Review: Don't Let Go by Harlen Coben

Ok, Harlen Coben. Since you insist I don't let go... I won't... but seriously I am able to let this one go. Coben tells the story of Napoleon (Nap) Dumas, who works as a detective for the New Jersey PD. He definitely is a rule-breaker but also has a soft spot.
Nap carries with him the weight of the death of his twin brother Leo. It's been 15 plus years but he can't seem to let go. I understand this weight... and the guilt that comes along with this burden. Leo was days shy of graduating from high school and really beginning his life. To make matters worse, the pain and struggle of losing Leo, and his suspicious death, comes barreling down on Nap when a recent assassination suggests that Leo's high school friends are being killed off, one by one, and the return of his high school love, Maura and her involvement in that crime... 

A lot is going on. I'm used to there being a lot going on. Nap narrates the story so we only know what he knows yet and must rely on his hazy memory of the past. Often times, Nap interrupts his narratives to talk with the twin brother he lost. I like these moments as they bring a sentimental nature to an otherwise gruesome story of government cover-ups, teen suicidal (maybe) or murder (maybe). 

Honestly, Don't Let Go was all over the place for me. It sits comfortably at a 2-star rating for me because it was simply "ok". Nap and his vigilantism, Maura and her running from stranger-danger, Nap's future with the NJPD... just didn't mesh well together for me in the end. Maybe the ending was too abrupt. That's my issue. Don't Let Gojust simply let's go.

Please don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Harlan Coben but lately I feel that his novels have been hit or miss. Maybe it's because he's released like 3 in the last year or so... my small brain is longing for the Coben I fell in love with. For fans of his work, Don't Let Go is still a worthwhile read. It's fast moving, littered with plot twists, and an interesting cast of characters. But overall, Don't Let Go is not one of my favorite Coben reads. Yet, I won't let go of looking forward to getting my hands on whatever he writes next.  **

Copy provided by Penguin Group via Netgalley