Imagine a modern-day Sherlock, swanky, filthy rich type. Yeah, that’s it. That’s what Windsor Horne Lockwood III is. Or maybe a cross between Bruce Wayne and Gatsby. “Win” is in his forties, with a perfect physique, and sharp mind and it's hard to avoid him. The brutal honesty that he shows right from the first page made me *flush and blush* as a reader.
You see I have a problem falling in love with grey characters, ALWAYS. In reality, I would have had second thoughts about the guy who smells like a spoilt-rich-white kid with his head high up in the clouds but in the book, it's hard to ignore him. Given that he is almost omnipresent and the smoothness with which he shows his narcissistic personality makes me roll my eyes. It somehow fits perfectly with the book plot though.
Following the murder of a leader who was involved in 70s domestic terrorism, Win finds himself in a situation where he discovers a lost Vermeer painting stolen from his ancestral “home” and a clue to the criminals who abducted and abused his cousin.
The story finds its balance in between adrenaline rushed chapters, slowed down ones, and some showing glimpses of the past of Win. In all honesty, it’s a perfect OG American crime thriller and a perfect pick to read to get out of the reading slump.
Although the book is primarily a thriller novel spanning over 400 pages, the author talked about the inherent flaws of wealthy families and class differences in American society. He also shared, through his intricate narrative style, how childhood traumas impact a person’s decisions in their later life, like Win’s views about relationships, stem from the estranged relationship of his parents. He further went ahead in showing the lives of young minds of the 70s who were delusional with the current system and wanted to spark a revolution through anarchism. Oftentimes the leaders are either caught or get lost forever from the history books, where he showed us glimpses of their living, living under the constant fever of getting caught by federal agents or otherwise.
I can love or hate Win but it's very hard to avoid him and since this book is the first one in the Lockwood series, I am looking forward to reading more.
ABOUT THE BOOK-
Over twenty years ago, the heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family's estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin for months. Patricia escaped, but so did her captors — and the items stolen from her family were never recovered. Until now. On the Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3. For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead — not only on Patricia's kidnapping but also on another FBI cold case — with the suitcase and painting both pointing them toward one man. Windsor Horne Lockwood III — or Win, as his few friends call him — doesn't know how his suitcase and his family's stolen painting ended up with a dead man. But his interest is piqued, especially when the FBI tells him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an act of domestic terrorism — and that the conspirators may still be at large. The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades, but Win has three things the FBI doesn't: a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune; and his own unique brand of justice.
Win (Windsor Horne Lockwood III) by Harlan Coben is published by Century and to order your copy buy here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR-
With over 60 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben’s last seven consecutive novels, MISSING YOU, SIX YEARS, STAY CLOSE, LIVE WIRE, CAUGHT, LONG LOST, and HOLD TIGHT all debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and lists around the world. His books are published in 43 languages around the globe. Coben is the winner of the Edgar Award, Shamus Award, and Anthony Award – the first author to win all three – and he has received an eclectic variety of honors from all over the world. His novel TELL NO ONE has been turned into a hit French film of the same name. His essays and columns have appeared in many top publications. Harlan was born in Newark, New Jersey. He still lives in New Jersey with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben MD, a pediatrician, and their four children.