Seconds Away

Seconds Away by Harlan Coben

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Seconds Away, by Harlan Coben was a surprisingly good mystery thriller.  I didn’t realize it was number 2 in the series after Shelter until I was into it a little.  There were a few confusing parts, but overall, it was able to stand on its own.  The story is about Mickey Bolitar, who is staying with his Uncle Myron because his father was killed in a car accident, and his mother, overcome with grief, is sent to a mental institution.  As I mentioned, there were some lose ends that apparently come from the first book.  I was a little confused about the Abeona Shelter, whose secret mission is to save children.  But, I did get that Mickey’s friend Rachel was grazed by a bullet at the same time her mother was murdered.  And, I understood that Mickey, and his friends Ema and Spoon are caught up somehow with the Abeona Shelter, as is their friend Rachel.  They are intent upon finding out who murdered Rachel’s mother and tried to murder Rachel.  There is also a back story about a spooky neighbor, known as the Bat Lady, who tells Mickey that his father is still alive.   Lots of ends to tie together for sure, but the pace of the story is excellent, definitely a page turner, as Mickey and his friends try to solve the mystery.  This is a story I will highly recommend to middle school readers. 



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