Book Review: Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

  Thrillers have taken over my 2018, and I have to admit that reading and reviewing these amazing books has been a lot of fun. One book that I have had on my bookshelf for a long while was recently set down on my desk with a Post-It that said, "READ ME". Okay, I wrote the Post-It. But it was only because I have had an influx of new books arriving via publishers and from book-buying excursions to the book shop. Sooner or later my older purchases get buried among the new, shiny books. I took a stand and here I am finally reading a book that I added to my shelf two years ago. And I am very happy that I chose this novel.

  Fool Me Once is written by Harlan Coben, and it is published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In this tense and often nail-biting thriller we are introduced to Military Captain Maya Stern. Stern has just lost her husband to murder, and the family of Joe Burkett just want what's best for Maya and Joe's two year old daughter, Lily. Her nanny is even the daughter of Joe's nanny. The Burketts wealth is evident in Maya's life right down to her beautiful home. But Maya wishes only to mourn Joe and take care of Lily when she is not working. Maya does not like the "rich thing", and cares nothing for the Burkett fortune, even signing a prenuptual agreement.

  Maya's friend Eileen suggests that she get a nanny cam for her home. That way when Maya is at work at least a record of Lily's day will be available. Maya reluctantly agrees, being someone who trusts very few, if any, people she feels that Ellen is right. As the days go by and Maya views the footage, nothing seems out of the ordinary. Until one day Joe Burkett walks into the room where Lily is playing and visits his daughter. How is this possible when Joe was murdered in front of Maya? She remembers the blood and the urgency of that fateful day. There is no way Joe is alive.

  Maya plays the video for Lily's nanny, Isabella, who denies seeing Joe in the video. Soon after Isabella and the SD card holding the video vanish. Maya is certain that something is definitely wrong. As the case pertaining to Joe's murder continues to be investigated, Detective Kierce from the NYPD contacts Maya. He holds news that links the murder of Joe to the murder of Maya's sister, Claire. Maya begins to backtrack to the days before her sister's death, finding shocking revelations. Were Claire and Joe the victims of the same killer? What secrets do the Burketts hold? And where is Isabella?

  Fool Me Once had me fooled from the first chapter. I had no idea where the story was going, which kept the narrative fresh. I loved the twists and turns that Coben took with the lead character. Maya's PTSD was on full display here, and it was portrayed in a very realistic and often clinical way. Coben's back story for Maya's PTSD was a tale that followed closely in the background, giving us doubt of Maya's sanity. Her family dynamic consisted of daughter Lily, military buddy Shane, and her sister's surviving family. Her relationship with her sister's husband was strained. His alcoholism was a constant contention, but Maya never gave up on him. In the end her became a great help to her. I did not like the Burkett family, which made them great antagonists. By the last page Coben delivered a story that ended with a shocking event that made me stare, mouth agape, at the final words that I was reading. 

  January LaVoy's narration of Fool Me Once was one of her best presentations. I have loved her work on various Star Wars projects, and I was excited to see her name attached to this novel. She managed to do an amazing job on this book, giving a wide range of voices and accents. This was a wise choice on behalf of Penguin Audio.

  Fool Me Once was a thrilling book filled with three dimensional characters. It spoke to many, including those suffering with PTSD. It was a tale of family loyalty, love, and danger. It gave me an ending that I will remember for a very long time. I read this in one day, and I have to say that I am anxious for more of Harlan Coben's writing. If you want an exciting mystery that dips dangerously over the edge, then this four star read is for you.    

Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.

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  Because there is always time to read,
   Xepherus3 



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