Harlan Coben delivers another twisty, fast-paced thriller in Nobody’s Fool. When former detective Sami Kierce spots a woman in his class—one he last saw 25 years ago, dead—he’s thrust into a tangled web of murder, money, blackmail, and fame.

Three storylines weave together seamlessly, with plenty of suspense and surprises along the way. The cast is colorful, the pacing sharp, and the ending satisfying—though the door is left wide open for a sequel.

I listened on audio and found the narration lacking, but the story itself was thoroughly entertaining. If you enjoy smart thrillers with unpredictable twists, this one’s a solid pick.

I loved the first book in this series, but it had been ages since I had read it. I have not watched the show either. I did not feel lost or confused at all. There was a moment when something from the last book clicked, but I think this book stands alone well. I enjoyed this story a lot. Great characters and good twists. I read a lot of mysteries and I did not figure all of this one out. Great narrator!

I did not initially catch that this was the second in a series, but I did not feel like I was missing anything in order to enjoy this mystery. I will go back and remedy this faux pas by reading the first soon, however. Kierce does appear to be destined to be a detective, rather than a doctor...and this decision is solidified in this installment as he investigates a case wrapped up in his own life. I felt Coben handled the unfolding mystery with lots of details very well. The characters were well-defined and the plot made sense throughout. Some of the ending twists were unexpected, but overall how they are laid out and revealed was very clever. I've watched shows of Coben's work but now will commit to reading more of them.
The multicast narration was spot-on. I was surprised with the voices at first because I really thought Coben was British after seeing some of his shows, but this series is set in New York, near where he is actually from.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

Intriguing and suspenseful, Harlan Coben weaves another thriller with events spanning more than two decades. You be willing be guessing until the very end!

What an adrenaline-fueled police procedural this was! Coben proves once again why he’s the master of twisty thrillers and intricately woven narratives. His storytelling is consistently gripping, intelligent, and utterly addictive—full of tension and jaw-dropping surprises. I love watching Netflix bring his books to life, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is next in line for adaptation!

Although this novel brings back Detective Sami Kierce from Fool Me Once, Coben himself acknowledges that it isn’t truly a series, as reading the first book isn’t necessary to fully grasp this one.

Another winner from Harlan Coben - twisty, entertaining, and written in a distinctive voice. Love the humor weaved into the suspenseful story. Narrator for the audiobook did an excellent job bringing the story to life. I didn’t realize this was second in a series but easily works as a standalone book.

I've always been a fan of Harlan Coben and I initially thought this was a standalone novel but it turns out it’s actually a followup to Fool Me Once (which is also now an awesome TV show on Netflix!)

If you're planning to dive into Nobody’s Fool, I’d suggest at least skimming some spoilers or recaps for Fool Me Once. A few characters from that case reappear here, but there's little to no explanation of their backstory - some background reading will definitely help but isn't 100% necessary.

It was a gripping and fast-paced thriller - I finsihed it in a day and a half. No surprise there, though. I’ve always loved Harlan Coben’s writing (he's like John Grisham and Janet Evanovich in that respect - I look forward to their books every year!).

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben, as an audiobook, is an absolute thrill ride that hooks you from the very first chapter. The narration is top-notch, with the voice actor perfectly capturing the suspenseful tone and the intricacies of Coben's fast-paced plot. I loved how Coben weaves a complex web of secrets, twists, and flawed characters that feel so real, each struggling with their own version of truth. The pacing is spot-on, keeping you engaged as the mystery unfolds and the tension builds. The audiobook format enhances the experience, making the dramatic moments even more gripping. It’s a sharp, suspenseful story that’s perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery with heart.

Nobody’s fool was a very interesting story!
The audiobook was really well done and it really held my attention throughout the story.
Sami Kierces past comes back to haunt him in this thrilling story! When an ex lover comes back from the dead how far would you go to uncover the truth?
This was such an interesting story! It had me hooked from the beginning and I did not want to put it down! I had a hunch about some things but it was very good to get the answers to the questions throughout the story! Can’t wait to read more of Harlan Cobens’ books!
Thanks to netgalley and Hachette Audio/ Grand Central Publishing for the audio book arc ! Really enjoyed Vikas Adams narration!

Detective Sami Kierce is back! This is my favorite book of the year so far. I loved every moment of it, and my only complaint is that it ended.

Twenty years ago, young Sami Kierce might have murdered his girlfriend—or maybe he didn't. Now, he believes he's spotted the woman he thought he'd killed. What's happening?

This was a thrilling and fun book, and the audio narration was well executed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing for the free copy of the book.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I got about 40% in, but had no interest in finishing it, as it just didn't grip me the way I hoped it would.
I do like Harlan Coben's writing style, but this one just dragged on a bit too much for me.

Harlan is a gem. I’d read his version of a phone book to be honest. Every book just gets better and better and this was no exception.

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read and review this book. I am a big fan of Harlan Coben’s books. This is apparently the 2nd book in a series (I didn’t know that going in), but I think it can stand alone. Former detective Sami Kierce is caught up in a web of mystery when his past days of traveling through Europe come back to haunt him. At the same time, the man that killed his girlfriend also has his conviction paused and is being released from prison. Are the two events one in the same? This book was fast paced. I liked the writing style with the first person point of view. It also had some dry humor throughout which made me chuckle from time to time. You can never go wrong with Harlan Coben’s books. He keeps you entertained from beginning to end.

Harlan Coben always delivers a good story. I listened to the audio as that is my preferred way to get stories. It seems to bring them to life more. It is narrated by Vikas Adam and I feel he did a very good job. Vikas kept the pace and intensity needed in places. I enjoyed the mystery and the humor and I liked the characters. Lots of surprises and twists to keep you interested. When former Detective Sami Kierce is teaching a class a woman slips into his classroom and just as quickly runs away it changes everything for Sami. From then on he is on a quest to find her and prove she isn't really dead by his hand. It's a fast-paced mystery with heart and soul feelings. I am glad I listened vs reading I didn't want to put it down and didn't have to I could keep listening as I did chores and drove the family around.
Thank you, NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing I really enjoyed this story and very much recommend it. The story has character, love, humor, and mystery all the components of a good read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben, narrated by Vikas Adam, published by Grand Central Publishing

I'll start by saying that I've loved every book by Harlan Coben, and this bok did not disappoint, loved it. This was an audiobook and the narrator was fantastic, amazing with his different voices for so many different characters.
This was a great, a real page turner. Great characters, plot, setting and twists. I was hooked from the start. I really liked the main character's relationship with his wife, as well as the others in the novel. He is great at handle all the situations he finds himself in.
I, like others didn't realize this was 2nd in a series, I didn't feel like I was missing anything.
I will continue to follow and read books by Harlan Coben

Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben follows private detective Sami Kierce as he tries to unravel a decades old mystery from his early twenties that has resurfaced in his present day.

There were a few elements of this novel that felt a little unbelievable, but I'm always down for a good time and suspending disbelief so I let go of that feeling and just went along for the ride. Like all Harlan Coben books that I've read, this was a fast-paced and exciting thriller that kept me turning the pages just to see what was going to happen next. I do think that there are definitely some over the top moments in this book but I was having such a good time none of it really bothered me. Mostly I just wanted to get through all the twists and turns to find out where the story was going.

If you're a stickler for plots making absolutely perfect sense at all times this book might not be for you, but if you wanna read something that will keep you engaged and turning pages give this one a try.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for sending this my way, and to NetGalley for being the vehicle with which I received it. And thanks to Harlan Coben for writing a page-turning good time.

4⭐
Genre ~ crime thriller
Series ~ Detective Sami Kierce #2
Others in the series ~ Fool Me Once
Setting ~ NYC
Publication date ~ March 25, 2025
Publisher ~ Grand Central Publishing
Est Page Count ~ 344
Audio length ~ 11 hours 17 minutes
Narrator ~ Vikas Adam
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ old secrets, good amount of action

Sami can't believe his eyes when a woman he knew back in the day shows up in a class he's teaching. How can that be when the last time he saw Anna she was dead? Dun dun dun.

If that's not enough, the man that killed his fiancé has just been released from prison. Thus sets forth not only his obsession with finding out what the heck is going on with Anna, but with this new development, as well. Good thing he has a supportive wife that doesn't mind him running around the city at crazy hours. Luckily he has students that help him out, too.

Overall, I was gripped, engaged and totally invested throughout. Fans of Coben will be sure to enjoy this fast paced, suspenseful read.

Narration notes;
His normal voice is quite lovely, but all his other characters voices not so much.

Series notes:
I read book #1 9 years ago, so I have no clue if I missed anything.

Wow. That was impeccably good.

I want to start this review off with two things; I didn't read the first Sami Kierce book, and two, I honestly wasn't sure I was going to actually like this book.

I read Harlan Coben's book Tell No One, and thought it was good, but nothing as great as it was claimed to be. So, my expectations of this book were high, but not that high.

The book pulled me in early, especially not having any background from the first book in the series, I was in from the start. And it was full throttle from the get-go. And now that I have finished this, I will go back and read the first in the series.

The narration is great, the plot and characters are fantastic, and I look forward to the third book in the series. So thankful that I didn't let my first opinion of Coben stop me from devouring this book.

This book kept me on my toes, I didn't want to stop listening. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was surprised instead! This author has a lot of great twists & turns.

3/5 stars

I usually enjoy Harlan Coben’s fast-paced thrillers, but Nobody’s Fool didn’t quite land for me. The plot was serviceable and had some suspense, but it lacked the punch and urgency I’ve come to expect from his books. The characters felt a bit underdeveloped, and while there were a few good twists, they didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. It wasn’t a bad read—just not one I’ll be thinking about much after finishing.