Hold Tight

With 20 minutes left in this listen, I had just about decided to award it five stars. The last 20 minutes brought it down to four. This should not dissuade people from purchasing the book. Coben does his usual excellent job of creating characters that the listener can identify with. He weaves together two separate but related stories that wil have listeners postulating and guessing. At the book's conclusion he inserts a final twist that borders on the preposterous. To say more might give something away. Luckily it doesn't seriously detract from the listening experience. Scott Brick does a fine job with the narration and makes the dialogue and who's speaking pretty easy to follow. Coben came very close to having a great book with many interesting and surprising twists and turns, except for the final one. It is still worth you time, especially if you're a Coben fan.

I love Harlan Coben's standalone thrillers, such as Tell No One and Gone For Good. Coben knows how to build and keep suspense through the whole book, and Hold Tight is no exception.
It has an interesting premise: parents spying on their kids, and the author made a very interesting story out of that premise, adding some interesting notes on technology.
But the main theme with all his books is nonstop suspense. I love all Coben's standalone thrillers for that reason (I haven't read his Myron Bolitar books yet).
Each time I read a book my this author I'm always disappointed when I get to the end, I always want the story to go on. To me, that is the true test of a good story.

loved it! not as sarcastic as with his myron books....but i also needed a break from him. they were starting to be the same. as a parent...i could totally relate to this book. got a bit confusing as to what blame was to be placed on the little sister. kept me going...listening at work whenever i got a break.

This was my first book I have experienced that is written by Coben and I will definitely be listening to others written by him.

The characters really come to life and the experience of listening to this book is as good as (if not better than) a watching a movie!

The story is fresh, suspenseful, interesting, and very realistic.

Scott Brick, as always, does a flawless job narrating!

I really liked the way the characters merged, much like "Crash".

I am a commuter and listening to audio books keeps the road rage to non exsistent. I must say that this audio book was addictive. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I was actually getting angry, feeling torture and sorrow. Amazing writing. I highly recommend to anyone who loves suspense and mystery.

This is the first Harlan Coben book I've read and I can't wait to get to the rest. The premise intrigued me and the book didn't disappoint. I would buy the phone book from Audible if Scott Brick were the narrator. Coben and Brick combined kept me glued to my headphones for two days of "don't you dare interrupt me" looks while listening to this intricately woven tale of seemingly unlinked events that left me in awe of a storyteller who makes his craft look effortless. I never felt manipulated, just extremely amazed at the way this tale unfolded.

I say the best because it is the best mystery book I have listened to. Mysteries are not my favorite genre. If they were I may have given this a five. It held my attention throughout the book and had many plot twists and turns. All were neatly tied up at the end though and it was nice to hear it all come together. There is some gore and torture in this book so just be aware that some parts are hard to listen to. Still an enjoyable "read" and worth the download.

Harlan Coben is a fine writer with an impressive range ~ from Hold Tight's dark mystery to his lighter Myron Bolitar fare. His audios are always worth a listen.

Scott Brick is the finest narrator working today and, it turns out, the most prolific. He handles this audiobook, with its impressive cast of characters, with skill. If you haven't heard his work before, you will be impressed.

The story here is solid (4 1/2 stars from a 5 star writer). It's probably not Coben's best, but his second-best still tops the vast majority of mystery writers working today. Having written that, let's quickly add that the story is more than sufficiently engaging to hold your interest right to the end, particularly if you are a parent of teens or 'tweens. Parent or no, you will find yourself shivering and nodding in turn as you follow ~ audibly ~ the various ways the concept of "family" can play itself out.

Family is the touchstone here, but not in the platitudinous way the notion is so often treated by the politically or socially correct. Here we see the consequences of family touched by madness, by tragedy, by infidelity, by horror, by violence, by corruption and, finally, by love. All these manifestations interact ~ sometimes with predictable consequences, sometimes not. The good do not always win, although, as is often the case in Coben's novels and in life itself, the good and the evil both suffer mightily before any resolution is granted. And rest assured, Coben's deft hand ties all the familial threads together before the final credits play.

A credit-worthy listen, with something to think about when its over.

Excellent! the best book of 2008 by far. A thriller beyond imagination, that might even happen in our own backyard!! Characters are well developed, the good guys are truly good,loyal and perfection itself. the "bad" guys are tough, ugly and meet all expectations. With everyone, good and/or bad, their lives are all entwined to bring this novel to the most thrilling, unexpected end.

Three cheers to Halan Coben. and three cheers to your best Narrator, Scott Brick.