Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146874 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-17
• Released on: 2008-04-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 432 pages

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
'Harlan Coben is a member of that select group of American writers, which includes Michael Connelly and James Patterson, whose fans hungrily await each publication. Hold Tight is that perfect piece of work - a book to pick up at the airport with the promise of an exciting holiday read.'

Review
'Like all Coben's work, it's slick and skillfully assembled' (SUNDAY TIMES )

'One of the most consistently brilliant thriller writers, Coben delivers again with Hold Tight' (DAILY MAIL )

'Bypass Grisham for American crime writer Coben' (GQ )

'[A] superior thriller... Hold Tight, as the title suggests, provides a rollercoaster ride, full of twists and turns, which explores the fireceness of paternal love.' (EVENING STANDARD )

'This novel exudes the sort of high-grade glossy competence that characterises a good Agatha Christie story or an episode of The Sopranos. And that's a considerable compliment.' (Andrew Taylor THE SPECTATOR )

'When a thriller writer starts trading on 'ishoos' it's generally a sign of trouble at the creative mill. Not here.' (DAILY TELEGRAPH )

'This thrilling book will have you hooked' (BELLA )

'Coben's 17th novel reads like a checklist of contentious societal ills: gun crimes, substance abuse and modern parenting techniques all feature in a plot that, like many of his thrillers, underlines how easily fate and confusion can conspire to induce tragedy.' (ESQUIRE )

'An irresistibly fluid narrative drive and more twists than a box of corkscrews, help make Hold Tight another masterwork from one of crime fiction's most accomplished writers.' (YORKSHIRE EVENING POST )

'Vintage Coben' (IRISH INDEPENDENT )

'Coben is still one of America's masters of the hook, the twist and the surprise ending.' (LITERARY REVIEW )

'Turn off the phone, turn off the PC and prepare to be sucked in.' (WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY )

'an excellent psychological thriller... If, like me, you have been waiting with baited breath for the new Harlen Coben book - Hold Tight will not disappoint.' (CRIME SQUAD )

'Once started there's no way it will remain unfinished' (LONDON LITE )

'Hold Tight is one of his [Coben's] finest stand-alone novels, demonstrating his quiet skill at orchestrating tension... This is vintage Harlan Coben, and a cinematic adaptation (French or otherwise) is bound to follow.' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )

'Harlan Coben is a member of that select group of American writers, which includes Michael Connelly and James Patterson, whose fans hungrily await each publication. Hold Tight is that perfect piece of work - a book to pick up at the airport with the promise of an exciting holiday read.' (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS )

ESQUIRE
'Coben's 17th novel reads like a checklist of contentious societal ills: gun crimes, substance abuse and modern parenting techniques all feature in a plot that, like many of his thrillers, underlines how easily fate and confusion can conspire to induce tragedy.'

Customer Reviews

A tense thriller...
I do so enjoy a good Harlan Coben novel. It's that cheesiness and 'all American' feel coupled with a juicy plot that really holds my attention.
'Hold Tight' is well constructed and the pace is excellent. The story is multi-layered and though this could have been confusing with a less accomplished novelist, it works well in this instance.
Tense, a little bit grim at times and suspenseful - almost perfect...

Do parents really want to know the truth about their Teenagers?
In my opinion Coben is one of the most consistent writers in the thriller writer genre. All of his novels have been great reads, and I have been waiting for the release of "Hold Tight" since I finished "The Woods." This time out Coben has crafted a page turner that will make parents shudder. Coben is able to weave a number of real life concerns into this convincing thriller. This is something he is a master at---taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. The issues of teen suicide, a teen's right to privacy, parental spying, single parent families, and what should kids need to know and when are all explored. These issues are brought into focus though the eyes of parents who are dealing with the teen angst of their 16 year old son who's best friend recently committed suicide. When Mom and Dad start snooping on their son's computer they find something that chills them to the bone, something they might wish they did not know....I wont ruin the surprise but in typical Coben fashion things are not what they seem. Just be ready to settle in until the last page is turned. If you like Coben you will probably like the thriller TOURIST IN THE YUCATAN I highly recomemend!

Good book let down by the ending
I don't want to spoil the end so can't say too much, but suffice to say this is a gripping and multi layered book until about two thirds of the way through when there is a huge plot hole which makes the ending just too trite and obvious. I get the impression that Coben has got himself onto a treadmill that means that good ideas (and the basic premise of this book is excellent)are just not explored sufficiently and he ends up having to rush us into a satisfying conclusion to meet a publication deadline. If he is happy to churn books out like this then fine, but I would like to think he has a bit more about him, and has enough prestige within the industry to get off said treadmill and take a bit of time to craft a more satisfying piece of work which with his talents should be eminently possible.

Having said all that I still got through it in just about one hit so it is a page turner all right, just not as good as previous works.