Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

3/5 Stars.

Whenever I’m in the mood for a mindless fast-paced thriller that’ll keep me guessing — the kind that I can sit down and devour in a single afternoon — Harlan Coben is one of my go-to authors. This dude can tell a story.

For a genre fiction writer, Coben is among the better ones out there. Sure, some of his characters are a little too smart, their dialogue a little too sharp; and his plots can feel contrived, but he’s actually a decent writer when it comes down to it, and he’s a talented storyteller.

Fool Me Once is about a former special ops army pilot named Maya who, following her husband’s murder, begins to suspect that he may actually be alive. Is Maya delusional, or is there some sinister conspiracy at play — possibly even one that’s connected to the recent death of her sister?

There are lots of secrets to uncover, and plenty of twists and turns. But unfortunately, at the end, there’s a lot that just doesn’t add up. Nevertheless, it’s an absorbing pageturner that kept me entertained, so I can’t complain too much.

The Stranger by Harlan Coben

3.5/5 Stars.

Sometimes you just need to escape into a book, and this was the perfect book to escape into. I finished it in one day. My first Coben book. He’s sort of like your average NYT Bestselling Mystery/Thriller Author, but a step up. Interesting and thought provoking themes that draw from modern technology/society and make you question just how private your online life can really be. I’m also a fan of moral ambiguity, and there’s plenty of that in here.