very, very good. The problem with this book is that Myron Bolitar is very annoying. His demeanor in front of the FBI and security guards is annoying and not funny or entertaining. Do yourself a favor and buy Tell No One if you want to read a Coben book.
Rating: 
Summary: an excellent series
Review: I've read all of Coben's books, and each one is terrific. Myron is a realistic, sympathetic character, and -- like Patrick McKenzie in Dennis Lehane's novels -- bears the scars of his experiences in previous books. I like that. In my opinion, all of Coben's novels have one twist too many, and this was no exception. The last twist strained credibility, and worse, the author failed to explain the inconsistencies the twist would obviously raise. Therefore, I only give it four stars, but all of Coben's books are definitely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Myron Is A Fun Guy And Gets The Job Done
Review: I've read Coben's three newest novels and liked them very much. So I decided to try his Myron Bolitar detective series. The first thing that struck me about Darkest Fear was the humor. Myron is a funny, wisecracking guy and he is immediately likable, as are the people he works with. In this outing, Myron hears from an old sweetheart who needs his help finding the bone marrow donor for her son who has inexplicably disappeared. This is just the tip of the iceberg. As the story unfolds, there are many twists and turns, each with a satisfying resolution. I look forward to more stories in this series. A very good read.
Rating:
Summary: Myron Is A Fun Guy And Gets The Job Done
Review: I've read Coben's three newest novels and liked them very much. So I decided to try his Myron Bolitar detective series. The first thing that struck me about Darkest Fear was the humor. Myron is a funny, wisecracking guy and he is immediately likable, as are the people he works with. In this outing, Myron hears from an old sweetheart who needs his help finding the bone marrow donor for her son who has inexplicably disappeared. This is just the tip of the iceberg. As the story unfolds, there are many twists and turns, each with a satisfying resolution. I look forward to more stories in this series. A very good read.
Rating:
Summary: Harlan is the man
Review: It is a toss up for me on my favorite mystery author - Coben or Dennis Lehane. Coben keeps gettig better. Myron and Win are such great, multi faceted characters. In the Darkest Fear, you get to see a more desperate Myron and a great story. I love the threads that Coben develops. If you haven't read his books, start with the first and I dare you to try to read something else until you've finished his latest. Wisecracks and humor are what set Myron and Win apart. As an FYI, Coben is great at sending emails to his fans and he has a good web site.
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