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Seconds Away: A Mickey Bolitar Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,767 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
Seconds Away is the second book in the Mickey Bolitar young adult series by Harlan Coben. Mickey is the nephew of Myron Bolitar, who is the protagonist of Coben's adult mystery series. In Seconds Away, Mickey lives with his uncle even though their relationship is strained. Mickey's sidekicks are his friends, Ema and Spoon, who help him to solve the mysteries he frequently runs into.
In Seconds Away, there are two plotlines going on simultaneously. One of them is resolved by the end of the book but the other is an overarching plotline that begins in the first novel of the series and continues with this book. This plotline has to do with Mickey's father who died in book one, apparently at the hands of a 90-year-old Nazi who doesn't seem to have aged. In Seconds Away, Mickey confronts the Bat Lady who corroborates his claim about the Nazi's involvement and then relays some truly stunning information that completely changes things for Mickey.
The main plot of the book centers around Rachel, a girl at Mickey's school with whom he has felt some sparks but who already has a boyfriend. There is some jealousy between Mickey and the boyfriend and some rivalry on the basketball court as well. But these issues become secondary when Rachel and her mother are attacked in their home. The mother is shot and dies while Rachel is wounded in the head. Concerned for Mickey's wellbeing, Rachel warns him not to get involved in finding out what happened but Mickey is determined to uncover the truth. A couple of other adults also warn Mickey to stay away and since Rachel's boyfriend's father is the chief of police, he doesn't look very kindly on Mickey's involvement. Eventually, another of Mickey's friends also lands in hospital which only makes Mickey more determined to find out the truth. There are many riveting twists and turns in the plot before the mystery is finally uncovered.
Coben grew up in Livingston, NJ and went to Amherst College, where he realized in his senior year that he wanted to be a writer. While at Amherst, he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, along with Dan Brown. He published a couple of stand-alone novels at first and then started working on a series featuring Myron Bolitar, following this with more stand-alone novels including Long Lost which debuted at the top of the NYT bestseller list. His latest work includes the two Mickey Bolitar young adult novels. He has won an Edgar award, a Shamus award, and an Anthony award. He lives in Ridgewood, NJ with his wife, Ann Armstrong-Coben, a pediatrician and four children.
Download Seconds Away from The Audio Bookstore and get engaged in the lives of these three likable teen characters and the ingenious way they solve mysteries.
"I love that Harlan Coben is doing this YA series. I love his adult fiction, but his YA fiction are so fun. This was a great continuation from book 1. I was worried about starting this because I couldn't remember many details about the first book, but he did a great job recapping the first book. This was a fun page-turner that kept me up late reading trying to figure out the ending--I was surprised--never guessed it. Great author, fun series."
— Jodi (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey Bolitar and his loyal new friends — sharp-witted Ema and the adorkably charming Spoon — find themselves at the center of a murder mystery involving their friend Rachel. Now, not only does Mickey have to continue his quest to uncover the truth about the Abeona Shelter and the Butcher of Lodz, he needs to figure out what happened to Rachel — no matter what it takes. Mickey has always been ready to sacrifice everything to help the people he loves. But how can he protect them when he’s not even sure who — or what — he’s protecting them from?
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Awards
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Finalist for the 2012 Agatha Award for Children's/Young Adult Novel
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
Seconds Away Listener Reviews
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" I don't usually read YA books, but since I love Harlan Coben, I read the first book in this series. It was very enjoyable, so I read the second. It was good but not as good as the first. That's okay.....it was still good enough that I'll read the next one when it comes out! Besides, he's such a fantastic writer, I don't think he could write anything NOT good! "
— Nancy, 2/15/2014 -
" Awesome book! Can't wait until #3 comes out! "
— Mandy, 1/31/2014 -
" A good follow-up to Shelter finds Mickey and friends just a few days after the events in the first book. The Batlady and Shaved Head are back, and there's more mysteries surrounding the Abeona shelter. The book flows along at a fast pace, and there's plenty of laughs along the way. We don't get all the answers here though, so expect a third one in the not too distant future. I still prefer Myron to Mickey, but these are pretty good too. "
— Andreas, 1/31/2014 -
" After this I may have to give Mr Coben a rest for a while.. "
— Rohan, 1/18/2014 -
" Another great book by Mr. Coben. This is one of his best yet. I had a hard time putting it down so I could go to sleep. I cannot wait for the next one. "
— Travis, 1/11/2014 -
" Eh... good that there is a book to interest the males set but why is this book so good I could not tell you it is so eh "
— Carla, 12/2/2013 -
" Fun, exciting. Another one for Jonathan. YA. (need to read Shelter(#1) first) "
— Leslie, 11/19/2013 -
" Loving that Jack and I read this at the same time. Thanks Riley for the recommendation. "
— Coleen, 11/14/2013 -
" This is the second Mickey Bolitar novel and just like the first it doesn't dissapoint. I was totally gripped from the first page, the book ends leaving you just dying to know what the next instalment will bring. If this book is on your to read list move it to the top!! "
— Ros, 11/3/2013 -
" Could not stop reading forgot how intense this series is cant wait for the next "
— Madison, 9/8/2013 -
" Intense isn't even a strong enough word. WOW! "
— Amanda, 7/29/2013 -
" love Harlan Coben! love the new series! "
— Candy, 5/9/2013 -
" This one dragged a bit for me in the middle, but I really like the tie in with the first book and Mickey finding out more and more about his father. Still like Ema and Spoon as side characters. "
— Beth, 4/19/2013 -
" Written with a high schooler (Young Adult) in mind. The pandora's box approach should keep the easily distracted young reader engaged. "
— Hapzydeco, 3/9/2013 -
" The second of Coben's young Adult series featuring Mickey Bolitar is just as good as the first. Fun for teens and adults as well. "
— Pamela, 2/3/2013 -
" editing issues, trying to read as a YA, but difficult. "
— Klee, 1/25/2013 -
" This is not nearly as good as the first Mickey Bolitar book. The editing seems a bit sloppy. But, still better than quite a few adult mysteries I have slogged thru. The narrator on this audio book is fantastic. "
— Patty, 1/8/2013 -
" Coben is so good and writes really interesting thrillers, but seriously? The characters are 15 years old and act like a special ops unit???? "
— Norm, 12/31/2012 -
" I love Harlen Coben, Myron Bolitar, and YA fiction. But this one didn't do it for me. A little too trite for me... "
— Pete, 10/12/2012 -
" This is the second book in the Mickey Bolitar series by Mr. Coben. I love, love, love his books! Haven't read a bad one by him yet, and I've read them all. Even tho these two are geared toward a younger audience, I thoroughly enjoyed them. Another highly recommended book. "
— Deb, 10/5/2012
About Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with seventy-five million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many of his books have been developed into Netflix series, including his adaptation of The Stranger, headlined by Richard Armitage, and The Woods.
About Nick Podehl
Nick Podehl is a professional voice actor. He has narrated numerous audiobooks, many of which have won prestigious awards, including fourteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. He currently lives and works around Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife.