Hold Tight

Written by Harlan Coben

Narrated by Scott Brick

SOON TO BE A NETFLIX SERIES!

The bestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix dramas Stay Close and The Stranger delivers a #1 New York Times bestseller that asks how well parents really know their children—and puts them on a technological roller coaster of their worst fears.

"We're losing him." With those words, Mike and Tia Baye decide to spy on their sixteen-year-old son Adam, who has become increasingly moody and withdrawn since the suicide of his best friend. The software they install on his computer shows them every Web site visited, every e-mail sent or received, every instant message. And each keystroke draws them deeper and deeper into a maze of mayhem and violence that could destroy them all....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Apr 15, 2008
• ISBN: 9781423327523

Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is an international No.1 bestselling thriller author. He is the winner of the EDGAR, SHAMUS and ANTHONY AWARDs - the first to receive all three. His books are published in 40 languages, with over 75 million copies in print worldwide. Both his standalone thrillers and series featuring the indomitable Myron Bolitar have been No.1 bestsellers in over a dozen countries, gracing the lists of the SUNDAY TIMES and the NEW YORK TIMES. His novel TELL NO ONE was turned into the smash hit French film of the same name, and received the highly coveted LUMIERE (French Golden Globe) for best picture as well as four CESARS (French Oscar). Harlan lives in New Jersey with his family. Find out more at www.harlancoben.com or follow him on Twitter @HarlanCoben

Reviews for Hold Tight

[ALAN W MORRISON · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good, but convoluted. It's not a good selection for a road trip -- requires all your attention.

[Natalie Johnson · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Long story, I just couldn't get into this audiobook. Not a favorite. I loved every other book from Coben. Not this one

[Mariam Shah-Rais · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is such an excellent thriller, fast-paced, psychological, and questioning important parental issues. It starts with a few seemingly different story lines that coalesce together towards the end. Highly recommended!

[readerspeak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fast paced thriller about parents who decide to spy on their teenage son, a murderer killing women in town, and a teacher whose unfortunate comment changes a girl's life forever. So many storylines seemingly unrelated come together in surprising ways. Exciting climax. Both parents and teens will like this one.

[Connie Choate · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am enjoying all of Harlan Coben’s books. Love challenging mystery books and those that are non-predictable. This book like so many of his others began to unfold and staying suspenseful until it’s end.

[Julie Farmer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book with many twists and turns. Hard to quit listening to it. Recommend to anyone looking for a good audiobook for a road trip.

[tommysalami_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a step down from his top notch thrillers like Tell No One and . It is as gripping as any of his work, but he has too many threads in this one, and they all spin together way too neatly at the end. He has some good ideas and reminded me a bit of Andrew Vachss with how he's warning us about something the media is ignoring, but I'd suggest more focus next time. A good airplane book.

[brendasteele47 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Outstanding! Enjoyed every page! A must read! Kept me in anticipation
Powerful emotions of real life people displayed in every character!

[sylvie7fox_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Two good stories. Not well connected. I miss Myron.

[mskeens_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So many interwoven stories in this book but also a very good read. Amazingly they all seem to tie in toghether in the end.

[col2910_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

BLURB........ Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they’d spy on their kids. But their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his best friend Spencer Hill, they can’t help but worry. Within days of installing a sophisticated spy program on Adam’s computer they are jolted by a cryptic message from an unknown correspondent that shakes them to their core: “Just stay quiet and all safe.”As if Mike Baye isn’t dealing with enough, he also learns that Lucas Loriman, the sweet kid who grew up next door, is in urgent need of a kidney transplant. As the boy’s doctor, Mike suddenly finds himself in possession of an explosive secret that threatens to rip the Loriman family apart at the seams.Nearby, while browsing through an online memorial for Spencer, Betsy Hill discovers a surprising detail about the night of her son’s death. Before she can find out more, Adam disappears, taking the truth with him and sending shockwaves through the neighborhood.As the lives of these families collide in tragic, unexpected, and violent ways, long-hidden connections in their small suburb begin to work their way to the surface. And when an unidentified Jane Doe is beaten to death not far away, those connections threaten to turn this quiet community upside down—and force these desperate parents to decide whether there is any line they won’t cross to protect those they love most in the world.My thoughts......I haven't picked up a Coben book for a fair few years, before last month, a bit like buses you wait for ages then 2 come along together.Enjoyable but it didn't rock my world. I haven't read enough of Coben to judge whether it is one of his better books or not,but it passed the time easily enough, the story flowed, the characters were likeable.More 4 than 3 out of 5, would read more from him, which is just as well as there's about 15 of his other books sat on the shelf at home.

[Lynn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The twist at the end!! It was a great book. Very interesting how everything came full circle.

[David Mumby · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this one. Harlan broke away from his typical back story of someone missing a former lover from several years ago and laid out a solid story with some nice plot points. The narrator Scott Brick is an excellent reader and has a very warm voice.

[Robin Scheuer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty much had all I can take of this author. He does too much preaching via his characters and it’s mind-numbing. Plus “this sounds corny, but…” which is just lazy writing. He seems very taken with himself, and sadly, he’s not quite as funny as he seems to think he is. All of the over-the-top sarcasm he puts into characters’ dialog makes them thoroughly unlikable, and that extends to him.

[ellemir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A pageturner - as I expected. My second book by Harlan Coben - and not the last, that's for sure.

Harlan Coben mixes various plots in this thriller. A couple decides to spy on their son after the suicide of one of his friends. A killer is on the loose, beating women to death, a teacher's life becomes miserable after he makes an unfair remark towards a girl in class, leading to mobbing from her classmates.
The author did a good job portraying the kids and teens. They were believable, their problems were understandable. The ethical question if it is ok to spy on your children in order to keep them out of trouble was especially interesting - and the author offers no easy solution, just food for thoughts.
I did not like the plot concerning the killer that much. I found that part of the book a little exaggerated - that's the reason why I give four instead of five stars.

[stephanie_m-868484 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Great light summer reading. There are a lot of characters, and somehow, someway, Coben makes them all fit together neatly, in a kind of complicated, but semi-believable plot that keeps the characters running, and you guessing until the end. Quickly read and enjoyed.

[adam.currey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fairly standard Harlan Coben fare, although this one didn't seem to quite grab me and hurl me forward through the story like others have. Still, a good read, and manages to work in some serious issues without getting too serious.

[buffalogr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy Harlan's thrillers, the twists and turns just keep coming. In fact, the book could have ended at several points during the listen and it would be a good book. Scott Brick as always does a great job at narrating.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not one of his best. I thought The Woods was much better. I didn't find the parts with the dad at The Club believable. Plus the way it tied together was a little hokey.

[gmmartz · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

'Hold Tight' is an OK book, as these things go. Harlan Coben belongs to the class of authors I consider the 'crank-'em-out' variety. They have decent plot ideas, they can string sentences together, and they have giant catalogs because they're constantly publishing. Unfortunately, as is the case with many of these guys, the content is produced at an 8th grade reading level, the dialogue is awful, and the plot is contrived. But you keep reading because it's a decent story and it gets its hooks in you.

Hold Tight begins with concerned parents making a decision to spy on their teen-aged son, who's been acting strangely since the suicide death of his friend. They discover some disturbing plans he's made and are determined to stop his behavior. In the meantime, a psycho and his 'girlfriend' are wreaking physical havoc on certain women in the community. Are these story lines connected? Keep reading....

As you get into the story the layers begin to peel away and nothing is really as it seems. If you're a parent, you'll empathize with the main character's struggle to make sense of his kid's actions. There's always the desire to continue to influence your children as they grow into adulthood, but you also know you need to let go at some point. There are situations, though, when direct action is needed by the parents and that's part of what drives this story. Some of the action sequences are a little out there, the psycho killer's connection to the plot is a bit tenuous, and the ending is unbelievable, but it's readable. Just don't pick it up thinking you'll be wowed by the writing.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.25 stars

Mike and Tia decide to put spy software on their 16-year old son's (Adam's) computer after he starts acting oddly, a few months after one of his best friends committed suicide. Adam appears to have some kind of secret... a big one. In the meantime, women are disappearing and being murdered. And much more...

Another very good book by Coben, although I didn't like it nearly as much as The Woods. He brought back a few of the characters from The Woods. As a Canadian, I did like the hockey references. Coben does a very good job of bringing together all the characters and various storylines going on in the book.

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

Mike and Tia Baye always had the "ideal" family...until six months ago, when their son's best friend committed suicide. Now, their son, Adam, is a different person. Mike and Tia find themselves doing things they never dreamed of, installing spyware on Adam's computer, to protect their son...who's life is spiraling dangerously out of control.

Meanwhile, their daughter Jill's best friend, Yasmin Novak's school-life has been turned upside down by an unfortunate choice of words by their teacher. Yasmin's father is now faced with moving in order to bring back his daughter's smile.

Tragedy continues as Yasmin's mother, Marianne is murdered. And, Marianne's friend Reba has gone missing, and presumed dead...

The innocent are presumed guilty...and no one gets out unscathed.

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

Mike and Tia Baye always had the "ideal" family...until six months ago, when their son's best friend committed suicide. Now, their son, Adam, is a different person. Mike and Tia find themselves doing things they never dreamed of, installing spyware on Adam's computer, to protect their son...who's life is spiraling dangerously out of control.

Meanwhile, their daughter Jill's best friend, Yasmin Novak's school-life has been turned upside down by an unfortunate choice of words by their teacher. Yasmin's father is now faced with moving in order to bring back his daughter's smile.

Tragedy continues as Yasmin's mother, Marianne is murdered. And, Marianne's friend Reba has gone missing, and presumed dead...

The innocent are presumed guilty...and no one gets out unscathed.

[lostinreverie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hold Tight starts out really slow. I was tempted to put the book down after a hundred pages or so, but towards the middle and definitely at the end the novel really picks up pace and becomes really enjoyable and exciting.

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another classic Harlan Coben book, trying to work out exactly what is going on, who is involved, etc. Like all his books there are so many sub-plots and the twists keep coming! And as is often the case there is a twist at the end that you most definitely didn't see coming. Yet another very enjoyable book and I cannot recommend this author enough, he is surely the Master of Mystery!

[jeanniea-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A page turner.

[stembie3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kinda makes you think about trust and what happens when it breaks.

[susiesharp_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I must admit this wasn’t my favorite Coben book; it had too many stories going on all at once that didn’t really connected to each other well sort of but only the fact that they are all happening at the same time. If this had just been the story Spenser’s suicide and what went on with Adam and his parents afterwards it still would have been a good book about when do you spy on your children? Is it right? Should you or shouldn’t you? But then we also have a story of women being killed and a teacher who shames a girl in class that sets off some massive bullying by her peers. All these stories at once was confusing to me.

Scott Brick as always does a great job at narrating; I love the combination of this author and narrator.

This won’t stop me from reading Coben he is one of my favorite Mystery/Thriller writers but this one just wasn’t a favorite.

3 Stars

[angelomarcos · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm a huge fan of Harlan Coben, but at the same time I don't usually enjoy books with too many characters in (short attention span I guess, I lose track...)

I did really enjoy this book though, and found it very interesting. I say 'interesting' because Harlan Coben explores aspects of human nature and behaviour through these characters in a very effective way, while still writing an entertaining and enjoyable story.

I felt the ending tied the various characters and stories together very well, and I was left wondering how on earth Harlan Coben managed to keep track of everybody and the various lies they had told to each other. (As a writer myself, I actually found it amazing that he was able to keep track so effectively and not miss anything!)

There seemed to be less humour in this book than in his other books, although given the fact that parts of the story do get quite dark I guess this isn't all that of a surprise.

Geeky as it sounds, I also liked the references to characters from other Harlan Coben books, specifically the Myron Bolitar series.

I'd definitely recommend this one, even if it'll make you doubt the truth of what other people tell you, forever...!

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Almost" funny when you consider that what Coben was writing about in 2008 as just a tiny bit futuristic has been so outdone in today's world of spy technology, etc., etc.