A child's murder is every parent's nightmare. Hard to imagine then being convicted for the crime - despite your innocence. But this is the opening premise in a riveting novel that follows David's struggle to find out what really happened that night. After all, the evidence really did point to his guilt. The characters are well-developed, Rachel in particular. She is torn between loyalty to her sister and the desire to help prove David's innocence. And it is easy to identify with David's anguish and depair. As the fast-moving plot unfolds, intricate and unexpected connections between events and persons are revealed with enough page-turning suspense to keep me reading into the early hours of the night.

I generally so enjoy Harlan Coben thrillers for beach reads/in between epic fantasy reads, but this one couldn't hold my interest. I'm hoping to revisit later, but for now I could only make it about half-way before calling it quits.

David is five years into a prison sentence at a maximum-security prison for murdering his son. He claims he did not kill his son. He has no memory of ever doing so but a neighbor testified she saw him burying the murder weapon. In the time since he and his wife, Cheryl have gotten divorced, and she is remarried.

When his former sister-in-law, Rachel comes to visit with a photo in hand, it sends David into a tailspin. In the picture there is a boy with the same birthmark as his son. David knows in his heart that this is his son, Matthew. The son he is serving time for killing. A son he knows he never killed. But if Matthew is alive and well, then who was the dead boy in his home and who has his son?

This was a gripping and hard to put down book for me. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know the truth. There were some parts where I had to suspend some disbelief and go with it which I was more than happy to do so. This was a twist filled ride and I enjoyed every second of it.

Gripping, hard to put down and well written.

#IWillFindYou #NetGalley #HarlanCoben #GrandCentralPublishing

3.5 stars

David Burroughs, who's been in Briggs Penitentiary in Maine for five years, has lost all interest in life. Five years ago Burroughs was convicted of killing his three-year-old son Matthew in his Boston home, and though David didn't do it, he believes his neglectfulness was connected with the homicide. Having lost his beloved son, David doesn't care about anything, and hasn't permitted any visitors during his incarceration.

So David is surprised when a guard called Curly snaps, "Burroughs, let's go. You have a visitor." It seems David forgot to renew his 'no visitors' paperwork, and Curly isn't about to deal with extra red tape for this child-killer. So David is cuffed and taken to the visiting area, where he sees his former sister-in-law Rachel.

During their conversation Rachel tells Burroughs her sister (his ex-wife) Cheryl has remarried and is pregnant, but this isn't the purpose of Rachel's visit. Rachel takes out a photo - taken at a Six Flags amusement park in Springfield, Massachusetts - of her friends posing with Loony Tunes characters.

In the background is a boy, about eight-years-old, holding the hand of man who's out of the frame. The figure is blurry, but the boy looks like Matthew, and has a distinctive port-stain birthmark on the right side of his face....just like Matthew had. David and Rachel are convinced this is Matthew, which means Burroughs didn't kill his son and was framed. This galvanizes David, who's determined to get out of prison and find Matthew.

David goes to the warden, Phillip Mackenzie, who happens to be his godfather (I know, not too realistic. From here on, the reader has to suspend a good amount of disbelief). David begs Mackenzie to help him break out of Briggs, but the warden says it's impossible, and in any case, the cops would find David and gun down the convicted 'baby-killer.'

As it turns out, there's all kinds of skullduggery going on at Briggs, and someone is bribing the guards to spy on Burroughs and report everything that goes on with him. Thus Rachel's visit is communicated to interested parties and measures are taken. In a roundabout way this ends up with David escaping from the prison, and he - with Rachel's help - embarks on a quest to find his son.

The FBI is brought in to investigate the getaway, and agents Max and Sarah have a unique interrogation method that involves non-stop quips and wisecracks. The agents provide the humor in the story, which is needed to relieve the ongoing edge-of-your-seat action, danger, violence, etc.

Of course there are surprises and twists as the story hurtles toward its climax, which is appropriately exciting.

You know you're going to get a good tale from Harlen Coben, and I enjoyed the book, which is fine escapist literature.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlan Coben, and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the manuscript.

This book was so good. The author did a fantastic job of tying up all the loose ends. I can’t wait to read another book by Harlan Coben.

I picked up a couple of Coben's books last year, and I fell in love with them. When I saw he had a new standalone coming out, I just had to jump in.

I can understand the allure of this book (and the author's other books), however this one didn't win me over like his last couple releases.

The premise of this book had me ready to jump into an actoion packed thriller. While there was some action, I just didn't connect with the story. It was quite out there. One usually needs to stretch their suspense of belief in most fiction books, but this one was stretched way thin. Most of the scenarios in this book were just too unplausible.

On one hand, I wanted the hero of the book to get his redemption. On the other hand, there were a million other ways for that to happen aside from what actually does happen. There were too many involved on all sides. Too many unbelievable scenarios.

I did find myself turning the pages waiting for the next shoe to drop. At one point, I was more curious in how more outrageous the book was going to get than the actual plot of the book.

Overall, this book was okay. I feel very indifferent about this one.

Harlan Coben is just one of those just tried and true writers for me. I will pick up one of his books, when I need a brain fog buster, or a DNF plague cure. His stand-alones are the books I tend to go for most, and I Will Find You is no exception. Its gritty. Its thrilling. The main character David isn't a perfect hero. He is dark and hard, but his relentlessness is amazing. Picture Liam Neeson!
Anyway, its a great book and I thank net galley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read it.

Mr. Coben, if you are reading this....keep up the great work!!!!

Thank you Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for an eARC of I Will Find You by Harlan Coben! This was my first read by this author and certainly won't be my last.

For the last five years, David has been serving a life sentence for the murder of his own three-year old son. When his ex sister-in-law visits him in prison, he finds out that his son may still be alive. How can this be? And what can David do to right wrongs and most importantly, find his son?

This book gave a couple of different tropes to lend to the storyline - On one hand, a missing person, another more police-procedural with witty banter between the two main investigative characters. I really enjoyed the alternating POVs of this one, and just when I thought I knew how things would end, Coben threw us some details to shake things up. I loved the unique premise of the book and was satisfied with the ending. Looking forward to reading more of this author's work!

This is the first release I’ve read from Harlan Coben and I am absolutely hooked! With exquisitely defined characters and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat.

David Burroughs sits in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He keeps to himself as best he can, takes no visitors, and accepts his fate.... until his former sister-in-law shows up out of the blue with a photo that could change his whole life.

This one was absolutely unputdownable from page one! Fast paced, complex without being hard to follow, extremely likable characters, surprising ending... everything you could possibly ask for in a mystery/thriller!

3.5 stars, rounded up. Solid mystery. No giant twists, but lots of action and fast paced.

Harlan Coben's strength is pulling the reader into the story with a unique plot and interesting characters. This book focuses on David Burroughs, who has been in prison for the past five years for killing his three-year-old son Matthew. He doesn't remember doing it, but he had been known to sleepwalk and he had been drinking, so there's definitely doubt. His former sister-in-law Rachel visits, the first visitor he has had since being in jail. She has something to show and tell him that is almost unbelievable. A photo that shows that Matthew might just be alive. Now David is desperate to get out to try to find Matthew and uncover what really happened that night.

I was rooting for David all along, the mystery of what happened to Matthew and what happened that night and afterward is multi-layered and really intriguing. The plan to get David out of prison and the plan of investigation is wild, but mostly plausible on the surface. I didn't love the FBI agents--I just doubt they would be that snarky with the people they are interviewing. I also thought some of the things that happened were way too convenient. However those issues were minor in the scope of the book. Overall this is just a fun, quick read sure to entertain fan's of thriller and especially Harlan Coben's fans.

3.5 stars

The premise of this book was compelling. David is serving a life sentence in jail for the murder of his 3yr old child— which he doesn’t remember committing. One day, his sister in law comes to show him a picture of a friend, that she believes shows his son in the background. This kicks off an implausible, yet still enjoyable, series of events from a prison break to multiple hostage situations, so many secrets and lies, culminating in one shocker of an ending! I wasn’t a huge fan of the epilogue as it ended with a trope that I don’t personally enjoy (no spoiler mentioned) so I couldn’t quite give it a full 4 stars.
*Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

There is no better writer of modern, unique, plot-twisting, and thrilling stories than Harlan Coben. I know I will be absorbed by his stories before I even begin reading. The gist of this story is that it is about a man who has been serving time for a crime...the murder of his three-year-old son. He has been wrongfully accused. He soon learns that his son is still alive and his determination to find him will stop at nothing. I love Coben's writing because it keeps me guessing. Just when I think I've got it all figured out, another loophole or detail will surface and I am left wondering where he will turn next. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is dynamic and excellently written. Most of all, it is sure to entertain you and not disappoint!

Harlan Coben knows how to write inventive, modern thrillers. This one was highly entertaining, even if super unbelievable. I really loved the main character and his drive to find his son. There were a few twists and turns at the end which were great!

Before starting a Coben book, I always try to set aside some uninterrupted reading time because I know I’ll want to finish the book in one sitting. With this novel I managed it in two.

What a thrill ride! This sure didn’t feel like 400 pages. It flies by with a plot that moves at warp speed. For the past five years, David has served time for a horrific crime – the murder of his three-year-old son Matthew. But he didn’t do it. Feeling that he failed to protect his son from what happened, David didn’t fight to prove his innocence. When his former sister-in-law visits prison with proof that his son is still alive, David is determined to find Matthew no matter what.

Coben’s books are always well-crafted and compelling, and this one is no exception. With shocking revelations and secrets doled out over the course of the story, it’s nearly impossible to put this novel down. I enjoyed the inclusion of attorney Hester Crimstein (a recurring character in many of his novels), and as a fan of the Myron Bolitar series, I was thrilled at the brief mention of Win. Some reviewers didn’t care for it, but I thought the interrogation techniques of FBI special agents Max and Sarah were hilarious, and their scenes are some of my favorites.

Action-packed and full of twists with a MC you’ll root for from the first page, I Will Find You is sure to delight thriller/suspense fans.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Harlan Coben is the master of suspense and you can't convince me otherwise. Just when you think that you have everything figured out, he says "Not so fast, my friend."

I Will Find You finds David Burroughs in prison for killing his three year old son Matthew. He is five years in, having turned away all visitors for years, he is surprised when his ex-sister-in-law Rachel comes to see him. She has a picture from a friend at an amusement park and when she shows it to David, he sees what she did. It's Matthew , port wine stain birthmark and all. Now he knows he must escape from prison and find him.

This story has so many twists and turns, all very different parts that completely work together. So many characters involved for so many different reasons. The ending is superb. Mr. Coben does it again and again and again....

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of this book for review.

WOW what a wild ride. I needed about 5-10% to get hooked, but from there, I couldn't put this one down. You have to suspend belief a little bit, but man, what a story! I absolutely devoured this and it felt SO FRESH as an avid thriller reader. Highly recommend to thriller/suspense fans!

Clearly, I have recently become addicted to Harlan Coben, which is great timing since this book JUST released. I had my heart in my throat the entire time!! This was such an insane read, and I seriously recommend it to everyone.

I read this off the back of just reading NOTES ON AN EXECUTION which was really messing with my head, because BOTH male leads are sentenced to death, but one was guilty, and one was innocent.

I really had my doubts when reading the premise, because it seems so out of left field, but in true HC fashion, everything really came together in such a realistic way that I really appreciated.

This book is so fast paced, UNIQUE, and really exciting. It was SO FREAKING good I stayed up until 2am reading, when I had a 6am wake up time. So worth losing the sleep over, and would actually make the perfect vacation read!

Thank you to Harlan Coben, Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was my very first Coben novel, and now i want to read them all! I went into this almost blind, I read part of the synopsis then decided I would read it regardless because it sounded so good! And man was I! So much fast-paced, surprising moments. A great thriller! We will defi be purchasing this novel for our library!

Dollycas's Thoughts

Receiving a life sentence 5 years ago for murdering his son, a crime he asserts that he didn't commit, David Burroughs has accepted his fate. He is grieving and guilty for not being able to protect his son. The child was killed just down the hall from where he was sleeping. He has had no visitors by his choice but believes no one would want to visit him anyway.  He assumes his ex-wife Cheryl has moved on with her life like the rest of the world.

Then one day Cheryl's sister Rachel comes to visit him. Reluctant at first to see her, he decides he has nothing to lose and they were pretty close before his whole world collapsed. He never expected she would show him a picture that would change everything. It's a shot taken in an amusement park by one of her friends. If you look closely in the background there is a boy about 8 years old that looks just like his son. It can't be . . . can it? Could Matthew really be alive?

David just has to find out for himself. He comes up with a convoluted plan to escape. He has to get out to find and save his son. Then he can clear his name. But as an escaped felon the FBI is on his tail. Will he be able to find Matthew or will he be back behind bars before he has the chance?

_____

I love Harlan Coben's stories and it is easy to see why so many are made into movies or television series. They are always impactful and mind-bending. I Will Find You is my new favorite Coben thriller.

David Burroughs is a flawed individual but he was a devoted dad who not only had to endure the horrific loss of his son but was accused and convicted of committing the murder. Of course, he divorced his wife. And of course, he withdrew into himself. Within the first few paragraphs, I was all in with David Burroughs. This man has layers and he is grieving. I have lost a son and I feel that pain every day. That is why I was so excited that his son really could still be alive. I would rally behind any effort for that to be true. Even when I know this story could never happen the way written in real life, it was a home run for me. Yes, readers have to step outside of reality but it is so worth it.

This story is a wild ride. Intense, riveting, thrilling, set at breakneck speed, and impossible to put down. With monster twists and turns, Mr. Coben captured this reader and held on tight. There was one twist that I hated, a mere coincidence, it had to be there to set other parts of the story in motion but in my heart, I wished it would not have happened. I was so caught up in the action, I had that "oh ****, you better hurry up" moment, and was thrilled at the way David could think on the fly.

I really enjoyed the way Rachel, also a flawed individual with her own issues had David's back no matter what. She also had an excellent lawyer helping her out. The FBI agents drove me a little crazy but I didn't allow their behavior to detract from my enjoyment of the story.

I Will Find You is full of suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I read the entire book in one sitting. This is not the first time a book by Harlan Coben has given me a book hangover by staying up too late to finish a fabulous story and I know it won't be the last. I look forward to whatever he has in store for us next year. You will find I Will Find You on my 2023 Best Reads List as it receives my Paradise Rating.