Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools. A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey's train-wreck of a life is finally improving - until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury - and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew. With this new series, Coben introduces an entirely new generation of fans to the masterful plotting and wry humour that have made him an award-winning, internationally bestselling author.

About the Author

Harlan Coben is the most exciting talent in crime writing. He is an international number one bestseller, gracing the lists of both the Sunday Times and the New York Times. His books are published in over forty languages and there are more than 47 million of his novels in print worldwide. Harlan lives in New Jersey with his family. www.harlancoben.com

Prizes

The first in an exciting new series of thrillers from the master of the hook-and-twist.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up-Athletic, good-looking, 15-year-old Mickey Bolitar has traveled the world, growing up in places like Laos, the Amazon jungle, and Sierra Leone, but his first few weeks in a California high school proves to be the most difficult and dangerous. After his father's unexpected death, his mother sought solace in drugs. Now with her in rehab, Mickey is living with his estranged uncle, Myron. In school, Mickey makes plenty of enemies, but also a few friends, including a Goth girl and a geek. They form a delightfully odd trio. Mickey also has a beautiful new girlfriend, Ashley, but when she mysteriously disappears, he decides he can't allow the one good thing in his life to fade away. His quest to find her takes him to a dangerous, seedy bar. However, Mickey isn't the only one searching for her-she's also wanted by an underground secret society. Mickey discovers nothing in his life is what he believed, including Ashley and his parents. Nick Podehl's reading is so superb that it almost sounds like full-cast narration. Harlan Coben's debut young adult novel (Putnam, 2011) successfully enters the teen world with his unique blend of wit, humor, and mystery. This hold-your-breath, page-turner will have listeners eagerly anticipating its sequel.-Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.