Promise Me (Myron Bolitar Series #8) Book

Hmmmm - this one has been tough for me to get interested in reviewing. I actually finished it over 24 hours ago and have spent a lot of time thinking about what I would say. The reason for this is that I have so many other Coben books - as well as Bolitar-specific Coben books - to compare it to. And, with this being the case, it is not all that straightforward. Also, I am not sure if having the points of reference makes me like it more or less.

I feel like if this had been a standalone book, I would not have cared for it much at all. For me, it just got too over the top and out of control. Not that Bolitar stories usually end up based in a normal reality, but this time it just felt like too much. It was lots of characters doing lots of unbelievable things. I got to the point where I just could not accept the plot and the way that everyone was responding to it.

Here was my progression - plot points fabricated to protect the innocent, but hopefully you get the idea:

"Hmm, okay . . . well, that decision is a bit unreasonable, but I can go with it . . ."

A few pages later:

"Hmmm . . . well, beating up a cop in the food court at the mall and then shooting up the Sears with hardly any repercussion seems odd, but I will let that slide"

Even later:

"27 highly trained ninjas who have been hired killers for 20 just cornered our hero, but his friend showed up and shot them all in the head and the danger is over . . . now, wait a minute, that's it?"

And then:

"These two characters were ready to kill each other two pages ago, but now they are working together . . . I think????"

I mean, sure it was high intensity crazy insanity, but it had me totally thrown completely into left field for the first time I can remember in the Bolitar series. And, much like M. Night Shyamalan, I have come to expect the Coben twists at the end, but I am still not quite sure they made any sense to me this time.

However, I am giving this book 3 stars, which goes back to the beginning of my review when I ask if my earlier experience with Coben makes me rate it higher or lower. I think the fact that I enjoy Coben and the characters in his Bolitar universe has caused me to give it the benefit of the doubt despite my complaints.

In the end, I cannot truly say if you will enjoy it or not, just know it is kinda out there even for this series!