Review of "Promise Me: A Myron Bolitar Mystery" by Harlan Coben

In this 8th book in the Myron Bolitar series, the professional rep/amateur sleuth searches for missing girls. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

Myron Bolitar was set to be a professional basketball player when a knee injury scuttled his career.



So Myron went to law school and is currently the co-owner of MB Reps, a New York agency that represents sports figures, actors, and musicians. Myron is aided in this endeavor by two former professional wrestlers: his business partner Esperanza (who wrestled as Little Pocahontas).....



.....and his office manager Big Cyndi.



Myron is also assisted by his best friend/financial advisor Windsor Horne Lockwood III (Win), who's among the toughest dudes on the planet. All three helpers are VERY colorful characters.



Myron is a nice guy with a savior complex that compels him to help people in trouble. So when Myron overhears his girlfriend's 18-year-old daughter Erin Wilder and her friend Aimee Biel talk about catching a ride with buzzed friends, his inner rescuer kicks in. Myron makes the girls promise to call him if they ever need a safe ride, and he'll come to their aid, no strings attached.



A couple of nights later, at around 2:00 A.M. Aimee calls Myron and asks him to pick her up in midtown Manhattan. When Aimee gets in the car she requests that Myron take her to a friend's home in New Jersey, where Aimee's spending the night. Aimee then directs Myron to a house on a quiet cul-de-sac and demurs when Myron tries to see her inside. Instead, Aimee gets out, walks down the driveway, waves goodbye....and disappears.



Aimee's parents report her missing, and phone records lead the police right to Myron's door. The cops badger Myron about picking up teenage girls in the middle of the night, which DOES look suspicious. Without further evidence, though, the police have to let Myron go.



The plot thickens, however, because Aimee is the second girl to go missing from her high school. A few months before, a senior named Katie Rochester vanished, and her parents are frantic. Katie's father is a mobster, and when he hears about the Myron-Aimee connection, Mr. Rochester decides that Myron abducted Katie as well. So Mr. Rochester sics a couple of thugs on Myron, to make the rep reveal Katie's location.



The ensuing conflict is vicious, and comes to include Myron's friend Win, who's an expert in firearms and martial arts.

The police conclude that both Katie and Aimee are runaways, and since the girls are legal adults, the cops can't do much more. So Myron decides to search for Katie and Aimee himself, and he unearths clues that aid his endeavors.



Meanwhile Myron experiences some drama with his former girlfriend Jessica Culver - a gorgeous free-spirited writer.....



......and his current girlfriend Ali Wilder - an attractive settled mother of two.



Will Myron ever settle down?  Time will tell.

I enjoyed the mystery aspects of the novel, but the story is overly contrived with unrealistic plot points. Still, the fun recurring characters make it a pleasant book for suspense fans.

Rating: 3 stars