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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Sami Kierce enjoys his work as a private investigator and is fresh off the success of a recent murder case. Yet, he's suffered multiple tragedies in his life-the murder of his fiancee, whose killer is being released from prison soon and an ex-girlfriend whose death still haunts him. 22 years earlier, he was a recent college graduate touring Europe with friends. He falls for a girl named Anna, but days later, wakes up to find her dead body in bed next to him. He ran back home to the US but no one ever came looking for him. One day, teaching a class for wannabe detectives, he spies Anna in the back of his class. Can it really be his Anna? And why is she appearing now? Is his past finally catching up with his present?
This was a really good murder mystery that kept me guessing the whole time. I've heard of Harlan Coben from watching multiple Netflix adaptations of his books. They always surprise me and hold a mix of great characters and great plot. This was another good one. It's the second book with Sami Kierce as the detective but it can be read as a standalone. It was a little unbelievable that one man could have so many deaths happen around him, but it kept it interesting. The story was multi-layered and I couldn't see how all the pieces connected until the twists and turns at the end. But the puzzle pieces fit together eventually and the story was easy to follow, not overly complicated. His revisit of a past murder mystery combined with a group of amateur detectives reminded me of an adult version of "Good Girl's Guide to Murder." Great for fans of murder mysteries!
*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***
This was a really good murder mystery that kept me guessing the whole time. I've heard of Harlan Coben from watching multiple Netflix adaptations of his books. They always surprise me and hold a mix of great characters and great plot. This was another good one. It's the second book with Sami Kierce as the detective but it can be read as a standalone. It was a little unbelievable that one man could have so many deaths happen around him, but it kept it interesting. The story was multi-layered and I couldn't see how all the pieces connected until the twists and turns at the end. But the puzzle pieces fit together eventually and the story was easy to follow, not overly complicated. His revisit of a past murder mystery combined with a group of amateur detectives reminded me of an adult version of "Good Girl's Guide to Murder." Great for fans of murder mysteries!
*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***
This is my first Harlan Coben book so I went in blindly. I’m not sure if I needed to read the first book in the series before this, as it was referenced a few times. It was a twisty mystery but almost a few too many twists. I found myself at the end still confused and playing catch up on who was this person and how did that scenario fit in. It was almost too complicated, that at the end I didn’t feel like it all came together. It was entertaining and definitely kept me wanting to know what happened next!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book really lost its steam for me. I was super interested in the beginning and then around 30-50% I started losing interest. It didn't pick back up until the very end and by the time that I got there I found myself significantly less invested in the story.
I thought the writing was cohesive and easy to read, but the pacing and overall story is where I think I struggled with this one. Something about this just didn't resonate with me.
I thought the narrator did a fantastic job though. This was a very pleasing narration to listen to. Good pace, good tone, and good clarity.
This book wasn't bad but it honestly just missed the mark for me. I do think it's worth picking up though.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7283304925
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/dc5764da-aa26-4664-b278-05f96bd3ba87/share
I thought the writing was cohesive and easy to read, but the pacing and overall story is where I think I struggled with this one. Something about this just didn't resonate with me.
I thought the narrator did a fantastic job though. This was a very pleasing narration to listen to. Good pace, good tone, and good clarity.
This book wasn't bad but it honestly just missed the mark for me. I do think it's worth picking up though.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7283304925
Fable Review: https://fable.co/review/dc5764da-aa26-4664-b278-05f96bd3ba87/share
I love the author’s novels and was so excited to get approved for this book (thank you Grand Central Publishing!).
I read this quickly and found it a very enjoyable mystery/thriller with humor, heart, and a few twists at the end - Nobody’s Fool kept me turning the pages with anticipation.
If Coben writes it, I’m reading it. His books never cease to interest me, keep me chuckling while reading, while providing some always-appreciated entertainment in book form.
*the characters are great, human and a likeable MC
*the relationships of the characters read realistically
*the Easter egg for his Myron Bolitar/Win series was fun to notice
Started strong, kept a good pace, the reason I didn’t rate this 5 stars was because the ending was a let-down; it didn’t gel correctly for me and I found it both anticlimactic and disappointing.
Definitely looking forward to whatever the author writes next.
Recommended, and I hope you enjoy that ending more than I did 🤞
Thank you to GrandCentralPublishing and NetGalley for the DRC
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was signature Harlan Coben: chaotic main character, lively banter, and twists and turns right up until the end. The supporting cast in the book were quirky, smart, and fun! Once I started reading I could hardly put it down. If you love Harlan Coben already, this will be right up your alley. If you've never read Coben, this book is a good starting place as even though it's the second in the Sami Kierce series, it can be read as a stand alone. I will say, as I was reading, I did keep hoping for a Win cameo in this one since it was slap full of morally gray rich folks. Perfect vacation read, since you might stay up way too late to finish it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance reader copy for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance reader copy for my honest review.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Life isn't about the big mistakes...
...its about the little ones.
Twenty two years ago Sami Kierce had just graduated from college and was backpacking through Europe with friends before starting medical school in the fall. He met a beautiful girl named Anna at a disco on the Costa del Sol, someone way out of his league, but they hit it off and quickly became involved. His friends left to continue the itinerary and Sami stayed behind with Anna, spending days on the beach and nights partying until the morning he woke up to find his hands covered in blood and Anna in the bed next to him - dead. He ran from the scene and after calling his father in a panic headed back to the US. But he couldn't run from the guilt and the horror of that scene; he never made it to medical school, instead becoming a cop, and used ever increasing amounts of alcohol to ease the pain. It wouldn't be his last tragic loss, and he would eventually get thrown off the force as well. These days he's sober and married to Molly, a fantastic woman whom he knows is far too good for him, and they have an infant son Henry. He's eking out an existence (barely) as a PI, doing surveillance work for an uptown law firm and teaching a night class at a shady institution for would-be amateur sleuths/true crime podcasters. Then two events happen that upturn his life. First the man convicted of killing Sami's fiancėe years ago, Tad Grayson, has been released from prison, mostly because of Sami's improper actions on another case during his time on the force (and which have by extension tainted every case with which he had contact), and a woman walks into the class he's teaching and he swears its Anna. Now, with the reluctant help of his former partner Marty and the enthusiastic assistance of his oddball students, Sami is both trying to find new evidence that will put Grayson back in prison and to track down the mysterious Maybe Anna. In doing so, he gets caught up in the never-solved kidnapping of a wealthy teenaged girl over twenty years ago and realizes that someone is putting his family in the crosshairs. Is there a connection between the two cases, or is it just the worst kind of coincidence that both things resurfaced at the same time? Who is stalking his family? And can he get the answers he needs to keep his loved ones safe and put the past behind him once and for all?
Harlan Coben has a way with twisty thrillers, and Nobody's Fool is another addictive read in that tradition. With its main character dealing with his fall from grace and haunted by something from his past that he hasn't shared with anyone other than his father, not even with his wife, Sami is a likable guy who owns his (many) mess-ups. He realizes that, financial woes aside, he's extraordinarily lucky to have his wife and son and is doing his best to carve out a way back to life on solid ground. Having two triggering events, the release of Grayson (who swears he's innocent and wants Sami to help him find the real killer of Sami's fiancée) and the reappearance of the girl he loved for a brief time who was murdered right next to him (he has never been able to remember what happened that night), is enough to unmoor anyone. With the quirky group of amateur sleuths (and boy are they quirky) and a plot that has more than a few plot twists, red herrings, and possible villains, this is a story that grabs the reader from the beginning and maintains its hold on their attention till the very end. Coben fans (including those who have watched the streaming series "Fool Me Once", which introduces some of the characters in Nobody's Fool) as well as readers of David Baldacci, Dennis Lehane and Thomas Perry, will likely enjoy this latest offering. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to a copy of this tale of mistakes that haunt a person and secrets that refuse to stay buried in return for my honest review.
...its about the little ones.
Twenty two years ago Sami Kierce had just graduated from college and was backpacking through Europe with friends before starting medical school in the fall. He met a beautiful girl named Anna at a disco on the Costa del Sol, someone way out of his league, but they hit it off and quickly became involved. His friends left to continue the itinerary and Sami stayed behind with Anna, spending days on the beach and nights partying until the morning he woke up to find his hands covered in blood and Anna in the bed next to him - dead. He ran from the scene and after calling his father in a panic headed back to the US. But he couldn't run from the guilt and the horror of that scene; he never made it to medical school, instead becoming a cop, and used ever increasing amounts of alcohol to ease the pain. It wouldn't be his last tragic loss, and he would eventually get thrown off the force as well. These days he's sober and married to Molly, a fantastic woman whom he knows is far too good for him, and they have an infant son Henry. He's eking out an existence (barely) as a PI, doing surveillance work for an uptown law firm and teaching a night class at a shady institution for would-be amateur sleuths/true crime podcasters. Then two events happen that upturn his life. First the man convicted of killing Sami's fiancėe years ago, Tad Grayson, has been released from prison, mostly because of Sami's improper actions on another case during his time on the force (and which have by extension tainted every case with which he had contact), and a woman walks into the class he's teaching and he swears its Anna. Now, with the reluctant help of his former partner Marty and the enthusiastic assistance of his oddball students, Sami is both trying to find new evidence that will put Grayson back in prison and to track down the mysterious Maybe Anna. In doing so, he gets caught up in the never-solved kidnapping of a wealthy teenaged girl over twenty years ago and realizes that someone is putting his family in the crosshairs. Is there a connection between the two cases, or is it just the worst kind of coincidence that both things resurfaced at the same time? Who is stalking his family? And can he get the answers he needs to keep his loved ones safe and put the past behind him once and for all?
Harlan Coben has a way with twisty thrillers, and Nobody's Fool is another addictive read in that tradition. With its main character dealing with his fall from grace and haunted by something from his past that he hasn't shared with anyone other than his father, not even with his wife, Sami is a likable guy who owns his (many) mess-ups. He realizes that, financial woes aside, he's extraordinarily lucky to have his wife and son and is doing his best to carve out a way back to life on solid ground. Having two triggering events, the release of Grayson (who swears he's innocent and wants Sami to help him find the real killer of Sami's fiancée) and the reappearance of the girl he loved for a brief time who was murdered right next to him (he has never been able to remember what happened that night), is enough to unmoor anyone. With the quirky group of amateur sleuths (and boy are they quirky) and a plot that has more than a few plot twists, red herrings, and possible villains, this is a story that grabs the reader from the beginning and maintains its hold on their attention till the very end. Coben fans (including those who have watched the streaming series "Fool Me Once", which introduces some of the characters in Nobody's Fool) as well as readers of David Baldacci, Dennis Lehane and Thomas Perry, will likely enjoy this latest offering. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to a copy of this tale of mistakes that haunt a person and secrets that refuse to stay buried in return for my honest review.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Format: Audiobook 🎧
Perfect for: fans of fast paced crime thrillers
What I loved: narrator, how well it kept my attention. 11 hours and 17 minutes of goodness!
Another great read by Harlan Coben! Filled with suspense, intrigue, and well paced twists. I did not find myself bored with story at any time, as it was engaging and kept my full attention.
Sami Kierce wakes up one morning next to the young lady that he’s been dating, dead. He can’t remember what happened the night before and he is very confused. He doubts himself & wonders if he could have harmed her although he knows this is not in his character. Young, scared, in a foreign country, out of options, & unsure he runs and doesn’t look back, but this has haunted him nonstop. Now over 20 years later, he spots the woman that is “supposedly” dead. When he digs into this decades old mystery, secrets are uncovered, putting everyone close to him in danger!
A great read that builds tension with compelling characters. Again, the narrator definitely brought life to Sami & the intensity of his voice during the intense moments was amazing. Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.
Format: Audiobook 🎧
Perfect for: fans of fast paced crime thrillers
What I loved: narrator, how well it kept my attention. 11 hours and 17 minutes of goodness!
Another great read by Harlan Coben! Filled with suspense, intrigue, and well paced twists. I did not find myself bored with story at any time, as it was engaging and kept my full attention.
Sami Kierce wakes up one morning next to the young lady that he’s been dating, dead. He can’t remember what happened the night before and he is very confused. He doubts himself & wonders if he could have harmed her although he knows this is not in his character. Young, scared, in a foreign country, out of options, & unsure he runs and doesn’t look back, but this has haunted him nonstop. Now over 20 years later, he spots the woman that is “supposedly” dead. When he digs into this decades old mystery, secrets are uncovered, putting everyone close to him in danger!
A great read that builds tension with compelling characters. Again, the narrator definitely brought life to Sami & the intensity of his voice during the intense moments was amazing. Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nobody's Fool
(Detective Sami Kierce, #2)
by Harlan Coben
4 out of 5 stars
Expected publication date: March 25, 2025
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.
When Sami was in college, he woke up covered in blood, had a knife in his hand, and was lying next to a woman. Twenty-two years later, Sami sees the same woman standing at the back of his classroom. He chases her and begins to solve the mystery of how this woman could be there.
This book is classic Harlan Coben! The story is twisty, but it doesn't drag on. It keeps the reader engaged and interested throughout the book. As always, the ending was surprising, but the reader is left knowing that all the clues had been dropped along the way.
I didn't realize that this was the second book in a series. I'll have to go back now and read the first book.
I was recently asked if Harlan Coben books are graphic, and it's interesting that I said no, based on the description of the book. However, Coben writes in such a way that the reader gets the point, but he doesn't linger on the gory details. The picture is painted in such a way that the reader can fill in any details that are needed.
This book is recommended to anyone who enjoys a good thriller that will keep you on your toes.
(Detective Sami Kierce, #2)
by Harlan Coben
4 out of 5 stars
Expected publication date: March 25, 2025
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.
When Sami was in college, he woke up covered in blood, had a knife in his hand, and was lying next to a woman. Twenty-two years later, Sami sees the same woman standing at the back of his classroom. He chases her and begins to solve the mystery of how this woman could be there.
This book is classic Harlan Coben! The story is twisty, but it doesn't drag on. It keeps the reader engaged and interested throughout the book. As always, the ending was surprising, but the reader is left knowing that all the clues had been dropped along the way.
I didn't realize that this was the second book in a series. I'll have to go back now and read the first book.
I was recently asked if Harlan Coben books are graphic, and it's interesting that I said no, based on the description of the book. However, Coben writes in such a way that the reader gets the point, but he doesn't linger on the gory details. The picture is painted in such a way that the reader can fill in any details that are needed.
This book is recommended to anyone who enjoys a good thriller that will keep you on your toes.