#76

Took me ages to get through this book. Not because it wasn't a good read but because I've been doing my knitting project and it hasn't given me much time to read. This was not the best Harlan Coben book that I've read but it was still okay. "Miracle Cure" was written back in the early 90's and it was about the AIDS virus and a clinic that claimed to have found a cure. Problem? Cured patients are being found murdered. Suddenly and well known basketball star finds himself with the virus from a transfusion and things get even worse. Of course it's one of the good guys that has turned bad. I was sure that I'd read all of Coben's books but found this one that had been republished. Hope there are more somewhere.

#72

One of my favorite authors has started a new series. It's for teens but since in the process of creating this series he eliminated my favorite series, I had to start reading it. It's a spin off of Myron Bolitar's series and it's his nephew getting into trouble now and his adventure in this novel was quite good. He's 14 and his father was recently killed in an automobile accident and his mother is a recovering drug addict. He's with his Uncle Myron who he's been estranged from for his whole life. A falling out between the uncle and his father happened many years before and now he's forced to live with that uncle. He's never had much opportunity to make friends since his parents traveled the world as volunteers. He now has a new school, two new friends, and a missing girlfriend. That's the mystery. What happened to the girlfriend? Mystery solved but a new one crops up at the end of the book so we're ready for the next adventure.

#30

"Live Wire" is Harlan Coben's latest novel and one of his Myron Bolitar series. Myron is an ex-basketball star who lost his chance at the big leagues in the first game when he was injured. He went on to become a lawyer and to become an agent with his own agency. I've chuckled through these novels and thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm feeling that this series is ending and he will be starting up a teenage version with Myron's nephew as the star. Hope I'm wrong about this one ending but he's sold off his agency and his best friend and his partner are gone. Not feeling good about that.

Enjoying two days off and then a stint of nine days on before my next time off. At my age I hope I can survive working nine days in a row without a break. The next time I'm off will be a weekend and hopefully I will get to see my family during that time.

I thought I was caught up with all the Harlan Coben novels but I found one for the 1990's that I'd missed. This one kept me guessing till the end. Lots of basketball, murder, and mystery! Ready for more of Coben!

Finished

I think I'm all caught up now with the Harlan Coben books. Now I'm depressed that I don't have anymore. He's just so good! There was no Myron Bolitar this time. This was about a guy who while in college jumped into the middle of a fight to help his friend out and ended up killing a kid accidentally. He went to jail for five years. When he got out he finished school to be a lawyer but because of his record he couldn't practice. He worked with his brother's law firm as a paralegal. Suddenly he's being victimized. Seems his record is making him a target. This novel took lots of twists and turns and came up a winner.

Caught up with Myron

I finished the last of the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. This one was
"Darkest Fear" and it was equal to all the others. This time Myron discovers he's a father of a 13 year old boy with a rare disease that can only be cured with a blood transfusion. The problem is finding the donor. They know that there is one but he's gone off the grid and finding him leads to a serial killer. Another one that you don't want to put down.

Got my cast off today but the xrays showed that the bone hasn't knitted together so I'm in an air cast for another month. It was very painful trying to get around and I had to break down at work and put some thick gauze along the inside of the cast to keep it from cutting into my leg. The upside is that when I got home I soaked in nice soapy hot water and scrubbed off the dead skin. What a relief! I could sleep without it but would have to put it on everytime mother nature called during the night and that velco sound is very loud in the middle of the night.

5 more days

With luck I will be out of the hard cast by Monday! Can't wait...I've been so claustrophobic wearing it that I could just scream.

Finished another Harlan Coben novel. This was "One False Move." Once again it was great. I left it at work last night when I left and didn't realize it till I got home. I was so frustrated! I started the next one to keep from going nuts and got so hooked on it that I didn't want to put it down. Stopped off at work to pick up the book and finished it just now. I'll be grabbing up the next one to catch up where I left off earlier today. Myron Bolitar was at it again! He got involved with a young black woman who was a star basketball player for the new women's league. Her father used to be a friend of Myron's and he was missing. The woman's mother had disappeared 20 years ago and now Brenda wanted Myron to find her father and her mother. To top it off he had to keep Brenda safe from someone who was threatening her life. Brenda dangled the promise that she would be willing to sign up with his agency for representation if Myron found the missing parents. Once again he had me fooled as to who dunit right till the end. Not many do. I'm down to the last book now of the Bolitar series. I'm not even sure that the series is being continued. Good thing I like Coben's other books.

Heading out

Killing some time before my crazy work hours. God, I hate this 9:30 to 6:30 shift. Looks like it's going to be permanent. I've been awake since 4:30 so I'll be a zombie by 2 which is my new lunch time. Got to put some requests in for some weekends off or I'll never get them.

Finished Harlan Coben's "Back Spin." I think I'm down to two of Myron Bolitar's series left. This one was just as great! Being a sport agent has lead Myron to the US Open in search of new clients. His attitude toward golf is exactly like mine. Stupid game! But there's money to be made. What he finds is a kidnapping and murder. Usually he has the help of his sidekick, Win, but this time he's on his own. The kidnapping involves estranged members of Win's family and he refuses to help. That is also a mystery that is uncovered at the end of the novel. Grabbing the next book and heading out.

Day off

Thank God for days off! Doesn't look like this new job is going to get me two in a row. Every 3 - 4 days I get one. Not liking it but I'm hoping some miracle will happen and I can retire in another year or at least go back to part time.

I purchased the rest of Harlan Coben's novels that I haven't read. I think I own them all now and I'm going to read them in order and fill in the blanks for one of my favorite characters. Myron Bolitar. This novel was the first that Coben wrote about Myron. It's "Deal Breaker." Loved it as I've loved all his books. Once again I was chuckling through the murder and mayheim. This time Myron and his sidekick, Win, were trying to solve the murder/disappearance of his ex-girlfriend's younger sister. What a trip! Porn, gambling, murder, etc. I have four more novels to go till I'm caught up.

Just the facts

I love Harlan Coben books. He has me chuckling in the middle a murder mystery. "No Second Chance" is a great read which I didn't want to put down. Dr. Marc Seidman wakes in the hospital after having been shot and everyone thinking he's dead. His wife is found shot, also, and their 6 month old daughter is missing. Who did it and what happened to the baby. The twists and turns through the book are excellent and I love it when I can't figure out the ending. Coben got me good on this one. His sense of humor is an extra that I always look forward to.

Stress test

Tomorrow is the day of my stress test. Yes, I'm stressed about the test. Too many family members have had heart problems and I don't want to be one of them. It's early in the day and they say it takes 4-6 hours. What a crappy way to spend my day off. I'm scheduled for work on Friday with a big meeting planned for later in the day to discuss problems on the service desk. That means I work 6 hours; go home for 5 and then back for 2. More stress! Maybe I won't be able to make work on Friday after tomorrow's procedure.



Finished Harlan Coben's "The Final Detail." Another sequel. It's one of his Myron Bolitar novels. I've read most of them but there are still a couple that I'm missing. I enjoy his books a lot even though he's a sports jock and a sports agent who also plays at being a detective. This one had him trying to figure out who killed one of his clients. His partner was blamed for it and being held without bail. Harlan Coben has a great sense of humor that comes out at the best times in his books and I find myself chuckling through them. I've got to finish reading the series.

Excellent book

Finished an excellent book by Harlen Coben. "Caught" was the best read I've had in a while. Kept me wanting to keep reading non-stop. Actually was on my last chapter at dinner break from work last night and couldn't believe I couldn't finish those last few pages. Almost sat in the parking lot to read it before I got home but then came to my senses! Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission to identify and bring sexual preditors via elaborate sting operations. She and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined. Nicely done and with a real twist at the end.

Big family dinner on Sunday! I'm not cooking. My baby girl is doing this one. I'm planning on going early to help but I don't have to take anything. Yippee!

Replenishing my stash

I got a shipment of books from Amazon and I'm feeling good about it. Finished Harlan Coben's "Just One Look." Very good read! He's definitely up there with my favorites. This one was about a woman who 15 years ago had suffered a terrible accident at a rock concert that left her with a limp and no memory of that time other than what she read and was told. She married a wonderful man and had two children since then but suddenly her world is turned upside down with a photo of her husband and 4 other people from many years ago. When she confronts him, he disappears from the house and does not return. Kidnapping, murder and intrigue are all included in this great novel.

Went to the doctor yesterday. I got an EKG while there; I'm scheduled for a stress test, a visit with an Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor, an endoscope, a colonoscopy and blood work. Gee! The works! Guess you shouldn't mention to your doctor that you're having shortness of breath and chest pains. The other things are just follow ups from the stomach polyps from years ago.

Having dinner with my old friend from Michigan tonight. I had all day today to spend with her but somehow we're just doing dinner. Left me time to fight with AT&T over my internet connection. I had difficulty recently with a credit card and the possibility of fraud so they cancelled it and replaced it. Unfortunately my internet was automatically paid for with that card so I got an email telling me that I needed to contact them with a new credit card number by the end of the week (today). I started with the number they sent and that was the mid-west who transferred me to New England, then to Texas, then the south. I then was given what I was assured was the correct number which put me on hold automatically for at least 60 minutes and ended up being 2 hours of Kenny G music. This happened many times over the last few days with no one answering. Last night I lost internet connection so I called tech support. "Hello India!" Four more calls and I was given another number to try for my billing and never did get reconnected to the internet. After three more attempts this morning and another hour and a half of Kenny G, I got a real live person who informed me that he wasn't the person I needed to talk to. He transferred me once again and this person actually (all India, all the time) was able to get the bill straightened out. Back to tech support and I need to thank "Glenn" for his knowledge in getting me back on line. I will never listen to Kenny G again and as for AT&T, you definitely are not the company you used to be and I'm sorry to have to deal with you. If I weren't fond of my email address and the fact that I have had it for 14 years I would have dumped them through this whole fiasco.

More Snow coming

Another storm is headed our way! I don't know where we'll put another foot of snow when we try to clear it out of the driveway. My concern is missing work! Would hate to miss another day due to weather.



Harlan Coben wrote another excellent sequel in the Myron Bolitar series. "Promise Me" is an excellent read. I have not read all of the series but I'm hoping to fill in the blanks. He makes me chuckle with his wit. Myron is a former basketball star that made it to the big leagues when he blew his knee on the first game. He went back to college and got his law degree and now runs a successful representative business. It used to be just sports figures but he's branched into representing actors, also. Of course his business is just a sideline for his need to be a superhero to whomever needs his help. Along with his sidekick and long time friend, Winston, he solves crimes. This time his friend's daughter has gone missing. He has promised to find her since he feels responsible for her disappearance. He had told the daughter that if she ever needed help that she should feel free to call him, no questions asked. He got that call in the middle of the night and he picked her up and dropped her off where she asked with limited questions asked. After that she was gone. Very interesting turns and twists to the story.

Great read

I've been suffering insomnia so I got another book finished. This one was an excellent read, also. Coben Harlan's "Long Lost." This is one of his sequels to his character Myron Bolitar. Bolitar was a well known basketball star in high school and then college. His first night as a pro he suffered a knee injury that put him out of the basketball business. He became a lawyer and opened his own sports agency. That's his background but he also daubles along with his wealthy friend Win in other activities. Sometimes they get involved in things that the police wish they wouldn't. This book took him to Paris to meet up with his old girlfriend and it leads to a secret that changes not only her life but many others. The ending was very thought provoking and scary. The possibility that this could happen is the worst scenario. If you want a read that keeps you on the edge of your seat and throws in a few chuckles along the way then this is the one to read.

Good read

I finished the Harlan Coben novel "Fade Away." The main character is a sports agents who used to be a basketball star in his high school and college days. When he got to his professional debute he was taken out by another player and his knee was gone along with his career in basketball. Suddenly he's called to play.......he's 32 and other than games with friends he hasn't played in years. The knee is still an issue. The "Dragons" want him to fill in for a missing player. He'll be a bench warmer basically but he will just be using being on the team as a means to find the missing player. He's not only is a sports agent, he's been a former FBI undercover agent who still dabbles in solving mysteries. His best friend was also an agent and is now head of a reknowned security firm. Together they unstoppable. Like I mentioned in the previous blog, this writer is very funny. I totally enjoy reading him and trying to figure out the ending.

Harlan Corben again

I just finished Harlan Corben's "Hold Tight." He's increasingly becoming my favorite mystery writer. In this novel he takes four separate stories and joins them in the end. First is the transplant doctor married to a lawyer. Their son is a teenager and has changed since his best friend's suicide months earlier. Their concern leads them to put spyware on his computer so they can find out what's going on in his life. What they find is a nightmare. The doctor has a neighbor who is being treated by his partner. The child is in need of a kidney transplant and blood tests in the family disclose a terrible secret. The doctor's daughter is eleven and her best friend was made fun of by a teacher and now the whole school is making fun of her and destroying her childhood. This leads to her biological Mother's revenge and murder. The cycle conntinues. A great story and it was a quick read!

Another Harlan Coben

This time I finished "Gone for Good." I thought the last one was suspenseful but this one was even more so. I never knew who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. I didn't expect the ending at all and I usually am able to figure them out. Excellent author! Great story!

I think I might finally have a handle on the root canal pain. It's evening and I haven't had to take my hourly hit of pain relief.

Another Mystery

I finished "Tell No One" by Harlan Coben. A great suspense thriller! Dr. David Beck married his childhood sweetheart and then watched her kidnapping while he was being beaten and left to drown. For eight years he believed her dead! Suddenly he's being questioned by the FBI about his wife's death and his possible connection to it. To top it off, he's receiving strange emails that could only be sent by his dead wife. Wonderfully written and definitely a page turner!

I had to call the endodontist this morning to find out why I'm having such pain after the root canal. He said since I'm unable to take Advil or something similar that I'm not getting the benefit of an anti-inflamatory that is needed to help with the pain. I was told by my family doctor that since I have stomach problems that I shouldn't use anything but Tylenol. Now I need to dump the Tylenol and take Advil. 600 milligrams of it! If I don't time it right so that it is in my system at the exact moment then the effects are devastating. I have to wake up every 3 hours to make sure that I take it regularly. Gee, let's guess what's next month's horror story! Stomach problems maybe!

Another mystery

I read Harlan Coben's "Drop Shot." It was written back in 1996 but I had recently read his latest, "The Woods," and liked it very much so I decided to try one of his older ones. It turns out that it was a sequel and he has an on-going character that is a former NBA star that due to a knee injury decided to become a lawyer and while working toward his law degree also dabbled at the FBI. Even though there are missing areas that I haven't figured out about his background, I still found the book to be very entertaining. Kind of like a James Patterson, Alex Cross character. Lot of humor thrown into this murder mystery. I was able to pretty much figure out the ending of the book by mid way but it was still a good read and a page turner. Good enough that I will be looking for some of the earlier books by him and this same character. It's main theme was a rising tennis star and even though I don't play tennis, it is one of my favorite spectator sports.

I had my appointment with the neurosurgeon this morning and since I'm much improved he has decided to do nothing for me other than have me come back for a follow up in 4-5 weeks and make sure that everything is still okay. If not, then I'll face medication or physical therapy. I was kind of looking forward to having my neck stretched. He was very encouraging about a tremor that I have in my right hand that is getting worse as I age. It's an inherited thing from my Grandfather on my Mom's side. Both my brother and I have it and with medication we're getting by. My family doctor had said by the time I was 80, my right had would be useless. The neurosurgeon has assured me that is not the case and it can be improved when I feel it gets to bad. He said when I start slopping drinks all over myself then it's time to fix it. I mentioned that I don't buy soup in restaurants anymore unless they are super thick so that I don't wear them on my chest. He told me that the medication I'm taking is one way to deal with it and the other was with wine. YUMMO! There's another step and it involves electrodes so that will be the one I look to last; after I start slopping my drinks (wine), that is.

The nightmare settlement is on again for sometime mid to early next week. At least that's what the mortgage rep is saying now. I don't know if the Buyer is back from her runaway trip to Michigan or if we're doing this without her presence. I won't believe it until I see the keys in their hands and the paperwork in the settlement officers briefcase.

We thoroughly enjoyed the visit of our great grandchildren on Monday. The little guy is now 3 weeks old and his sister is still 3 years old!! She doesn't like the new addition at all and is acting out which is totally understandable to us old timers but rather frightening for the Mother. I assured her that it will pass and hope that it does so I look sage. I probably held onto the little guy more than I should since my shoulder and neck did bother me a bit more today but it was a pleasant discomfort. He slept the whole visit giving us only a random peek at his little eyes.