JERSEY BOOKSHELF: ‘Hold Tight,’ by Harlan Coben

Written By Mike Greenblatt
Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Hold Tight (2028)
by Harlan Coben

Award-Winning Best-Selling author Harlan Coben has sold 90 million books, been translated into 46 languages, and had 12 books adapted for movies and mini-series. There’s no shortage of weird, surprising, shocking and even mind-blowing plot twists in his mysteries and thrillers. Born in Newark, a graduate of Livingston High with his buddy, future Governor Chris Christie, he’s written 38 books. If you have to pick one to start with, go with Hold Tight.

Debuting at #1 in the New York Times Book Review section, its themes of prescription drug abuse, suicide, bullying and the eternal battle between parents and teenagers starts quick when Pietra drugs Marianne and enlists Nash to help kill her. They take off the corpse’s clothing, dress her back up to look like a hooker, then throw the body in a dumpster. Meanwhile, Tia and Mike spy on their son Adam. Susan and Dante find out their son needs a kidney transplant before discovering Dante is not the biological father. Nash murders another girl. And we’re off and running. Then you might want to read his brutal 2012 novel Stay Close, which was made into a Netflix mini-series in 2022.

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Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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