Profile - Myron Bolitar

Myron Bolitar (M), 6'4' former basketball player turned sports agent, is the subject of Harlen Coben's (M) successful mystery series. Hopeful of a pro career, Bolitar's life changed trajectory when he injured his knee. Next on his list was Harvard Law school and then a career as a sports agent. Myron Bolitar is a good guy. He has his players' backs. His clients' money and personal affairs are safe with Myron. He is honest and decent and helps his clients in times of personal need. They do seem to have a lot of personal needs which lead them and Myron into some pretty scary situations. Despite Myron's decency, kindness and honesty, he has an ruthless streak and he can be brutal when the situation calls for it. Myron can be trusted, but threaten his family and friends and you are in serious trouble.

Bolitar, much like Stephanie Plum (M) (albeit a grittier and more aggressive Stephanie Plum) surrounds himself with a colourful cast of characters. Long time friend and business partner Windsor Home Lockwood III is rich, preppy and scarily cold-blooded. His resources and his capacity for violence seem limitless. Win and Myron share an easy camaraderie peppered with an almost juvenile sense of humour. The office MB Reps is rounded out with Esperanza and Big Cyndi, former wrestling partners. Petite Esperanza has moved from assistant to partner and is fiercely protective of Bolitar. Statuesque Big Cyndi is larger than life, runs the office efficiently and is both assistant and philosopher.

Myron Bolitar, kind of like Robert Crais' Elvis Cole (M), has evolved and changed over time. In his latest, Live Wire (M), we see an introspective Bolitar who reveals himself to be a family man at heart. "Myron Bolitar has always dreamed about the voluptuous femme fatale walking into his office and asking for help. The woman standing in his doorway has killer curves, all right: She's eight months pregnant, which kind of ruins the fantasy. Former tennis star Suzze T and her rock star husband, Lex, are both clients, and over the years Myron has negotiated his share of contracts for the power pair. But now Lex has disappeared and a very pregnant Suzze is in tears, fearing the online rumors questioning the baby's paternity have driven away the man she swears is the child's father.

For Myron, questions of fatherhood couldn't hit closer to home, as his dad, Al, clings to life, and the brother who abandoned the family years ago resurfaces-with danger following close behind. Myron is soon forced to confront deep secrets in Suzze's past, his family's mortality-and before Live Wire is over, his own." publisher

I don't want to give away any secrets, but Myron Bolitar and MB Reps are at a crossroads. More should be revealed in the young adult novel Shelter (M) featuring Mickey Bolitar.