Coming Back

Sharon McCone #27

by Marcia Muller

San Francisco private eye Sharon McCone struggles to regain control over her body after she was shot in the head and suffered from locking-in syndrome. But when Sharon's friend from physical therapy goes missing, she must call upon those closest to her to find out the truth behind the disappearance.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Detective, Suspense

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 2010

About the author

Marcia Muller is an American author of mystery and thriller novels.
Muller has written many novels featuring her Sharon McCone female private detective character. Vanishing Point won the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel. Muller had been nominated for the Shamus Award four times previously.
In 2005, Muller was awarded the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master award.
She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, and graduated in English from the University of Michigan and worked as a journalist at Sunset magazine. She is married to detective fiction author Bill Pronzini with whom she has collaborated on several novels.

Reviews

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming Back by Marcia Muller

Sometimes I feel like I live in a cave. I am frankly shocked that I have never read a Sharon McCone mystery before. Marcia Muller seems to have a ton of books out there and I have missed them all. I intend to remedy that situation.

Coming Back details the recovery of private investigator Sharon McCone from a gun shot wound acquired in a previous book. Her introspection as to her recovery is interrupted by a double kidnapping. Who is responsible and what transpires is the meat of the novel.

Ms. Muller does an excellent job in providing a reality check on her characters. They are multi-dimensional and quite human. They could be friends or family they seem so normal. She allows them to be frail, frightened and extraordinary, simultaneously.

The story had enough twists and turns to satisfy every Machiavellian obsessed reader. Torn from the pages of corporate scandals and Black Water covert ops, this mystery keeps you guessing until the very end. Sharon McCone’s tenacity and compassion make her a very likeable protagonist.

I highly recommend the book.

[Debra B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

Marcia Muller is one of the female authors that helped to create the genre of the hard-boiled female detective. Muller's Sharon McCone is on par with Sara Paretsky's V I Warshawski and Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone. It's a treat to read a book that takes place before computers and cell phones became commonplace, though Muller's later books do incorporate those tools.

If you enjoy classic female detective fiction, give Marcia Muller a try. Sharon McCone is a private investigator in San Francisco working first for the All Souls legal cooperative and later running her own detective agency. She's no-nonsense and intensely focused so she's not always sensitive to others, but always, always she is loyal to and supportive of her employees and friends.

[Stacielynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed Marcia Muller's books, and especially Sharon McCone mysteries, for many years and was thrilled to find one I hadn't read available on CD. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I found the plot kinda contrived and the story line annoying.

It is not just this book -- I find it in a number of series - there seems to be a need for calculated mis-communication or a total lack of communication in order to create tension among the characters. This need that everyone has to keep their feelings and thoughts to themselves, no matter how much confusion, mistrust, hurt feelings, and anger it causes just does not ring true to me. I would expect this group of people to be more open with their thoughts and feelings, more supportive of each other's situations.

Much of what happens in this book would be prevented if the characters actually spoke to each other as friends, colleagues, spouses, whatever. But they don't. Why?

I know it must be incredibly hard to maintain quality, but I expect so much more from a woman who has always done such great work. This title did not have either the human element or the writing that always made Muller's books appealing. It was kind of formulaic and more than a little whiny. I understand that Shar's return is difficult and frightening, but I expect more from her and her friends.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery, as such, in this one wasn't all that much--I am getting rather tired of rogue government agencies. But the people--oh that is the best part. Sharon is still recovering from her traumatic injury (see Locked In) and is trying to return to her agency. Her friends/family/co-workers/husband are hindering--in the nicest possible way..but hindering nonetheless.
The story revolves around the disappearances of Piper--a young woman whom Sharon met in re-hab and of Adah, one of Sharon's crew at McCone Investigations. We get to see the search for these women from multiple view points as we watch the members of Sharon's firm do their thing.
It was those interactions that kept me turning the pages at a frantic clip. We are brought up to date on most of the people in Sharon's circle, while watching the investigation unfold.
Marcia Muller is a master and even her not quite so good books are better than most.

[SuperWendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. As a companion read to Locked In (the previous book in the series) this works very well. Sharon is still working her way back from the trauma she experienced in that book and it's not only affecting her, but those in her life (Hy, the team at the agency etc.). Muller does a great job of how "messy" something like that can be, strained/hurt feelings, fraying tempers etc. The mystery? Well, I'm kind of past done with Government Conspiracies and this one is set post-Bush II / early Obama era. Also, Muller continues to head-hop amongst the characters with this book, which is probably necessary given how Sharon's trauma affects all of them but I'm hoping we eventually get back to books told in just Sharon's point of view.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Years and years ago, I discovered the Sharon McCone series. I enjoyed the character a lot...she was fun, independent & actually had a sex life (unlike so many other lead characters who are female, cough, Kinsey Millhone, cough). Sharon never had the relationship issues that are often given to female characters. I supposed that the authors think it makes the women interesting but I think it just makes them pathetic or whiny. I also enjoyed the fact that Sharon lived in San Francisco and was still kind of in the hippie groove. I loved her family (knocked up at 16 Charlene, Patsy with the three kids by three different men, badass brothers John & Joey, her singing Pa and long suffering Ma) and loved how she loved them.

Stuff changed when Sharon left her sweet law firm co-op to start her own investigation business and that is when I started to lose interest in the series. Sharon became just like every other Baby Boomer as she acquired property & money. The way she and her now-husband call each other by their last names was and is irksome (who DOES that?!?). Then we found out that Sharon was actually adopted has a whole other family...why? Her brother in law got famous, her once wishy washy assistance married the rich brother in law and got rich and famous herself, Charlene married some rich guy, Patsy settled down & is successful, now the nephew is about to be a millionaire, and "McCone & Ripinsky" own a cottage, ranch, airplane, house in San Fran and who knows what else? I realize that things change and people grow and perhaps I should have stopped reading the series when she started her own business. I kind of liked the living on the edge Sharon, the lawyers who barely made ends meet and the big old house that some of them lived in (and they all worked in). I hate society's emphasis on "success"(always measured in terms of career success and income)and I feel like every character in this series sold out.

I don't even remember the last book that I read, but I know it wasn't interesting or memorable. A few months ago, I was at a used book sale and saw this book for sale for like $4. I thought the premise sounded interesting and so I bought it. Now I want my four bucks back! (Sorry,I'm not a successful author or successful search engine designer or successful investigator and need to watch my money).

Sharon is indeed recovering from a gunshot wound to the head. The whole time I read about her recovery, I kept thinking of Rep. Gabby Giffords and I just couldn't buy Sharon's recovery. DUDE SHE WAS SHOT IN THE MOTHERFUCKING HEAD!!! You don't just "come back" from that. But okay whatever...I put that aside. Still, the story was boring and just didn't gel for me. We kept learning about TRIAD and rogue CIA operatives and I just didn't care. I don't know the Adah character enough (but oh I know she's wealthy & successful because I'm sure she wouldn't be in the book otherwise) to give a shit about her being kidnapped. I didn't care about soon-to-be millionaire Mick and his new girlfriend (who I was hoping was someone involved in the whole scheme). I didn't care about the--wait for it--wealthy woman was the initial target (okay, she was rich because she sued after a horrible accident but still). Even Ted's sections were boring and he is usually an awesome character.

Look, if I wanted to read about rich people, I'd read Mitt Romney's autobiography (I don't even know if he's written one but go with me here). I want to read about the old gang at the legal cooperative. I guess I'd better go and read the first 15 or so books in the series because I don't think I will be reading any more of these.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

It takes a certain level of skill to keep a story limping along without the benefit of interesting characters, scenes, narrative structure, psychological depth, or writing quality, but for the life of me, why anyone would publish this dreary stuff, let alone read it is beyond me. In my case, I was trapped with an audio book version on a driving trip to Northern California, and my alternative would have been static, weak country music stations from the Central Valley, or silence. I should have gone for the silence. I read Muller years ago, and recall that her female detective Sharon McCone was less interesting than those by V.I. Warshawski or Kinsey Milhone, which emerged roughly at the same time. But not this boring. McCone's agency has all the excitement of an accountancy, made worse by an annoying narrative structure in which nearly every character, even those with walk-on roles, narrate bits and shards -- the action is often advanced by what these extremely boring people surmise. This is hard to do for a good writer, impossible here. The prose is flaccid. The people boring. The book forgettable. Why am I writing about it?

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming Back is the sequel to Locked In. Sharon McCone has survived a gunshot to the head and is trying to get her feet back. In rehab, she meets Piper and they build a friendly relationship. When Piper doesn’t show up for rehab, Sharon wants to know why. She goes to Piper home where Piper is being cared for by an aunt who tells McCone that Piper is not up to visitors and to come back another time. McCone gets a bad feeling about the aunt and decides to investigate. In the meantime, McCone’s colleague, Auda, is kidnapped while following up on Piper’s case. To save Auda and Piper, McCone and her colleagues must figure out what the two kidnapped women have in common.

Coming Back is a good read and Deanna Hurst does a great job of storytelling.>

[Lark37 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually enjoy Sharon McCone books. While I know Ms. McCone is a liberal, this whole book seemed like an excuse for Ms. Muller to use Sharon McCone to push her liberal politics and bash the previous administration. The conclusion of the story was rushed. The search for Adah was very slowly made throughout the book, but then the conclusion seemed to fly by with very little fanfare. I'm not sure I'm interested in Sharon McCone anymore. Oh, and someone should tell Ms. Muller that we want a mystery for Sharon McCone to solve, not a political statement.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Sharon Mccone for as long has she has written them. Somehow I missed this book. Sharon is recovering from being shot and being unable to move or speak. While in rehab she meets a friend Piper who disappear and Sharon starts looking for her. Adah disappears from Piper's apartment and Sharon and Staff come together to find her. Soon the group is involved with covet activities. Many of the Sharon's friends do not feel she is ready to return and still beshould be taking it easy. Will Sharon find her way back before Adah is found? This is not a stand alone book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The indomitable Sharon McCone recovers from locked-in syndrome and still manages to go after a rogue intelligence group in this excellent ongoing series set in San Francisco.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

good. short quick lots of updates on secondary characters.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is easily one of the best books in the series. I gave it 4.49 stars, but I don’t know why I didn’t just overcome the niggardly nature of my rating system and go full-on five. It’s that good.

Sharon McCone is clawing her way back from the locked-in darkness that held her captive in the previous book. I initially complained that the recovery felt artificially fast, but this is a short book. So, it’s easy to forgive the author for glossing over what had to be months of slow progress had this been the real world. She’s still not up to driving, and she’s dealing with a serious problem in that her staff underestimate her abilities. In subtle ways, they patronize her and attempt to take over and do more than they would have prior to the gunshot wound to the head that created the problem.

One of Sharon’s new friends made during physical therapy disappears. Someone removes the wheelchair ramp the woman sometimes used, and a crew came in to repaint the entire place. It looked like the disappearance was thorough and professionally done. Naturally, Sharon determines to find her friend, and she involves her agency in the effort.

And that’s where the propulsive, punchy writing kicks in. The chapters are short—feeling more like a paragraph in some instances than a full-fledged chapter. But that format enhances the urgency Muller clearly wants you to feel. One of McCone’s employees disappears into the same ruthless hands as the ones who took McCone’s friend, and the agency goes on high alert. You will follow her chapters with intensive attention. There’s something creepy about captivity when it’s against the will of the captive.

It helps immensely to have read previous books in the series. I guess it isn’t mandatory, but I fear I’d have been a bit confused about who some of the characters are had I not been acquainted with them by reading earlier books

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private investigator Sharon McCone is on the road to health and normalcy (as much as possible) following a horrific and nearly fatal gun shot to her head (in Locked In). But despite the challenges of learning to talk, to move and control her emotions once again, McCone tackles it with her usual single focus and tenacity.

But now she is faced with another challenge: the unwanted shielding and assistance of her family, friends and work associates. It's enough to make her mad and ever more determined to prove to them and herself that she can handle the mental and physical stress of leading and conducting investigations.

When a friend of McCone's from her physical therapy sessions disappears, it's all hands on deck for the McCone agency and their leader. The investigation leads to questions about national security and rogue agents, and a deadly quest for McCone and all those involved.

I have been slowly making my way through this series. At first, I wasn't too sure about the McCone character — at times I disliked her — but as the stories have progressed, so has the character matured and grown. I've liked the character more and more, and in this and the last story, I found myself emphasizing with Sharon McCone and rooting for her success in her efforts. This has become a good series with good solid winners in character development, story line and pacing.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#28 in the Sharon McCone series. This 2010 series entry by author Marcia Muller is a fine addition to the series. Sharon McCone has progressed in rehabilitating from her injury. Her team is pulling together nicely, except for some temper outbreaks from Craig while he worried about the abducted Adah. An interesting and enjoyable read.

Sharon McCone, the San Francisco PI, who's recovering from a debilitating bullet wound to the head suffered in Locked In (2009), becomes alarmed when a close friend, Piper Quinn, abruptly stops coming to their rehab center. When McCone visits Quinn, whose husband was killed in Iraq, she finds her semi-conscious, watched over by a sinister and evasive caregiver. A further visit by Adah Joslyn, McCone's office manager, finds Piper gone and her apartment scrupulously and professionally cleaned. Shortly afterward, Adah herself vanishes. When McCone Investigations' shrewd employees pool their impressive abilities and connections to find the two missing women, early evidence suggests that a malevolent and clandestine intelligence agency might be deeply involved.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sharon McCone is fighting her way back to normalcy after a gunshot to her head caused a great deal of damage to several systems in her body. Her husband and friends and coworkers worried about her ability to process information normally and to deal with the stress of her job as private detective.

Then a friend from physical therapy goes missing.

The story of the investigation into her disappearance is told through different characters. Sharon's story is told in the first person while the others are third, each in separate chapters. I am not fond of this device. It makes me impatient for some reason.

I also wondered about the investigation. It didn't seem to follow an orderly path. Perhaps this was deliberate, reflecting Sharon's efforts to normalize and to appear normal.

Overall, I didn't find it particularly memorable but it was an easy read and I would probably read another in the series.

[Marssie Mencotti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my style of detective mystery but I thought I'd give it a try since there are many books in this series. It has all the necessary elements, a missing person who is also resourceful - as a matter of fact there are several missing persons from within a rather large well-staffed and well equipped detective agency headed by Sharon McCone. Since there were 26 books before this one, I assume the readership has grown with McCone as she and her husband own a variety of properties and summer homes and a ranch and god knows what so it's a rich person's game of indulging in detection but they are also very good at interfacing with the FBI, etc. The novel is not without entertainment value and is tightly written, but is also very predictable and help drops in right at the proper moment like it was ordered on a rush from Amazon. I'll skip the rest of this series. Well done, but not my thing.

[Gail Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty sure this is one I missed when I read this series the first time. -- And now I think it is one of my favorites! Sharon is on her way back from being locked in and the reactions to this by Sharon and those around her vary. But when a friend she has made in PT goes missing, Sharon is on the case 100% and those around her realize she's back. The case gets big when folks realize that TRIAD, a rogue off-the-books agency is involved. I'm so glad Sharon is back!

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming Back,Book#27 in the long running Sharon McCone mystery series by Marcia Muller.
This is a great book to read on audio! The action and suspense, along with the high emotional content, makes this one of the best installments in the series! Sharon is clawing her way back to normal after a traumatic brain injury --- some of her instincts and ability to read people is sketchy. This , in part, leads to a friend's kidnapping. The pace is fast and the plot is intense. I enjoyed it!

[Sherri Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was an interesting read because the book was shared from the various characters that have been introduced through the years and the challenges of coming back from a terrible injury. It is definitely not a stand alone-- but a reminder of the excellent books written in the series and a reason to revisit them.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been interested in reading Marcia Muller's books since moving to SF - I picked this one up and though I loved the local settings, the story itself was fair. That said, it's always hard to pick up a book in mid-series and I may be better served by starting with the first book and really watching the characters develop.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon McCone is still recovering from being shot and her loss of memory.
This time she attempts to aid a friend from physical therapy who goes
missing. This a fast paced mystery with many twists and turns that will keep
You turning the pages. The investigation points to issues of national
security and proves dangerous. I enjoyed this book and recommend this author
and series.

[Carolyn Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid mystery! PI McCone is 'coming back' after being shot in the head. Story involves rogue intelligence personnel who kidnap one of Sharon's friends to get intelligence. I liked the method of her storytelling (1-5 page narratives from the different characters, the story progressing from each of their viewpoints). Will read her again.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming Back (Hardcover)
by Marcia Muller

audio edition of 7 cd's

disc 1 how people treat disabled/ semidisabled /

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars.

[Tammi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow in parts. Just when I'd be ready to give up, it would get good again. Not a favorite. Don't think I'd read anything else by her.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

another great mystery from one of my favorite writers!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page turner, character driven plot. Mysterious disappearance of one of Sharon’s rehab friends leads to another snatch - this time an McCone Agency operative.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting another.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in an old favorite series.