Review of Harlan Coben’s Think Twice

Cosmos Reading List 2023

I just finished reading Harlan Coben’s Think Twice, the 12^th novel in the Myron Bolitar series. The plot is intriguing. Greg Downing, a “frenemy” of Myron Bolitar, a sports agent, and one of his clients died three years ago, but his DNA was found at a crime scene. The FBI is convinced somehow he faked his own death three years ago. The relationship between Greg and Myron is complicated. They were basketball rivals in high school and college. Myron blamed Greg for the foul that knocked him out of a championship game when he played for Duke and he played for the University of North Carolina. Myron’s girl friend left him for the charismatic Greg Downing.

Myron retired before he could start his NBA career, went to law school, and became a sports agent with his partner, Win, who is from a prominent family. Win handled financial advising for their clients who ran a private investment firm and was an amateur PI as was Myron. They are determined to track down Greg and find out why he faked his own death. They find him and the reasons he faked his death are shocking.

Joey the Toe, whose full name is Joseph Turant, is a significant character in “Think Twice.” He is a mob boss who was imprisoned four years before the events of the novel due to DNA evidence linking him to the murder of Jordan Kravat.

A side plot has to do with the decline in serial killers in the world due to the increased use of mass surveillance and DNA testing, in short, it is harder to get away with being a serial killer. Most serial killers are men who are lone wolves, a couple engaging in serial killing is very rare as are female serial killers. I learned a lot about the psychology of serial killers from this novel.

Witty Dialogue

Coben is a master of witty dialogue. Co-Pilot provided a few choice quotes

“She wore pearls and bold colors4. Her blouse and skirt were both super-tight4.”

“It had been Sadie Fisher’s idea4. When Sadie first started representing women who had been sexually harassed or assaulted, she had been told to ‘tone down’ the outfits, to wear clothing that was both drab and shapeless4. Sadie hated that4.”

“The reason for Myron’s surprise is simple: Greg Downing died three years ago1.”

“Fear and divisiveness offer engagement. Agreement and moderation do not.”

“Sometimes the loudest cries for help are silent.”

“It takes so much to hold on to hate—you lose your grip on what’s important, you know?”

“Life may not always fall into neat chapters, and you may not always get the satisfying ending you’re looking for, but sometimes a good explanation is all the rewrite you need.”

 We all have secrets, but some secrets are heavier than others.”

 “Sometimes the truth is so ugly, you have to make it up.”

 “The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.”

 “Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to trust someone.”

Myron Bolitar: “You expect me to believe that Joey the Toe is behind all of this?”

Windsor Horne Lockwood III (Win): “Expect you to believe it? Myron, I expect you to do something about it.”

Myron: “Right. Easy-peasy, just like taking a stroll through Central Park at midnight with a neon ‘Mug Me’ sign.”

Win: “Precisely. Shall we?”

Chat GP’s Literary Bet

One criticism of Harlan Coben and other popular writers is that they are formulistic writers. One day, Chat GP’s developers issue a challenge – they would challenge top thriller and popular fiction writers to a challenge. Chat GP would write a novel in their style, and they would write their next novel. Both would be reviewed by literary critics and fans. The panel would be asked to evaluate both books and determine which were written by Chat GP and which were written by the human author. If Chat GP won the bet they would pay the author 1 million dollars, if the author won they would pay Chat GP 1 million dollars.

Harlan Coben and John Grisham took the challenge. The panel voted that Chat GP wrote the books. Harlan Coben and John Grisham paid the debt and issued a warning about the danger of AI to the literary world.

Co-Pilot also provided a bio, and list of his books and movies. I bought the ones I have read.

Author Bio: Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is an American author of mystery novels and thrillers. Born around 1962 in Newark, New Jersey, he has written over 35 novels, including the renowned Myron Bolitar series. His books have sold over 80 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 46 languages.

Coben has won several awards, including the Edgar Award, Shamus Award, and Anthony Award He has also had twelve of his novels adapted for film and television.