mystery, murder, suspense, plot twists, accidents; these words are hard to get right when it comes to fiction. a writer can write a crime scene, but whether that scene intrigues the reader enough depends on how well the writer writes it. many will put the book down if they don’t feel the thrill at all!
The world of fiction is an escape from real life, an unforgettable experience. give that to your reader and they will always come back for more.
You are reading: Best harlan coben books
harlan coben is one of those authors, whose books bring mystery to life; a magnet for those who relax with the thriller. therefore, this article is for all those who yearn for such a mystery and for those who are looking to discover a new genre. honestly, it’s for everyone who wants to read. here is a small gift; We’ve rounded up the best Harlan Coben books to get you started.
but first, we continue with the list; A little introduction is due to the esteemed author.
harlan coben was born and raised in newark, new jersey. She went to Livingston High School and majored in Political Science at Amherst College. His love of writing blossomed in college where he befriended future writers like Dan Brown. Without wasting a minute of his time, Coben had his first book, ‘Playing Dead’; he published at the age of 26 (although he does not like this book very much). Happily, he hasn’t stopped since.
since 1995 with the publication of ‘deal breaker’, harlan coben has managed to become practically an expert in the genre with independent series and books; which are loved by readers and critics alike, earning him a lot of praise on his behalf. he is thus the first author of the genre to have three prestigious awards, namely; an anthony award, a shamus award, and the edgar award. Today he continues to write novels and op-eds for the New York Times. He is the new york times best selling author!
Now let’s review your work. Surely an author of such acclaim would have done an impeccable job, and a lot of it, for what would have been a gargantuan task to review every single one of his masterpieces, henceforth we will limit ourselves to just the ten best books by Harlan Couben. . Please note that these top ten lists are based on each book’s ranking and may not be your top ten. (if you have read coben’s work, or when you read it)
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10. don’t tell anyone (2001)
Tell No One is Coben’s first stand-alone book, and in some ways a very popular favorite within the genre; romantic suspense. is a story of a married couple, dr. David Beck and Elizabeth Parker, who are separated by an unfortunate incident, with the latter presumed dead. Coben, however, sets the story in a time span of 8 years and follows Beck’s story as he reveals the events of the night he was separated from his wife, after receiving a suspicious email. p>
harlan coben takes on a narrative style, alternating between first and third person to move dr. Beck forward on his emotional yet gripping journey through losing him. Coben’s words left a mark, as the novel was later adapted into a film in 2006.
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9. gone for good (2002)
As the title suggests, Gone Forever is a brother who discovers why his brother’s disappearance was more of a blessing. will klein admires his brother ken klein. idolizes him. Then one day, Ken’s girlfriend is found dead, and since all the evidence points to Ken, she just disappears. Eleven years later, Will discovers through another loss that his brother is alive and may be linked to many more crimes than just murder.
harlan coben is a sucker for timelines and complex relationships. through will, he also reveals his experience in a character’s conflicting emotions. he will goes from thinking of his brother as a hero to suddenly discovering the truth about him and, years later, participating in an fbi investigation to raise the final curtain. Through Will, Coben also shows his fans that he’s not afraid to break stereotypes of happy endings and that real endings aren’t always happy.
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8. the forest (2007)
a summer camp. four teenagers. lost. bodies. serial killer.
all keywords suitable for the genre. the woods is the searing mystery of four teenagers who disappear at summer camp. of these four, two are found dead and the remaining two are missing. Then comes Paul Copeland. He is the Essex County Prosecutor and also the brother of one of the missing girls. The novel follows Paul’s journey as he uncovers clues to his sister’s disappearance and reveals many untold truths about the camp itself.
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7. trapped (2010)
harlan coben is a master of words. simply by choosing the right words, the author has managed with the audience of him so far. For any author, this is the most important thing to master. coben has done exactly that. trapped, by its name it sounds like a simple story of encounter, however, in this word are woven many layers of the mystery that coben establishes in the disappearance of 17-year-old haley mcwaid, and later tracked down by the new jersey policewoman, wendy tynes. a suspicious disappearance, a sexual predator, a controversial journalist; They are all part of Coben’s crime thriller, the right recipe for the plot he wants to deliver.
Follow Wendy Tynes, as she uncovers the links between Haley’s disappearance and Dan Mercer (a sexual predator), while discovering how lost teens often become victims of such monsters. an outrageous but serious read, Trapped is therefore a must read!
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6. hold on tight (2008)
Hardly, Coben also enters the realm of the modern digital world through Tia and Mike Baye, who are forced to spy on their son, Adam, through his computer, after their classmate commits suicide. and the latter becomes distant. It is because of the spyware that they discover a message ordering Adam to keep quiet. Simultaneously, Betsy Hill’s mother, Spencer Hill (who committed suicide) discovers that her son’s death may be more than suicide.
coben has set this novel in a very complicated set of marriage, family and parenthood. he asks the audience’s instilling questions of him, where do you draw the line in fatherhood? With this, Harlan Coben shows the control he has over his art, how through fiction a very serious problem can be brought to light.
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5. fool me me once (2016)
the life of captain maya stern burkett is a tragedy. Her career as a US Army helicopter pilot ends due to operational errors, she is forced to take a sabbatical, and then her husband is shot dead in front of her. she has to deal with life after such shocks. Harlan Coben takes her readers on a journey into Maya’s life, intriguing them as she brings Maya face to face with a mystery when her husband reappears, trapped on her nanny’s camera. How can a man be caught on camera when the NYPD declared him dead two weeks earlier?
Find out what else is in the life of the Mayan captain, as she continues to face barriers in her life as she seeks clarity and peace with her daughter. trust coben to take you well on this trip!
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4. stay close (2012)
unhappy, dissatisfied and stuck in a rut. this is how he describes the characters of coben; photographer ray levine; housewife megan pierce; and detective broom, in his novel, stay close. the only thing more that is common to all three; is that everyone is still shaken by the disappearance of stewart greens, which occurred 17 years before the setting of history. Another disappearance on the same date as Greens sparks his curiosity and what follows is a story full of wit and irony with hot and outrageous entries like Ken and Barbie. Coben’s uncanny senses are at their peak with this novel and his expertise shines through.
‘Appearances are deceiving’ is a common metaphor. see how it is renewed with coben’s characters and an excellent use of the English language.
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3. no second chance (2004)
mark seidman, a plastic surgeon, gets the shock of his life when he wakes up in a hospital bed, alone, only to discover that he has been stabbed, his wife murdered and his daughter kidnapped. the stuff of a nightmare. mark’s story unfolds when he receives a message that discourages him from going to the authorities if he wants to see his daughter again. There’s No Second Chance is his story of searching for his missing daughter, mired in the shackles of secrets, betrayals and loss, Coben adds a touch of tragedy to his thriller. Seidman’s journey is an emotional one, while Coben’s journey as an author is laudable. Through shifts of tone, Harlan Coben has managed to deliver a remarkable performance that will be hard to put down once he reads the first page.
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it is what it is; coben’s writing is aging like fine wine!
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2. just one look (2004)
just one look is unique when it comes to harlan coben’s work. Typically, the Coben characters tend to disappear early on, followed by a search party in the main story. however, with just one glance, the character disappears as part of the main plot, within the current setting.
grace lawson is a mother of two who, after picking up her kids from school, develops reels of old photos. a mysterious photo of her husband with four other men, whom she does not know, catches her attention. showing it to her husband, jack, the latter leaves the house and disappears. The novel is thus a scathing and harrowing story about how Grace must go find her husband and save her family as she uncovers the past and gets out of the way of a serial killer, who is just as keen to find out. the truth. behind the photo as grace.
At this point, I don’t think there are enough sentences to praise Harlan Coben.
You’ll want to comfort Grace and you’ll want to stick with her until the end!
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1. deciding factor (2006)
myron little ball. coben’s star the hero who gave coben the series from him. the deciding factor is only part of it. Myron Bolitar is a sports agent who deals with rich clients, clients who have pretty faces. christian steele is just one of these clients, a quarterback. Christian’s fate is put to the test when his deceased girlfriend contacts him again. Not only is his prized client in danger, but Myron also comes face to face with the dark side of his field, where behind the facade of money lurks ugly truths – truths that can get you killed! /p>
coben shows how deep his control is over his work with myron. myron is a hot-headed but warm-hearted sports agent who is unpredictable and therefore most appealing to those looking for drama in the mystery.
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The excitement is real!
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the list could go on, honestly, the more books the better. but, right now this will do. If you are longing for a good mystery, shadowy character, controversial pasts, then dear readers, Harlan Coben books should be your top picks. won’t let you down.
for now; Happy reading!
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