Fans of Harlan Coben have been waiting for the publication of Win with great anticipation. Win stands for Windsor Horne Lockwood III, a featured character in Coben’s popular Myron Bolitar series. Loyal friend Win now has his own series and it looks like it will be another winner (pardon the pun.) Win is a great anti-hero. He’s a billionaire with a unique moral compass. If you’ve read the Bolitar series, you already have lots of information on Win but if you’re new to the character, it is just fine learning about him with this very good book.
A reclusive man is found murdered in his luxury New York City apartment. The police find a Vermeer painting which was stolen many years ago from Win’s family. Also found is a suitcase which is adorned with the Lockwood family crest and Win’s initials. We learn that the dead man was involved in an early 1970s act of domestic terrorism. But Win needs to find out the connection of this crime to his family, which includes the cold case of the kidnapping of his cousin Patricia, who now runs shelters for abused and homeless young women. There are many pieces to this complex puzzle with some surprises.
While the storyline is serious, there is a lot of clever and witty dialogue and commentary made by Win directly to the reader – who knows he’s not the most likeable character, making plenty of questionable decisions and lifestyle choices. And he couldn't care less if you like him or not.
This book offers enough twists and turns to make it a compelling mystery/thriller but the true appeal is the character of Win, a quirky, often amoral, incredibly wealthy man who likes violence a bit too much and relates to women in his own way. I look forward to seeing where Coben takes this character.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone / Century for the opportunity to read Win in advance of its publication.
Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Mystery / Thriller.
Publication Dates: March 16, 2021 (US), March 18, 2021 (UK).
