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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
https://lolantaczyta.wordpress.com/2016/07/24/harlan-coben-fool-me-once/
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Every other book I’ve read by Harlan Coben I was totally in love with, so this one felt like a letdown. It wasn’t my favorite.
Former special ops pilot Maya loses her husband Joe to a random shooting, leaving her a single mother to their daughter. A friend gives her a nanny cam to use in the house to help ensure her daughter’s safety, and Maya sets it up in her house, but to her surprise, sees her husband Joe on the camera playing with their daughter – after he was murdered.
This prompts Maya to start digging into her husband’s past, but she soon realizes there may be more secrets than she was prepared to learn.
I’m having a hard time writing this review, because a lot of the problems I had with the book lay in the things that would be spoilers for those who haven’t read the book. I will say a few things. First, I found the story really interesting in the beginning and end, but the middle lost me. It felt convoluted and confusing at times. There were constantly new characters being introduced that were somehow connected to her husband, and it got a little messy trying to keep up.
Second, my biggest issue was that I found a lot of the plot unbelievable, especially once the ending was revealed. I won’t give anything away, but once I read the end, it felt like a lot of the things that happened in the book wouldn’t have happened in a real life situation. Last, I hard a hard time connecting with Maya as the lead. I found her unlikeable a lot of times, and I wasn’t her biggest fan.
That all said, I did like the end of the book and didn’t see it coming, which is always a plus in my book. While this was a dud for me, I’ve loved Harlan Coben’s other books, so it definitely wont turn me off of reading his books in the future. If you’re looking for your first Harlan Coben book, I’d recommend starting with Tell No One instead of Fool Me Once.
Former special ops pilot Maya loses her husband Joe to a random shooting, leaving her a single mother to their daughter. A friend gives her a nanny cam to use in the house to help ensure her daughter’s safety, and Maya sets it up in her house, but to her surprise, sees her husband Joe on the camera playing with their daughter – after he was murdered.
This prompts Maya to start digging into her husband’s past, but she soon realizes there may be more secrets than she was prepared to learn.
I’m having a hard time writing this review, because a lot of the problems I had with the book lay in the things that would be spoilers for those who haven’t read the book. I will say a few things. First, I found the story really interesting in the beginning and end, but the middle lost me. It felt convoluted and confusing at times. There were constantly new characters being introduced that were somehow connected to her husband, and it got a little messy trying to keep up.
Second, my biggest issue was that I found a lot of the plot unbelievable, especially once the ending was revealed. I won’t give anything away, but once I read the end, it felt like a lot of the things that happened in the book wouldn’t have happened in a real life situation. Last, I hard a hard time connecting with Maya as the lead. I found her unlikeable a lot of times, and I wasn’t her biggest fan.
That all said, I did like the end of the book and didn’t see it coming, which is always a plus in my book. While this was a dud for me, I’ve loved Harlan Coben’s other books, so it definitely wont turn me off of reading his books in the future. If you’re looking for your first Harlan Coben book, I’d recommend starting with Tell No One instead of Fool Me Once.
I really did not see the end coming with this one, and I love a good surprise. I was suspicious of almost every character at different points in this book, it definitely kept me guessing! I also won’t lie the last chapter from Shane’s POV made me teary eyed, a sweet summary to wrap up all the chaos at the end!
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Entertaining, but crashed and burned at the end. I was going to do 4 stars, but the ending ruined everything.
Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
Thrillers have taken over my 2018, and I have to admit that reading and reviewing these amazing books has been a lot of fun. One book that I have had on my bookshelf for a long while was recently set down on my desk with a Post-It that said, "READ ME". Okay, I wrote the Post-It. But it was only because I have had an influx of new books arriving via publishers and from book-buying excursions to the book shop. Sooner or later my older purchases get buried among the new, shiny books. I took a stand and here I am finally reading a book that I added to my shelf two years ago. And I am very happy that I chose this novel.
Fool Me Once is written by Harlan Coben, and it is published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In this tense and often nail-biting thriller we are introduced to Military Captain Maya Stern. Stern has just lost her husband to murder, and the family of Joe Burkett just want what's best for Maya and Joe's two year old daughter, Lily. Her nanny is even the daughter of Joe's nanny. The Burketts wealth is evident in Maya's life right down to her beautiful home. But Maya wishes only to mourn Joe and take care of Lily when she is not working. Maya does not like the "rich thing", and cares nothing for the Burkett fortune, even signing a prenuptual agreement.
Maya's friend Eileen suggests that she get a nanny cam for her home. That way when Maya is at work at least a record of Lily's day will be available. Maya reluctantly agrees, being someone who trusts very few, if any, people she feels that Ellen is right. As the days go by and Maya views the footage, nothing seems out of the ordinary. Until one day Joe Burkett walks into the room where Lily is playing and visits his daughter. How is this possible when Joe was murdered in front of Maya? She remembers the blood and the urgency of that fateful day. There is no way Joe is alive.
Maya plays the video for Lily's nanny, Isabella, who denies seeing Joe in the video. Soon after Isabella and the SD card holding the video vanish. Maya is certain that something is definitely wrong. As the case pertaining to Joe's murder continues to be investigated, Detective Kierce from the NYPD contacts Maya. He holds news that links the murder of Joe to the murder of Maya's sister, Claire. Maya begins to backtrack to the days before her sister's death, finding shocking revelations. Were Claire and Joe the victims of the same killer? What secrets do the Burketts hold? And where is Isabella?
Fool Me Once had me fooled from the first chapter. I had no idea where the story was going, which kept the narrative fresh. I loved the twists and turns that Coben took with the lead character. Maya's PTSD was on full display here, and it was portrayed in a very realistic and often clinical way. Coben's back story for Maya's PTSD was a tale that followed closely in the background, giving us doubt of Maya's sanity. Her family dynamic consisted of daughter Lily, military buddy Shane, and her sister's surviving family. Her relationship with her sister's husband was strained. His alcoholism was a constant contention, but Maya never gave up on him. In the end her became a great help to her. I did not like the Burkett family, which made them great antagonists. Coben delivered a story that ended with a shocking event that made me stare, mouth agape, at the final words that I was reading.
January LaVoy's narration of Fool Me Once was one of her best presentations. I have loved her work on various Star Wars projects, and I was excited to see her name attached to this novel. She managed to do an amazing job on this book, giving a wide range of voices and accents. This was a wise choice on behalf of Penguin Audio.
Fool Me Once was a thrilling book filled with three dimensional characters. It spoke to many, including those suffering with PTSD. It was a tale of family loyalty, love, and danger. It gave me an ending that I will remember for a very long time. I read this in one day, and I have to say that I am anxious for more of Harlan Coben's writing. If you want an exciting mystery that dips dangerously over the edge, then this four star read is for you.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms, and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book Depository. I am also looking for contributions to open my business. Please visit my GoFundMe page if you wish to help me out.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
At Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XepherusStudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/XepherusStudios
At RedBubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/xepherus3
At Twitter: https://twitter.com/XepherusStudios
My Amazon Wish List: https://amzn.com/w/3J58FXCH0Y44F
All written content (c) Copyright 2018 by Thomas Bahr II
Thrillers have taken over my 2018, and I have to admit that reading and reviewing these amazing books has been a lot of fun. One book that I have had on my bookshelf for a long while was recently set down on my desk with a Post-It that said, "READ ME". Okay, I wrote the Post-It. But it was only because I have had an influx of new books arriving via publishers and from book-buying excursions to the book shop. Sooner or later my older purchases get buried among the new, shiny books. I took a stand and here I am finally reading a book that I added to my shelf two years ago. And I am very happy that I chose this novel.
Fool Me Once is written by Harlan Coben, and it is published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In this tense and often nail-biting thriller we are introduced to Military Captain Maya Stern. Stern has just lost her husband to murder, and the family of Joe Burkett just want what's best for Maya and Joe's two year old daughter, Lily. Her nanny is even the daughter of Joe's nanny. The Burketts wealth is evident in Maya's life right down to her beautiful home. But Maya wishes only to mourn Joe and take care of Lily when she is not working. Maya does not like the "rich thing", and cares nothing for the Burkett fortune, even signing a prenuptual agreement.
Maya's friend Eileen suggests that she get a nanny cam for her home. That way when Maya is at work at least a record of Lily's day will be available. Maya reluctantly agrees, being someone who trusts very few, if any, people she feels that Ellen is right. As the days go by and Maya views the footage, nothing seems out of the ordinary. Until one day Joe Burkett walks into the room where Lily is playing and visits his daughter. How is this possible when Joe was murdered in front of Maya? She remembers the blood and the urgency of that fateful day. There is no way Joe is alive.
Maya plays the video for Lily's nanny, Isabella, who denies seeing Joe in the video. Soon after Isabella and the SD card holding the video vanish. Maya is certain that something is definitely wrong. As the case pertaining to Joe's murder continues to be investigated, Detective Kierce from the NYPD contacts Maya. He holds news that links the murder of Joe to the murder of Maya's sister, Claire. Maya begins to backtrack to the days before her sister's death, finding shocking revelations. Were Claire and Joe the victims of the same killer? What secrets do the Burketts hold? And where is Isabella?
Fool Me Once had me fooled from the first chapter. I had no idea where the story was going, which kept the narrative fresh. I loved the twists and turns that Coben took with the lead character. Maya's PTSD was on full display here, and it was portrayed in a very realistic and often clinical way. Coben's back story for Maya's PTSD was a tale that followed closely in the background, giving us doubt of Maya's sanity. Her family dynamic consisted of daughter Lily, military buddy Shane, and her sister's surviving family. Her relationship with her sister's husband was strained. His alcoholism was a constant contention, but Maya never gave up on him. In the end her became a great help to her. I did not like the Burkett family, which made them great antagonists. Coben delivered a story that ended with a shocking event that made me stare, mouth agape, at the final words that I was reading.
January LaVoy's narration of Fool Me Once was one of her best presentations. I have loved her work on various Star Wars projects, and I was excited to see her name attached to this novel. She managed to do an amazing job on this book, giving a wide range of voices and accents. This was a wise choice on behalf of Penguin Audio.
Fool Me Once was a thrilling book filled with three dimensional characters. It spoke to many, including those suffering with PTSD. It was a tale of family loyalty, love, and danger. It gave me an ending that I will remember for a very long time. I read this in one day, and I have to say that I am anxious for more of Harlan Coben's writing. If you want an exciting mystery that dips dangerously over the edge, then this four star read is for you.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms, and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book Depository. I am also looking for contributions to open my business. Please visit my GoFundMe page if you wish to help me out.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
At Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XepherusStudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/XepherusStudios
At RedBubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/xepherus3
At Twitter: https://twitter.com/XepherusStudios
My Amazon Wish List: https://amzn.com/w/3J58FXCH0Y44F
All written content (c) Copyright 2018 by Thomas Bahr II