Bestselling thriller writer Harlan Coben has made his name with convoluted plots that involve secrets kept from spouses. This is more of the same.
Not that this means it isn’t a good read. It is.
The fun of the thriller‚ of course‚ is that you know how it ends – the baddies get caught‚ or at least get their comeuppance.
The thrill is in the chase‚ and in the knowledge that in the end good triumphs over evil‚ which is not always the case in the real world.
Fool Me Once‚ Coben’s 20-somethingth mystery novel‚ opens with a funeral. Joe Burkett‚ husband to disgraced army captain Maya Burkett‚ is dead – shot in the dark in New York’s Central Park. Maya was there when it happened‚ saved because she ran when he was attacked.
Then Maya sees Joe on her nannycam a few days later. If he’s dead‚ and she know’s he’s dead‚ why is he there?
Did he somehow escape – she never saw the body – or is it her post-traumatic stress disorder playing tricks?
What follows is the usual – a quick-paced unfolding of secrets. This time these are the secrets the fabulously wealthy Burkett family keep to protect their position in society and business.
Coben is also known for exploring the way the people we think we know best‚ the ones we marry‚ can harbour dark secrets. The ones in this novel are very dark indeed.
His delving into the emotional turmoil that is sparked by tragedy‚ and the unfolding of secrets‚ does not disappoint here.
Maya Burkett is quick- witted and‚ thanks to her military training‚ well able to look after herself. She also has good friends. Most of these are from the military – the only ones who can truly understand how she misses the adrenalin of combat‚ while also being glad to be away from it. Her only good civilian companion is also a combat survivor: a woman who escaped a physically abusive marriage.
Once Joe Burkett‚ scion of the Burkett family‚ appears on her nannycam‚ Maya springs into action. Her investigation into why he might have been “disappeared” by his family brings her up against the power of extreme wealth‚ but also against the power of the internet and the ease with which it can be used to anonymously blow the whistle on corruption.
All Coben’s primary characters are satisfyingly complex and contradictory‚ the pace is stiff‚ yet the story unfolds in a way that lets the reader believe they are figuring out the mystery.
The end‚ however‚ involves the kind of plot twist that used to irritate many who read Agatha Christie – a late reveal that changes everything and for which there are few‚ even no‚ clues. — © BDlive 2016
Convoluted, but Coben’s latest novel grips
Not that this means it isn’t a good read. It is.
The fun of the thriller‚ of course‚ is that you know how it ends – the baddies get caught‚ or at least get their comeuppance.
The thrill is in the chase‚ and in the knowledge that in the end good triumphs over evil‚ which is not always the case in the real world.
Fool Me Once‚ Coben’s 20-somethingth mystery novel‚ opens with a funeral. Joe Burkett‚ husband to disgraced army captain Maya Burkett‚ is dead – shot in the dark in New York’s Central Park. Maya was there when it happened‚ saved because she ran when he was attacked.
Then Maya sees Joe on her nannycam a few days later. If he’s dead‚ and she know’s he’s dead‚ why is he there?
Did he somehow escape – she never saw the body – or is it her post-traumatic stress disorder playing tricks?
What follows is the usual – a quick-paced unfolding of secrets. This time these are the secrets the fabulously wealthy Burkett family keep to protect their position in society and business.
Coben is also known for exploring the way the people we think we know best‚ the ones we marry‚ can harbour dark secrets. The ones in this novel are very dark indeed.
His delving into the emotional turmoil that is sparked by tragedy‚ and the unfolding of secrets‚ does not disappoint here.
Maya Burkett is quick- witted and‚ thanks to her military training‚ well able to look after herself. She also has good friends. Most of these are from the military – the only ones who can truly understand how she misses the adrenalin of combat‚ while also being glad to be away from it. Her only good civilian companion is also a combat survivor: a woman who escaped a physically abusive marriage.
Once Joe Burkett‚ scion of the Burkett family‚ appears on her nannycam‚ Maya springs into action. Her investigation into why he might have been “disappeared” by his family brings her up against the power of extreme wealth‚ but also against the power of the internet and the ease with which it can be used to anonymously blow the whistle on corruption.
All Coben’s primary characters are satisfyingly complex and contradictory‚ the pace is stiff‚ yet the story unfolds in a way that lets the reader believe they are figuring out the mystery.
The end‚ however‚ involves the kind of plot twist that used to irritate many who read Agatha Christie – a late reveal that changes everything and for which there are few‚ even no‚ clues. — © BDlive 2016
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