Harlan Coben is a master of his craft, as evidenced in his latest heartstopping thriller, Nobody's Fool. Sami Kierce has a happy life with his new wife and baby working as a detective in New York City. He teaches a night class for students interested in detective work. One night after class, he sees Anna, a woman from his past that he hasn't seen in twenty-two years. Not since he was a recent college grad on a summer trip in Spain. But how can it be her? Last he saw her, he woke up covered in her blood with a knife in his hand. When he acknowledges her, Anna runs.

What follows is an action-packed thriller with multiple characters and timelines and lots of twisty turns that you don't see coming. This is fast-paced and suspenseful. Coben leaves clues intricately weaving those seamlessly into the plot and character arcs at the precise time to make multiple storylines come together for a spectacular ending. Get the popcorn out and prepare for a wild ride. I couldn't put this one down! 🍿

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Harlan Coben for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it. It was such a nice surprise to read a story where I actually liked, not only the main character, but most all of them. The story was suspenseful and twisty, and kept me intrigued the entire time. If you’re looking for a book to pull you out of a reading slump, this would be a good one. I honestly hope there is a sequel!

I should have never doubted Mr. Coben’s ability to suck me into a story. Grief is cruel and some people never handle it very well. And of course there’s that cliffhanger.

Detective Sami Kierce is investigating his own past. When a woman walks – and runs out- of his No Shit Sherlock Class, he’s flooded with memories of backpacking post-college and waking up covered in blood. He has to figure out what is real and what is a hoax in this wonderfully complicated mystery/thriller.
The story is told in Sami’s voice. He is a wonderful character who understands his own flaws and impulses. The twists are amazing and keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this DRC.
#NobodysFool #NetGalley

Harlan Coben keeps you on the edge of your seat in this thriller. Sami Kierce, former police officer, now private investigator becomes involved in a case that involves him in his youth. Sami works to solve the mystery that has plagued him for 22 years. You will never see the twists and turns in this plot. A five star for Coben.

4.5 stars-This is Harlan Coben at his best! The twists and turns, the humor, and most of all the way he tells a story. I found myself so wrapped up in this one on the edge of my seat wondering where it was all going. I was not disappointed and cannot wait to see this character in his next book! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>Nobody's Fool</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Harlan Coben can weave a thrilling plot that absolutely will keep readers engaged. This novel is a sequel to <i>Fool Me Once</i>, but reading that novel is not essential to enjoying <i>Nobody's Fool</i>.
The protagonist, Sami Kierce, is a disgraced cop who has been forced to resign because of his actions in <i>Fool Me Once</i>. His new gig is as a night class teacher to wannabe sleuths. When a mysterious woman from Sami's past appears at the classroom door, Sami must confront the demons from his youthful past, which includes waking up next to a bloody, dead woman. Over twenty years have passed, and now Sami must finally find the truth.
This is the kind of book that made me get up in the middle of the night so I could read a few more chapters.

The second installment in the Detective Sami Kierce, Nobody’s Fool, by bestselling author Harlan Coben finds Sami remembering his time in Spain after graduating college and going on to medical school, when he fell in love with Anna and woke up covered in blood next to her dead body. Because he had been taking drugs and drinking heavily, he wasn’t sure if he killed her, but on the advice of his father, caught the next plane home. That was 22 years before, and while teaching a detective class at the local college, she comes after class and when he sees her, he tracks her to her residence where he is beat up. Apparently, she is actually an heiress who was kidnapped 25 years before and the case was never solved. He uses the students in his class to help him solve the mystery.

Coben is a favorite author and I pick up his books immediately when they come out and devour them. I haven’t actually read a Harlan Coben novel that I didn’t like. However, some are better than others, and Sami Kierce isn’t my favorite protagonist, and I’d rather read his other series. Fortunately, this novel does have Coben’s signature dry humor, and an interesting storyline with plenty of twists and turns. Although it is a good read, it isn’t Coben’s best, and some of the scenarios are less than believable.

All told, readers may like Kierce. Coben’s excellent storytelling abilities are definitely here, but the book doesn’t grab like some of his others. However, it’s better than most and the story and constant building suspense will grab readers and keep them on the edge. As most fans, I will look forward to the next installment.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Review:
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book!
How many people does it take to solve a twenty-five year old cold case? So many that I lost count 🙄 Kierce literally created his own army of detectives to figure out if this woman was Anna/Victoria, and it took his wife to point out that the timing is super sus with how close it coincides with his other ex’s killer was released. Honestly, I’m so glad Molly and Marty made appearances in this book, because Kierce is a little hopeless without them, not to mention I just adored both of them on the mini series adaptation of Fool Me Once. The way Coben tied everything together by the end was impressive. My biggest complaint being that the thing with Thomas and Victoria just seemed way to copycat of what happened with Joe and Andrew in the first book.

Thank you for the chance to read and review Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben.

Coben is one my favorite authors, I always look forward to a fast paced thought provoking mysteries along with characters that you care about. It was great to be part of Sami Keirce’s world again and hear the continuation of his story.

Harlan Coben does it again has us at the edge of our seats in a very twisty thriller.. Sami Kierce is off to Europe before starting med school in the fall. While in Spain he meets Anna and life as he knew it will never be the same. Anna is dead, he’s responsible he flees Spain. Years later he sees Anna and now it is his mission to learn the truth. Lies, deception, secrets Sami needs to find the truth..

Former police officer Sami Kierce’s life gets upended when a former flame he thought was dead, possibly at his own hand, appears two decades later. Meanwhile, the man convicted of killing Sami’s fiancé has been released from prison and insists he’s innocent.

NOBODY’S FOOL showcases Coben’s talent for creating compelling protagonists, quirky secondary characters, and twisty plots. I haven’t read FOOL ME ONCE yet, but I had no problem diving into this world. In fact, I enjoyed the characters and world so much, I was thrilled to discover that this book is part of a series.

While Sami was kicked off the force, his former partner is always ready to help him out, as is the lawyer he works for as an unlicensed private detective. And better yet, his eclectic group of students who frequent his Academy Night Adult School criminology course are happy to do his legwork online and in the physical world. Also on Team Sami are his wife Molly and infant son Henry. All these side characters adore Sami, making it impossible not to root for him.

Sami’s two cases keep the plot pumping and danger to Sami and his family add page turning thriller elements.

There’s a ton to love about this book, but my favorite thing is Sami’s students from the Dead Hots, a trio of female true crime podcasters, to the Pink Panthers, a trio of retired women, to Golfer Gary and Leisure Suit Lenny and not to mention Debbie and Raymond two recipients of “Sami Kierce scholarships” who might be former confidential informants. I’m hoping the next book in the series is coming soon because I can’t wait to see Sami leverage his Scooby Gang again.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
Expected publication
March 25, 2025 by Grand Central Publishing

I love Harlen Coben so my review feels wrong but this one did not do it for me. Looking at others, it appears that I have the unpopular opinion which is good because maybe it's just me. This is book 2 of Detective Sami Kierce and maybe there was always a plan for a sequel but this could be why it didn't click for me. There's been a decade since Fool Me Once but a year has passed in the book and 25 years since Malaga. Sometimes I just think one book is enough. This feels like Netflix did the series (which was great) and now someone (publisher, fans) wanted a sequel. It didn't feel like Corben wrote this one and therefore I didn't love it. Corben readers will pick up on other characters and references but it could definitely be read as a stand alone as well.

I don't even know where to begin with this review, other than to say i am disappointed and let down. First, let me say this: contrary to how it's listed on other sites, this is NOT book #2 in a series. advertising it as such is false and misleading. the Sami Kierce chracter was created for television and has no role in the "first book" there isn't even a "Sami Kierce" but a detective named Kierce who plays no major role in the book. it's as if this book was specifically written after the TV show aired as a way to milk that avenue.

also, there is no reason to bring the Burkett family into the story other than to try and tie it to the previous book. the information given to Kierce by Caroline could've come from ANY character and it felt like such a stretch to have it come from her. really felt like a forced connection and totally unnecessary.

and the fact that the whole twist to the story is that a husband didn't want to tell his wife the truth and therefore created lies and deceit that lasted for over a decade is a terrible premise. I have read several books by Harlen Coben and this was by far the worst yet.

i appreciate Netgalley and the publisher granting me access to read and review this novel, but overall it was a poorly constructed story line, with a mediocre attempt to link two stories together that were never meant to be linked and the false creation of a literary series that doesn't exist.

Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben is a page-turning mystery thriller that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
I really enjoy all of Harlan Cobens novels and this was another that blew me out of the water. I thought I had it figured out and knew what happened but what the ending revealed I really didnt expect.
His books are always eagerly anticipated and never is there a letdown.
He hooks you right from the first page and does not loose your attention at all through the book. I couldn’t put it down.

Thank You NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Harlan Coben has been one of my favorite authors ever since his first book. For me, Nobody’s Fool simply missed the mark. There were too many characters and too many sub-plots. Yes, I can believe that he’s written this for a Netflix series rather than for his readers. The issues that were resolved in the end were, at best, unrealistic. Most of the issues/sub-plots were simply left for another book, another 10 hours of TV. I hope he returns to what he does best.

I received this ARC from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I wish Coben well in his Netflix gig, but hope that he’ll get back to doing what his fans love best.

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben delivers a fast-paced, twist-filled mystery that keeps readers hooked. The protagonist, is a well-crafted, relatable character whose journey through secrets and revelations is both suspenseful and engaging. Coben excels at building tension and creating unexpected twists, making the book hard to put down.

While the story is thrilling, there are moments where the plot feels a bit predictable, and the ending could have been fleshed out more. Still, it’s an enjoyable read for fans of Coben’s work and those who enjoy a gripping, character-driven mystery.

Another great Harlan Coben! He is the master of twists and turns. In this book he has revisited his signature style of resurrecting someone who has disappeared but seeming returns. The quest becomes- find out what happened. While Coben has used this technique before, he manages to make it seem fresh. I was unable to put this down. It kept me going right to the end. Thanks Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

Harlan Coben’s “Nobody’s Fool” was a page-turner! I’ve seen his TV series, but this was my first book. I was instantly hooked on the main character, Sami. If you’re a fan of twisty thrillers, you’ll love this fast-paced novel. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just over a day. Coben is definitely an author I’ll be reading again.

IF you have read Harlan Coben from the beginning in 1990 like I have, you will be familiar with the WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON mysteries that Coben writes. Within his 37 novels are the Mickey Bolitar series which, though most of the 15 novels are dated now, are typical mysteries about a sports manager and his rich and wacky sidekick. I love them. But Coben also has many more stand-alone thrillers where the reader is taken for a wild ride not knowing, well, what is going on!
A little out of the usual, Coben has written his second detective Sami Kierce novel with Nobody’s Fool. A year after the conclusion of Fool Me Once, 2015, we find Det. Kierce disgraced and no longer a police detective in New York. While teaching a group of misfits (who later help him solve what is going on) in night school, Kierce sees a woman in the back of the room who he thought he killed while a backpacker in Spain 25 years before.
But of course, she runs, he chases and the thriller begins. Did he actually kill the girl in Spain? Is this the same person? Nobody’s Fool is another in a very long list of complex Coben novels that are powerful, fun, thrilling and a joy to read. The belief that he killed this girl has haunted Kierce for 25 years, so he will stop at nothing to find out the truth. His band of quirky criminology students are perfect characters to allow a bit of humor into the novel. And as usual, you really have a hard time figuring out what is going on until toward the end when clues start dropping. Shock and twists are Coben’s forte, and you will find this latest novel the same.
The only problem I have with the novel is that a few important scenes have been left out of the book with only a catch-up paragraph used to move the story along. I would have preferred the book to be longer (when do you say that!?) and details flushed out and the storyline more developed at times.
But truthfully, I wait every year for another Coben book – and I have been doing this for 35 years. I am obviously a big fan of Coben and Nobody’s Fool does not disappoint.
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Nobody's Fool will be published on March 25, 2025.