I absolutely love investigations. The suspense of finding out what is happening and who is guilty always keeps me engaged and wanting to know more.

Former Detective, Sami Kierce, has been confronted with a secret that he long thought he buried. When Sami was in college, he went on a trip to Spain with his former roommates. Everything seemed to be going really well, they went to clubs and partied. While standing against a wall at a popular night club, he sees Anna. He is truly captivated by this woman while she dances with her friends. Everything is going really well.... until one morning he wakes up and Anna has a knife plunged in her chest. Sami is convinced he's responsible for her murder and is quickly instructed by his father to leave Spain and return to America on his next flight. This secret has haunted him, until he's convinced, he sees Anna while he's teaching a class.

"Hallucinations" are no stranger to Sami. He experienced them before while taking medication and saw visions of his former fiancé who was murdered. So now Sami must chase this girl and determine if she is really who he thinks she is.

While Sami is chasing "Anna", he is also dealing with the potential release of his former fiancée's murderer. How much can Sami really hold it together and will he receive all the answers to the questions he's currently chasing?

I absolutely love Harlan Coben books. They are paced nicely, engaging and constantly keep me on my toes. I would absolutely recommend reading this one. But maybe after you've read Fool Me Once since the characters and some scenarios filter into this book!

Vikas Adam did a fantastic job portraying Sami. He was pleasant to listen to and easy to understand.

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

As a Harlan Coben fan, I was very excited to receive an early copy of NOBODY’S FOOL. While this novel follows the events of FOOL ME ONCE and features some recurring characters, I wouldn’t necessarily consider this a sequel. It could easily serve as a standalone. This story follows former detective Sami Kierce as he revisits a traumatic event from his past. I loved this book! I thought it was very good with great characters, plot, suspense, and twists. It definitely kept me hooked along the way. I thought it was a really good touch to include Kierce’s criminology students, who help with his case as sort of “amateur sleuths.” Highly recommended! NOBODY’S FOOL releases in 4 days on March 25. Be sure to check this one out! Thank you to Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and @harlancoben for the opportunity to read this story! #NobodysFool #Netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE to read Harlan Coben's books? Well, I do. He writes in so many voices and from so many perspectives, that I just relish each new one I find. And this one doesn't disappoint.

Sami Kierce has failed at basically everything he has done in his life. The plan was pretty clear until a trip to Spain with some college buddies just after graduation. It was supposed to be a quick blowing off steam before he returned to the states to attend medical school. But one night in a disco he met a girl. And it all went downhill from there, because he is pretty sure he killed her while high on whatever drugs they had been taking. But when you wake up covered in blood not your own, holding a knife, with a body lying next to you, what do you do? He goes to the police, but when they investigate the room is clean and as pristine as though it had never been occupied. So he calls his dad who tells him to get on a plane to America, which he does, and never talks about that adventure. But he also never goes to medical school, and instead becomes a policeman, which he also manages to mess up and now he is an unlicensed private investigator who makes a little money teaching a crime detection course to a diverse group.

Then one night that "dead" girl walks into his class. And his life is forever changed.

READ IT. You will NOT be disappointed!!

I love Harlan Coben. He is a writing machine and not afraid of a little chaos. Well, with this book he blew my mind in multiple directions. Not only was he unafraid to completely reimagine a former character, he really pulls out a surprising story. I love a story about a disgraced police officer working as a PI. Highly recommended! More Sami please (though please give Molly more to do.)

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Nobody’s Fool is the second in a series that follows Former Detective turned PI, Sami Kierce. This time a former flame that Sami thought was murdered, Anna, shows up in his classroom. Can Sami find out the truth about that night 25 years ago?

You guyyyyssss, I’m a huge Harlan Coben fan and this did not disappoint! I love Coben’s ability to create characters who are flawed, relatable, imperfect, witty, and at times unlikeable. Sami Kierce is definitely all of those and he makes for a fun point of view for a detective mystery. It was twisty and suspenseful, while also humorous. The Myron Bolitar easter eggs in this book had me giggling with joy. I really hope this series continues, and it’s definitely not one to miss!

Everyone go out and buy Nobody’s Fool on March 25th, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and @harlancoben for the opportunity to read this arc!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben. There are a few authors that I will always read when they have a new book. Mr. Coben is one of them. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. Sami Kierce is backpacking around Europe after his college graduation. He falls hard for the alluring Anna, and then one morning he awakens covered in her blood. Years later, Sami is a former NYPD police officer teaching a night class in Manhattan when he’s suddenly certain Anna is in the back of the lecture hall. He Chase’s after her, but does not get any answers. Sami is determined to solve this mystery that has haunted him for decades. His wife and new baby are out at risk, and Sami’s efforts are thwarted time and again. This is the second mystery by Coben to feature Sami Kierce. There’s a few references to the previous novel. I read that one but over 8 years ago. I had no recollection of the story, and it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this one at all. Easy and quick read! Release date is next week. Thumbs up! #books #whatiread #bookstagram #bookworm #harlancoben #advancedreaderscopy #bookgram #reading #netgalley #goodreads

Sami Kierce, a young college grad backpacking in Spain with friends, meets a girl named Anna at a club one night and decides to go off with her instead of continuing on with his friends. One morning he wakes up covered in blood, a knife in his hand, and Anna beside him, dead. He doesn’t know what happened. His screams drown out his thoughts—and then he runs. Twenty-two years later, Kierce is now a private investigator a new father of a little boy, and he also teaches wannabe sleuths at a night school in New York City. One evening, he recognizes a familiar face at the back of the classroom....Anna. It’s unmistakably her. As soon as Kierce makes eye contact with her, she bolts. For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the impossible mystery that has haunted his every waking moment since that terrible day. His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past—and prove, after all this time, he’s nobody’s fool.

I am a huge fan of this author's books and all of the mini series that are on streaming services. All I can say is. I can't wait fo this one to come to Netflix! I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book. It kept me guessing until the very end. This is perfect for fans of David Baldacci, Joseph Finder and Linwood Barclay. If you love a good thriller, then this needs to be at the top of your TBR pile!

Nobody’s Fool is the second book in the Detective Sami Kierce series, but will work very well as a stand-alone. The past and present day collide and, as he tries to find the answers of what happened way back when, he finds himself knee deep in mystery, secrets, lies, revelations, and danger!

As night school teacher, Sami has his class looking into a cold case, Sami is seeking answers for an event that left him reeling and with lifelong questions ultimately changing the trajectory of his life.

There are twists, turns, and revelations. The ending was definitely a complete surprise – I never saw it coming.

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben is a suspenseful action-packed thriller that tries to solve a 20-year-old mystery.
I didn't know that this book was a sequel so it's possible that I missed something but I struggle to connect with this book.

Twenty years ago in Spain, Sami woke up covered in blood with a dead Anna next to him. He ran and never told a soul what happened simply because he has no memory of what happened.
Now while teaching criminology class he notices a woman sitting at the end of the class... He knows instantly it's Anna b ut how that's possible?

The storyline is really intriguing, and you do have this curiosity to see how the story will unfold at the same time I could not get to the stage where I care about characters or their stories. I believe this wasn't for me but I highly recommend to try!


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

I love Harlan Coben books. This is another interesting installment--Sami Kierce runs into a mysterious woman from his past who he thought was dead and races against time to figure out who she is and why she's back in his life. Lots of twists and turns, and you'll be guessing until the end.

Harlan Coben masterfully weaves two timelines into a compelling story filled with unexpected twists. The plot follows Sami Kierce, whose life has been shaped by a series of tragic and mysterious events spanning two decades. As past and present collide, Coben skillfully builds suspense, leading to an explosive and surprising ending.

While the pacing feels slow at times, especially through the middle, the payoff is well worth it. Fans of intricate mysteries and layered storytelling will find this a satisfying read.

Thanks to the author and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this excellent book. Thoughts and opinions are expressly my own, and are for use by my friends and followers when choosing their next book. #harlancoben #nobodysfool #netgalley #netgalleyreview

While a bit predictable, it didn't make it any less enjoyable! You know there will be twists and drops on a roller coaster, but it doesn't make you enjoy it any less! (I'm not a fan of roller coasters, but it's an apt analogy.) Harlan Coben does it again!

3.5 stars

As a young college grad backpacking in Europe with friends (seriously, maybe the best time of my life) Sami Kierce (a guy…I was confused with the spelling) wakes up one morning in Spain, covered in blood. He has a knife in his hand and his girlfriend of about a week, Anna, is beside him, dead. He remembers nothing. He goes to the police, but then he runs.

Over two decades later Sami is not the doctor he planned the be, but, instead, is a P.I. after being fired from the police. He also teaches a night school course on crime in NYC and he’s a new dad. One night Anna comes into his classroom, but as soon as she sees Sami she runs. Sami knows he must find her to see if she actually survived that night in Spain.

My question…why? Just go with the win, Sam! I mean, I would WANT to know, but would also be feeling some great relief. But Sami has more ambition than me, I guess, so away we go!

Coben is a really good plotter and I don’t know that Inexpected anything in particular from this, but it was interesting and there are some great supporting characters here. I get the impression this is the second book featuring Sami, so perhaps there will be more, and I like him. Rounded up to 4 stars, even though 3.5?8/ a good spot.

Kierce is back and I am glad to see him.

Generally, I find Harlan Coben to be a bit muddled with feints and red herrings.
Not the case with this book.

I loved, loved, loved this novel

I figured out the mystery but it takes nothing from feeling immersed in the characters and storyline.
The Epilogue leads to a story further down that I;m not really interested.

But, for now, Kierce is a must read going forward for me.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a fast paced read filled with twists and turns that you won’t see coming! Sami is a relatable and likable character and so is his wife Molly. I loved his humor and determination. I also really liked his criminology students, especially the Pink Panthers. The story was one that I couldn’t put down and I will be watching for more to come in this series, I can’t wait. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the chance to read and leave my best opinion.

As a huge Harlan Coben fan, I was very excited to get this book as an ARC. To start, I did not read the prior book Fool Me Once, only watched the show. I believe this book works as a stand alone, but there were some scenes that I felt I was lacking a bit of information that I am assuming were in Fool Me Once. If this is planned to work as a standalone, then that should definitely be rectified. The plot was very good and had me on my toes. I didn't start putting the pieces together until Sami realized he knew what happened, which was towards the end of the book. So props to the author for not being too obvious with how this book ends, something that has been difficult to come by as of late. And now onto my issues with the book. The "three weeks later" chapter felt very rushed and not at all satisfactory. I was hoping for a little more revenge. I also felt that the characters weren't as deep as I had wanted them to be. I would have loved to have dived deeper into the connection between Sami and Anna, but felt we only received vague interactions to not give away the book. I had no empathy or sorrow for these characters because they were so surface level. Besides that, I did enjoy the plot and thought the ending was difficult to guess.

Thank you to Harlan Coben and Grand Central Publishing for this advance reader copy!

Wow! This book was absolutely superb. Nobody's Fool leaves no doubt as to why Harlan Coben is such a successful author.

I loved how the MC Sami Kierce unwrapped the mystery stemming back 25 years. As the story unravels, Sami seems to be in the midst of the mystery every step oft he way. Why does it keep. I loved how the truth was peeled back one layer at a time. I was completely glued to the pages.

Apparently Sami is featured in at least one other book, but I haven't read it. There is still some of Sami's backstory I'm not clear on, and I'm not sure if that is covered in a prior book. It left an air of mystery to him and left me wanting to know more, in a good way.

Harlan Coben is a must read for me. Every book I read from him is highly enjoyable and Nobody’s Fool is no different. This book reminded me of some of Coben’s earlier work with the character Myron Bollitor. There was some humor woven into this mystery full of a cast of characters. Good solid read.

I like Harlan Coben's books, but Sami Kierce is not my favorite character. There's something about him that lacks presence and strength. This was a decent story, but it did drag a bit. I much prefer the standalone books by this author.

Again, Harlan Coben has kept me reading late into the night. Samie Kierce is a private investigator. During one of the classes he gives to help make ends meet, a long-buried secret shows up in the form of a woman he thought he'd murdered decades before during a drug-fueled vacation party. So, of course, he investigates. He travels to Spain, the scene of the crime. And when the truth is finally revealed we don't see it coming. Coben is a master storyteller, and I always look forward to his books.