Personally I think the best he’s done in quite some time. The characters are complex, especially Sami Kierce. While she was certainly one of his most unlucky characters in her first book things seem to have turned around in this fast paced book. The plot is also complex and the amateur “detectives” from his class all interesting. I really liked it, his best in a long time.

I discovered Harlan Coben when I saw some of his books adapted into movies on Netflix. I loved what I saw and decided to try his books. This is the third book I've read, and I can safely say I've become a fan. This is the second book featuring Sami Kierce, Fool Me Once is the first. This book is classic Coben, fast-moving and twisty.

A young Sami Kierce is backpacking with friends in Europe when he becomes enamored with Anna, a woman he meets in Spain. Their brief affair ends when Sami wakes up one morning and discovers Anna dead and his hands covered in blood. A panicked Sami flees the scene.

Flash forward twenty-two years. Sami is now married with a newborn son, working as an investigator for a law firm and teaching night classes. When a woman briefly appears in his classroom, Sami is sure that the woman is Anna. Sami follows her and discovers her name is Victoria, and she is a member of the wealthy Belmond family. Victoria has a mysterious past, and as Sami begins digging, he uncovers secrets the family would rather not have revealed. Determined to solve the Anna/Victoria mystery, Sami soon endangers his life and that of his wife and child.

This is an excellently plotted thriller with twists I did not see coming. The characters are interesting, and the mystery surrounding Anna and Victoria is compelling. Although one does not need to read Fool Me Once to enjoy this book, I recommend it. Not only is it a good book, but it contributes to Sami's backstory. 5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 25, 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: My rating is 3.5 rounded up. My first Halan Coben book--I found it solidly plotted and paced, character development was a bit thin but what I would expect from a prolific mystery writer. I didn't really understand Sami Kierce's back story until about mid way through the book. Entertaining and twisty.

Book/Story: ⭐️⭐⭐⭐
Book Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐

Trigger Warning(s): Murder
Binge Drinking (mentioned)
Loss Of Spouse
Kidnapping
Loss Of Child
POV: First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone (Interconnected Series)
First In Series: No
Trope(s): None
Spice: None
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Burn: Fast
Safe or Dark: Safe
Release Date: March 25, 2025

I was beyond excited when I was able to get my hands on this ARC! I have to admit that I haven’t read many Harlan Coben books during my adult life, but members of my family have been fans for years. Needless to say, I was so ready to dive into this one!

I have not read this first book in the Detective Sami Kierce series, Fool Me Once, but have been told that this book reads more like a standalone, and you don’t need to have prior knowledge of events that occurred in the first story in order to enjoy this one, and I found that to be true.

I’m so upset that I haven’t bothered to check out more of Harlan Coben’s catalog in the past because just like the one or two other books I have read by him before, this one was an absolute home run!

You might want to take some Dramamine before getting into this story, because it is packed with twists and turns.

This is a fun, fast-paced, riveting plot. The prologue kicks things off, and we are pulled directly into our main character's life twenty years prior to when this book takes place. I was engaged from start to finish. In fact, I’m sure I would have finished this a lot quicker than I did if I didn’t have to worry about doing adult things, like having a healthy sleep schedule and going to work.

In true Coben fashion, there is a lot packed into this book. There are many different pieces of a puzzle going on at the same time. However, also in true Coben fashion, he makes it all work. Nothing gets confusing or jumbled together. Each storyline plays off one another nicely to form a bigger picture and move towards an explosive ending. I found myself becoming fully invested in both mysteries taking place here.

I adored our main character, disgraced detective Sami Kierce; it was so fun being inside his head. I loved the fact that Coben “broke the fourth wall” with this character, as many times Kierce was talking directly to the readers. I also really enjoyed meeting the “Pink Panthers “, and other members of his criminology class. We get a chance to peek at each of their fun personalities as well. Golfer Gary stole my heart and who could help falling in love with the quirky yet friendly Raymond? Getting to know Kierce’s friends, lovely wife Molly, and infant son, Henry, was wonderful as well. No matter how many mistakes he made or how royally he messed his life up, they all still loved and supported him. That was so refreshing!

I loved the idea of Sami’s criminology class in general. That’s definitely something I would have paid to attend. There was a lot of respect shared between teacher and pupils. You could tell they held Kierce in high regard. They were a loving bunch.

Kierce is easy to relate to since, like many of us, he is handed a string of bad luck (some a result of mistakes he’s made) and just tries his best to push on and be happy with the good things that happen in life. No matter how few and far between they are. He isn’t perfect and has many flaws. I think that is what makes him so likeable to us readers. He walks through life much like I do, with a smart mouth and humor that is used to cover up deep emotions and trauma. Also like myself, Kierce is headstrong and stubborn, never stopping until he finds out the truth of the case he's working on. He doesn't drop things quite as easily as he should.

The references to Hercule Poirot and Detective Columbo were amazing. I especially enjoyed them since Agatha Christie is one of my favorite mystery authors, and Columbo is my favorite, doofy television detective.

Fun fact: My dog’s middle name is Columbo. Why he has a middle name I couldn’t tell you, but my cute little Shih Tzu does.

The final plot twist and ending were phenomenal. I didn’t see them coming at all. Bravo, Mr. Coben. Those are going to be living rent-free in my head for months, and possibly years, to come. You, sir, get two thumbs up for that one.

However, I will never understand what I’ve done to deserve that cliffhanger regarding Sami Pierce’s personal story arc! THAT DAMN CLIFFHANGER!

Now, I’m forced to wait for the next book in the series to be published to see how that one plays out! It’s going to be torture!

I can see why Harlan Coben’s books have been a staple in many of my family members reading collections for many years. He really is in a class of his own when it comes to writing mysteries and thrillers.

I can’t wait to keep going through his catalog. Perhaps I will start doing that now.

TLDR : A FAST-PACED BOOK WITH PLENTY OF TWISTS AND TURNS! ENTERTAINING FROM START TO FINISH!
As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊

I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

LOVED this book!!! It kept me on the edge of my seat, turning pages just as quickly as possible. I was completely absorbed in the story and never saw the ending coming.

The characters felt flawed and real - making me feel invested in their story. The story itself has depth, along with a compelling mystery.

This one is a must read for fans of the genre. The author is a master at his craft and is on my must read authors ' list.

Twisty, thrilly and page-turny! A true roller-coaster of a ride. There is so much depth to this story that you don’t want it to end. If you like detective plots, this is the book for you. This could easily be a top read for a reading group or book club. There are so many directions that the conversation could take.

I was so excited to get this ARC, I immediately got the first one from Libby.

Maybe I shouldn’t have.

“Sami” doesn’t exist in FOOL ME ONCE. His name is Roger, and he’s barely mentioned except for being hairy. Sami was the upgraded version for the Netflix miniseries, apparently.

Because of this, I had a really hard time getting into this book. If I didn’t feel like I were being gaslit, maybe I would have appreciated all the twists but meh. It just felt cheap and manipulative — and not in a good way. I love being manipulated by mysteries! That’s part of the fun! But I couldn’t care about Sami or his poor wife Molly at all and it just felt like a ghostwriter was checking boxes to make this a “Harlan Coben”: multiple past traumas —complete with a fall from grace!, new perfect spouse, kooky side characters, rich people behaving badly…. Again, all things I usually love but *yawn*.

I’m skeptical about bestselling authors that churn out books every year but Harlan Coben’s books are the exception. Like most of Coben’s books, Nobody’s Fool combines the right about of mystery and character development with a fun touch of dry humor. Don’t miss this one!

I'll cut to the chase: I love Harlan Coben books. He's in my favorite top 5 authors, and every opportunity I have to read him I do. When I stumbled across my first Myron Bolitar novel oh-so-many years ago, little did I know how this guy's influence over my reading enjoyment would grow and evolve. I've never read a bad Harlan Coben book. Sure, some are better than others, but they are all good.

And the streak continues here with this one. I was hooked within 10 pages, and basically finished it within 24 hours. Meticulously plotted, full of real characters, with dialogue that rings true, this is classic Coben.

I wish there was another Coben book to read - I miss him already.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Full of twists in turn. and will definitely keep you engaged. It may get a little confusing at times to keep up with all the characters but overall it's a great read. Great ending!
Thank you #NetGalley for this #ARC

3.5 stars, rounded up because so much of the book was quite enjoyable.

I have read a ton of books by this author to date and most of them are fairly similar. Someone disappears and then it turns out, one way or another, that they may be hanging around, alive and well and un-disappeared. This book pretty much follows that format, but it's doubled because there are two people who went missing. Or are there?

I liked the majority of this book a lot. I was thoroughly intrigued and I loved the little bit of Sherlock Holmes woven throughout. I also really appreciated the nods to other books by this author, like the mentioning of the building Win owns and the missing Vermeer, etc. Lots of fun. What I didn't like so much was the ending. It's one of those big twists that are supposed to make you gasp (and probably would have made me gasp if this were one of the first Coben novels I'd read but it's less surprising after my 25th) but actually make you just scratch your head for a few chapters. The big reveal really let me down. It just made no sense to me, even after it had been thoroughly explained. I can't describe what bothered me without giving the ending away, so I hope it's enough to say I just didn't buy it. It sucks because I was really enjoying the book. Kierce is a likeable character, and his marriage felt legit, not totally fake like in some books with male male characters written by men. It's just that one big trope that let me down. But maybe that's just because I know this author so well by now? Maybe people who haven't read almost his entire library of works wouldn't have been bothered like I was? Who knows?

I'm really looking forward to the release of this novel so I can read everyone else's review and find out if I'm the only one who didn't like the ending. For those of you reading this who are new to Harlan Coben's work, what did you think of that ending?

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody’s Fool captivates the reader from start to finish with self deprecating humor and driving curiosity about events decades earlier that continue to shape lives today. Sami and his team of sleuths rival the true crime podcast detectives found on a number of platforms. Luckily Sami, the sleuths and his old police detective partner navigate the many twists and turns of the story landscape in an entertaining way. Maybe Sami and his sleuths will find another mystery to solve.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Nobody’s Fool. I have been a Coben fan for many years. My favorite are the Myron Bolitar books. His standalone books are very good. Some better than others but all in all good.
Nobody’s Fool is a standalone book featuring a new character Sami Kierce. He’s a flawed character who has been forced out of the police force but still manages to make a living as a private detective.
Sami’s past includes death and sadness but he now has a family and is not worse for the wear.
The plot centers on Sami’s past and his current life. When he was a young man he was involved briefly with a woman who when he woke up one morning was lying next to him covered with blood. Sami ran and with him the memories of this woman and her death.
Sami has had other heartbreaks including a fiancé who was killed by a crazed ex lover. But that case was solved and the killer convicted.
But things change drastically for Sami when the killer of his fiancée is exonerated and released from jail and an unexpected visitor shows up at his work.
The past and present collide and Sami finds himself in a situation where he and his family are in danger and no one seems to be who they are.
Good book and great characters.
4 stars

How do you look up and see someone you thought was dead from so long ago? Is it real? Is it your mind playing tricks on you? Keep reading this book to find out the twists and turns this story reveals. A great read!

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns and shocks. Brilliant! I highly recommend reading this book! 📖

I love anything written by Harlan Coben. He is a master storyteller and writes books that I cannot put down. With “Nobody’s Fool”, Sami Kierce sees a girl that he used to know and it leads him through a dangerous journey to find out the truth about her and what happened many years ago. I read this book in two days and it did not disappoint. Harlan Cover is the king of mystery thrillers. 4 1/2 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and #harlancoben and his team for the opportunity to review this book.

Though listed as the second book in the series, this book can easily be read as a standalone. Former Detective Sami Kierce is now teaching a criminal investigation class when a person peeks into his classroom. He recognized that face, but it can’t be because she was dead and a bloody mess next to him in bed (and he held a bloody knife) years ago in Spain. Unraveling the mystery is the readers’ chore as well as the relentless Sami, who is Nobody’s Fool.

I have read all of Harlan Coben's books. Nobody's Fool ranks in the top five. I am happy to have finished it, if only so that now I can get to bed at a reasonable time at night. My husband kept asking me while I was past my bedtime and I had to explain it was because of this book. I really loved the premise and the characters. I did not see most of the twists and turns coming. I was sucked in right from the start and found the pacing to be perfect. I would definitely give it 6 out of 5 stars!

I couldn't put down this gripping thriller that delves into the darkest corners of a haunting mystery. Sami Kierce's story grabbed me from the first page—a shocking scene of a young man waking up covered in blood, with his girlfriend, Anna, dead and no memory of what happened.

Twenty-two years later, Kierce's life has transformed. A disgraced police detective, he is now a new father and struggling private investigator, teaching night school, when he spots a ghostly figure that looks exactly like Anna. This unexpected sighting propels him into a complex investigation that promises to unravel the mystery of that fateful night.

Coben masterfully crafts a narrative filled with unexpected twists that consistently challenged my expectations. The plot's intricate layers kept me guessing, with each revelation more surprising than the last.

While the novel occasionally stretches credibility—particularly in its handling of police procedures and investigative methods—the compelling premise and Kierce's driven character more than compensate for these minor inconsistencies. Coben continues to demonstrate why he's a master of the contemporary thriller genre.

A big thank you to the Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

NOBODY’S FOOL is the latest standalone thriller from the convoluted mind of Harlan Coben. Sami Kierce is a Private Investigator who is on the hunt to find a woman who suddenly reappeared after a 22 year absence from his life. A woman he believed he had killed during his backpacking trip across Europe after college, all those years ago. When she shows up in a class he is teaching and then runs out, he sets out to unravel the mystery of what really happened in that hotel room. On the hunt with him are a group of amateur sleuths from his class. A bit slow moving at times but keeps you tuned in as the missing pieces to the puzzle start moving across the board. A nicely twisty thriller from Harlan Coben, especially the requisite twisty ending. Recommend read.