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Fool Me Once Harlan Coben Books

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Fool Me Once Harlan Coben Books

This is solid commercial fiction (3 1/2 stars). The writing is smooth and workmanlike but not Raymond Chandler- or James Lee Burke- or James Ellroy-memorable. It reads very, very quickly. There is a lot of white space on the pages (though not as much as in a Parker novel) and the reader can comfortably cover 387 pp. of text in two or three sittings.

The story begins with a striking premise (particularly if you are not a frequent reader of HC’s fiction): a former military pilot named Maya Stern has lost her husband. Two weeks later Maya installs a nanny-cam in her house. When she downloads the recording she sees her I-thought-he-was-dead husband right there in living, breathing action. From this basic conceit HC ripples out, introducing us to the members of Maya’s family and circle of friends and spins a tight, nonstop story of deception, greed and violent murder. This is not easy to do, but as several of the Amazon reviewers have commented, the process has become formulaic for HC.

The story is set in New Jersey (HC’s home turf), with forays into the Philadelphia suburbs and other sites along the eastern seaboard. The setting is well-realized but (with all due respect) New Jersey is not magic, crime-fiction territory except for the few square miles inhabited by the Sopranos. The plot is executed with skill but the themes (what is the book really about?) are conventional and, as my freshman comp teacher would have said, banal (or jejune, depending upon his mood).

I enjoyed the novel, found the ending very implausible, given the nature of the relationships previously established in the narrative, but well worth my time as an occasional, not assiduous HC reader.


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Fool Me Once Harlan Coben Books Reviews

I'm glad this wasn't the first book I've read from this author, because if it were--I might not have chosen to read his other books. This one is not in the same league as "The Stranger" or "Missing You." It's difficult to like the main character in this novel. Maya is not entirely sympathetic. It's about her, her problems, her challenges--and everyone that she encounters? Her friends and family, well their thoughts, their feelings and their beliefs are treated with impatience and irritation. The story itself is told from Maya's perspective, but there is some key information about an event that is left out which becomes the "twist" ending--However, the way it's written--It seems like the character would have addressed this inconsistency as it happens, and not leave it off for a surprise ending. It's written as a puzzle and a mystery for Maya to solve--But she already knows a key element to this puzzle, she just doesn't share it with the reader, which seems inconsistent since she shares everything else with us. I'm sorry to be enigmatic, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
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.
I have really enjoyed several of Coben's stand-alone novels in the past. His specialty is presenting "normal" suburban, middle-class people whose lives are turned upside-down by a sudden mysterious intrusion from their past. When his stories feel rooted in character, his is one of the best thrillers writers working. But lately, it seems, his work has become uneven. More of his books are missing than hitting. In a couple of cases, the writing has actually taken a drop in quality, as if someone else had written the book. In this case, it's not so much that the prose is bad, it's that the book feels more plot-driven than character-driven. It almost feels like Coben wanted to create a puzzle and was more interested in making sure all the puzzle pieces fit together than in creating an engaging, sympathetic and believable cast of characters. The main character doesn't grab you, she doesn't feel real, and she often behaves in ways that don't feel credible (for example, pulling down the pants of an obnoxious coach at a kids' soccer game). Some of the plot points feel recycled from old Coben books and the whole thing feels kind of formulaic and forgettable. It's not a bad book, it's just not the work of a good writer on top of his game.
This is solid commercial fiction (3 1/2 stars). The writing is smooth and workmanlike but not Raymond Chandler- or James Lee Burke- or James Ellroy-memorable. It reads very, very quickly. There is a lot of white space on the pages (though not as much as in a Parker novel) and the reader can comfortably cover 387 pp. of text in two or three sittings.

The story begins with a striking premise (particularly if you are not a frequent reader of HC’s fiction) a former military pilot named Maya Stern has lost her husband. Two weeks later Maya installs a nanny-cam in her house. When she downloads the recording she sees her I-thought-he-was-dead husband right there in living, breathing action. From this basic conceit HC ripples out, introducing us to the members of Maya’s family and circle of friends and spins a tight, nonstop story of deception, greed and violent murder. This is not easy to do, but as several of the reviewers have commented, the process has become formulaic for HC.

The story is set in New Jersey (HC’s home turf), with forays into the Philadelphia suburbs and other sites along the eastern seaboard. The setting is well-realized but (with all due respect) New Jersey is not magic, crime-fiction territory except for the few square miles inhabited by the Sopranos. The plot is executed with skill but the themes (what is the book really about?) are conventional and, as my freshman comp teacher would have said, banal (or jejune, depending upon his mood).

I enjoyed the novel, found the ending very implausible, given the nature of the relationships previously established in the narrative, but well worth my time as an occasional, not assiduous HC reader.