Deal Breaker

Publisher's Summary

Sports agent Myron Bolitar is poised on the edge of the big-time. So is Christian Steele, a rookie quarterback and Myron's prized client. But when Christian gets a phone call from a former girlfriend, a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead, the deal starts to go sour. Suddenly Myron is plunged into a baffling mystery of sex and blackmail. Trying to unravel the truth about a family's tragedy, a woman's secret, and a man's lies, Myron is up against the dark side of his business, where image and talent make you rich, but the truth can get you killed.

©1995 Harlan Coben (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic Reviews

"Like fellow-wisecracking P.I.'s Spenser and Elvis Cole, Myron Bolitar is great fun in the best hard-boiled tradition." (Houston Chronicle)

Deal Breaker

I have just started reading/listening to Harlan Coben this summer, and have been more than pleasantly surprised. I started with "The Woods", and went on to "The Promise", and when I read "The Promise" I had to start at the beginning! In Deal Breaker we are introduced to Myron Bolitar, who is an ex-basketball star, and is now a sports agent/detective. I found this book to be both engaging and thrilling, and highly recommend it to one and all. I believe that it bridges many genres, and that it will keep you interested from the first page. I can't wait to read all of the Myron Bolitar novels!

29 of 31 people found this review helpful

Mystery + Sports Angle = Great Story

This book was a great surprise, much better than expected. Myron Bolitar is a sports agent and his client's girlfriend is missing. His client is a promising quarterback who wants a lot of money from his new contract. So what happened to his girlfriend and who is responsible? Harlan Coben weaves an interesting case that keeps the reader guessing as to who killed her or if she is actually alive. One thing I really appreciated was several times during the book the author reviews the facts as they stand. Helps the reader not miss any important clues. The reader was excellent. He made the characters come to life by his voice, timing, and inflection. This was like finding a treasure. I loved this book and I can't wait to read more by this author.

17 of 18 people found this review helpful

Myron Bolitar ROCKS! Wonderful Book!

I just liked this. Jonathan Marosz is an actor(s) who creates a compelling ensemble. But Harlan Coben... Whoa! This is the first of his stuff I've read. I'm going off to buy more. this story is fine... energy filled story arc. Lots of nifty (nifty? did I write nifty?) twists. the dialogues OTH – internal and external – are crisp. For what you want in a mystery... you get here. Oh... BTW... I almost didn't buy it when I saw that Myron Bolitar was a sports agent, and since I'm not mesmerized by sports, thought it would be a cultural reach.

But... but... it wasn't. Coben uses Myron Bolitar's profession as a device to cement together a zany group of characters. And.. and.. you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll like it. Enjoy.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Just so so for me

I wasn't particularly interested in the sports agent theme. I quickly became tired of the hand-steepling and the descriptions of the breathtakingly beautiful women and thugs with hands the size of garbage can lids. Otherwise, it was a quick easy read. The ending was wrapped up a little to easily, though. I guess this was not my cup of tea (or whiskey) and I would not pursue further Myron Bolitar stories.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

Very Surprising

I really like listening to this book. I was afraid it would be geared more toward men, but it held my interest as well. I loved Myron's wise-cracks and really loved Win! This book had lots of surprises & twists that I didn't see coming. I wouldn't have purchased this book without Audible offering the First in a Series sale. Now, I'm looking forward to buying the next book in the series.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Witty, fast-paced Haran Coben at his best

Even though this was evidently one of Coben's earlier novels, it is a witty example of his real talent in combining highbrow wisecracking with intrigue and mystery. The Myron Bolitar books, in my opinion, are his best. His recent ones grew too dark; and there always seemed to be a child or loved one abducted. That plot line wore thin to me; and I was delighted to find one of the smart witty ones that I had missed. I wish he would return to these roots for his new books!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Not just for men

I just started listening to Harlan Coben books, and at first I was a little worried that these would be just for men, however I was pleasantly surprised - I love the characters and the stories always seem to have twists and turn.

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

Early Harlen Coben: very enjoyable

I believe this is one of the first Myron Bolitar books, which now number about seven. Myron is a wise-cracking ex-basketball star, a Jewish guy who still lives with his parents in his thirties, who has a buddy named Winston Locke Horne III. What's not to like? Win is the ultimate WASP: superrich, unimaginably dangerous, a cad of the highest order who just loves to drop whatever it is that he is doing to help Myron, who is actually a sports agent, to solve a case which appears to be mighty detective-like. Coben has a wonderful sense of humor. He has now branched out far from this series, but, frankly, I think the Myron Bolitar books are his finest work. In this one Myron is brand-new at being a sports agent, and he has only one large client, whom his right-hand-girl Esperanza calls "meal ticket." Myron also has a burning crush on an author named Jessica Culver, whose sister Cathy is the girlfriend of Christian Steele, the meal ticket. Confused yet? The plot gets thicker and thicker. Cathy has been kidnapped and possibly turned into a phone sex slave. Our heroes set out to rescue the damsel in distress. Tie the girl to the railroad tracks, the train approaches, and...
Jonathan Marosz is a wonderful narrator for these books. His voice is very comfortable and friendly. He may not be as versatile as the greats, but he does an excellent job here, and in all of the Bolitar books. Coben now sells books by the millions, and does book tours all over the place. He deserves his success.

14 of 16 people found this review helpful

Pretty good, characters a bit 'overdone'

I enjoyed the story, the first i've read by this author. Not sure i'll seek out the next one in the series but i might. It just seemed a little heavy on the macho stereotypes, and the "too perfect" woman, the "handsome but slightly imperfect" hero, a "rich, nth degree black belt best friend".. i know we don't want to read about everyday boring people, but they can't all be the most, or the best, can they? (even side characters were "ex champion boxers" etc) Anyway, like i said, it was enjoyable, just a bit much. (Narration was well done, though maybe a bit stiff at times.)

14 of 16 people found this review helpful

Good book!

Not the greatest of the Myron Bolitar books, but it was his first, he get's better as he goes. Plus I started out with a different narrator who really understood the smart alec tones of Myron. But it was still good. Not great, but good.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Addictive but legal!

Having read several of Cobens stories I was thrilled to find him on audio. The reader's delivery is superb, his verbal characterisation is almost like listening to a play. Try any of his audiobooks, you will find yourself entranced. A perfect mix of tension, humour and intrigue. The sort of audio book you'll find yourself listening to several times; pacing and pausing is perfect
Great for long car journeys and equally excellent for those of us who find stopping our minds working when trying to sleep - just make sure it isn't the first time you've listened to it!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

An engaging introduction to a new character

I was getting a bit jaded with crime novels and was looking for a new writer to get my teeth into. Perhaps I haven't quite got over Rebus. Anyway Audio having usefully identified Book 1 I launched in. What a great reward. Gripping complex drama with no spare dialogue, and yet a really likeable hero with personal problems, but who had a great self awareness without drowning in the sea of depression which is often mandatory. Due to my staying awake far too late at night to listen to this, I sometimes fell asleep, but listening again next morning was no hardship and every sentence matters.

OK, so maybe everyone else has been following Myron Bolitar through all his adventures, but I certainly look forward to catching up