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Fool Me Once
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2016)Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.
387 pages, Hardcover
First published March 22, 2016
About the author
Harlan Coben
165 books39k followersHarlan Coben is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries with seventy-five million books in print worldwide.
His books have earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many have been developed into Netflix Original Drama series, including his adaptations of The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good and The Woods. His most recent adaptation for Netflix, Stay Close, premiered on December 31, 2021 and stars Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, and Richard Armitage.
His books have earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many have been developed into Netflix Original Drama series, including his adaptations of The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good and The Woods. His most recent adaptation for Netflix, Stay Close, premiered on December 31, 2021 and stars Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, and Richard Armitage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,552 reviews
May 1, 2017
Oh my GAWD! This book was such a spine tingling, page turner! It was hard to put this down and go about other things when I had to.... Seriously I believe this is one of Coben's best novels. He has been and will stay one of my favorite authors! If you haven't read anything by him you need to shut your head in a door (not too hard because you need to read his books) and then grab a handful of his novels. You won't be sorry!!!!!!!!!!
April 13, 2016
I need to rant and to vent, so here it goes! Beware this review IS FULL of SPOILERS:
So, this is just my second Harlan Coben book; just finished 'THE STRANGER' which I loved, propelling me to read his latest offering immediately after. Even though I am semi virgin to his books and style, I do understand the author is known to follow a certain formula and insert a few basic plot themes repeatedly in all his books. I get it!
Until that ‘oh so shocking final twist’ – Maya being Joe’s killer and actually knowing the entire time he killed her sister, the book was OK for me, maybe a bit to fast and all over the place but overall enjoyable; but that senseless twist and that AWFUL and unnecessary epilogue 25 years later, made me gasp in horror and disbelief and completely ruined the book for me.
This ending made absolutely, conclusively no freaking sense whatsoever!!!
Why the need for that epilogue?
Things that in my humble opinion made unquestionably no sense:
1- Maya WAS Joe’s killer, maybe that explained something that bothered me the entire time; the fact that she seemed to give little to no importance to the fact that she SAW her dead husband on that tape, but that cannot explain why that never ending quest to actually find who killed her sister and husband if she knew the WHO the entire time!!!
2- She goes to the family home, confronts them with no weapon, she almost sacrificed herself. She really wanted to die or what?
3- Her strange and disconnected relationship with her small daughter. She seems to love her but never really thinks of her with her irrational actions. She killed her daughter’s father in cold blood, kind of ‘sacrifices’ herself to take down the family, leaves her daughter with a theoretical drunk, leaves 2 goodbye letters to 2 guys but not one for her own daughter. Yeah that makes sense!
4- Why kill her husband in the first place?? That seemed so out of character. She couldn’t prove HE killed her sister? WHY?? She was such a good detective, had all the means at her disposal etc.
5- Technology, Internet and so on cannot be the easy explanation or solution for everything!! Nanny cams with live feed, GPS trackers galore? Please give me a break!
And I feel I could go on and on about this!
Terrible conclusion to this story, the author definitely went the easy way out, feeling the need to SCHOCK everyone. Well he certainly accomplished that!!
So, this is just my second Harlan Coben book; just finished 'THE STRANGER' which I loved, propelling me to read his latest offering immediately after. Even though I am semi virgin to his books and style, I do understand the author is known to follow a certain formula and insert a few basic plot themes repeatedly in all his books. I get it!
Until that ‘oh so shocking final twist’ – Maya being Joe’s killer and actually knowing the entire time he killed her sister, the book was OK for me, maybe a bit to fast and all over the place but overall enjoyable; but that senseless twist and that AWFUL and unnecessary epilogue 25 years later, made me gasp in horror and disbelief and completely ruined the book for me.
This ending made absolutely, conclusively no freaking sense whatsoever!!!
Why the need for that epilogue?
Things that in my humble opinion made unquestionably no sense:
1- Maya WAS Joe’s killer, maybe that explained something that bothered me the entire time; the fact that she seemed to give little to no importance to the fact that she SAW her dead husband on that tape, but that cannot explain why that never ending quest to actually find who killed her sister and husband if she knew the WHO the entire time!!!
2- She goes to the family home, confronts them with no weapon, she almost sacrificed herself. She really wanted to die or what?
3- Her strange and disconnected relationship with her small daughter. She seems to love her but never really thinks of her with her irrational actions. She killed her daughter’s father in cold blood, kind of ‘sacrifices’ herself to take down the family, leaves her daughter with a theoretical drunk, leaves 2 goodbye letters to 2 guys but not one for her own daughter. Yeah that makes sense!
4- Why kill her husband in the first place?? That seemed so out of character. She couldn’t prove HE killed her sister? WHY?? She was such a good detective, had all the means at her disposal etc.
5- Technology, Internet and so on cannot be the easy explanation or solution for everything!! Nanny cams with live feed, GPS trackers galore? Please give me a break!
And I feel I could go on and on about this!
Terrible conclusion to this story, the author definitely went the easy way out, feeling the need to SCHOCK everyone. Well he certainly accomplished that!!
July 19, 2018
Interesting. I kinda liked this, I think, but perhaps it wasn't the best choice for my first Harlan Coben(?)
Coben has long been on a mental list of mine - along with Koontz, Child, Grisham, James Patterson and Connelly - of well-loved mystery/thriller authors I have never read. After he made an appearance as a character in King's latest novel, The Outsider, I decided it was finally time.
And... um, I can see why people like him. In Fool Me Once he pulls out a perfect "oh, of course!" reveal. The kind that makes you look back over the novel and see that it makes absolute sense. Any author can pull something ludicrous out of their ass to surprise their readers, but it takes a great author to weave a plot tight enough to keep its secrets hidden while still being believable.
The story follows Maya in the aftermath of her husband's murder. She's a former special ops pilot and suffering from PTSD as she tries to raise her two year-old daughter as a single mother. She gets a nanny cam to keep an eye on her daughter's activities while she's at work, but then one day she sees something very strange: her dead husband, Joe, playing with their daughter on the film. This triggers a series of events that will lead Maya to old secrets, cover-ups, and lies left hidden for years.
The problem is, I found the getting there a little dry and overlong. Maya's third-person perspective was not engaging, often devoid of emotion in circumstances that should have been highly tense and emotional. Plus, the first 75% of the book felt dragged out and longer than it needed to be. Maya spent multiple scenes reiterating the possibilities of what could have happened, considering if Joe could be alive or if someone messed with the cam. I think King can get away with this much waffle but, here at least, Coben can't.
Emotion aside, it was a clever mystery with lots of twists and turns, but I am first and foremost an emotional reader. When I think of thriller authors I enjoy - like French or Lehane, or even King - I always feel so much more emotionally-engaged while reading their books.
Is there another Coben book I should try?
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Coben has long been on a mental list of mine - along with Koontz, Child, Grisham, James Patterson and Connelly - of well-loved mystery/thriller authors I have never read. After he made an appearance as a character in King's latest novel, The Outsider, I decided it was finally time.
And... um, I can see why people like him. In Fool Me Once he pulls out a perfect "oh, of course!" reveal. The kind that makes you look back over the novel and see that it makes absolute sense. Any author can pull something ludicrous out of their ass to surprise their readers, but it takes a great author to weave a plot tight enough to keep its secrets hidden while still being believable.
The story follows Maya in the aftermath of her husband's murder. She's a former special ops pilot and suffering from PTSD as she tries to raise her two year-old daughter as a single mother. She gets a nanny cam to keep an eye on her daughter's activities while she's at work, but then one day she sees something very strange: her dead husband, Joe, playing with their daughter on the film. This triggers a series of events that will lead Maya to old secrets, cover-ups, and lies left hidden for years.
The problem is, I found the getting there a little dry and overlong. Maya's third-person perspective was not engaging, often devoid of emotion in circumstances that should have been highly tense and emotional. Plus, the first 75% of the book felt dragged out and longer than it needed to be. Maya spent multiple scenes reiterating the possibilities of what could have happened, considering if Joe could be alive or if someone messed with the cam. I think King can get away with this much waffle but, here at least, Coben can't.
Emotion aside, it was a clever mystery with lots of twists and turns, but I am first and foremost an emotional reader. When I think of thriller authors I enjoy - like French or Lehane, or even King - I always feel so much more emotionally-engaged while reading their books.
Is there another Coben book I should try?
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July 14, 2016
*4.5 STARS*
Fool Me Once? Harlan Coben has fooled me numerous times during this particular story!
Maya Stern, retired helicopter pilot, returns home after a tragic ending to her service in Iraq. Things get even worse when her husband Joe is shot dead, with Maya witnessing his murder. Events then take a really weird turn when she sees Joe on her nanny cam. Is Joe really dead? He must be - Maya saw it happen - attended his funeral. So just what is going on?
Join Maya on this twisty, multi-layered storyline. Once again, Harlan Coben has included so many twists that I'll need to lay down to get over it! And have I mentioned the ending yet? Well, let's just say you won't believe it. I didn't and I've read it!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review.*
Fool Me Once? Harlan Coben has fooled me numerous times during this particular story!
Maya Stern, retired helicopter pilot, returns home after a tragic ending to her service in Iraq. Things get even worse when her husband Joe is shot dead, with Maya witnessing his murder. Events then take a really weird turn when she sees Joe on her nanny cam. Is Joe really dead? He must be - Maya saw it happen - attended his funeral. So just what is going on?
Join Maya on this twisty, multi-layered storyline. Once again, Harlan Coben has included so many twists that I'll need to lay down to get over it! And have I mentioned the ending yet? Well, let's just say you won't believe it. I didn't and I've read it!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review.*
June 1, 2016
I don't normally update my reviews but it's been brought to my attention that my review has a spoiler in it's very first sentence. I do normally put a warning about possible minor spoilers but as I didn't think I was saying more than the book blurb did I didn't bother on this review. But apparently I've given away the plot in my very first sentence? So I will put the warning in now.
******Possibly some minor spoilers!!!!!!******
I have read a few books by Harlan Coben and really enjoyed them. Fool Me Once is my first audio-book of his. I've only listened to three audio-books total and I'm finding that it is taking some getting used to.
As the book opens to main character Maya and her 2 year old daughter Lily attending Maya's husband funeral.
Tragically Joe was shot and killed three days earlier. Sadly that isn't the only tragedy that has befallen Maya. It wasn't that long ago that her sister was also murdered in an apparent home invasion, leaving behind her husband and children.
Maya's father used to say things like "all love stories end in tragedy" or "you either fall out of love or if you're one of the lucky ones you live long enough to watch your soul mate die." Maya hated when he talked like that.
Lately, Maya is wondering if what others have been saying about her is true...that death seems to follow her everywhere.
Joe and Maya met at a charity gala and felt an instant connection. A year later they married, and Lily came not long after. Now only two years later she is burying her husband after he was gunned down in cold blood right in front of her.
Maya is a former military special ops pilot. She's no longer active in the military after her last mission ended in disaster. She now works as a flight instructor to support herself and her daughter.
Her friend gives her a nanny cam and says it will give Maya some piece of mind while she is away at work and her daughter is home with the nanny. Maya reviews some of the footage from the cam and can't believe her eyes when she sees her two-year-old daughter playing with what looks like her deceased husband.
Is what Maya's seeing real?
I thought this was a decent read (listen). I just felt that I was easily distracted from the story and not pulled into it as I normally am. I'm usually able to suspend belief rather easily especially since it's fiction, but I found myself having to do it quite often with this one. I also found that while it was interesting it got kind of chaotic and hard to follow.
I wanted to like Maya more but a lot of the time I found it hard to connect with her character. For some reason her relationship with her daughter seemed strange to me. It's hard to explain why I felt this way as I don't want to spoil anything. Maybe it would have been better if I had read the book instead of listening to it but I think there were still things that would have bothered me either way.
So while this wasn't my favorite Harlan Coben book, I'm still interested in his work and will more than likely read his next book too.
******Possibly some minor spoilers!!!!!!******
I have read a few books by Harlan Coben and really enjoyed them. Fool Me Once is my first audio-book of his. I've only listened to three audio-books total and I'm finding that it is taking some getting used to.
As the book opens to main character Maya and her 2 year old daughter Lily attending Maya's husband funeral.
Tragically Joe was shot and killed three days earlier. Sadly that isn't the only tragedy that has befallen Maya. It wasn't that long ago that her sister was also murdered in an apparent home invasion, leaving behind her husband and children.
Maya's father used to say things like "all love stories end in tragedy" or "you either fall out of love or if you're one of the lucky ones you live long enough to watch your soul mate die." Maya hated when he talked like that.
Lately, Maya is wondering if what others have been saying about her is true...that death seems to follow her everywhere.
Joe and Maya met at a charity gala and felt an instant connection. A year later they married, and Lily came not long after. Now only two years later she is burying her husband after he was gunned down in cold blood right in front of her.
Maya is a former military special ops pilot. She's no longer active in the military after her last mission ended in disaster. She now works as a flight instructor to support herself and her daughter.
Her friend gives her a nanny cam and says it will give Maya some piece of mind while she is away at work and her daughter is home with the nanny. Maya reviews some of the footage from the cam and can't believe her eyes when she sees her two-year-old daughter playing with what looks like her deceased husband.
Is what Maya's seeing real?
I thought this was a decent read (listen). I just felt that I was easily distracted from the story and not pulled into it as I normally am. I'm usually able to suspend belief rather easily especially since it's fiction, but I found myself having to do it quite often with this one. I also found that while it was interesting it got kind of chaotic and hard to follow.
I wanted to like Maya more but a lot of the time I found it hard to connect with her character. For some reason her relationship with her daughter seemed strange to me. It's hard to explain why I felt this way as I don't want to spoil anything. Maybe it would have been better if I had read the book instead of listening to it but I think there were still things that would have bothered me either way.
So while this wasn't my favorite Harlan Coben book, I'm still interested in his work and will more than likely read his next book too.
January 8, 2021
One day Maya (a former special ops pilot) sees, on her nanny cam, her husband Joe sitting with her daughter Lily. But how can that be? Joe was killed a few weeks ago. Maya’s sister has also been killed recently. Is there a connection? As Maya begins to investigate and dig deep into things, she finds someone is out to get her too…
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Maya was a very bold and gutsy character. She was no shrinking violet, she went out and really tried to get some answers. I found her back story interesting, her being an ex-military pilot. The story was fast-paced and very captivating. I couldn’t wait to see how everything would turn out.
Another terrific read by Harlan Coben!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Maya was a very bold and gutsy character. She was no shrinking violet, she went out and really tried to get some answers. I found her back story interesting, her being an ex-military pilot. The story was fast-paced and very captivating. I couldn’t wait to see how everything would turn out.
Another terrific read by Harlan Coben!
May 7, 2022
“You think you know the truth. The truth is you know nothing.”
A widowed woman, Maya and her two year old daughter, Lily are grieving the death of their husband/father who was murdered during a robbery that went wrong. A friend of Maya gives her a nanny cam to watch over her daughter and their nanny just in case. Everything goes downhill fast when Maya reviews the footage and sees her dead husband playing with their daughter Lily.
Fool Me Once was an interesting read. It moves along briskly, and the suspense keeps you turning the pages. An electrifying plot, full of moments of tension, adrenaline and that feeling of reading just one more chapter, not to mention that breathtaking ending!
Harlan Coben has been around for a while and yet, this is the first book of his that I’ve read. I can say that the man is, without a doubt, a really good storyteller and I intend to read more of his works.
If you like a good police novel, suspense and thriller, this book is for you.
A widowed woman, Maya and her two year old daughter, Lily are grieving the death of their husband/father who was murdered during a robbery that went wrong. A friend of Maya gives her a nanny cam to watch over her daughter and their nanny just in case. Everything goes downhill fast when Maya reviews the footage and sees her dead husband playing with their daughter Lily.
Fool Me Once was an interesting read. It moves along briskly, and the suspense keeps you turning the pages. An electrifying plot, full of moments of tension, adrenaline and that feeling of reading just one more chapter, not to mention that breathtaking ending!
Harlan Coben has been around for a while and yet, this is the first book of his that I’ve read. I can say that the man is, without a doubt, a really good storyteller and I intend to read more of his works.
If you like a good police novel, suspense and thriller, this book is for you.
May 27, 2016
For me, this was just okay. Not as strong as the other Coben novels I have read. There are a few twists and turns, but I was not as shocked as I expected to be. Also, it felt like a lot of filler - like he stretched a 150 page book out to 400 pages.
It was a mediocre experience, but it won't keep me from reading more Coben in the future.
It was a mediocre experience, but it won't keep me from reading more Coben in the future.
January 24, 2024
Update:
So I'm visiting my old review in January 2024 after watching the first part of this binge-worthy British 8-episode mini series on Netflix.
Sooo gooood! I wish I remember more but I guess it's also great that I don't. 🍿😎
________
2016
Okay, so I suspected the wrong person. I kept guessing, changing my suspects, and doubting everyone! I like the plot with a PTSD heroine and her mega-rich handsome husband. But that was too good to be true.
Terrific book and what a page-turner it was!
So I'm visiting my old review in January 2024 after watching the first part of this binge-worthy British 8-episode mini series on Netflix.
Sooo gooood! I wish I remember more but I guess it's also great that I don't. 🍿😎
________
2016
Okay, so I suspected the wrong person. I kept guessing, changing my suspects, and doubting everyone! I like the plot with a PTSD heroine and her mega-rich handsome husband. But that was too good to be true.
Terrific book and what a page-turner it was!
March 30, 2016
The release of a new Harlan Coben book is something I mark on my calendar. Seriously. "New Coben book!" is a reason to celebrate.
I've been enjoying Coben's novels for several years now, so you can understand how excited I was when I received an advance copy to review. I think I jumped up and down and shrieked.
Fool Me Once is another good thriller, one that kept twisting and turning until the final pages. The story follows Maya, a battle-weary veteran whose home life is turned upside down when her husband is murdered. Now a single parent, Maya gets suspicious when she sees something strange on a nanny cam. The image looked like her dead husband — how could that be?
One of Coben's story trademarks is that you never know who to trust, and here it's heightened even more because Maya doesn't trust anyone. Not the nanny. Not the police. Not her husband's wealthy family. Not her sister's husband. She doesn't even fully confide in her fellow combat veterans or in her therapist.
One of the plot lines I liked in this book was how Coben featured the stress and trauma that veterans have suffered. Maya is haunted by the decisions she made during her service, and we see her struggle to find peace in her home life. In the Acknowledgments, Coben paid tribute to the veterans he has spoken with, and he recognized those who suffer from psychological injuries from war. Most of the Coben books I've read have featured male characters who had a background in law enforcement or they were regular folks swept up in a mystery, and I thought it was a nice change to have the main character in Fool Me Once be a female combat veteran.
Coben books are always difficult to review because the thrill is in reading them for yourself and watching the story unfold. I liked following Maya on this mystery and appreciated most of the surprises. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ride.
Recommended for fans of suspense.
P.S. My favorite Coben book is Tell No One.
Favorite Quotes
"Maya had learned it in the military, but of course, it applied to real life. Your fellow soldiers had to know that you had their back. That was rule one, lesson one, and above all else. If the enemy goes after you, he goes after me too."
"People cannot police themselves when it comes to power and money. It's simple human nature. We twist the truth to suit our self-interest ... We humans are wonderful at self-justification."
I've been enjoying Coben's novels for several years now, so you can understand how excited I was when I received an advance copy to review. I think I jumped up and down and shrieked.
Fool Me Once is another good thriller, one that kept twisting and turning until the final pages. The story follows Maya, a battle-weary veteran whose home life is turned upside down when her husband is murdered. Now a single parent, Maya gets suspicious when she sees something strange on a nanny cam. The image looked like her dead husband — how could that be?
One of Coben's story trademarks is that you never know who to trust, and here it's heightened even more because Maya doesn't trust anyone. Not the nanny. Not the police. Not her husband's wealthy family. Not her sister's husband. She doesn't even fully confide in her fellow combat veterans or in her therapist.
One of the plot lines I liked in this book was how Coben featured the stress and trauma that veterans have suffered. Maya is haunted by the decisions she made during her service, and we see her struggle to find peace in her home life. In the Acknowledgments, Coben paid tribute to the veterans he has spoken with, and he recognized those who suffer from psychological injuries from war. Most of the Coben books I've read have featured male characters who had a background in law enforcement or they were regular folks swept up in a mystery, and I thought it was a nice change to have the main character in Fool Me Once be a female combat veteran.
Coben books are always difficult to review because the thrill is in reading them for yourself and watching the story unfold. I liked following Maya on this mystery and appreciated most of the surprises. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ride.
Recommended for fans of suspense.
P.S. My favorite Coben book is Tell No One.
Favorite Quotes
"Maya had learned it in the military, but of course, it applied to real life. Your fellow soldiers had to know that you had their back. That was rule one, lesson one, and above all else. If the enemy goes after you, he goes after me too."
"People cannot police themselves when it comes to power and money. It's simple human nature. We twist the truth to suit our self-interest ... We humans are wonderful at self-justification."
November 13, 2021
Una novela con el típico sello Harlan Coben, lo cual suele ser bueno, pero no siempre.
Creo que esta novela peca de muchas cosas. La primera, que es un Harlan repetitivo. Un cadáver que puede resultar no serlo. Una protagonista dañada por sus acciones recientes. Una persona a la que has confiado tu vida, pero que resulta no ser quién tú creías. Y una historia que, de implausible, termina cansando.
Es como si el autor hubiese querido repetir la fórmula de “The stranger” (“No hables con extraños”), pero con menos ganas. Y, sobre todo, con muchas menos ideas. Empezando con lo de la cámara oculta para la nanny, donde creo que la narrativa empieza a declinar. A partir de ahí la trama se va haciendo cada vez más increíble, y, lo que es peor, menos interesante. Y la protagonista, Maya, creo que acabó cayéndome mal…. O lo hubiera hecho si me la hubiese creído. No lamenté ese final.
Lo cual no significa que no vaya a seguir leyendo a Coben. Sé que es un escritor que aún tiene que darme lecturas apasionantes. Pero seguiré echando de menos a Myron Bolitar, personaje con el que he rozado los mayores niveles de satisfacción. En sus obras sueltas ha habido de todo: grandes novelas y auténticos “petardazos”. Esta, por desgracia, la tendré que incluir en esa categoría.
Creo que esta novela peca de muchas cosas. La primera, que es un Harlan repetitivo. Un cadáver que puede resultar no serlo. Una protagonista dañada por sus acciones recientes. Una persona a la que has confiado tu vida, pero que resulta no ser quién tú creías. Y una historia que, de implausible, termina cansando.
Es como si el autor hubiese querido repetir la fórmula de “The stranger” (“No hables con extraños”), pero con menos ganas. Y, sobre todo, con muchas menos ideas. Empezando con lo de la cámara oculta para la nanny, donde creo que la narrativa empieza a declinar. A partir de ahí la trama se va haciendo cada vez más increíble, y, lo que es peor, menos interesante. Y la protagonista, Maya, creo que acabó cayéndome mal…. O lo hubiera hecho si me la hubiese creído. No lamenté ese final.
Lo cual no significa que no vaya a seguir leyendo a Coben. Sé que es un escritor que aún tiene que darme lecturas apasionantes. Pero seguiré echando de menos a Myron Bolitar, personaje con el que he rozado los mayores niveles de satisfacción. En sus obras sueltas ha habido de todo: grandes novelas y auténticos “petardazos”. Esta, por desgracia, la tendré que incluir en esa categoría.
April 4, 2016
I read my first Harlan Coben novel about 4 years ago, a book titled “Caught.” I loved it! Great story, great writing, great characters and endless plot twists and turns.
I read a second Coben novel and yet again, was floored Great story, great writing, great characters and endless plot twists and turns.
A third novel by him moved him into my “very exclusive” list of Top 5 authors.
A fourth novel moved him into my top three.
I read a fifth novel.
It was when I was reading my sixth novel by Harlan Coben when it dawned on me: It’s the same story and same plot over and over and over and over again.
Simply put, if you’ve read one Coben novel, you’ve read them all.
There are SEVEN things that are in EVERY SINGLE COBEN NOVEL. Every dam* one.
One) It always relates back to something that happened 20 years ago.
Two) There is always someone who died under ‘mysterious circumstances.
Three) It always relates to something that happened at a school, be it college or a private academy
Four) The protagonist’s best friend always seems shady, can never be trusted and usually appears to be involved in some sort of conspiracy.
Five) There’s always a strip club involved
Six) A loved one—husband, wife, sibling, parent—always had lived a double-life the protagonist knew nothing about
And Seven) The protagonist always—ALWAYS—ends up seeing a dead loved one and now wonders if they are really dead. Dead mother, dead father, dead brother, dead sister, dead husband, dead wife. It doesn’t matter.
And this novel, ‘Fool Me Once’ has the exact same 7 things. Same old tired, worn-out, rehashed storyline.
For anyone who has never read any of his novels, go to your local library, pick up any Coben novel and read it. I guarantee you will LOVE it. Then, do yourself a favor. Don’t read another one. If you’ve read, you’ve read them all.
Once you’re acquainted with his books, you immediately know what’s coming.
***spoiler***
This book open with the protagonist, Maya, at her husband’s funeral. Knowing full well how all his novels are the same, I immediately said to myself, “Oh, she’ll see him alive.” Sure enough, by about page 35, she did.
By about page 65, we learn that her husband, Joe, had a brother. Joe and the brother were out at sea when the brother fell overboard. This was 20 years ago, just prior to Maya and Joe meeting.
Again, knowing that all his novels are the same, I said to myself, “Joe killed his brother.” Sure enough, with about 40 pages left, we are told that…yep, you guessed it, Joe killed his brother.
***end spoiler***
It always feels that Mr. Coben has a template and when it’s time for him to release a new book, he just plugs in characters names.
So, you’re probably wondering, “If you feel this way, why read his books?” Well, as funny as it sounds, I think Harlan Coben is a very gifted and very talented novelist. He is one of only 3 authors whose words have literally moved me to tears. He is one of a few authors who have actually had me burst out laughing. (Who doesn’t love Little Pocahontas and Myron Bolitar?)
His writing is great! His stories and plot? Not so much. And that’s what makes it frustrating.
That’s why, I guess, I’m venting. Mr Coben is way too talented a writer to write the same old hackneyed novels year after year. I guess, since he is a best-selling author, why change? His fans will buy his books, his fans will read his books, he will make millions, his pubsisher and agent will make millions. Everyone will be happy—except for those of us who believe he is wasting his talent.
“Fool me Once” is the 14th Coben novel I’ve read. With the exception of Michael Connelly, one of my 2 favorite authors, this is the most novels I’ve read by any one author. So, why do I keep reading Coben books when I’m not a fan? Or more importantly, why do I finish every Coben novel I start? Simple. I not only like his writing style a lot but I love his characters.
His books are fast-moving, easy reads. He writes in a ‘conversational tone.’ It feels as if Mr. Coben is actually telling you a story, not writing a book. Plus, his characters are real people. They are funny, flawed, down-to-earth. You connect with them. You identify with them. So, even though I find his books identical, I’ve always finished his books simply due to the fact that I want to know what happens to the characters.
However, “Fool me Once” even ended that.
I found Mr. Coben’s style…off. Gone was the personal touch. The wit and humor felt forced. I cant help but feel that Mr Coben simply needed to fulfill his contract to churn out another book and put very little effort into this one. It seemed like his heart wasn’t in. The dialogue was forced and stilted and not real.
I also could not AT ALL identify with Maya, the main characters. Or connect with any of the secondary characters. Maya served overseas, She suffers PTSD. She is a single mom raising her 2 year-old daughter. She is the type of person you want to root for. Yet, she was…cold, aloof and downright boring, maybe even rude to people trying to help. We are told she loved her husband, Joe. Yet, we see no flashbacks of something that shows they were in love. She has a 2 year-old daughter, Lily. Yet, Maya seems uninterested in her daughter, almost inconvenienced when her daughter wants to hear a bedtime story. We are told Maya is great friends with a fella named Shane. Yet, she continually is rude and short with him, hanging up the phone on his numerous times and we see no evidence of their friendship.
I make it a practice to never give 1 star to a book I finish. If I finish it but don’t like it, I will give it two. However, “Fool Me Once,” to me, is worthy of just one star. 14 novels I’ve read by Harlan Coben and this was the worst. I strongly doubt I will read any more of his.
I read a second Coben novel and yet again, was floored Great story, great writing, great characters and endless plot twists and turns.
A third novel by him moved him into my “very exclusive” list of Top 5 authors.
A fourth novel moved him into my top three.
I read a fifth novel.
It was when I was reading my sixth novel by Harlan Coben when it dawned on me: It’s the same story and same plot over and over and over and over again.
Simply put, if you’ve read one Coben novel, you’ve read them all.
There are SEVEN things that are in EVERY SINGLE COBEN NOVEL. Every dam* one.
One) It always relates back to something that happened 20 years ago.
Two) There is always someone who died under ‘mysterious circumstances.
Three) It always relates to something that happened at a school, be it college or a private academy
Four) The protagonist’s best friend always seems shady, can never be trusted and usually appears to be involved in some sort of conspiracy.
Five) There’s always a strip club involved
Six) A loved one—husband, wife, sibling, parent—always had lived a double-life the protagonist knew nothing about
And Seven) The protagonist always—ALWAYS—ends up seeing a dead loved one and now wonders if they are really dead. Dead mother, dead father, dead brother, dead sister, dead husband, dead wife. It doesn’t matter.
And this novel, ‘Fool Me Once’ has the exact same 7 things. Same old tired, worn-out, rehashed storyline.
For anyone who has never read any of his novels, go to your local library, pick up any Coben novel and read it. I guarantee you will LOVE it. Then, do yourself a favor. Don’t read another one. If you’ve read, you’ve read them all.
Once you’re acquainted with his books, you immediately know what’s coming.
***spoiler***
This book open with the protagonist, Maya, at her husband’s funeral. Knowing full well how all his novels are the same, I immediately said to myself, “Oh, she’ll see him alive.” Sure enough, by about page 35, she did.
By about page 65, we learn that her husband, Joe, had a brother. Joe and the brother were out at sea when the brother fell overboard. This was 20 years ago, just prior to Maya and Joe meeting.
Again, knowing that all his novels are the same, I said to myself, “Joe killed his brother.” Sure enough, with about 40 pages left, we are told that…yep, you guessed it, Joe killed his brother.
***end spoiler***
It always feels that Mr. Coben has a template and when it’s time for him to release a new book, he just plugs in characters names.
So, you’re probably wondering, “If you feel this way, why read his books?” Well, as funny as it sounds, I think Harlan Coben is a very gifted and very talented novelist. He is one of only 3 authors whose words have literally moved me to tears. He is one of a few authors who have actually had me burst out laughing. (Who doesn’t love Little Pocahontas and Myron Bolitar?)
His writing is great! His stories and plot? Not so much. And that’s what makes it frustrating.
That’s why, I guess, I’m venting. Mr Coben is way too talented a writer to write the same old hackneyed novels year after year. I guess, since he is a best-selling author, why change? His fans will buy his books, his fans will read his books, he will make millions, his pubsisher and agent will make millions. Everyone will be happy—except for those of us who believe he is wasting his talent.
“Fool me Once” is the 14th Coben novel I’ve read. With the exception of Michael Connelly, one of my 2 favorite authors, this is the most novels I’ve read by any one author. So, why do I keep reading Coben books when I’m not a fan? Or more importantly, why do I finish every Coben novel I start? Simple. I not only like his writing style a lot but I love his characters.
His books are fast-moving, easy reads. He writes in a ‘conversational tone.’ It feels as if Mr. Coben is actually telling you a story, not writing a book. Plus, his characters are real people. They are funny, flawed, down-to-earth. You connect with them. You identify with them. So, even though I find his books identical, I’ve always finished his books simply due to the fact that I want to know what happens to the characters.
However, “Fool me Once” even ended that.
I found Mr. Coben’s style…off. Gone was the personal touch. The wit and humor felt forced. I cant help but feel that Mr Coben simply needed to fulfill his contract to churn out another book and put very little effort into this one. It seemed like his heart wasn’t in. The dialogue was forced and stilted and not real.
I also could not AT ALL identify with Maya, the main characters. Or connect with any of the secondary characters. Maya served overseas, She suffers PTSD. She is a single mom raising her 2 year-old daughter. She is the type of person you want to root for. Yet, she was…cold, aloof and downright boring, maybe even rude to people trying to help. We are told she loved her husband, Joe. Yet, we see no flashbacks of something that shows they were in love. She has a 2 year-old daughter, Lily. Yet, Maya seems uninterested in her daughter, almost inconvenienced when her daughter wants to hear a bedtime story. We are told Maya is great friends with a fella named Shane. Yet, she continually is rude and short with him, hanging up the phone on his numerous times and we see no evidence of their friendship.
I make it a practice to never give 1 star to a book I finish. If I finish it but don’t like it, I will give it two. However, “Fool Me Once,” to me, is worthy of just one star. 14 novels I’ve read by Harlan Coben and this was the worst. I strongly doubt I will read any more of his.
February 3, 2024
Harlan Coben has done it again with Fool Me Once this was a gripping sinister thriller that I couldn’t put down the characters were brilliant, we have a murder or two a wealthy family who have secrets to hide characters who lie & cheat to get what they want that ending WOWZA one you will remember 5 happy dance 💃 💃💃💃💃 stars a must read.
September 29, 2021
Fool Me Once, Harlan Coben
The story follows Maya, former special ops pilot, home from the war, she sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam, while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Joe, Maya's husband, who was brutally murdered two weeks earlier.
The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to?
To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband--and herself.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز چهاردهم ماه دسامبر سال 2017میلادی
عنوان: یکبار فریبم بدهی (یکبار مرا گول بزن)؛ نویسنده هارلن کوبن؛ مترجم مهرآیین اخوت؛ تهران، هیرمند، 1396؛ در 430ص؛ شابک9789644084430؛ چاپ دوم سال1396؛ چاپ سوم 1397؛ چاپ چهارم سال 1400؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
در این داستان «مایا» که پیشتر خلبان مأموریتهای ویژه بوده، و اکنون از جنگ به خانه ی خویش بازگشته است؛ او روزی در محل کار خویش، تصویری باور نکردنی از دوربین درون اتاق بچه اش میبیند: دختر دو ساله ی او دلمشغول بازی با همسر «مایا»، «جو»، است؛ اما «جو»، دو هفته ی پیش به شکل وحشیانه ای کشته شده، این رمان، پرسشی بنیادین را، در قالب داستانی اسرارآمیز، بازگو میکند: آیا میتوان همگی چیزهایی که با چشم خودتان دیده اید را باور کنید؟ «مایا» برای پاسخ به این پرسش، و رودرویی با راستی ناباورنه درباره ی شوهرش و خودش، باید با اسرار سر به مهر و نقاط تاریک بگذشته اش روبرو شود
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 06/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The story follows Maya, former special ops pilot, home from the war, she sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam, while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Joe, Maya's husband, who was brutally murdered two weeks earlier.
The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to?
To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband--and herself.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز چهاردهم ماه دسامبر سال 2017میلادی
عنوان: یکبار فریبم بدهی (یکبار مرا گول بزن)؛ نویسنده هارلن کوبن؛ مترجم مهرآیین اخوت؛ تهران، هیرمند، 1396؛ در 430ص؛ شابک9789644084430؛ چاپ دوم سال1396؛ چاپ سوم 1397؛ چاپ چهارم سال 1400؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
در این داستان «مایا» که پیشتر خلبان مأموریتهای ویژه بوده، و اکنون از جنگ به خانه ی خویش بازگشته است؛ او روزی در محل کار خویش، تصویری باور نکردنی از دوربین درون اتاق بچه اش میبیند: دختر دو ساله ی او دلمشغول بازی با همسر «مایا»، «جو»، است؛ اما «جو»، دو هفته ی پیش به شکل وحشیانه ای کشته شده، این رمان، پرسشی بنیادین را، در قالب داستانی اسرارآمیز، بازگو میکند: آیا میتوان همگی چیزهایی که با چشم خودتان دیده اید را باور کنید؟ «مایا» برای پاسخ به این پرسش، و رودرویی با راستی ناباورنه درباره ی شوهرش و خودش، باید با اسرار سر به مهر و نقاط تاریک بگذشته اش روبرو شود
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 06/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
July 28, 2019
Well Mr. Coben -- you certainly write good mystery novels. I need to explore more of your works.
Trust plays a very important role in our life -- I mean we have to trust a number of people in our daily life - that's how our society functions. Whom do we trust most - our family and close friends. What if certain events turn your world upside down - you don't know whom to trust - your paranoia makes you suspect your friend and you start doubting your own sanity as well.
The protagonist of the story - Maya Stern is an ex-military pilot who was forced out of the army because of an operational blunder and worse than that her sister and husband have been murdered - her husband's murder took place in front of her own eyes. Maya spends sleepless nights due to PTSD and has to take care of her two year old daughter alone. Her struggles at trying to be a good mother, her refusal to seek medical help for her condition, her not-so-flattering opinions on the super wealthy -- all make her a real human -- we all have our struggles, our stubbornness and opinions.
She watches something on her nanny cam and gets drawn into the conspiracy. She sets out to solve the murder of her sister and husband - seeks help from an army buddy and even forms an unlikely alliance with a whistle-blower who had hurt her in the past.
To use the cliched expression - the past refuses to stay buried and still claims victims - I won't say anything more for fear of revealing the plot.
The mystery would keep you turning the pages - the author has created an atmosphere where you don't know whom to trust. The perfect setting for a mystery novel and I simply loved the character of Maya - a lone individual seeking the truth against heavy odds. I have a thing for novels where the underdog - an ordinary man/woman thrust into some extraordinary/ dangerous situation, depends on his/her wits,skills and friends to emerge victorious.
The final revelation is excellent. I wish the ending was a bit different though.
This novel is a thriller which seeks to entertain and it serves its purpose really well. If you want a lighthearted quick read to while away the time, then I would recommend it to you.
Trust plays a very important role in our life -- I mean we have to trust a number of people in our daily life - that's how our society functions. Whom do we trust most - our family and close friends. What if certain events turn your world upside down - you don't know whom to trust - your paranoia makes you suspect your friend and you start doubting your own sanity as well.
The protagonist of the story - Maya Stern is an ex-military pilot who was forced out of the army because of an operational blunder and worse than that her sister and husband have been murdered - her husband's murder took place in front of her own eyes. Maya spends sleepless nights due to PTSD and has to take care of her two year old daughter alone. Her struggles at trying to be a good mother, her refusal to seek medical help for her condition, her not-so-flattering opinions on the super wealthy -- all make her a real human -- we all have our struggles, our stubbornness and opinions.
She watches something on her nanny cam and gets drawn into the conspiracy. She sets out to solve the murder of her sister and husband - seeks help from an army buddy and even forms an unlikely alliance with a whistle-blower who had hurt her in the past.
To use the cliched expression - the past refuses to stay buried and still claims victims - I won't say anything more for fear of revealing the plot.
The mystery would keep you turning the pages - the author has created an atmosphere where you don't know whom to trust. The perfect setting for a mystery novel and I simply loved the character of Maya - a lone individual seeking the truth against heavy odds. I have a thing for novels where the underdog - an ordinary man/woman thrust into some extraordinary/ dangerous situation, depends on his/her wits,skills and friends to emerge victorious.
The final revelation is excellent. I wish the ending was a bit different though.
This novel is a thriller which seeks to entertain and it serves its purpose really well. If you want a lighthearted quick read to while away the time, then I would recommend it to you.
December 4, 2016
3.5* Attending a funeral is hard to do, especially if you are a widow with a two year old daughter to raise on your own. Somehow Maya Stern is able to hold it all together, most likely from her training as a special ops pilot. Having witnessed her husband’s murder, she has to stay focused and remain strong. After the funeral, Eileen, a close friend, gives her a gift; a nanny cam. Although Maya trusts her nanny completely, she decides to set it up where her daughter would be playing during the day. Maya doesn’t view the nanny cam often, but one evening when she takes a look, her world suddenly turns upside down. Harlan Coben has written some fine books and he can grab the reader’s attention fairly quickly. However, Fool Me Once has a number of holes and the overall plot just didn’t seem plausible.
March 19, 2016
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I loved this book! I am a huge fan of Harlan Coben's work and have been so for years. I have enjoyed some of his books more than others but I have yet to come across one that I didn't like. I have come to expect a few things from a Harlan Coben book over the years. I love the twists and turns found in his stories and I really enjoy seeing Mr. Coben's sense of humor work its way into the books. This book exceeded all of my expectations and even through in some things that I hadn't expected. This book is one of Coben's finer novels in my opinion.
This book opens with a bang. Maya is at her husband's funeral. He was murdered and his killer has yet to be caught. Maya's young daughter isn't even old enough to understand what is going on. I was immediately drawn to Maya. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be in her position. The police are still questioning her about what she saw when her husband was killed. They are relentless and don't seem to want to give her any chance to grieve her loss. Maya has lost a lot. Her sister has also recently died. It really seems like Maya has experienced more tragedy than anything else recently.
After her husband's funeral, Maya's friend suggests that she get a nanny cam to keep an eye on her daughter's caretaker. She puts the device in her home but when she checks the video she can't believe her eyes. She finds her husband who is supposed to be dead on the video with her daughter. Maya finds herself with more questions than answers and she starts taking steps to find out what is really going on.
This book took me to places that I never expected and that is what made it so wonderful. Everything that Maya learned just brought up more questions. There were times that I thought I knew where the story was going only to be quickly proven wrong and be pulled into another direction. The way the story was told worked well and the plotting was very detailed. We spend the entire time with Maya and see all of the steps that she is taking in her own quest to learn the truth. I love a story that can keep me guessing and I was completely shocked by the things that I learned by the end of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I really think that any reader who enjoyed a cleverly plotted book filled with twists and turns will enjoy this one. I plan to continue to read Harlan Coben's work and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Publishing Group - Dutton via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I loved this one! I never knew which way things were going to go and I was guessing until the very end. Highly entertaining!
Before Reading
Woo Hoo...My request was approved!! I can't wait to read this one!!
I loved this book! I am a huge fan of Harlan Coben's work and have been so for years. I have enjoyed some of his books more than others but I have yet to come across one that I didn't like. I have come to expect a few things from a Harlan Coben book over the years. I love the twists and turns found in his stories and I really enjoy seeing Mr. Coben's sense of humor work its way into the books. This book exceeded all of my expectations and even through in some things that I hadn't expected. This book is one of Coben's finer novels in my opinion.
This book opens with a bang. Maya is at her husband's funeral. He was murdered and his killer has yet to be caught. Maya's young daughter isn't even old enough to understand what is going on. I was immediately drawn to Maya. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be in her position. The police are still questioning her about what she saw when her husband was killed. They are relentless and don't seem to want to give her any chance to grieve her loss. Maya has lost a lot. Her sister has also recently died. It really seems like Maya has experienced more tragedy than anything else recently.
After her husband's funeral, Maya's friend suggests that she get a nanny cam to keep an eye on her daughter's caretaker. She puts the device in her home but when she checks the video she can't believe her eyes. She finds her husband who is supposed to be dead on the video with her daughter. Maya finds herself with more questions than answers and she starts taking steps to find out what is really going on.
This book took me to places that I never expected and that is what made it so wonderful. Everything that Maya learned just brought up more questions. There were times that I thought I knew where the story was going only to be quickly proven wrong and be pulled into another direction. The way the story was told worked well and the plotting was very detailed. We spend the entire time with Maya and see all of the steps that she is taking in her own quest to learn the truth. I love a story that can keep me guessing and I was completely shocked by the things that I learned by the end of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I really think that any reader who enjoyed a cleverly plotted book filled with twists and turns will enjoy this one. I plan to continue to read Harlan Coben's work and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Publishing Group - Dutton via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I loved this one! I never knew which way things were going to go and I was guessing until the very end. Highly entertaining!
Before Reading
Woo Hoo...My request was approved!! I can't wait to read this one!!
March 21, 2020
This is an amazing and totally engrossing page-turner with an ending you won't see coming. One of the very best endings to a mystery suspense-thriller I've ever read ...EVER.
Former Special Ops pilot, Maya (she's kind of a bad-ass and I loved her), witnesses the murder of her husband, shot right in front of her in a public park at night, leaving her a widow and a single mother to their two-year-old daughter, Lily.
The murder was never solved. What exactly happened that night? and why? Then, Maya sees something on her nanny cam footage... her dead husband. WAIT. Whaaaat?
Is he alive? Is someone messing with her? She's already suffering heavily from PTSD. Can she trust her own eyes?
Maya is an amazing character, and her heroic, protective instincts as a mother, soldier, and citizen were just so gripping and admirable to experience. I can not imagine anyone not loving this book.
Former Special Ops pilot, Maya (she's kind of a bad-ass and I loved her), witnesses the murder of her husband, shot right in front of her in a public park at night, leaving her a widow and a single mother to their two-year-old daughter, Lily.
The murder was never solved. What exactly happened that night? and why? Then, Maya sees something on her nanny cam footage... her dead husband. WAIT. Whaaaat?
Is he alive? Is someone messing with her? She's already suffering heavily from PTSD. Can she trust her own eyes?
Maya is an amazing character, and her heroic, protective instincts as a mother, soldier, and citizen were just so gripping and admirable to experience. I can not imagine anyone not loving this book.
February 26, 2016
When I was offered the opportunity to read an advanced copy from one of my favourite authors it was too good to refuse.
'Fool me once' is the new stand alone novel by Harlan Coben and like so many of his novels ticks all the boxes. This suspense novel keeps you guessing right to the very end and is sure to entertain the reader.
Maya Stern is a retired helicopter pilot and returns home after a troubled ending to her time in Iraq. Surrounded by in scandal, she returns home to her husband, Joe, and her 2-year-old daughter Lily. Maya's troubles continue when her husband Joe is shot dead in a park close to their home.
When Maya discovers a film of her dead husband Joe playing with Lily on her nanny cam she cannot believe her eyes. Could he still be alive? What follows is Maya's search for answers.
This novel is a page turner and is sure to keep the reader guessing as the suspense builds up to a climatic finale. Yes this is another roaring success for Harlan Coben.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
'Fool me once' is the new stand alone novel by Harlan Coben and like so many of his novels ticks all the boxes. This suspense novel keeps you guessing right to the very end and is sure to entertain the reader.
Maya Stern is a retired helicopter pilot and returns home after a troubled ending to her time in Iraq. Surrounded by in scandal, she returns home to her husband, Joe, and her 2-year-old daughter Lily. Maya's troubles continue when her husband Joe is shot dead in a park close to their home.
When Maya discovers a film of her dead husband Joe playing with Lily on her nanny cam she cannot believe her eyes. Could he still be alive? What follows is Maya's search for answers.
This novel is a page turner and is sure to keep the reader guessing as the suspense builds up to a climatic finale. Yes this is another roaring success for Harlan Coben.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
March 22, 2016
Fool Me Once by Harlen Coben is a 2016 publication.
Taken at face value, however, this is an excellent thriller, packed with taut, edgy suspense, and is certainly entertaining, keeping me fully engaged from start to finish. What more can you ask for?
But, if you want to dig a little deeper, this story provides an interesting character study and one that left me feeling a little conflicted. I hoped the truth would set everyone free and in a bizarre way it did just that, but not in a way I ever would have imagined proving that pat, black and white answers are rare. What choices you make can and will come back to haunt you but are they entirely wrong? Are there extenuating circumstances? Is there a way to even the score? Maybe we all carry a little darkness in our souls or maybe we just want to see justice done the way we think is should be, and maybe heroism comes in many forms. You be the judge.
Because this is a stand- alone, anyone who loves a good old fashioned mind game with plenty of chills and thrills should give this one a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the full review click on this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Re...
Taken at face value, however, this is an excellent thriller, packed with taut, edgy suspense, and is certainly entertaining, keeping me fully engaged from start to finish. What more can you ask for?
But, if you want to dig a little deeper, this story provides an interesting character study and one that left me feeling a little conflicted. I hoped the truth would set everyone free and in a bizarre way it did just that, but not in a way I ever would have imagined proving that pat, black and white answers are rare. What choices you make can and will come back to haunt you but are they entirely wrong? Are there extenuating circumstances? Is there a way to even the score? Maybe we all carry a little darkness in our souls or maybe we just want to see justice done the way we think is should be, and maybe heroism comes in many forms. You be the judge.
Because this is a stand- alone, anyone who loves a good old fashioned mind game with plenty of chills and thrills should give this one a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the full review click on this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Re...
December 19, 2021
More crazy rich people! I read a spoiler. Not good!
Another read of one of my faves. HC is good. I listened to this one, what an excellent narrator is January LaVoy, I would love to listen to her again. She captured Maya’s voice perfectly – the seriousness of her character was perfect. Capable and strong that her character was.
Maya is struggling after the death of her husband, whose family is one of the ultra rich variety. She and Lilly, 2, are left behind in what turns out to be a dangerous situation. She is ex-military so she’s a capable woman, and when things start turning sinister, she has it covered, mostly.
Shane was a character I felt was lacking depth, considering his importance to the epilogue. I hated all of the Burkett’s – their smug arrogance was maddening, but Maya dealt with them with grace and poise. These are stories to suspend belief, but as a mentioned in my last HC review, I’m looking forward to another fiver. I enjoyed this, not loved.
Alas, I was distracted on my driving time, not surprising. HC serves a great purpose to my reading repertoire, he’s one of my go to authors and that is one thing I love. His books line my shelves more than anyone else. I think I have a crush.
Another read of one of my faves. HC is good. I listened to this one, what an excellent narrator is January LaVoy, I would love to listen to her again. She captured Maya’s voice perfectly – the seriousness of her character was perfect. Capable and strong that her character was.
Maya is struggling after the death of her husband, whose family is one of the ultra rich variety. She and Lilly, 2, are left behind in what turns out to be a dangerous situation. She is ex-military so she’s a capable woman, and when things start turning sinister, she has it covered, mostly.
Shane was a character I felt was lacking depth, considering his importance to the epilogue. I hated all of the Burkett’s – their smug arrogance was maddening, but Maya dealt with them with grace and poise. These are stories to suspend belief, but as a mentioned in my last HC review, I’m looking forward to another fiver. I enjoyed this, not loved.
Alas, I was distracted on my driving time, not surprising. HC serves a great purpose to my reading repertoire, he’s one of my go to authors and that is one thing I love. His books line my shelves more than anyone else. I think I have a crush.
July 14, 2016
This is Harlan Coben at his best!
I was a Harlan Coben fan from way back, but the two previous books of his I read were very mediocre, one of them I didn't even finish. And if I hadn't already had this on my shelf, I would never have read it. Bu thank goodness I did!
The pace is fast, the twists many. It was a book I just couldn't put down, and one I continued to think about after I had finished reading.
Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.
More in this vein please Mr Coben...I will be looking forward to your next release with interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone Century for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I was a Harlan Coben fan from way back, but the two previous books of his I read were very mediocre, one of them I didn't even finish. And if I hadn't already had this on my shelf, I would never have read it. Bu thank goodness I did!
The pace is fast, the twists many. It was a book I just couldn't put down, and one I continued to think about after I had finished reading.
Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.
More in this vein please Mr Coben...I will be looking forward to your next release with interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone Century for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
March 24, 2017
This is one of those books that has such an intriguing twist at the end that you want to go back and read it again with the information you now have! It was very well managed and I was clueless!
I must admit that occasionally in the first half of the book the thought did cross my mind that this was not as good as the Myron Bolitar books. Maya did a lot of mental self evaluation and once or twice I am sure I muttered out loud something like "Oh do get on with it!" I am prone to do that with audio books when I get a bit bored.
The second half however really picked up and once Maya really got her act together it romped home to that amazing and quite shocking ending.
A special mention also to the narrator who delivered an excellent performance.
I must admit that occasionally in the first half of the book the thought did cross my mind that this was not as good as the Myron Bolitar books. Maya did a lot of mental self evaluation and once or twice I am sure I muttered out loud something like "Oh do get on with it!" I am prone to do that with audio books when I get a bit bored.
The second half however really picked up and once Maya really got her act together it romped home to that amazing and quite shocking ending.
A special mention also to the narrator who delivered an excellent performance.
September 21, 2016
Fooled me....
Weird.....ending.....
......but for what it was - I got my money's worth.
I listened to the audiobook: daily deal special.
The positive: Time zoomed by.... I didn't drift off .....held my attention -easily.
I don't think I've ever read a Harlan Coben book before now---maybe I have years ago?
Or was it one of the others -Koontz? (I get these guys mixed up). Airport books... I call them.
Wow... there are 25,409 rating! 2,663 reviews on Goodreads - 3.91 overall rating!
I'll go with 3.3 stars -( more than 3 stars - but not 4 stars)
It was a fun trashy engaging story... nothing enlightening- but as a walking companion--I liked it. I did ... I liked this trashy book...
Dumb ending... BUT....THEY FOOLED me 'once'. So.....the novel got its job done.
I suspect - "FOOL, YOU ONCE" .... will 'fool' many readers --- but will you like it? lol
Weird.....ending.....
......but for what it was - I got my money's worth.
I listened to the audiobook: daily deal special.
The positive: Time zoomed by.... I didn't drift off .....held my attention -easily.
I don't think I've ever read a Harlan Coben book before now---maybe I have years ago?
Or was it one of the others -Koontz? (I get these guys mixed up). Airport books... I call them.
Wow... there are 25,409 rating! 2,663 reviews on Goodreads - 3.91 overall rating!
I'll go with 3.3 stars -( more than 3 stars - but not 4 stars)
It was a fun trashy engaging story... nothing enlightening- but as a walking companion--I liked it. I did ... I liked this trashy book...
Dumb ending... BUT....THEY FOOLED me 'once'. So.....the novel got its job done.
I suspect - "FOOL, YOU ONCE" .... will 'fool' many readers --- but will you like it? lol
August 28, 2017
My first Coben in quite a while, but definitely a page-turner and entertaining holiday read, which was exactly what I was looking for. I read this is going to be turned into a film with Julia Roberts, and I am curious to see how that will turn out.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
January 12, 2018
SWEDISH REVIEW
Harlan Coben är en författare som är fantastisk på att skriva en spännande thriller. Jag älskar särskilt hans Myron Bolitar-serie. I Sanningen har Coben återigen skrivit en intressant berättelse där ingenting är som det verkar. Jag gillade omedelbart Maya och det var intressant att läsa om hur hon försöker hantera situationen att vara en ensamstående mamma, ex-soldat och på det tillkommer ett mysterium, ett omöjligt mysterium då hon seer något som inte kan vara sant i babykameran. Hennes man dog eller gjorde han? Hon måste ta reda på sanningen och det betyder att konfrontera sitt eget förflutna; hennes uppsägning från armén, hennes systers mord som skedde inte så långt innan innan hennes man mördades och hennes mans brors död för några år sedan. Kan det vara så att de har kopplingar till varandra, eller är allt bara en slump? Och, vem kan hon lita på, det verkar som om många människor runt henne har hemligheter...
Jag kunde inte sluta läsa Sanningen när jag väl hade börjat . På kvällen var jag var fullt inställd på just ett kapitel till men istället läste jag klart den. Boken kanske inte hade lika många överraskningar som i några av Cobens tidigare böcker, men det är fortfarande en alldeles fantastisk bok. Något som Coben är bra på är att skapa huvudkaraktärer man bryr sig om och besynnerliga mysterier. Sanningen är en mycket bra bok, och jag älskade särskilt den sista delen av boken när man börjar inse sanningen. Jag misstänkte slutet men ändå kunde jag inte räknad ut allting som skulle ske.
Jag rekommenderar varmt Harlan Cobens böcker om du gillar bladvändande thrillers med flertalet överraskande vändningar i historien.
Tack till Bookmarks förlag för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
Harlan Coben is an author that really is the king when it comes to writing a suspenseful thriller. I especially love his Myron Bolitar series. In Fool Me Once has Coben once again written an interesting story where nothing is at it seems. I instantly liked Maya and it was interesting to read about her trying to deal with being a single mother, an ex-soldier and to add to that a mystery, an impossible mystery. Her husband died, or did he? She must find out the truth and that means confronting her own past; her dismissal from the army, her sister's murder not long before her husband was murdered, and her husband's brothers death a couple of years ago. Could they be connected, or is everything just a coincidence? And, who can she trust, it seems that a lot of people around her have secrets...
I read the book in a day. I thought I would just read one more chapter and then go back to sleep, and I ended up finishing the book. The twists in this book were not that astonishing as they have been in some of Coben's previous books, but it's still a page-turner. What I like about Coben's books are that I always like the main character and the mysteries are always intriguing. Fool Me Once is a very good book, and I particularly loved the last part of the book when everything started to come together. True, I was not astonished, but I did find the twists in the book well-done and satisfying.
I recommend reading Harlan Coben's books if you like page-turning thrillers with lots of twist and turns.
Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!
Harlan Coben är en författare som är fantastisk på att skriva en spännande thriller. Jag älskar särskilt hans Myron Bolitar-serie. I Sanningen har Coben återigen skrivit en intressant berättelse där ingenting är som det verkar. Jag gillade omedelbart Maya och det var intressant att läsa om hur hon försöker hantera situationen att vara en ensamstående mamma, ex-soldat och på det tillkommer ett mysterium, ett omöjligt mysterium då hon seer något som inte kan vara sant i babykameran. Hennes man dog eller gjorde han? Hon måste ta reda på sanningen och det betyder att konfrontera sitt eget förflutna; hennes uppsägning från armén, hennes systers mord som skedde inte så långt innan innan hennes man mördades och hennes mans brors död för några år sedan. Kan det vara så att de har kopplingar till varandra, eller är allt bara en slump? Och, vem kan hon lita på, det verkar som om många människor runt henne har hemligheter...
Jag kunde inte sluta läsa Sanningen när jag väl hade börjat . På kvällen var jag var fullt inställd på just ett kapitel till men istället läste jag klart den. Boken kanske inte hade lika många överraskningar som i några av Cobens tidigare böcker, men det är fortfarande en alldeles fantastisk bok. Något som Coben är bra på är att skapa huvudkaraktärer man bryr sig om och besynnerliga mysterier. Sanningen är en mycket bra bok, och jag älskade särskilt den sista delen av boken när man börjar inse sanningen. Jag misstänkte slutet men ändå kunde jag inte räknad ut allting som skulle ske.
Jag rekommenderar varmt Harlan Cobens böcker om du gillar bladvändande thrillers med flertalet överraskande vändningar i historien.
Tack till Bookmarks förlag för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
Harlan Coben is an author that really is the king when it comes to writing a suspenseful thriller. I especially love his Myron Bolitar series. In Fool Me Once has Coben once again written an interesting story where nothing is at it seems. I instantly liked Maya and it was interesting to read about her trying to deal with being a single mother, an ex-soldier and to add to that a mystery, an impossible mystery. Her husband died, or did he? She must find out the truth and that means confronting her own past; her dismissal from the army, her sister's murder not long before her husband was murdered, and her husband's brothers death a couple of years ago. Could they be connected, or is everything just a coincidence? And, who can she trust, it seems that a lot of people around her have secrets...
I read the book in a day. I thought I would just read one more chapter and then go back to sleep, and I ended up finishing the book. The twists in this book were not that astonishing as they have been in some of Coben's previous books, but it's still a page-turner. What I like about Coben's books are that I always like the main character and the mysteries are always intriguing. Fool Me Once is a very good book, and I particularly loved the last part of the book when everything started to come together. True, I was not astonished, but I did find the twists in the book well-done and satisfying.
I recommend reading Harlan Coben's books if you like page-turning thrillers with lots of twist and turns.
Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!
March 21, 2021
I am, apparently the 5,760th person to review this book, and so I'm not sure what I might possibly say that would add to anything that the other 5,759 readers have said. Fool Me Once is a fairly typical stand-alone thriller from Harlan Coben in that it moves swiftly along and contains enough surprise twists and turns to populate at least three or four other such books.
At the center of the novel is a former Army helicopter pilot named Maya Burkett, who left the service in disgrace and who is haunted by the actions that she took on the spur of the moment in the middle of a military action. Shortly after she returns home, her husband, Joe, the scion of a very wealthy family, is murdered. The book involves Maya's efforts to sort all this out and see that some sort of justice is done.
I find that whenever I read a book by Harlan Coben, I need to do so very quickly, without pausing to really think about the plot, because once I do, all of the implausibilities in the story begin to overwhelm me and take me out of the story. For example, much of this story hinges on a video that was recorded on a nanny cam that Maya is using to monitor her daughter when the daughter is in the care of her nanny.
Maya removes the SD card from the nanny cam and watches the video on her computer. There she sees something so shocking as to be unbelievable. At that point, any person half as intelligent as Maya is supposed to be would say, "Holy crap!" and copy the video to the computer. She might then also attach it to an email and send it to an account somewhere safe.
Of course, Maya does none of that. If she had, the book might have ended on about page 50. Instead, she puts the SD card back in the nanny cam where, of course, someone will steal it, leaving no evidence to support the shocking discovery that Maya has made. As a result, Maya will have to spend another 325 pages attempting to achieve some sort of resolution to all her problems.
It may seem a small point to be quibbling about, but it left me shaking my head through the remainder of the book because it was such a stupid thing for the character to do, or in this case, a stupid thing not to do. Still, I enjoyed the book. It was like spending a couple of evenings vegging out on the couch with some popcorn and three or four beers. But give me a month or so and I probably won't remember much about it at all.
At the center of the novel is a former Army helicopter pilot named Maya Burkett, who left the service in disgrace and who is haunted by the actions that she took on the spur of the moment in the middle of a military action. Shortly after she returns home, her husband, Joe, the scion of a very wealthy family, is murdered. The book involves Maya's efforts to sort all this out and see that some sort of justice is done.
I find that whenever I read a book by Harlan Coben, I need to do so very quickly, without pausing to really think about the plot, because once I do, all of the implausibilities in the story begin to overwhelm me and take me out of the story. For example, much of this story hinges on a video that was recorded on a nanny cam that Maya is using to monitor her daughter when the daughter is in the care of her nanny.
Maya removes the SD card from the nanny cam and watches the video on her computer. There she sees something so shocking as to be unbelievable. At that point, any person half as intelligent as Maya is supposed to be would say, "Holy crap!" and copy the video to the computer. She might then also attach it to an email and send it to an account somewhere safe.
Of course, Maya does none of that. If she had, the book might have ended on about page 50. Instead, she puts the SD card back in the nanny cam where, of course, someone will steal it, leaving no evidence to support the shocking discovery that Maya has made. As a result, Maya will have to spend another 325 pages attempting to achieve some sort of resolution to all her problems.
It may seem a small point to be quibbling about, but it left me shaking my head through the remainder of the book because it was such a stupid thing for the character to do, or in this case, a stupid thing not to do. Still, I enjoyed the book. It was like spending a couple of evenings vegging out on the couch with some popcorn and three or four beers. But give me a month or so and I probably won't remember much about it at all.
April 4, 2016
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2016
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
FOOL ME ONCE is a fast-moving, multi-layered, multi-murder mystery with a twist and another winner for Harlan Coben.
After her husband Joe is brutally killed in the park, honorably discharged helicopter pilot, Captain Maya Stern makes it her mission in life to seek revenge and take down his killers, but Joe's murder isn't the only one she wants to avenge.
With a sketchy past of her own, nightmares from hell and her own post-war demons, Maya has reason to question her sanity when she sees a big shock on the nanny-cam, and uncovers family secrets and corruption resulting in evil-doing at its worst.
An entertaining and suspenseful page-turner, but cannot wait for Myron Bolitar #11 expected in September.......IMHO Coben's best!
February 2, 2018
A fast paced suspense thriller with a nice little gotcha moment at the end, had me guessing all the way through, it’s got some obvious holes in the plot but I enjoyed the weird ending anyway. I love that the main character was a fierce female that did not hold back any punches. Fun audio to make the car trips go by quickly, 3.5 stars rounded up for fun factor and for not boring me once.
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