Once again Harlan Coben has hit it out of the ballpark with a novel that features Sami Kierce, a disgraced ex-policeman, who is trying to make ends meet and support his wife and infant son by teaching classes in criminology for would be amateur detectives. Even though Sami is no longer a detective his instincts and ability to analyze seemingly unrelated facts are still amazing. This is a novel of what ifs. There are so many ways that everything could have been different but as you are fed facts bit by bit you will perhaps understand why things happened as they did. It goes back to something that happened 20 years earlier when Sami was in Spain with college friends, and it also involves the murder of his fiancee 18 years earlier. Sami also appears in Coben’s previous novel Fool Me Once, but this is easily listened to as a stand alone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars (Outstanding)
Setting: Spain; Ballston Spa, New York, in Saratoga County, New York
Genre: Psychological Thriller

Harlan Coben proves once again why he’s the master of the modern thriller with Nobody’s Fool, a pulse-pounding, mind-bending sequel to Fool Me Once that will leave readers breathless. With his signature blend of suspense, razor-sharp twists, and emotional depth, Coben crafts a story that hooks you from the very first page and refuses to let go.

Former detective Sami Kierce is a man haunted—by his past, by a crime he doesn’t remember committing, and by a woman who should be dead. The dual timeline—set in 2000 and 2025—adds a gripping complexity to the narrative, slowly unraveling the mystery of what really happened in that blood-soaked room in Spain. When Kierce sees Anna in his classroom, very much alive, the novel shifts into high gear. Is she real? A ghost? A trick of his guilt-ridden mind? Coben keeps the reader guessing, delivering one shocking revelation after another.

What makes Nobody’s Fool truly exceptional isn’t just its relentless pacing and jaw-dropping twists—it’s the depth of its protagonist. Kierce is flawed, broken, yet fiercely determined, making him one of Coben’s most compelling characters to date. His quest for truth is as much about redemption as it is about solving an impossible mystery, and that emotional weight elevates the novel beyond a standard thriller.

With its cinematic storytelling, whip-smart dialogue, and an ending that will leave you stunned, Nobody’s Fool is an absolute must-read. Whether you’re a longtime Coben fan or new to his work, this book is an electrifying ride from start to finish. Don’t start it unless you’re prepared to stay up all night turning the pages—you won’t be able to stop.#netgalley #nobodysfool #booked_this_weekend

This was my first Harlan Coben book. It was fast paced and hard to put down but ultimately not that great. I feel like it was just what I was expecting though! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator's accents were not good! The Dutch accent was terrible and the English accent wasn't great either. But! Again I wasn't expecting much. It was a fun mystery. A LOT of repetition. Laughed out loud when he describes someone running while swinging their arms like a whacky inflatable tube man because no one runs like that and the image was just too funny.

I love Harlan Coben, and this book did not disappoint! The second of his books about Detective Sami Kierce, it was dynamic and funny right from the start. After a long ago murder, Sami's past is back to haunt him, and the story that follows is a twisting, gripping read. The story is action packed, and keeps the reader engaged and questioning where the plot is heading, right until the end. Narration was fantastic, and portrayed the characters and story very well.

A highly recommended read, and I look forward to more in this series!

Thank you Netgalley, and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was excited for a new Coben novel, unfortunately, I couldn't get into this one at all. I really tried but it didn't feel like Coben, the plot was bland and the writing was not great. I couldn't continue on and had to DNF.

I've been reading Harlan Coben for years, and I'm getting tired of him. The same tropes in every book. Someone dead might not be, the main character loves his woman and children like no one else, and the corny tough guy talk. This caused lots of eye rolling on my part which significantly interferes with my enjoyment of the story, which was okay. I did the ebook and audio version. The male narrator did an excellent job with female voices. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

That was A LOT 😅

Between both cases, all the characters, and all the twists and turns - this book is gonna hold your attention to find out what happens. Although I did predict a lot of it, I enjoyed the journey Sami went on to solve everything. Although there were bits that I did not expect and it had me shocked!!

I really felt for all the characters, there was a lot of heartache among them. I was worried how Sami’s tragedies/past might affect his investigation but he surprised me with how resilient and persistent he was!

I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook. The writing made for a more theatrical narration that helped build a picture in my mind of what was happening. As well as conveying all the emotions of each character. From sadness to trepidation to love, the narrator really helps to set the tone of the scene. You really get to know how Sami is feeling and what he’s thinking. From the love for his wife and son to his eagerness for the truth. The truth in which also gave Sami some needed closure.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I listened to an advance copy of this audio book. I liked the narrator and the story was excellent, but that’s what we expect from Coben, right?

I loved the twists and turns all the way to the end. Everything is wrapped up satisfactorily, yet it was one heck of a ride.

Fast paced-typical Coben style suspense novel. Here's the problem that I have with this book. It's 2nd in the a series but the previous book was published in 2016. I didn't read the book but watched the TV series and thought I would be able to read this book with that experience. It's so strange that the tv series is based in London or UK and this second book is based in NY city. Our main character sounds "young-ish" when he would be in his 40's? He has a lot of impulsive actions that confuse me at times. Overall, I have several Harlan Coben books but either my tastes in suspense novels have changed or Harlan Coben's writing isn't what I remember it used to be. This book wasn't my favorite.

The first 20% of this book can be cut. Around 20-25% the story and hook finally arrive and then the book is interesting. Had I not had a great experience with this author many times before I would have quit.

Overall this was a steady but fast paced thriller that left me guessing; the confessional wt the end was disappointing. I expect more/better from a writer like HC eg showing over telling.

Note , I remembered nothing from book 1 and that didn’t seem to affect me here. A real standalone.

Lastly the side story about a former case and the man who killed Samis past flame which really didn’t need to be included ar all and was a real snooze fest

Sami is Coben's best character. This was a fantastic audio book. I never thought I would give a 5 * to a churn em out kind of author, but here we are!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a solid 4-star listen from Coben. I enjoyed getting to continue the story of Detective Sami Kierce, and dig more into his history of alcoholism. At times there was a little too much going on, and it took a while to see the connections between the disjointed plots, but the story came together in the end.

The narrator's tone was quite different from the Kierce I had in my head from the first book, which made it hard to get used to, but overall the narration was good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in return for an honest review.

What in the world?! Leave it to Harlen Coben. It was a good book with some good characters. Obviously some laughs. I like continuing Sami’s story. I didn’t remember much about him from the previous book, so it was nice to get his story. Quick read.

I was surprised by the narrator. I feel like there is a usual one for Coben books but he does a nice job and he was easy to listen to.

Sam Kierce sees a girl whom he believes he murdered years ago in his class. He sets off to find out what happened to Anna all those years before. This is a good book. Full of suspense. Lots of good angles and stories here that all tie up nicely. This was my first Harlan Coben book. It was a great pick!

Wow this book was great! It was twisty and suspenseful! I didn't see the end coming and then it all just kept coming! I finished it super fast. Definitely read if you like thriller/mysteries.

I don't know what I was expecting. I enjoyed the writing. It was simple and cinematic. I think I enjoyed some of the collateral characters more so than the main character. I could easily see this made into a movie. I was expecting a few more twists and turns to it. However, it was an enjoyable read. I also enjoyed the narrator.

I'm a huge fan of Harlan Coben's books and love that they are suspenseful and keep you guessing the whole time you are reading them. I did enjoy this book, but for some reason it felt like a little of that thrilling aspect of the book was missing. There was some good twists and a very satisfying ending, it just took a little longer to get there with the pace of the middle of the book. I enjoyed the narrator telling this story.

“Nobody’s Fool” by Harlan Coben is a true crime thriller that keeps you guessing. I listened to the audiobook version. The book has one narrator for the MMC, and his voice is nice and soothing, and he does do “the voices” for other characters in conversation to keep it clear. The narrator delivers the performance how I would expect an ex-cop to and loved his performance.

This book follows an ex-cop Sami Kierce who is currently teaching PI classes. He sees a face in the crowd one evening, Anna, a girl that he had woken up next to in Spain during college… her dead and him with a knife on his hands. He begins to chase her. His goal is to find Anna again and find out what really happened. He and his class follow the clues to figure out who this girl is and where she is.

This story is full of twists and turns, but yet it is believable. I was so happy to be along for the ride! I would have finished this in one day if sleep hadn’t called me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it riveting, entertaining, thrilling, kept me guessing, and it kept me invested. I would definitely recommend to those who love thrillers, crime, mystery, PI, or detective novels. This one was amazing!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, and the author, Harlan Coben, for providing me with the ARC of the audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

The twists and turns! I never see them all coming (I saw a few here, but not all) with a Harlan Coben novel. This kept me so engaged and on the edge of my seat. I had to know what happened and had anxiety until I found out! It is set up for another book and I will defintely be reading that one too.
Thanks to Hachette, Netgalley and Harlan Coben for an early copy.