Sami Kierce is teaching his class when his attention is drawn to a woman who entered the back of his class. He immediately stops class and chases after her as she flees. She had played a pivotal role in the projection of his life. Could it really be her? And so the mystery begins. Good pacing and interesting mystery to be solved. I enjoyed this book. It held my attention so I just kept reading.

This book, I read as an ARC. There were some editing errors that I highlighted throughout. I loved the little connections to other books of his, even though they aren't in this same series. I loved it. Another good job by Harlan Coben.

Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben is a wild ride! Sami was supposed to go to medical school to become a doctor, his lifelong dream. But an encounter with a beautiful woman while on vacation in Europe after high school derailed his plans and his life. He finds himself, a broke ex-cop, thrown off the force for poor conduct. To make ends meet, he teaches a criminology course to an eclectic mix of students who help him solve cases as a poorly paid investigator. When one day, the case of a lifetime lands in his lap. The tale will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat until the very end. I love it!!!

Harlan Coben's greatest writing strenght, for me, is his ability to keep things moving while painting in the necessary details. This plot line is somewhat original. Spanning over 20 years we meet a handful of characters who change before our eyes into someone else. It's definitely a page turner because you always want to see what happens next and how the set up is resolved. I loved this book, but then I love all of the books by this author.

5 stars
Expected publication date - March 25, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Sami Kierce is teaching a small class for amatuer sleuths on investigation. A woman walks into the class, and after Sami notices her, she quickly leaves. She looks a lot like a girl Sami had a whirlwind fling with, 22 years prior, in Spain. Except, he thought she had been killed, possibly by his own hand.

This is a great, fast-paced thriller. I was hooked the whole way through. The characters in Sami's life are extremely entertaining, especially his group of sleuth/students, who drop everything to help him uncover the truth. I hope we get another book, or a few, featuring Sami Kierce.

I absolutely loved this book. Harlan Coben is such a good author. I had a hard time trying to solve this mystery but that is what makes a great mystery book. I highly recommend the book. I am so excited that all the characters in this book including the main character will be in another book. I am just guessing this because of the ending!

Harlan Coben has not lost his touch! His witty dialogue, highly evocative place descriptions, and ability to inject a quick side-story as character development all continue to enrich his masterful plotting. I must admit I have not read "Fool Me Once", the book to which this is a sequel, but I sure will now!

Well, Harlan Coben has done it again. No surprise there, of course. Just
when you think he couldn’t possibly get any better, he does just that. This tense fast paced thriller will leave you breathless to the very end.

How can you not love Sami Kierce? Yes, he’s a disgraced detective who now teaches night classes to a group of armchair detectives. But, he’s truly a good guy. He loves his wife and young son and just wants to do good in the world. That world is turned upside down when he sees a woman he met in Spain more than 20 years ago, whom he had a brief relationship with and woke up to find her dead, thinking he killed her. With the help of his former partner and students Sami must dust off his detective skills and find out who this woman is and what new nightmare he’s about to walk into. With the superb storytelling and masterful twists Harlan Coben is known for, you will need to put all else on hold and read Nobody’s Fool. Coben is an author not to be missed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Harlan Coben does not miss when he writes a book. I was captivated from the start. Thank you for letting me read.

Excellent book by Harlan Coben, who just keeps getting better. Well-developed characters that draw on your sympathy. A family reacting to their child missing, later found. In classic Coben style, plot twists galore and stories that intersect. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Nobody's Fool.

I read the first Sami Pierce novel and enjoyed it though I don't remember what happened.

It was awhile go and I had to go through my list on Goodreads to reread my review to remind myself I liked it.

I mostly enjoy Mr. Coben's books.

I like the way he writes; his characters are likable, relatable, and down-to-earth; supporting characters are mostly decent and loya;, though some of his narratives take a bit more disbelief suspension I'm willing to give.

The events in Nobody's Fool takes place an year after the first book.

Former Detective Sami Kierce is slumming it as an off-the-books PI and teaching a true-crime course at the local college.

When a blast from the past reminds him of a shocking event from when he was in Spain as a college grad, it leads him down the road to discover the truth, but at what cost?.

At the same time, a convicted cop killer has his conviction overturned on a technicality and causes Kierce further distress at the same time.

Is this a coincidence? And what does it mean, if anything?

First, I enjoyed the writing; it's fast paced, there's lots of stuff happening and the narrative kept my attention.

Second, there's a lot of characters, minor and supporting, and though I liked their inclusion, they didn't add much to the narrative and read as filler.

Third, I love the procedural aspects of the case; Sami interviewing the family, witnesses, suspects, etc.

Fourth, there's a lot going on, not just with all the characters, but the subplot of the released cop killer so there's a lot of multi-tasking as to what is happening with which narrative.

Fifth, I like the ending, though I guessed a few of the twists.

As I mentioned, the narrative takes a bit of disbelief suspension but it's a wild ride, its engaging and captures your interest if you can ignore some of the obvious:

Would you really use a class of true-crime enthusiasts to help you solve a cold case? Can these people be trusted?

How open are witnesses from an old murder case be willing to speak to you decades later?

Can they recall details years later?

I look forward to the next book featuring Sami Kierce.

Sami Kierce sees a woman he thought was dead a longtime because he was covered in blood the last time he saw her. It’s now many years later and he sees Anna again and he’s positive it’s her. Now he’s trying to find out what really happened that night many years ago.

This was a fun and wild ride. It takes you on quite a journey. The characters are well developed and it’s easy to connect to them. The twist near the end was completely unexpected. Harlan Coban is known for his layers and this book is an excellent example of this. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery thriller. Even if you haven’t read anything by Coban before, this is still a great one to start with.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

This thriller was... a ride. Like, buckle up, because it takes you everywhere—from sun-soaked Spain to the gritty streets of NYC. It's one of those stories where you think, "Wait, what just happened?!" but in the best way possible.

The plot keeps peeling back layers, and just when you think you've got it all figured out—BOOM—a twist! Honestly, the main character's life is a total mess (and kinda relatable in a “thankfully not me” way). I mean, disgraced detective-turned-professor? That alone is drama. But throw in a haunting blast from the past, and it’s chaos in the most entertaining way.

The pace? Lightning fast. And while some parts felt a tiny bit too convenient, the jaw-dropping moments made up for it. You’ll be flipping pages (or, you know, tapping your Kindle screen) so fast it’s basically cardio.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for letting me dive into this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another interesting book from Harlan Coben. Characters are well developed and you sympathize with the main character. It shows how a family reacts when a child goes missing and is found many years later. However the plot starts to twist and stories intersect. Good read.

You know how they say “He makes a mean burger?”
Well, Harlan Coben weaves a “mean thriller.” It’s that PERFECT classic detective mystery that so rarely appears among the modern genres. I certainly haven’t read a wonderful semi-amateur detective (ex-cop) mystery in a long time.
It’s one of those books where you read the first page and just know that this story already owns you and you are must finish it incredibly fast!
It’s written in a mature, seasoned, clever writing voice.
The voice surprisingly not devoid of emotion and humanity.
I can’t help but love a good classy detective! And this one was great!
The writing, the language, the nuances, the way the author so artfully, so subtly leads you very gently in the direction of his plot twist. Without TELLING you, without making suggestions…. Just slowly nudging your subconscious in the right direction.
His writing voice is just such a pleasure. I always seek a humorous writing voice, one full of heart and meaningful soul. One that doesn’t take himself too seriously.
I want a writer who conquers you with the story, who wins the round of the guessing game every time. It’s a pretty difficult task. And Harlan Coben knows how to develop a tight perfect-puzzle double plot.
And to do it with grace, with talent of storytelling, genuine unexpected humanity… it was a breath of fresh air!

It was wonderful to read such a vibrant detective story that brings back all the greats - the Sherlock Holmes being the KING of the Detective Genre.

Have watched several of the limited series on Netflix based on his books so thought I would give one a try. This book was suspenseful filled with unexpected twists. At the end of each chapter it posed you with a question in your mind {at least mine} which propelled me to read the next one so I could get answers to my questions. The main characters were complex with the supporting characters adding a special touch of some humor while still being an intricate part in solving the mystery surrounding Anna/Victoria. Is well written. A subplot is also introduced. How is this intertwined with the main plot? If you enjoy a good mystery, you will enjoy this book. Recommend. Received a free copy thru NetGallery and this is my honest voluntary review.

Harlan Coben remains a must-read for me. He is the king of suspenseful thrillers for me, and this book is no different. I love his mastery of character development and deft use of humor.

Former Detective Sami Kierce makes a great protagonist. I loved the inclusion of his colorful classmates and Sherlock Holmes references. The dual mysteries were compelling and well formed. They're we're many twists and turns that I did not figure out in advance. Just a great book all around.

Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Harlan is a clever, witty, and dry humored story teller, which I enjoy reading. I was sucked in, wanting to know how everything intertwined. The rat pack of wannabe true crime detectives were true underdogs of the story and left you cheering for them along with the fallen hero of a detective.

This was my first time reading this author and I enjoyed the book a lot, might be part of a series but was fine to read alone. Likeable hero, humor mixed in with the mystery, a cast of unusual characters helping him solve the mystery of a woman from his past showing up, after he thought he had killed her years ago. I think it will be good reading for my students and lots of issues to discuss about the truth and how it heals and harms. 4.5

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC.
This was my first Harlan Coban book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't read the previous book, but feel this one can definitely be read as a standalone.
Sami Kierce is a very relatable and sympathetic character. I also really liked Sami's private life with his wife and baby boy. The story is fast moving and tense with a good ending. All in all it's a great read and I will definitely read more of Harlan Coban's books!