Wednesday, March 16, 2016

The Stranger - now in Paperback


Idgie Says:

I was going to keep this book back for the beach in a few weeks, but the description grabbed me and I started flipping through the pages.  Next thing I knew I was a few chapters in and no house chores were being done at all by me.  
 
I have never really read Harlan Coben - I think I was under the impression he was a "guy's book" writer.  But Dutton sent me two books of his and I decided to give him a try. 

The first thing I noticed is that the paperback is an off size, seems skinnier than others though it's not, but it's about 3" longer.  That means absolutely nothing, but book readers notice odd things - so there it is.  :) 

Now on to the story itself.  Harlan has a really interesting writing style that does drag you in easily and immediately.  I was completely enthralled in the story, even when I realized that by Chapter 9 the book was STILL slowly working it's way up to meat of the tale.  That there still wasn't a fully fleshed out plot or crime or incident that could carry the story.  That it was still in character build-up and small incidentals.  For me normally, by Chapter 4 of that  style of writing I would be out.  I would have lost interest , story taking too long to get started, etc.  But NOT this book.  I didn't care that there was no real story yet for me, just questions and curiosities.  It was being told so well that I was still fully involved. 

To me, that tells you all you need to know about the book - Harlan's writing is that good. 

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Dutton
February, 2016

#1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Harlan Coben's most shocking thriller yet, proving that a well-placed lie can help build a wonderful life-- and a secret has the same explosive power to destroy it.

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne's deception, and realizes that if he doesn't make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he's stumbled into will not only ruin lives--it will end them.

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Review for the Harlan's new book coming soon!

http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445518430l/25705819.jpg Allow me to introduce you to Harlan Coben’s upcoming novel, FOOL ME ONCE, which Dutton is publishing on March 22nd. Whether you’re a long-time fan of his thrillers or have yet to discover his books, I’m excited to invite you to read the mystery that Kirkus called “masterfully paced…a tale guaranteed to fool even the craftiest reader a lot more than once.”

In FOOL ME ONCE, former special ops pilot Maya, now home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of this mystery: Can you truly believe everything you see with your own eyes?

FOOL ME ONCE is an urgent, addictive thriller filled with plot twists that will keep you hooked until the last page.