Promise me

Written by Harlan Coben

Narrated by Richard Ferrone

It began with a promise... 2.17am: the phone rings on Myron Bolitar's nightstand; at the other end of the line is Aimee Biel - a frightened teenager who has called the one adult who had promised to help her if she ever got into any trouble. But Myron's help will not be enough. Stumbling from his Manhattan bed, he races down to pick her up from a cold street corner and take her back to safety. But against his better judgment, she persuades him to drop her at an unknown address in the suburbs. This is a mistake that he lives to regret...

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Audio
• Release date: Jan 7, 2007
• ISBN: 9781407407197

Harlan Coben

With more than seventy million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous suspense novels, including Don't Let Go, Home, and Fool Me Once, as well as the multi-award-winning Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in forty-three languages around the globe and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries. He lives in New Jersey.

Reviews for Promise me

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another excellent Harlan Coben. Plenty of twists and turns, and a surprise twist at the end. Had to read well into the night to find out the ending ! Can't wait for the next installment of Myron Bolitar.

[over.the.edge · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I had a huge problem with this book.....I liked the pace and the story was good.....but I just can't stand Myron Bolitar. A friend gave me several Harlan Coben novels, and I've heard Promise Me was a great read. It was a good read, the search for Katie and Aimee, two high school girls that are missing under similar circumstances. They attend the same school and used the same ATM after their disapperence.......the end was pretty good, but I'm going to have to learn to like Myron if I keep reading Coben.

[brucemmoyer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like reading Coben, but this, although worthwhile and entertaining, is not one of his best. I love the larger-than-life characters and the confidence and humor in the face of danger but the plot in this one gets a bit bogged down in complexity and far too many twists and unlikely efforts. Still, worth reading.

[shannon.dolgos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Harlan Coben didn't disappoint. I think this is one of my favorite Myron thrillers...lots of twists, turns, and is she or isn't she.

When a friend's daughter disappears after Myron drops her off a friend's house, only to later learn that the location wasn't her friend's house...Myron sets to make things right, and find her before it's too late...

[davidmkelly-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Full of implausible characters/situations and not much happens. I almost never stop reading a book before the end but I felt like it at several points while reading it.

[buffalogr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well constructed book with lots of twists and turns in the plot. Characters continue to develop in this, the 8th in the series. Sidekick, Win, shines again here as Myron gets knocked around a little while searching for a lost girl. Who would ever name a kid: Myron?

[pssm95 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Retired basketball player Myron Bolitar, now a sports and celebrity agent, promises two teenage girls that he will pick them up anywhere, any time, if they need a safe ride. When they call on him soon after, young Aimee, the daughter of a close friend, goes missing, and he is a prime suspect. He investigates, not only to clear his name, but also because the police consider her just a runaway.

[livelylady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A missing teen and a detective friend’s promise conflict when the girl is missing. Action filled. Good.

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have long been a fan of Coben's stand alone mysteries but not so much his Myron Bolitar books but I really enjoyed this one. The sports/entertainment agent overhears his girlfriend's teenage daughter and her friend talking about a friend who 'was so wasted' and Myron flashed to his teenaged years and his friend who was killed when riding with her 'wasted' boyfriend. Myron told both of these girls that if they ever got into any situation where they needed help - no matter when, no matter where - they only had to call him and he'd come get them - no questions asked. And so starts the tale. It's well told with excellent characters.

[lizme-336298 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was not one of my most favorite books but it is worth reading.There are many twists and turns.This book is another Myron Bolitar series with Win .They both get in plenty of trouble as usual. It begins with 2 pregnant and missing young girls.I would never of guessed the ending.Myron is trying to find out the connection between the 2 girls and bring them back home.I do not want to give to give away any more of the story.But I did enjoy it.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book DescriptionNew York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben returns with PROMISE ME--a searing new thriller and a story of how far we will go to protect our own…. It has been six years since entertainment agent Myron Bolitar last played superhero. In six years he hasn’t thrown a punch. He hasn’t held, much less fired, a gun. He hasn’t called his friend Win, still the scariest man he knows, to back him up or get him out of trouble.All that is about to change...because of a promise.The school year is almost over. Anxious families await word of college acceptances. In these last pressure-cooker months of high school, some kids will make the all-too- common and all-too-dangerous mistake of drinking and driving. But Myron is determined to help keep his friends’ children safe, and so he makes two neighborhood girls promise him: If they are ever in a bind but are afraid to call their parents, they must call him.Several nights later, the call comes at 2:00 am, and true to his word, Myron picks up one of the girls in midtown Manhattan and drives her to a quiet cul-de-sac in New Jersey where she says her friend lives.The next day, the girl’s parents discover that their daughter is missing. And that Myron was the last person to see her. Desperate to fulfill a well-intentioned promise turned nightmarishly wrong, Myron races to find her before she’s gone forever. But his past will not be buried so easily - for trouble has always stalked him, and his loved ones often suffer. Now Myron must decide once and for all who he is and what he will stand up for if he is to have any hope of saving a young girl’s life.My ReviewThis book was a bit different from Coben's other Myron Bolitar books because Myron is the main character. The plot was intricate, witty and suspenseful which makes for a great mystery read. From the beginning, I was hooked and the twists and turns kept me guessing right up to the surprise ending. I would have to say that I think this is Coben's best Myron Bolitar book. I would highly recommend this book if you like laugh-out-loud suspense mysteries and I look forward to reading his next Bolitar book.

[floratina · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

READ IN DUTCH

This was the first book I read written by Harlan Coben and the cover text promised it to be a very thrilling book. That fact and the very reasonable price (about 3 euros) made me decide to start reading Harlan Coben. I'm glad I did.

Meet Myron Bolitar. At a party he lets the daughter of a friend promise him to never ever drink and drive. He says to her he will always come and drive her home if she wouldn't get home safily otherwise. Just a few weeks later she calls him and Myron gets out of bed to bring her home. The next day, she is missing and Myron is the last person to see her alive. He starts his own investigation.

I liked this book. The story is not very complicated and you can read it very fast. There aren't to many useless details. It is a good book to read when you are searching for a book that doesn't request lots of thinking. Nice to read during vacation or weekends though. It made me decide to read more books written by Harlan Coben.

[nicola26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Promise Me didn't live up to my expectations, but it wasn't a complete let down either. The plot was interesting enough to make me want to read more, but that's about it. It had far too many main characters (many of them very unlikable), too many suspects and too many conclusions. I really liked how it ended though- the ending definitely saved the whole book. Overall, I did like it, but it was very muddled and lacked structure. I'll be interested to read more from Coben, though.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this book as an electronic download from my library. I had never read any books by this author and I see him mentioned quite a lot so I thought this would be a good introduction. Is it just me or is Myron Bolitar like a male version of Stephanie Plum without the quirky behaviour?The daughter of a high school friend of Myron's disappears just after Myron dropped her off. Earlier another girl of the same age who went to the same school also disappeared. Both girls withdrew money from the same ATM in Manhattan just before their disappearances. That's about all that links them but Myron promises to track down his daughter's friend which means finding out what happened to the other girl.I don't think I'll be rushing out to get any more Myron Bolitar books.

[cmeilink_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Harlan Coben's Myron Bolivar, is near the top of my list for a recurring character in a series of books. Entertainment agent, a man who actually visits his parents and lives in the house where he grew up, with an assortment of friends that includes two women ex-wrestlers, Myron is one of those characters that you feel you know--almost a type of guy next door . . . almost.In this installment, the daughter of a close friend goes missing. Did she run away or was something more sinister involved? Myron, with his underlying calling to help people, becomes involved in the search for the truth, but will it be a truth he and his friend will be able to accept?Well paced, with Mr. Coben's usual great dialogue and story line, I give the book and Myron a "thumbs up".

[joannalongbourne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not the strongest book in the series, but I love the series regulars Myron, Esperanza and Win

[pravs_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Promise Me is a book about a girl gone missing in a suburban neighborhood. Myron Bolitar, the main character of the book, is back in a series of books written about him, and makes two high school girls promise him they would call him anytime anyday with no questions asked instead of getting in the car with a drunk driver. The book is well written and may contain some adult themes but not over the top. A lot of the setting is around the local high school, and Myron's adventures on his journey in attempting to find the missing girl. I like the suspense of the book, and would recommend it for young adult collections for high schoolers aged 15 and above.

[phyllis.shepherd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Retired basketball player Myron Bolitar, now a sports and celebrity agent, promises two teenage girls that he will pick them up anywhere, any time, if they need a safe ride. When they call on him soon after, young Aimee, the daughter of a close friend, goes missing, and he is a prime suspect. He investigates, not only to clear his name, but also because the police consider her just a runaway.

[readerspeak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Myron tells two high school girls they can call him at any time of night for a sober ride home. When one of them takes him up on his offer, she disappears. Coben writes a fast-paced thriller with several twists I didn't see coming.

[brandie_14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a great read!! Picked it up at the library on a whim and I am so glad I did! The plot was fabulous, fast paced and exactly what I expect from this genre. I didn't want to put it down because I was on the edge of my seat to see what happened next.The ending, fabulous! A twist I didn't see coming at all - and just made the book that much more great I think!I will definitely be reading more books by Coben in the future!

[afyfe_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this thriller and I was totally drawn in and couldn't put it down at times. This was my first Coben book and I will be reading more, however I'm worried they might all get repetitive. I liked all the twists in this book and the way it was all resolved. Some of it was a little too violent to be beleivable so I wish that was different, but besides taht it was a good read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller!

[riverwillow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this in one sitting as I couldn't put it down as I was desperate to find out what had happened to Aimee. Coben's trade mark twists in the tale are all there and I especially enjoyed the various twists as Aimee's fate is explained. Wonderful.

[isaacfry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Myron has a friend's teenage daughter promise him that if she ever gets out with someone who is drunk or if she is drunk herself that she will call him for a ride. He in turn promises that he will ask no questions and won't tell her parents. One night, she calls him and has him drop her off at a friend's house. She goes missing and it's up to Myron to find out what has happened to her.

[karrieskorner · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a simple promise that Myron Bolitar gives to his friend. That promise leads him down a dangerous path, and he finds himself smack dab in the middle of mystery that he has to solve.

[she_climber · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was very tempted to give this one two stars, but I think it had more to do with the narrator than the story. With this book I've completed the Myron Bolitar series, which I have loved and devoured, at least until next Spring with I've just learned that a new one is being released. Rather than read this series I listened to it all in audio, I've loved the actor that's read all of the previous books, with his range of voices, inflection of tone, comedic timing and I love his preppy accent for Win. Despite this the story wasn't as good as the others in the series, seemed to meander a bit too much - Jessica's out, she's in, she's out; Win all but disappears half way through the book - apparently his part was done; El-Al are in Florida and only have a cameo appearance; and for me personally - the Brenda fascination has gone on far too long, especially for a girl that he knew all of a maybe a week. But in conclusion I want to say: Promise Me, Harlan Coben, that you'll stick to your strengths of writing and leave the narrating of the story to the actors. Thank you.

[agatatera · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was hesitating before if I should read any of books of Harlan Coben – you know, sometimes books of these very popular and “breedy” authors are not really worth of reading. But then I’ve got a chance to get it on the Polish version of BookMooch in the frame of special action – the books are suppose to come back to this web portal the latest in 30 days after receiving them, so it’s kind of queue for books :) I took this challenge. And for sure I’m not sorry about it. The Polish translation and proofreading is not the masterpiece in this case. But still the book is worth of reading. It’s a story of Myron, guy trying to forget about his past and live his live as a co-owner of the PR company. During a small party at his home he promises to two teenagers (members of his friends’ families) that he will always pick them up in any case if they would be suppose to be driven home by a drunk driver or in similar case. Some days later one of the girls is calling him in the middle of the night and ask for the lift. He drives her to the house which she is telling is belonging to the family of her friend. The day later is still not back at home. She disappeared. And then the story began… There are much more threads in this book than this single one and it’s keeping the attention (at least of me) until the end. And the end was surprising for me – it did finish in another way I thought it will be and also with other suspects than I thought. What is pretty good in my opinion. Or maybe I was not enough smart to find the answers out by myself ;)It’s an interesting book, which is good to read if you want to don’t think about something else or just have some time and want to relax (if you may relax during reading such stories ;))I already ordered 3 other books of Coben on the site of this action :)

[djupstrom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first foray into the works of Harlan Coben, and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, this is not profound literature, but his writing is enjoyable and interesting. Promise Me hooked me in from the fist few pages and kept my attention throughout the entire book.

[mirlyarley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Myron Bolitar, ex-star basketball player attempts to find the daughter of friends after she disappears; she may have been kidnapped or a runaway. The character and his friend, Win, remind me a bit of the Parker stories. good twists.

[jandm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good plot, with some interesting exploration of teenage parenting and masculinity, but some unbelievable characters.

[joycepa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

8th in the Myron Bolitar series.If life were fair (it isn’t, never has been, and never will be), good deeds backed by noble intentions would always be rewarded. Problem: most of the time, they never are, and too many times, they get us into trouble.All of us are concerned about the danger to young people; many of us complain bitterly that there doesn’t seem to be a sense of responsibility for the safety of others, particularly young people. And then someone does feel that responsibility, does take it upon himself to do what he can to protect a young woman—and as a reward, becomes the chief suspect in a kidnapping/potential murder case.Myron, concerned that Aimee Biel, the 18 year old daughter of friends may be endangering her life by drinking and driving, asks her to promise him to call him, no matter what the hour, if she is in need of a ride home; his only concern is her safety, not informing her parents. Shortly thereafter, Myron receives a phone call at two a.m. from Aimee, tearfully begging him to pick her up in Manhattan. Reminding him of his promise, Aimee not only doesn’t want her parents to know but asks Myron to drop her off, not at her home, but at a friend’s house.Then Aimee disappears. And guess who is the last to have seen her?As Myron, just as worried for Aimee’s safety as he is in clearing his name, investigates, the case turns ever more complicated. Strains of this magnitude put nearly unbearable pressure on the parents; any cracks in the marriage are certain to widen and even break the structure entirely.While Promise Me is a very good “mystery”, even more, it’s an excellent examination of the emotions and questions of responsibility of all concerned in this type of situation. While the plot is resolved, left hanging are those questions—and, in reality, there may be no good answers. Whom among us can say that we absolutely never would have done as Myron—not me. So kudos to Coben, who is writing ever more serious books under cover of the mystery genre. Highly recommended.