Sami Kierce sees a woman he thought was dead a long time because he was covered in her blood the last time he saw her. It’s now many years later and he sees Anna again and he’s positive it’s her. Now he’s trying to find out what really happened that night many years ago.

This was a fun and wild ride. It takes you on quite a journey. The characters are well developed and it’s easy to connect to them. The twist near the end was completely unexpected. Harlan Coban is known for his layers and this book is an excellent example of this. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery thriller. Even if you haven’t read anything by Coban before, this is still a great one to start with.

I was also lucky enough to get the audiobook DRC and this was produced very well. The narrator did a great job and I will look forward to his narrations in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own

Nobody's Fool
By Harlan Coben
Narrated by Vikas Adam
As always, my reviews are of the audio version of this book. As a rule, I listen at 70% speed or less as this makes it easier to hear details without needing to rewind as often. If things get tedious, I generally speed up.
Quite pleased to see an advance review copy of a Coben book! Barring his last Myron Bolitar book (see my review, the book was dreadful), I have loved every book he has written. Yes, obvs some more than others, but all good. I love all the series on NF as well (except for the one, also dreadful).
24% and going strong!
Slightly annoyed at 36% bc MY WORD how long does a golf story IN A BOOK really need to be?! This is the first real page filler I've encountered so far, and I am happy to say that, by the end, the word carbs were kept to a minimum.
My opinion on the ending...I'm ambivalent about the denouement. I mean this isn't actually Sherlock even if he is referenced by the protagonist frequently. If it were Mr. Holmes, yes. Monsieur Poirot, definitely. This guy ... I guess I can give him the benefit of the time his presentation took to hear in lieu of Mr. Coben having not wasted my time on a cruddy book.
There were a couple teeny holes for me, but I am a picky reader when it comes to mysteries that aren't cozy-I give cozies a LOT of leeway. I do prefer the entire thing being without a loophole if an author goes to the trouble of verifying facts, research, keeping the protag honest, etc.
My verdict is (teeny tiny drumroll in my head): This book was definitely an enjoyable read (listen) and I do recommend it, especially if you haven't read Coben before. This book is a much better intro to his work than the final (let's hope anyway) Myron Bolitar book.
And now, a word about the narrator: Mr. Adam is new to me, but I really hope to hear him a lot more. Not just a capable reader, quite a good voice actor, which is very different. He even did very good female voices, if a tad on the low side. I am now a fan.
As always, thank you to NetGalley for allowing me early access to this audiobook in exchange for a (brutally) honest review!

This is a fast-paced thriller, winding together multiple cold cases as Kierce tries to discover the truth. Like all Harlan Coben novels, there are twists and turns, and anyone who’s seen even one Netflix adaptation knows not to trust anyone or anything. I really enjoyed this audiobook - the narrator does a great job of making characters distinguishable, even small parts, and did well to build the tension. The narration was gripping and given the wide range of characters I felt the narrator did a fantastic job.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an advance audiobook!

Another great book by Coben. Plenty of twists and surprises that you come to expect with this author. I’ve been reading his books for quite a few years now and this one was a great audiobook. Narration was well done as well.

Great book., full of twists and turns. A truly enjoyable journey. The main character was witty and sarcastic, I loved him!! As usual Harlan Coben delivers.

I liked the premise of this. I felt hooked from the start. I felt invested in the characters and the storyline. I liked how the ends were tied up at the end and it felt logical.

I was a reader of Harlan Coben's books long before Netflix found them. In fact, I think I was relatively young, and now I'm not, so I've read his books for a long time! There is no doubt that he knows how to spin a tale and keep the reader engaged. I didn't see until I finished Nobody's Fool that it was the second in the Sami Kierce series, and I would never have known that, as it read like a stand-alone novel.

Sami Kierce is a disgraced former policeman who is now making a living as a private detective, with a side gig as a teacher in a night class to want-to-be sleuths. At least his personal life is happy. He's recently married and has a baby son. But one night a woman from his past appears in the back of his class, someone he thought was dead. This sends him spiraling into a web of intrigue and deceit, because he will stop at nothing to find out what happened to Anna from his past.

The novel, for me, read a bit like it was created for the screen. This is not a criticism, just an observation. Coben's books have always had lots of fast-moving action, and maybe that's why they translate so well to the screen. I thought the night class which Sami engaged as free gumshoe helpers was a nice touch and brought a little humor to the book. Sami's character jumped off the pages, and having him as the narrator made this even more apparent.

The conclusion of the novel was a first a bit of a head scratcher for me, but the longer I sit with it, the more I appreciate it. Plus, nice little segway into a future novel, there in the last sentences!

I debated rating this book a 4 or 5 star. It was very readable, and I sped through it in a couple of days. I guess in a way I am rating Harlan Coben against himself. I've read so many of his books and given them five stars. From another writer, I might have been tempted, but I would say for me this was a 4.4, and I'll give 4 stars. It's a great book, I really enjoyed it, but rated amongst some of his other voluminous offerings, this is where I landed. Still, a don't miss for fans of his writing or of high-octane thrillers.

I listened to an audio of the book and mostly really enjoyed it. Sami's story is told in first person and the narration makes Sami's self-depreciating personality likable and engaging. The voices for the women characters, however, including Sami's wife, were a bit off. Not the narrator's fault, as it's not easy for a man to simulate a woman's voice. Fortunately, there weren't too many instances of women's voices. As for the main Sami narration, I rate it highly.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlan Coben, and Hachette Audio for allowing me to listen to this audio in exchange for an honest review.

In the book Nobody's Fool, author Harlan Coben writes about Sami Kierce who was planning on going to medical school. But while backpacking in Spain with friends, he meets Anna and decides to stay with her. But a few mornings into the relationship he wakes up covered in blood, a knife in his hand and Anna’s dead body next to him. And he runs, returning home. Twenty-two years later Sami is new father, a private investigator in New York City and teaching wannabe sleuths at night school. One night while teaching his class, he sees Anna come in and sit in the back. But she’s dead! Or is she? And now starts the search and mystery. And is anything real or as it seems? This was a good fast-paced story that kept you wondering. I would recommend this book. The audio-book narration was very good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the copy of new Harlan Coben to read! I have loved everything I've read from Mr. Coben so far and this story was no different! As usual, he kept me on the edge of my seat and needing to know how the story would play out!

This is technically number 2 in the Sami Kierce series but I didn't know that before reading and didn't feel like I was missing anything; so this can definitely be read as a standalone.

The very beginning of this completely sucked me in. The instalove between Sami and Anna and then the tragedy was quite an opening! The story unfolds bringing us along as Sami realizes what really happened with Anna. There were some great twists in this that I loved. There were some parts that were harder to read and made me dislike certain characters but it was done in a way that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I read this in a rush needing to know how it would play out.

The mystery kept me reading this in a rush but I also really loved (most of) the characters! They were a big driving force of this storyline for me.

I thought the narration of this was on point. It was a very enjoyable listen!

Nobody's Fool was an incredibly engaging read that struck a great balance of intrigue, humor, and suspense, keeping me hooked throughout. The audiobook narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to life, though his Jamaican accent was a bit off and briefly pulled me out of the experience. While the story was thrilling, it did get a little overcomplicated at times. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, particularly when Sami essentially broke his NDA via a podcast, which felt like a bit of a cliché plot device. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of the novel and will definitely be looking forward to more of Harlan Coben’s work in the future!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I noticed Nobody's Fool was the second in the Sami Kierce series so I decided to read Fool Me Once first. I found this very confusing since there was no character called Sami Kierce. There was a Roger Kierce and he was a minor, background sort of character. So I was surprised now to read Nobody's Fool with Sami being the main character and the point of view for the story.

We are now about 20-25 years later. Sami is married to Molly and has a baby son, Henry. He was thrown off the police force after the events in Fool Me Once. In the meantime, he had a fiance who was murdered. He also is being sued for various things. He works as an investigator for a law firm in trade for his legal bills. He also teaches a class in criminology.

The class really are his friends and help him work cases by tracking down information or surveilling people. I really enjoy them as they are colorful characters interested in solving puzzles from grannies, to influencers, a former hedge fund manager, and other oddballs.

The story alternates between the past when he met a woman named Anna on a trip after college and thought maybe he killed her when high on drugs. It turns out she is Victoria Belmond who is a wealthy heiress who was missing for 11 years. The other big plot line is the his fiance's murderer gets his conviction vacated and is out of prison. Sami still believes he killed her.

Everything he is investigating happened about 20 years ago but it ties in to things happening today. With the help of his students he collects good information and moves closer to the truth. Sami works it out in the end.

The start seemed slow to me, maybe because I was distracted over the Roger / Sami. Or maybe it was because Sami, in general, was not a very compelling character for me. I enjoyed the first book more. I think you could read this without having read Fool Me Once.

Narration:
The narrator was one I have listened to and enjoyed previously. I did, however, keep thinking about Julius and Marcy! I listened at my usual1.5x speed.

Thank you, @macmillan.audio and @grandcentralpub for my free audiobook and @netgalley ARC. #MacAudio2025 #macmillanaudio

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 344 / Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Audiobook Narrator: Vikas Adam
Duration: 11 hours 17 minutes
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. And Vikas Adam did a great job narrating the audiobook.
.

the setup…
Sami Kierce is now a private investigator in New York City, married to Molly and father of their infant son Henry. A former police detective forced to leave in disgrace, he’s working off debts by doing low level surveillance assignments for a law firm and teaching a criminology class to a small group of amateur sleuths. It’s during one of the classes that a woman walks in and slams him back into his past from twenty-two years ago. She’s Anna, the woman who he spent five nights with in Malaga, Spain as a college grad…and who he woke to find bloodied and dead in his bed with him holding the knife! She flees from the class as he chases after her.

the heart of the story…
It’s all Sami as he runs after the woman who has haunted him for over twenty years. The chase leads him to a wealthy enclave and while he now knows where she lives, the search for answers is elusive. In the meantime, the man he helped put behind bars for murdering his fiancée is released on a technicality, still professing his innocence. Sami enlists the help of a motley crew of his students to figure out how Anna is still alive and exactly who she is as well as how to put the man who killed his fiancée back behind bars.

the narration…
I quickly became enamored of Vikas Adam as he not only captured the essence of Sami’s as a character but created so many other distinct voices I was sure there were multiple performers. He is a talented storyteller.

the bottom line…
I love how Coben creates stories that are twisty from the onset and then gives you more. I liked Sami and soon figured out he was nobody’s fool. He’s got keen instincts, aided by that delightful group of students who made the investigation even more compelling. I knew a shocking revelation was coming but still wasn’t quite prepared for the resolution. And, there are some dangling bits that have my heart fluttering for more of Sami and friends. Well done, Mr. Coben.

📚Review: Nobody’s Fool 💛
Happy Pub Day to this one! I just finished this the other day and I loved it. It just kept getting better and better as the book went along. The deeper I got into the book, the more I didn’t want to stop listening. A lot of Harlan Coben’s books have been turned into tv series. I’ve seen so many on Netflix. I haven’t watched them all but I definitely want to.
I think this book would also make a great series on Netflix. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 it actually happens.
Quickly, this book is the second in its series. Although, I didn’t read the first one and I was able to read this one with no problem. It could also be read as a stand alone. But in this book, you have former detective Sami Kierce.
He’s teaching class for amateur sleuths, when he sees a girl he met twenty years prior in Spain. But it can’t be, because the last time he saw her, he was covered in blood and she was lying next to him dead. So how can it be she was just in his class? And that’s all I’m going to say. It was a great fast paced book, that after about halfway through, I could not put it down! This was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 stars for me!!
I would recommend it to anyone who loves crime investigations.

Thank you to @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for this ALC in exchange for an honest review. I loved it.

Now this is only my second book by this author, but I know he has a lot. If you are familiar with his books, I’d love to hear which ones were your favorites because I really want to read more by him.

Pub Date: TODAY! So be sure to grab your copy. This one was a good one. 💛

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I have loved Harlan Coben’s work beginning with the first book of his I ever tried, and this audiobook is no exception. It is very well written, easy to read, and kept me engaged from start to finish. I definitely would recommend this book to others!

Harlan Coben's NOBODY'S FOOL, the second book in the Detective Sami Kierce series, that will captivate you from the first page. It skillfully delves into the complexities of families: the search for Victoria, who reappears after missing for two decades, unveiling layers of deception, secrets, and unexpected betrayals. Just when you think you've figured it out, a new set of issues arise, keeping the suspense alive.  The engaging and thought-provoking plot makes it a fun, fast-paced, and quick read, leaving you wanting more.

The audiobook narrator, Vikas Adam, delivers a stellar performance, bringing the story to life and transporting listeners to the heart of the action.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette  Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review and to author Harlan Coben for writing another solid and highly entertaining book!

Nobody’s Fool; detective Sammy Kierce book 2 by Harlan Coben, I usually love the intelligent stories written by Mr. Coben but unfortunately I was only intrigued with the mystery in this book despite many glaring irritations about the main character Sammy. at first he seemed like cobens normal grumpy yet likable protagonist but he was not only grumpy he was rude irritating and seemed not to care about anything except what was in front of his face. For example he tells us about how his baby doesn’t sleep well and how his wife is so tired and yet when he gets a call he sees no problem waking her up for something that could’ve clearly waited until later but no he wants to go so he wakes her up to 10 to the baby. Not only that when he went to see poor dying Patricia he was so angry at her son that when this dying woman went to reach for her water glass he wouldn’t even help her… You showed her Sammy. not to mention in the beginning he talks about how they’re financially struggling yet he got time to go ride out to the country to spend at the very least $800 so this homeless woman could get a phony infusion just so he could speak to the neighbors of Victoria. despite all that I did love his lawyer arthur and his Sherlock Holmes class both of which we didn’t see nearly enough. If you’re looking for the authors lovable protagonist Whitty dialogue and great mystery in the words of the singer Meat Loaf two out of three ain’t bad.#NetGalley, #HarlanCoben, #Nobody’sFool, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,

I enjoyed getting to know each character. This is my first Harlan Coben book, and now I get the love! The way he untwined love, family dynamics and history. Loved it

This was my first Harlan Coben and I really enjoyed it. It was well-written and an interesting story. It did take me a little while to get used to our narrator breaking the fourth wall, but it also brought the reader into the story.

I liked that the characters were multi-dimensional. They did things were questionable or down right wrong, but their reasons made sense and they were all flawed. Our main character even calls himself out a couple of times.

I was not expecting the whole reveal at the end or the twist that really brought the story together and answered some of my final questions. It was fun to be surprised. There were still a couple things at the end that didn't really make sense to me, but I was able to suspend my disbelief and overlook those things.

I received an audio copy narrated by Vikas Adam and thought it was very well done. His voice was well-suited to the story and was never overdone. The narration really drew me in.

I look forward to reading more by Coben in the future. I will start by going back to read Fool Me Once!

This is my first Harlan Coben book so I went in blindly. I’m not sure if I needed to read the first book in the series before this, as it was referenced a few times. It was a twisty mystery but almost a few too many twists. I found myself at the end still confused and playing catch up on who was this person and how did that scenario fit in. It was almost too complicated, that at the end I didn’t feel like it all came together. It was entertaining and definitely kept me wanting to know what happened next!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.