GONE FOR GOOD by Harlan Coben

Will Klein is a New Yorker who runs a home for runaways, and his mother has just died from cancer.  His brother Ken has been a fugitive for 11 years since the murder of Will’s former girlfriend.  Will’s current girlfriend Sheila has a murky past, which becomes even more murky as the book progresses.  There’s suspense, violence, vengeance, betrayal, subterfuge—the usual elements of a good thriller.  I do think that the main character, Will, needs a little more depth.  We know that he let his older brother handle his fights when they were young, but I think that’s not so unusual.  His buddy Squares is much more lively, although I never figured out what changed him from a neo-Nazi to a yoga guru and general do-gooder.  He slides nicely into the big brother role for Will while Ken is on the run.  This novel is entertaining but not cerebrally challenging, and the author packs most of the twists into the last few pages.  Sometimes I just need to read some pulp fiction.  Actually, I think Harlan Coben is one of the better thriller writers out there, and it’s been a while since I’ve read one of his books.  This one does not disappoint, although one big surprise was not a surprise to me.