The marriage between beautiful ex-super model Laura Ayers and handsome basketball star David Baskin seemed like the perfect union. Between the two of them, there was so much beauty and love that a light practically shone around them. Deciding to elope to Australia seemed to be the most romantic thing they could think of to do. And it was perfect. They spent their days making love and planning their future together. Laura had a sudden and unexpected business meeting with a company that she had been trying to speak with for ages. She wasn't going to go at first. After all, she was on her honeymoon. But David knew how important this was to Laura's company so he insisted that she go. Little did Laura know that when she left their honeymoon suite that it would be the last time she saw David.

Something happened during the hours Laura was in her meeting. When she returned to their hotel, David was nowhere to be found. He had left her a cryptic note saying that he would always love her. She waited for hours but David had simply vanished.

Laura called David's best friend, T.C., and told him what had happened. He immediately flew from the United States to Australia so he could aid in finding David. What he found broke Laura's heart. It seemed that David had drowned. Was it accidental or suicide? Neither made any sense.

Getting through the days following David's death were excruciating for Laura. However, the strange things started happening almost immediately. The break in at the new house Laura and David had just bought made no sense. Nothing was taken, but an old photo was torn to shreds in David's office. Then, there was the missing money that had been wired overseas the same night that David had vanished. So many things didn't add up.

Then, at a basketball game, there was a new rookie player that had caught the attention of all basketball fans everywhere. He was a dynamo with the ball. As Laura watched him play, it was like watching David when he was alive. His movements and a special shot David used to play all seemed to have been reincarnated in this new player.

Laura's questions into David's death and her curiosity in this new player set off a deadly chain of events that would culminate in more than one dead body before it was over. Would Laura live to see her questions answered?

Harlan Coben is one of my all-time favorite writers. Sometimes you read a book and just know that this person was born to write. Mr. Coben is one of those writers. He has a flair for grabbing you by the throat and not letting you go until the very last page is read and everything is explained.

PLAY DEAD certainly lives up to the name and reputation of Mr. Coben. However, it's a bit different in that this was one of his earliest books. Don't let that put you off, though, because it just shows you what he was going to become in the future. PLAY DEAD has a bit of everything in it. A great love story, romance, loss, heartbreak, mystery, and more than a few secrets are all wrapped up together to form a highly entertaining and intriguing book. Do yourself a favor and curl up by the fire with PLAY DEAD. Just remember to leave a light or two on.