Nobody's Fool
by Harlan Coben
Pub Date: Mar 25 2025
I think we can all agree that Harlan Coben is a great thriller/mystery writer. Nobody's Fool is no exception.
Sami Kierce is a disgraced former police officer now turned to an off-the-books investigator. He is finally in a good place: loving wife, adorable one-year-old son, and news about his fall from grace has died down.
Just as the dust is settling, a ghost from his past emerges. His first love, who he last saw covered in blood dead after a wild few days (oh and he was the one holding the knife), just walked into his night class and, upon making eye contact, bolted. He has to find out if it's really her. Could the past he's been running from still be alive? And, if that's not enough, since being stripped of his badge, several of his former cases are being reviewed for any possible improper procedures that might get criminals freed. One of his most important cases where his second love and fellow police officer was shot dead execution style is one of the cases being reviewed, and the criminal found guilty is being released. Now, he has to find more evidence to prosecute the killer and lock him back up and make sure it's all by the book.
With these two twisted cases suddenly being thrust back in his life, Sami finds his life and his family's life in danger.
Good intertwining of past and present with twists and turns at every corner.
#NobodysFool
#HarlanCoben
#netgalley

As usual, Halran Coben hits with a punch! Loved all the twists and turns and the ending was perfect. Thanks for the ARC!

I’ve read some Harlan Coben books before and enjoyed them, but I have by no means read them all. But this one gives me the resolve to read more.

There were many twists and turns here, and I will confess that I did not figure it all out. The author had me fooled from the beginning. So many mysteries, in different countries even, and I really admire the writing, the intricate plotting, and the way it was all tied up in the end.

Every little detail was addressed in a really crazy devious tale that I’d never have thought of in a million years!

This one is a five star read for me!

I received a copy of the digital ARC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Sami Kierce is a former (disgraced) NYPD detective just barely scraping by. One night the night school class he teaches, a woman enters and there is an immediate recognition. This is the woman he met in Spain, 20+ years ago. The woman he thought he killed. Sami he begins, investigating the woman and finds out that she is Victoria Bertrand, the famous victim of a kidnapping. Sami feels compelled to find out what really happened to Victoria and he is drawn into a deadly game.

For some reason, this book didn’t draw me in as much as Coben’s other books. The ending is good, and I liked the resolution with the main case and the side case in the book. The beginning of this book in particular just didn’t do it for me. I did like the kidnapping case and the twists and turns.

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

this was a strong thriller novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters were everything that I wanted in this and had that secrets that I was expecting. Harlan Coben wrote this well and was glad I got to read this, as I've enjoyed the previous books from the author.

Harlan coben is one of my favorite authors ! His newest book is a thriller - I could not put it down ! Highly recommend

Harlan Coben is a favorite author of mine, so I was excited to dive into this, his latest book. I'd read Fool Me Once, the previous book featuring Sami Kierce, back in 2017, and had also watched the Netflix adaptation of that book last year. I honestly didn't remember a lot about the character of Sami going into this book but as it turned out, that didn't matter too much. Sami was plenty interesting here as a man, a former police detective, who's fallen on tough times, making do the best he can for the wife and child he loves. When he glimpses someone from his past - someone he'd thought was dead for the past 22 years and whose death had completely changed the trajectory of his life - he becomes obsessed with finding that person and learning the truth of what had happened. It's twisty and turny, like all of Coben's books, and just as important for me, once again at its heart it's about the importance of family. (Also, it turns out that Sami is much more like the character in the Netflix series than the Detective Kierce from the book, which may be why I didn't really remember him from the book when I watched the show.) All in all, an excellent read all on its own.
My thanks to Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

Nobody's Fool is the second book in the Det. Sami Kierce series and while you may want to read the novels in order, Harlan Coben does a good job of looping his readers in to previous plotlines. Sami is now a disgraced cop, but a bot happier in his new life with a wife and baby boy. He may be teaching cash only night classes to wannabe detectives, but the life suits him. When a criminal from his past is released early and orbits back into Sami's life, his peace is short lived and solving a few cold cases is his new order of business.

I would consider this novel a slow burning thriller. The plot dragged on at points but the ending was very satisfactory. Harlan Coben has a long list of best sellers, and this newest novel will soon enough be added to his successes. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me the chance to read this novel.

Harlan Coben is a 5 star read for me every time. I love everything he's written. I was thrilled to get this ARC. Another home run! Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will definitely recommend this one!

In this stunningly twisty thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben, a secret from former Detective Sami Kierce’s college days comes back to haunt him. His memory is clear, but all these years later, the facts don’t add up…which is something he cannot ignore.

I was gripped from the beginning on this one. I could not put it down and finished this book in 1 day. I thought I had it all figured out and then I was blindsided with what really was going on. I could not have predicted what actually happened and it made it that much more heartbreaking.

Harlen Coben in an auto read author for me and I cannot wait for more people to read and enjoy this great book.

I love a good thriller and have been looking for new-to-me authors, which is why I requested this one. I really enjoyed this read--thanks so much for the gifted copy

My favorite author this was of course another wonderful read!! Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This one didn't wow me quite as much as other books by this author, but it was still intriguing the whole way through. I think fans of the author should read it

Harlan Coben never disappoints when it comes to thrillers packed with razor-sharp dialogue, unpredictable twists, and gripping tension. *Nobody’s Fool* follows a character caught between the ghosts of their past and the dangers of the present. As the mystery unfolds, Coben keeps you on edge with his signature blend of suspense, dry humor, and emotionally charged storytelling. The pacing is electric—each chapter leaves you desperate to turn the page, uncovering the truth while questioning everyone’s motives. Classic Coben brilliance!

There's a mix of Sherlock Holmes combined with Philip Marlowe in this fast moving mystery thriller. Sami Kierce is a fallen hero, world weary and struggling to make ends meet. Haunted by a murder event of over twenty years ago, he moves through his days with little hope. When a woman from his past shows up the story moves forward as Sami tries to connect the dots as to why this woman he thought dead is now alive hiding a mystery of her own. Secondary characters are fairly well portrayed and become similar to the Baker Street Irregulars guiding Sami to the truth. The myster wraps up pretty well with only a slight suspension of disbelief.

This book follows disgraced former detective Sami Kierce as he works to solve several cold cases that seem to be following him. When he was just out of college, his girlfriend was brutally murdered and her body disappeared. But now, Sami thinks he’s seen her and follows her to a fancy, secure estate in the middle of nowhere, which leads him to believe she may be Victoria Belmond, an heiress who was kidnapped 25 years ago but then returned a decade later. If all that wasn’t enough, Sami also has to deal with the man who murdered his fiancée being released from prison on a technicality. This book is surprisingly fast-paced and twisty, and it made me want to read more by Harlan Coben (I’ve seen some of his Netflix shows but never actually read one of his books). I also really liked Sami and his cast of supporting characters who helped him solve the crimes. If you like more procedural crime novels, you’ll enjoy this!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my copy! ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody's Fool is a book that you will read way too fast because the twists just keep on coming! I love Harlan Coben books because I feel like things happen at breakneck speed. I thought I had this book figured out and then BOOM, a huge twist, and I'm back to guessing! I love books like Nobody's Fool that keep you on edge until the very end! Sami Kierce is a young college graduate who decides to backpack through Spain with friends from the lacrosse team. Sami meets a girl he really likes and tells the guys to go to their next stop and he'll catch up. Sami really likes Anna and vice versa so they decide to spend some quality time together. All is going well until Sami wakes up one morning with a knife in his hand, blood all over the bed, and Anna dead beside him. Sami screams, has no memory of what happened, and catches a flight home.

Sami was supposed to go to med school on scholarship when he got back from Spain, but that didn't happen. Sami was destroyed thinking he had killed Anna. He decided to become a policeman instead, but was fired from that job when a suspect he was chasing fell to his death from a roof. The suspect was a teenager and Sami felt guilty. Sami is now a private investigator, is married, and has a one year old son. Sami also makes extra money doing surveillance for a law office and teaching future crime sleuths at night school. Sami's life didn't turn out like he thought it would, but he loves his family and makes ends meet. One night while he's teaching at night school, the door in the back opens, and someone sneaks in. This is a class where people pay each night they come, so Sami needs to see who the person is. When he meets eyes with the person, he immediately knows that it's Anna! How can it be Anna, though? When he gives the class an assignment, he tells them to stay in their seats, and he'll be back. Anna races out of the classroom and Sami gives chase.

Sami knows he has to catch this woman and find out if what he thought happened all those years ago really did! That night ruined his life and has weighed on him every day since. As Sami pursues this woman, his investigation will take him to places he's not supposed to be. He has opened up a link to the past that someone doesn't want opened. How far will they go to keep it closed from Sami? Could this be related to another case Sami worked on when he was a policeman? Will Sami be able to keep himself and those close to him safe? This book is a thrill ride and you'll be reading late into the night because you just can't stop! I absolutely loved Nobody's Fool and rate it 5 stars! The book is out now and should not be missed! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. #NobodysFool

Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Nobody’s Fool, by Harlan Coben, in exchange for my honest opinions.

I really enjoy Harlan Coben books. He’s the type of writer where I have no idea how this is going to end and I’m tempted to peek ahead, but I don’t. I’ve read quite a few of his books. I’m sure there are a few that I haven’t read. In my opinion, Nobody’s Fool is his best book. The second book in the Sami Kierce series. (I have the first, but it’s in my TBR pile and it just moved up!) The bombshells that were dropping, one after another at the end were jaw dropping. The characters were extremely likeable and I can’t wait to read more stories about Sami Kierce and his people.

2.5 Stars. When former cop Sami Kierce sees a woman from his past who he believed was dead, he's drawn into one of New York's most famous kidnapping cases. At the same time, he's devasted by the release of his fiancé's murderer Tad from prison due to Sami's negligence while on the job, and determined to see Tad back behind bars. I've read a lot of Harlan Coben, although not the first book in this series, and Nobody's Fool feels disconnected from his writing style. The sentences are choppy, more so in the beginning and ending chapters, and the story gets off to a slow start. It also suffered from an overabundance of characters in Sami's night class. When mentioned by name at various points in the story, I'd think, "Who?" The premise was solid, but the twists fell short.

(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½)

Nobody’s Fool was my fourth Harlan Coben book—and hands down, my favorite. It kicks off with a jaw-dropper: twenty-something Sami Kierce wakes up in a Spanish hostel, covered in blood, with his girlfriend Anna dead beside him and no clue what happened. So he panics and runs. Fast forward 22 years—he’s now a struggling PI, new dad, and night school teacher in NYC. And one evening, in walks Anna. Alive. Or is she?

That’s the moment this twisty thrill ride really takes off. Coben juggles multiple timelines and threads—a decades-old kidnapping, a released killer, and a deeply personal mystery—with sharp dialogue and a healthy dose of dark humor. Sami’s a hot mess of a protagonist, but he's also smart, funny, and impossible not to root for.

There’s a lot happening, but Coben keeps it all moving at a pace that makes the pages fly. The audiobook narrator nails the tone, especially the sarcasm and tension, making the experience even better.

With heart, grit, and a whole lot of surprises, Nobody’s Fool proves Coben still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. If you only read one of his standalones—make it this one.

** Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for ARCs of the eBook and audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.