In "Nobody's Fool," Sami Kierce, a former detective turned night school instructor in New York City. Sami's routine life takes a dramatic turn when he spots Anna, a woman he believed was dead for over two decades, sitting in his classroom. This shocking encounter propels him into a relentless quest to uncover the truth about his past and the events that led to Anna's presumed death.​

Harlan Coben has an uncanny ability to hook readers from the very first page, and "Nobody's Fool" is no exception. The narrative is fast-paced, filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I found myself devouring the book in just over a day, unable to put it down.​

One aspect I particularly appreciated was that, despite being the second book in the Sami Kierce series, it stands strong on its own. You don't need to have read the first installment to fully grasp and enjoy the story. In fact, after finishing this one, I was compelled to dive into more of Coben's works, embarking on a thrilling binge-read.​

Sami Kierce is a compelling protagonist—flawed, determined, and deeply human. His journey to unravel the mysteries of his past is both gripping and emotionally resonant. Coben's mastery in crafting suspenseful narratives with well-developed characters shines through, solidifying his place as an instant-buy author for me.​

🔍 Mystery and Investigation​
🕵️‍♂️ Amateur Sleuths​
⏳ Past Secrets Unveiled​
💔 Lost Love Rekindled​
🏃‍♂️ Fast-Paced Thriller​
🧩 Twisty Plot​
📚 Standalone in a Series​

"Nobody's Fool" is a testament to Harlan Coben's prowess in the thriller genre. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to his work, this novel promises a gripping and satisfying read.​

I received this book as an ARC by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing. These are my honest opinions.

Did you get a chance to read Fool Me Once - the last book from Harlan Coben? It introduced us to Sami Kierce. He’s a great lead character and he’s back in Nobody’s Fool!

This latest focuses on a piece of Sami’s past. This is what Harlan Coben does so well - he takes a seemingly impossible event and drops the lead right into it all. And it takes the reader along for the journey. I always get lost in his tales. His storytelling is so good!

There’s a great lineup of supporting characters as well. I like the way Sami thinks. I enjoy the snappy dialogue. With all of these players you just know that someone is lying. The one place that Sami doesn’t lie is at home - to his wife Molly. I really liked her.

The plotting is just so good. I hated turning the last page but then I saw it. I have my fingers crossed that there’s another Sami on the way!

This story has so many twists and turns you might get whiplash. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything by this author. I really don’t know why I waited to long. Talk about a thrilling ride. One of those mysteries that keeps you guessing and on edge waiting for the next explosive revelation.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Harlan Coben's latest, Nobody's Fool, reminded me of Hitchcock's best films because it deals with a hero who's just an ordinary guy who's thrown into an unexpected situation where he faces a past incident that effects his present life. Coben's latest puts him back on top of his game after his previous release, 2024's disappointing 2024's Think Again.

*Another plus are the cleverly hidden Easter Eggs in sections of the story."

Thank you, @grandcentralpub for my free @netgalley ARC.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 344 / Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Release Date: March 25, 2025
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

On a backpacking trip through Europe, Sami Kierce fell hard and fast for a beautiful girl he met on the dance floor. Then he wakes up one morning with a knife in his hand, and the girl lying in a pool of blood beside him. Flash forward 22 years later, he’s teaching a class and when he looks up, he sees the girl and when their eyes meet, she flees. What is going on?

While this is another twisty thriller from one of my favorite authors, this one wasn’t my favorite. It was a good ride and packed with surprising reveals, but I felt like the dialog wasn’t as witty as usual and the characters weren’t as engaging as others. Still a worthy read though.
.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”—Sir Walter Scott
Harlan Coben’s new novel, Nobody’s Fool, is just that—a tangled web of missing persons, murders and retribution. In Coben’s hands, the storylines are skillfully handled and intersect seamlessly to form a top-notch thriller!
The story is narrated by protagonist Sami Kierce, disgraced former police detective, now a PI working off his debt to a law firm by doing minor gumshoe work. He is also teaching his “No S**t, Sherlock,” criminology class at an adult night school. The students are quirky, flawed yet often endearing individuals, bringing some humor and street-weary perspectives to the class. Sami shares some of the same human frailties, but is now stable and functional, grounded by his lovely wife Molly and infant son Henry.
Then an old lover appears, the killer of his fiancée is released from prison, and a cold case kidnapping all mix to bring back disturbing events in Sami’s past. He is basically a do-gooder, so he works to solve all and come to peace with his personal demons.
The plot is complex, compelling, and engaging, especially as the conclusion nears. The prose is written in Coben’s signature style—sassy, sardonic, and filled with ironic observations of the ways of the world. There are nuggets of wisdom and truisms—“Small mistakes can ruin a life,” and “A parent is only as happy as their saddest child.” Sami is a flawed hero faced with ethical and moral dilemmas, and is struggling with his own personal problems. While he believes that trauma is healed by resolution and closure, he is also circumspect enough to know when to stay silent.
This is a very well-told tale, laced with humor, wit, and wisdom, with compelling action and a startling conclusion that has me hoping for another entry in the Sami Kierce saga, soon!!

Sincere thanks to the author, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Sami Kierce enjoys his work as a private investigator and is fresh off the success of a recent murder case. Yet, he's suffered multiple tragedies in his life-the murder of his fiancee, whose killer is being released from prison soon and an ex-girlfriend whose death still haunts him. 22 years earlier, he was a recent college graduate touring Europe with friends. He falls for a girl named Anna, but days later, wakes up to find her dead body in bed next to him. He ran back home to the US but no one ever came looking for him. One day, teaching a class for wannabe detectives, he spies Anna in the back of his class. Can it really be his Anna? And why is she appearing now? Is his past finally catching up with his present?

This was a really good murder mystery that kept me guessing the whole time. I've heard of Harlan Coben from watching multiple Netflix adaptations of his books. They always surprise me and hold a mix of great characters and great plot. This was another good one. It's the second book with Sami Kierce as the detective but it can be read as a standalone. It was a little unbelievable that one man could have so many deaths happen around him, but it kept it interesting. The story was multi-layered and I couldn't see how all the pieces connected until the twists and turns at the end. But the puzzle pieces fit together eventually and the story was easy to follow, not overly complicated. His revisit of a past murder mystery combined with a group of amateur detectives reminded me of an adult version of "Good Girl's Guide to Murder." Great for fans of murder mysteries!

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

Sami Kierce is a disgraced ex- cop with a long history of ups and downs professionally, and he’s doing whatever he can to scrape by for his family. He’s also not one without skeletons in his closet- especially in the form of dead ex lovers. Not only is the man who murdered his fiancée now walking free again, but he’s about to be confronted by that time he woke up in Spain next to his murdered summer fling’s body….
The past is slamming into Sami’s future, and the reader is along for the ride as he searches for truth and justice.

This story starts off with a bang and hooks the reader in instantly. The pacing is fast and makes you want to keep looking out for twists and surprises. Sami’s conversational style narration also added to the interest as the reader feels like they’re similarly on this investigation. Bonus points for fun and well developed side characters- especially the fun and eclectic group of students in his adult education class!

Unfortunately for me, the ending of the story lacked the same buildup as the rest of the book and was pretty predictable. His side investigation into the murder of his fiancée ended in a similar way. While I appreciate the intent behind both plot lines to really paint a picture of what Sami Kierce’s life is like, I felt as though they competed and distracted from each other rather than build up the drama.

TL;DR: Not my all time favorite thriller/mystery, but still a fun quick read to add to your TBR! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

This was my first read from this author and I can see why he has so many shows on Netflix!! I didn’t realize this was book 2 in a series so I read it as a standalone. I will be checking out book 1 soon! The first half of this book started out slow for me but maybe that’s because I didn’t read book 1? But once I hit 50% I could not put this down! So many twists and the plot is addictive. I definitely recommend this title to anyone that enjoys a good thriller! Thank you Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley for the digital arc. All views here are my own.

I love Harlan Coben. He’s great at mystery, he’s great at thriller, and he’s great at comedy. I love the observations that he sneaks in throughout his books, the ones that make me burst out laughing. He’s very, very funny.

So this is sort of a sequel to “Fool Me Once”, which was made into a TV series and also featured the main character Sami Kierce. If you haven’t seen or read that, you are going to get some spoilers in this one. Now, the spoilers you get aren’t so much that you can’t go back and read the first book, but it’s probably better if you do that first.

Sami Kierce is a sympathetic character. You feel for the guy. He’s been through some stuff. I mean, who has proximity to that much death so early on?? It affects you, deeply. Now he’s older and wiser, but he’s immediately taken back 22 years in time when he sees someone he thought was dead. This sets off a chain of events, and, since another dubious character is introduced at the same time, it’s very hard to tell who is responsible for what.

Add Sami’s criminology students doing some sleuthing for him, and it’s mass chaos.

See if you can figure out the multiple twists. Coben fooled me, and that’s hard to do. Will he fool you?

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I’m always up for another Harlan Coben book!

Headline: A Rewarding Must-Read!

Book Review: Nobody's Fool, Detective Sami Kierce #2, by Harlan Coben
Published by Grand Central Publishing, March 25, 2025

★★★★★ (5/5 Stars, Rave!)

I read both books in author Harlan Coben's "Detective Sami Kierce" series, - two thus far, "Fool Me Once" (2016), and this novel, nine years after the first, "Nobody's Fool" (2025).

"Fool Me Once" was subsequently adapted in a 2024 Netflix 8-Episode mini-series, to positive reviews (IMDB 6.8).

In "Fool Me Once" the novel, NYPD Homicide Detective Kierce is known by the name "Roger Kierce", not "Sami Kierce". Kierce, described as "short and hirsute" (hairy) of Pakistani origin, plays a supporting role to the book's compelling protagonist, Maya Stern Burkett, a former special operations UH-60 Blackhawk pilot married to the scion of a monied tri-state family.

In the Netflix adaptation, however, British actor Adeel Akhtar of Pakistani /Kenyan heritage, delivers an inspired performance and lends gravitas to the "Sami Kierce" Netflix character. Which in turn, quite probably inspired the author to rename the protagonist and write a sequel to his 2016 novel, further developing character "Kierce".

Objectively, if you've read both novels, the second book could be considered a "non-sequitur sequel", a study in contrasts. NYPD Homicide Detective Kierce, a supporting backbencher to the protagonist in the former, to Mr. Kierce, on top of the heap in the second iteration - a civilian, disgraced ex-cop, haunted by a vision in his past.

Crafted through disparate veins notwithstanding, both novels turn out to be five-star psychological thrillers!

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// Nobody's Fool, Detective Sami Kierce #2, by Harlan Coben (2025) //

Sami Kierce finds himself booted out of New York's Finest and lives in bare subsistence, working for free under a "barter agreement" for a high-end Manhattan law firm in exchange for legal representation against allegedly having caused the death of a high school kid. The very reason why he's no longer an NYPD homicide detective.

The former det. is assigned by the law firm to do menial PI work, i.e. reduced to shadowing and taking surreptitious photos of cheating husbands.

After dark, Kierce teaches a 2-hour class for wannabe sleuths at a dubiously legit "Academy Night Adult School" on the Lower East Side by the Williamsburg Bridge, one of those pay-as-you-go, cash in advance before the class starts deals, $16 per class which Kierce splits with the "headmaster", who also happens to be the custodian (or janitor) of the building, opened in 1901 as a public bathhouse, now more ruins than building.

// It is at this point that the reader realizes that this is altogether far removed from the theme and tenor of the first book of the series, "Fool Me Once" serialize on Netflix, and assumes a position, as I did, to read a bit more, just a little bit more. I found the wry humor amusing, if anything, so far. And for forging on, the reader is richly rewarded! //

It is during one of those night classes that Sami Kierce happens to glimpse at the classroom door and sees the face of girl he'd known years ago. The face was now hat of a woman in her forties. That girl was in her early twenties' when he'd met her. A girl named Anna he'd met during a college spring break vacation in Spain.

A girl whom he'd believed he'd killed...

--------

This book, second of the series, can be read as a stand-alone, although Book 1 is equally a gripping psychological thriller, both rewarding must-reads!

Review based on an advance reading copy courtesy of Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley.
1 like

Sami Keirce is heading to medical school in the fall - so he decides to have a last fling with a group of friends in Europe. One day he wakes up next to his girlfriend of just a few days - she is covered in blood and he is holding a knife. He quickly flees - calls home - and is told by his father to get on the next plane back home - and don’t ever look back. Fast forward 20 years - Sami is now happily married with a baby son and a loving wife. He had lost his job as a police detective for some less than by the book investigations. He is now teaching a group of misfits and police wanabes how to investigate when a woman walks into his class - and just as quickly runs out - but Sami is sure that she is the same girl he killed so long ago. Thus begins an odyssey of trying to find her using a friend from his police days and the group of amateur detectives. Sami can’t walk away from the slim leads he has despite being pressured from several fronts to just go back to his normal day-to-day life. What ensues is a complex tale as he peels away layer after layer of clues ultimately resulting in a surprise (at least to me!) ending.

This is Coben’s second book featuring Sami Keirce - and it’s a good thing that I didn’t look at my review of the first or I might not have requested/read this one! This one grabbed me from the very beginning and never let go. A complex story with so many plot twists and turns that it kept my head spinning - just when you think you have think you know who is who and what is what, everything changes. Vintage Harlan Coben. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

A very quick read that keeps you turning the pages from the beginning until the end. You follow Sami Kierce who is now a private investigator who believes he has seen a woman from twenty years ago that he believed was dead. That he may have also killed her. Now all of these years later he begins to put all of the pieces back together but at the same time is it worth risking his marriage and their child? A very, very good book that will keep you interested until the very last page.

My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group for the ARC of 'Nobody's Fool' in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say about a Harlan Coben book that hasn't been said in a thousand other reviews he's received?

Another winner. Another page turner. More 'I-surely-didn't-see-that-coming' twists. More unforgettable characters you come to care about. And a certain guaranteed read that's only going to take you days to finish.

All of the above mentioned stuff is here in abundance, along with a familiar trope that's one of the author's favorite ways to kick a plot into motion.......the surprise reappearance of someone who's been dead and gone for years.......supposedly.

That's what's facing former (and now disgraced) police detective Sami Kierce, (who first appeared in "Fool Me Once')......a ghost from his youthful past has now returned to flesh and blood right in front of his startled eyes. Her name was Anna when college-age Sami became smitten by her while backpacking in Spain. Some glorious days and nights followed until he woke up one morning with her bloodied corpse on his bed. He rushes out to report this to an equally young policeman,, who finds no trace of Anna, alive or dead. Before the Spanish police can get around to suspect him of something other than nursing delusions, Sami rushes back to America, still haunted by what he thought was Anna's murder.

Years and misfortunes later, Sami's reduced to eking out a living in support of his beautiful wife Molly and his baby boy.. He dabbles with minor league private eye drudgery and teaching criminology to an oddball, eclectic mix of students. It's at this class, he sees an unannounced visitor - a woman who appears to be the mysterious, elusive Anna. And who promptly flees with Sami in pursuit.

Sami's relentless search for the truth of what's going on plunges him into not one but two tormenting episodes from his past......tracing the convoluted, tortuous backstory of Anna's return and dealing with the sudden, shocking release of the vicious killer who murdered Sami's fiance when he was still a police detective.

Here's what I truly enjoyed - that even with the Job-like trials and tribulations that Sami's endured, author Coben brings in liberal amounts of sharp wit and humor to both Sami and the cast of characters surrounding him. To help him unravel the ever twisting plotlines, Sami recruits his criminology students to become his own personal Scooby gang of crime solvers and it's a hoot to watch them in action. But I should also mention that when the dust finally clears and all is revealed, the book concludes with a deeply moving meditation on the sins of the past (and all the bad choices we make and live with).

As flawed as Sami is, he remains one of Haran Coben's most steadfast and righteous heroes and I'd look forward to whenever the author concocts another case for him.

4.25
"Nobody's Fool is the second book starring Sami Kierce as the main character. After college, Sami
takes a European vacation with some college friends before starting medical school. Sami meets a girl named Anna in a bar in Spain. Sami thinks he is in love and spends the next couple of days with Anna. One morning he wakes up to find Anna dead next to him and Sami is covered in her blood.
He has no memory of what happened. Sami's future plans are forever changed after that night in Spain. Twenty-five years later, Sami never attended medical school and was recently fired from his detective job. Sami now teaches a night course on investigating at a local community college. One night during class, a women walks in who looks exactly like the dead girl Anna from Spain.

Loved: The book pacing was fiercely fast, Sami doesn't make good choices but still want to root for his character. I loved the all the quirky students in his investigating class. The twists and turns were unpredictable. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this thrill ride of a book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Liike other Harlan Coben thrillers, this Nobody's Fool was difficult to put down. After meeting Sami Kierce in Fool Me Once, I was eager to learn more of his story, and Nobody's Fool fills in background from his college years as well as traces events in his life following his firing as a result of events in Fool Me Once.

Imagine waking up while on a camping trip bloodied and with a knife in your hand and then finding your girlfriend dead. Horrifying and mysterious, yes! Who wouldn't be haunted by such a past? Then fast forward more than two decades to see that dead woman walk into a class you are teaching! Sami Kierce is on another case.

Hopefully NetGalley will turn Nobody's Fool into yet another successful mini series so that non-readers learn more of Sami Kierce's life. While NetGalley is one way to enjoy some of Harlan Coben's hit novels, it's always better to read them for yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader egalley of yet another great read from master of thrillersHarlan Coben.

Harlan Coben has become an an author I've come to follow when it comes to thriller and suspense. This book is no exception and focues on Detective Sami Kierce from Fool Me Once.

In the story, the Detective has a flashback to his college days when he woke up one morning covered in blood next to his girlfriend.

The book takes a fast forward to twenty two years later where Kierce recognizes a familiar face one evening. It's his former girlfriend; the one he woke up next to covered in blood. But how could this be?

Kierce is on a mission to track his former girlfriend, Anna, down but she runs away from him. How did he just see Anna and why is she running away? This book is very suspensful and keeps the reader tunring the pages, just as all Harlan Coben novels do.

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

When I read Fool Me Once by this author, I was immediately hooked with his books. So when I saw on Net Galley that this one was up for an early read, I knew I wanted to read it.

Nobody’s Fool follows former detective, Sami Kierce and his journey through his past and present. Kierce went backpacking with his friend in Spain prior to becoming a detective ( he also wanted to be a doctor). Kierce meets a girl, Anna, and it is sparks at first sight. They spend the night together only to wake up covered in blood and a knife in his hand. He panics, calls his dad, and takes the first plane back to the states. Never knowing what happened that night he continues on with life. He becomes a detective and meets his fiance, Nicole, only for Nicole to be shot dead cold. Flash forward to years later, he is married to the love of his life, Molly, and has a wonderful son Henry. He gets put on a cold case with his class, the Victoria Belmond case. Only for him to realize... Victoria is Anna from Spain and Nicole’s killer is being set free. Sami must solve both the cases or risk never knowing what happened to Anna and letting his second loves killer walk free.

I really enjoyed this book. I always like how there is some sort of mystery from a past that needs solving also in Harlan’s book. The characters were well developed through out the story and it was not confusing with the flash backs or time lines. I also enjoyed seeing the Burkett family and their drama in this book. This book was very well done and I am already looking forward to the next one!

Read if you like:
Mystery 🕵🏼‍♀️
Solving cold cases 🥶
Past and present time lines ⏰

Ratings:
⭐️: 4/5
📖: 352
📚: murder thriller
🍾pub date: 3/25/25

Thank you @harlancoben @netgalley @grandcentralpub

When your past won’t stay in the past…

Favorite author alert! Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben is out tomorrow, 3/25.
This is #2 in the Sami Kearce series and it is really great. I love Sami and I am so happy we are getting more of his life.
This is another great thriller of a story and i was genuinely surprised at the direction it took! I loved the characters in this story and can’t wait to “see” them again. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
#nobodysfool #books #bookreview

This was another good book by this author. This book was full of surprises. It was a bit of a twisted story.