Harlan Coben’s *Nobody’s Fool* is a gripping thriller that blends past trauma with current danger. After the events of *Fool Me Once*, former Detective Sami Kierce finds himself caught in a twisting mystery.

The story shifts between two timelines—Malaga in 2000 and New York City in 2025—starting with a shocking scene where Kierce wakes up next to Anna’s dead body. Fast forward 25 years, and he sees Anna alive in his classroom, sparking a desperate search for answers.

Kierce is a flawed but relatable character, struggling with his past while seeking redemption. Coben populates the story with a diverse cast, each with hidden motives that keep readers guessing. The pacing is sharp, with well-timed twists that raise the stakes.

What sets *Nobody’s Fool* apart is its exploration of the cost of uncovering the truth, touching on themes like guilt and identity. The ending is surprising and thought-provoking, leaving you with lingering questions. While it can be read on its own, fans of *Fool Me Once* will appreciate the deeper layers. Coben proves once again why he’s a master of thrillers, making this a must-read for genre fans.

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When Sami Kearce was a college student traveling in Spain, wakes to find a dead woman in his bead and he is clutching a bloody knife. Now years later he sees a woman who he thinks is the dead woman. How can it be possible? The more he looks into the past event the more questions he has. This book has great characters and the story line is compelling, so many questions need to be answered. There is also a twist I didn’t see coming. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

"His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past. Soon he discovers that some secrets should stay buried . . ."

I have been a fan of Harlan Coben's writing for quite some time, so I was very happy to receive this ARC. Thank you so much, Grand Central Publishing! 🖤✨

What to expect:

🔪🩸Part of a series but can be read as a standalone
🔪🩸Ex Cop turned Private Investigator
🔪🩸Disappearance
🔪🩸Haunting Past
🔪🩸Twisty Ending

This book was so good. It is the perfect combination of a solid storyline and suspense. Both the main and side characters are well-developed, adding depth to the narrative. The plot unfolds in a way that is both intriguing and unpredictable, with clever twists that enhance the overall experience and keep you guessing at every turn. The build-up of tension kept me hooked. The story wrapped up perfectly and gave us answers to all of our questions. I love the sprinkle of a cliffhanger that hopefully promises a future installment to the series?! Honestly, I was truly hooked til the very last page. Highly recommend!

The expected publication date is March 25, 2025. Be sure to preorder and add this one to your TBR. You won't be disappointed!

As always, all thoughts are my own!!

When disgraced former police officer turned independent detective Sami Kierce was a college student traveling in Spain, he woke up one morning next to a dead woman and found himself holding a bloody knife. He fled the scene, but the incident changed the course of his life. Now, twenty five years later, he thinks he sees the woman he thought murdered. As he tries to find the woman, long held secrets unravel and danger is near.

This is the second in the Detective Sami Kierce series. I read the first one, Fool Me Once, but it was in 2016 and since I have read well over 1000 books since, I honestly don’t remember it so basically this was a standalone for me and it worked as one.

Multiple plot lines, an intriguing, twisty story, and colorful supporting characters make this another winner by Coben. It also raises some interesting social and familial issues. It is a fast paced, engrossing, hard to put down read.

Since Fool Me Once was made into a Netflix series, I am looking forward to this one also being adapted.

This story follows Detective Sami Kierce now no longer a police office who teaches a pay by the class for private detectives. One class he sees a girl that he met in Spain as a teenager who he woke up one morning to her dead body. Sami follows her and the hijinks and intrigue prevail. Sami also gets news of the killer of his former partner who is currently in prison. I enjoyed this book and seeing how these two stories played out. The end of the book was tied up nicely with one teaser that makes you wanting more.

Harlan Coben is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Nobody’s Fool is an amazing suspenseful, mysterious novel full of twists and turns. I love how it kept me guessing until the very end!

Harlan Coben's Nobody's Fool is a gripping story that includes suspense, mystery, and the weight of the past. The story follows Sami Kierce, a young man whose life is irrevocably altered after a fateful trip to Spain ends in tragedy. Waking up next to the lifeless body of his girlfriend, Anna, with no recollection of what transpired, Sami’s life becomes a tangled web of unanswered questions and guilt. Fast forward 22 years, and we find Sami transformed into a private investigator and new father, grappling with the aftermath of his past.

The narrative picks up pace in a compelling turn of events when Sami spots Anna in his night class. This moment of recognition sends him spiraling into a world where he must confront not only his past but also the secrets that have been buried for over two decades.

The pacing of the story is good, effectively keeping me engaged and interested in the story's outcome. The supporting characters add to the narrative, offering insights into Sami’s psyche and the broader implications of his quest.

Overall, Nobody's Fool is a classic Coben story. The story delivers suspense that may leave readers eager for more.

#NobodysFool #NetGalley @GrandCentralpub

5 stars! Harlan Coben can do no wrong. I have read every single one of his books and they are all fantastic. I love how he gives nods to his other books in these stories. This one has a lot happening and I could not put it down. Sami, a disgraced cop, spots a former lover (who he thought was dead) in a night class he is teaching. This sighting takes us on a journey navigating a decades long kidnapping of the daughter in an extremely wealthy family, con artists across the globe, a stalker, and a whole lot more. It is a wild ride that you will love!

I discovered Harlan Corbin a few years ago, and as an avid mystery reader, I’ve found that he consistently surprises me with each new release. His novel "Nobody’s Fool" hooked me from the very first page. In this book, Corbin delves deeper into the mysterious past of Sami Kierce and how it continues to affect his present life.

Sami is a dedicated teacher at a night school for aspiring sleuths. The plot thickens when an unexpected individual, whom Sami believed to be dead, suddenly walks into his class and vanishes just as quickly. This shocking encounter sets off a whirlwind of events, thrusting Sami and his eclectic group of night students into a thrilling journey to uncover the truth and perhaps finally put his demons to rest.

The story is full of unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

What a fun ride! Harlan Coben's latest is a mystery guaranteed to keep you guessing until the the very end. Nobody's Fool sees the return of Sami Kierce, and this time the case he's following is near and dear to his heart. I loved the characters, the witty dialogue, and the can't-turn-the-page-fast-enough plot. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this top-notch eArc!

Wow! I absolutely loved Nobody’s Fool! I am a fan of Harlan Coben and for me, this is one of my favorites that I have read by him. Sami Kierce’s story and the reveals at the end were a bit emotional and still have me thinking about the ending. I especially enjoyed the cast of characters in his night class! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Rating: 5 stars Publication Date: March 25, 2025

“Nobody’s Fool” by Harlan Coben is another excellent and suspenseful thriller that will add another notch to the extensive collection of his prize winning mysteries.
A disgraced former New York detective who now teaches an adult criminology class has a woman from his past mysteriously show up. As recognition sets in, he realizes she resembles the woman he was in love with 22 years ago while traveling in Spain with his college friends. Only the last time he saw her she was lying next to him dead and his hands were covered in blood. Panicking he flees the scene and now she is in his classroom….is it possible? As he strategizes to uncover the haunting mystery he puts his students, wife and infant son in danger. This complex plot which unravels family secrets in the unique and creative writing style of this author will keep you reading from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book! Wow! Such a good read. 5/5 rating. This is my first book written by Harlan Coben and I am hooked. This book is an easy read that draws you in right away and keeps you trying to weave it all together. Sami Kierce is a former police officer. He has a beautiful wife and adorable baby boy and is happy with his life. Unbeknownst to him, a secret he had carried for over 20 years will find him. The author does a great job connecting the audience to all of the imperfect yet realistic characters. The book will keep you guessing until the very end and leave you waiting for Kierce’s next move!

Personally I think the best he’s done in quite some time. The characters are complex, especially Sami Kierce. While she was certainly one of his most unlucky characters in her first book things seem to have turned around in this fast paced book. The plot is also complex and the amateur “detectives” from his class all interesting. I really liked it, his best in a long time.

I discovered Harlan Coben when I saw some of his books adapted into movies on Netflix. I loved what I saw and decided to try his books. This is the third book I've read, and I can safely say I've become a fan. This is the second book featuring Sami Kierce, Fool Me Once is the first. This book is classic Coben, fast-moving and twisty.

A young Sami Kierce is backpacking with friends in Europe when he becomes enamored with Anna, a woman he meets in Spain. Their brief affair ends when Sami wakes up one morning and discovers Anna dead and his hands covered in blood. A panicked Sami flees the scene.

Flash forward twenty-two years. Sami is now married with a newborn son, working as an investigator for a law firm and teaching night classes. When a woman briefly appears in his classroom, Sami is sure that the woman is Anna. Sami follows her and discovers her name is Victoria, and she is a member of the wealthy Belmond family. Victoria has a mysterious past, and as Sami begins digging, he uncovers secrets the family would rather not have revealed. Determined to solve the Anna/Victoria mystery, Sami soon endangers his life and that of his wife and child.

This is an excellently plotted thriller with twists I did not see coming. The characters are interesting, and the mystery surrounding Anna and Victoria is compelling. Although one does not need to read Fool Me Once to enjoy this book, I recommend it. Not only is it a good book, but it contributes to Sami's backstory. 5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 25, 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: My rating is 3.5 rounded up. My first Halan Coben book--I found it solidly plotted and paced, character development was a bit thin but what I would expect from a prolific mystery writer. I didn't really understand Sami Kierce's back story until about mid way through the book. Entertaining and twisty.

Book/Story: ⭐️⭐⭐⭐
Book Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐

Trigger Warning(s): Murder
Binge Drinking (mentioned)
Loss Of Spouse
Kidnapping
Loss Of Child
POV: First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone (Interconnected Series)
First In Series: No
Trope(s): None
Spice: None
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Burn: Fast
Safe or Dark: Safe
Release Date: March 25, 2025

I was beyond excited when I was able to get my hands on this ARC! I have to admit that I haven’t read many Harlan Coben books during my adult life, but members of my family have been fans for years. Needless to say, I was so ready to dive into this one!

I have not read this first book in the Detective Sami Kierce series, Fool Me Once, but have been told that this book reads more like a standalone, and you don’t need to have prior knowledge of events that occurred in the first story in order to enjoy this one, and I found that to be true.

I’m so upset that I haven’t bothered to check out more of Harlan Coben’s catalog in the past because just like the one or two other books I have read by him before, this one was an absolute home run!

You might want to take some Dramamine before getting into this story, because it is packed with twists and turns.

This is a fun, fast-paced, riveting plot. The prologue kicks things off, and we are pulled directly into our main character's life twenty years prior to when this book takes place. I was engaged from start to finish. In fact, I’m sure I would have finished this a lot quicker than I did if I didn’t have to worry about doing adult things, like having a healthy sleep schedule and going to work.

In true Coben fashion, there is a lot packed into this book. There are many different pieces of a puzzle going on at the same time. However, also in true Coben fashion, he makes it all work. Nothing gets confusing or jumbled together. Each storyline plays off one another nicely to form a bigger picture and move towards an explosive ending. I found myself becoming fully invested in both mysteries taking place here.

I adored our main character, disgraced detective Sami Kierce; it was so fun being inside his head. I loved the fact that Coben “broke the fourth wall” with this character, as many times Kierce was talking directly to the readers. I also really enjoyed meeting the “Pink Panthers “, and other members of his criminology class. We get a chance to peek at each of their fun personalities as well. Golfer Gary stole my heart and who could help falling in love with the quirky yet friendly Raymond? Getting to know Kierce’s friends, lovely wife Molly, and infant son, Henry, was wonderful as well. No matter how many mistakes he made or how royally he messed his life up, they all still loved and supported him. That was so refreshing!

I loved the idea of Sami’s criminology class in general. That’s definitely something I would have paid to attend. There was a lot of respect shared between teacher and pupils. You could tell they held Kierce in high regard. They were a loving bunch.

Kierce is easy to relate to since, like many of us, he is handed a string of bad luck (some a result of mistakes he’s made) and just tries his best to push on and be happy with the good things that happen in life. No matter how few and far between they are. He isn’t perfect and has many flaws. I think that is what makes him so likeable to us readers. He walks through life much like I do, with a smart mouth and humor that is used to cover up deep emotions and trauma. Also like myself, Kierce is headstrong and stubborn, never stopping until he finds out the truth of the case he's working on. He doesn't drop things quite as easily as he should.

The references to Hercule Poirot and Detective Columbo were amazing. I especially enjoyed them since Agatha Christie is one of my favorite mystery authors, and Columbo is my favorite, doofy television detective.

Fun fact: My dog’s middle name is Columbo. Why he has a middle name I couldn’t tell you, but my cute little Shih Tzu does.

The final plot twist and ending were phenomenal. I didn’t see them coming at all. Bravo, Mr. Coben. Those are going to be living rent-free in my head for months, and possibly years, to come. You, sir, get two thumbs up for that one.

However, I will never understand what I’ve done to deserve that cliffhanger regarding Sami Pierce’s personal story arc! THAT DAMN CLIFFHANGER!

Now, I’m forced to wait for the next book in the series to be published to see how that one plays out! It’s going to be torture!

I can see why Harlan Coben’s books have been a staple in many of my family members reading collections for many years. He really is in a class of his own when it comes to writing mysteries and thrillers.

I can’t wait to keep going through his catalog. Perhaps I will start doing that now.

TLDR : A FAST-PACED BOOK WITH PLENTY OF TWISTS AND TURNS! ENTERTAINING FROM START TO FINISH!
As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊

I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

LOVED this book!!! It kept me on the edge of my seat, turning pages just as quickly as possible. I was completely absorbed in the story and never saw the ending coming.

The characters felt flawed and real - making me feel invested in their story. The story itself has depth, along with a compelling mystery.

This one is a must read for fans of the genre. The author is a master at his craft and is on my must read authors ' list.

Twisty, thrilly and page-turny! A true roller-coaster of a ride. There is so much depth to this story that you don’t want it to end. If you like detective plots, this is the book for you. This could easily be a top read for a reading group or book club. There are so many directions that the conversation could take.

I was so excited to get this ARC, I immediately got the first one from Libby.

Maybe I shouldn’t have.

“Sami” doesn’t exist in FOOL ME ONCE. His name is Roger, and he’s barely mentioned except for being hairy. Sami was the upgraded version for the Netflix miniseries, apparently.

Because of this, I had a really hard time getting into this book. If I didn’t feel like I were being gaslit, maybe I would have appreciated all the twists but meh. It just felt cheap and manipulative — and not in a good way. I love being manipulated by mysteries! That’s part of the fun! But I couldn’t care about Sami or his poor wife Molly at all and it just felt like a ghostwriter was checking boxes to make this a “Harlan Coben”: multiple past traumas —complete with a fall from grace!, new perfect spouse, kooky side characters, rich people behaving badly…. Again, all things I usually love but *yawn*.