Promise Me

Written by Harlan Coben

Narrated by Steven Weber

The bestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix drama The Stranger reveals the deadly consequences that can be born of the best intentions.

As the school year winds down, Myron Bolitar is determined to help keep his friends’ children safe from the dangers of drinking and driving. So he makes two neighborhood girls promise him that 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 two a.m. The next day, a girl is missing and Myron is the last person who saw her. Racing to find her before she’s gone forever, Myron must outrun his own troubled past and decide once and for all who he is and what he will stand up for...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jun 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781713632207

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

[Neil Springer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As you read this book you realize it's typical Harlan he's a great big family man and if you have kids you get it. Thy're the only ones that you'd probably go to the end of the Earth with or for it's your job as a parent to protect them to the end and that's what I do with my kids I enjoyed this book sleepy at times I love the relationship and the bond that they all have in the book I wish he'd wite more about East Orange I grew up in Jersey anyway good book great read.

[Audrey Hoskins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

EXCELLENT!!! EXCELLENT!!
Surprises right to the last page!
Love it when I can’t predict outcomes!
Great author, one of the best!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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...

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[kattepusen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mindless treadmill thrill!"Promise Me" is a quick read with a decent amount of suspence. This is the first book I have read of Harlan Coben (and thus my first Myron Bolitar encounter), and I am not in a rush to read another. It is not all that bad, just bland and frankly a bit too predictable. The characters are mostly one-dimensional or completely unbelievable - such as pretty-boy Win, the sidekick provider of "justified" gratuitous violence.The story revovles around a case of two seemingly unconnected missing teenage girls, Aimee Biel and Katie Rochester. Myron knows the first one with whom he once made a promise (hence the title of the book). If she ever needed a safe ride, she was to call Myron and he would take her wherever she needed to go - no questions asked, all for the sake of preventing drunk driving. Of course, the call comes. Late at night. A semi-drunk Myron answers - and eventually provides the ride to a mystery location. Aimee disappears... About the same time, Katie disappears; however, Dr Skylar - a geneticist (who conveniently "studies faces") sees her in a crowd whereupon the girl begs her not to tell anyone that she has seen her.So, the remainder of the novel focuses on Myron's quest to find the connections between the girls interspersed with his romantic interludes with a 9/11 widow. There are, of course, sprinklings of sadistic violence and visits to the seedier parts of town as well as high school politics and athletic metaphors (yes, really). The language is simple and cliche-ridden. Emotional descriptions such as "he felt yucky" abound, and of course there are the many humorous attempts such as this one: "He wanted to ask the pay phone who had dialed his number and called him a bastard and said that he'd pay for what he'd done. But the phone wouldn't talk to him. It had been that kind of day." But even so, it is refreshingly unpretensious, and the story develops with the right pace. The expected twists and turns along the way leads to a somewhat predictable conclusion, a bit similar to Hercule Poirot giving a concluding speech of how he solved it all, although more in a Matlock style.All in all, a decent read for the lazy summer days at the beach, or as was my case: expect to extend your time on the treadmill to "just read one more chapter"...

[reading_fox · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The seventh of the Mylon Bolivar agency novels. Set 6 years after the previous ones, mirroring the author's delay as he wrote other books.Mylon in a rash moment makes two teenage girls promise never to drive home with a drunk at the wheel, he will any time any place come and chauffeur them no questions asked. When mere days later he is taken up on his offer, he asks questions and she runs. Mylon feel honour bound to the parents to help look for her, butis soon teh chief suspect of the police. Other parents at the school and teachers become involved as the plot twists and winds its way to the surprising denouncement. Much is made of the honour and morality of various positions in the novel, parent to a child, victim to a criminal etc. Some of which are a bit contrived, and one which contains the clue to the ending .... did you spot it? Neither did I. However they don't really make the reading any better, providing interludes in violence Wim deals out to various deserving parties. A character who is thin at best, and a convenient get out for all the messy details often overlooked by other authors. To be honest I think I prefer the overlooking approach. Wim is annoying and unbelivale.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another cracker from the master. We all missed Myron but he's back with a vengeance, along with sidekick Win, with another fast-paced thriller looking for a missing teenage girl. Lots of cracking dialogue and plot twists and turns as we've come to expect. Hopefully there is more Myron to come after his extended lay-off.