04/14/2025

Samuel “Sami” Kierce, the troubled protagonist of Edgar winner Coben’s disappointing sequel to Fool Me Once, has spent decades running from his past. His life changed irrevocably during a backpacking trip through southern Spain when he awoke one morning in Costa del Sol covered in blood, next to the lifeless body of his girlfriend, Anna. Terrified, he fled the scene and returned to the United States, too afraid to confront the situation. Fast forward 22 years: Sami, now an ex-NYPD homicide detective fired for incompetence, has become a private investigator and a new father, struggling with debt while teaching aspiring sleuths at a night school in New York City. When he unexpectedly spots a familiar face in his class, he realizes with a shock that it’s Anna. He panics as she flees, igniting a desperate quest for answers that culminates in devastating violence. Coben cleverly interweaves seemingly unconnected side plots involving a famous kidnapping case from 25 years earlier and the release of a convicted murderer, but his characters are flat and his plot twists flatter. This is far from the author’s best. Agent: Lisa Vance, Aaron M. Priest Literary. (Mar.)

Vikas Adam masterfully draws listeners into this nonstop thriller…Adam expertly voices a wide range of characters, keeping listeners engaged…Adam perfectly matches Harlan Coben’s emotional beats, enhancing every tense moment in this roller-coaster thriller. A gripping, expertly narrated listen. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”

We’re thrilled to reunite with an old friend…Sami Kierce’s perilous past collides with the present in the latest explosive mystery from Harlan Coben.”

Vikas Adam masterfully draws listeners into this nonstop thriller featuring disgraced former NYPD detective Sami Kierce. The story begins with a secret from more than 20 years earlier, when Sami, fresh from college, backpacked through Europe and had a brief romance with a beautiful American woman. Fast-forward to the present: Twists and turns come quickly as Sami investigates the disappearance of a wealthy young woman and threats to his family. Adam expertly voices a wide range of characters, keeping listeners engaged. Sami is sharp but self-sabotaging, traits that make him both frustrating and endearing. Listeners may find themselves alternately rooting for him and shouting warnings. Adam perfectly matches Harlan Coben's emotional beats, enhancing every tense moment in this roller-coaster thriller. A gripping, expertly narrated listen. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine