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Fool Me Once
Fool Me Once
Fool Me Once
Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

Fool Me Once

Written by Harlan Coben

Narrated by January LaVoy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

A widowed veteran gets the shock of her life in this impossible-to-put-down thriller from the bestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix drama The Stranger.

In the course of eight consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers, millions of readers have discovered Harlan Coben’s page-turning thrillers, filled with his trademark edge-of-your-seat suspense and gut-wrenching emotion. In Fool Me Once, Coben once again outdoes himself....

Former special ops pilot Maya, 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 was brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 22, 2016
ISBN9781501217579
Fool Me Once
Author

Harlan Coben

With more than seventy million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous suspense novels, including Don't Let Go, Home, and Fool Me Once, as well as the multi-award-winning Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in forty-three languages around the globe and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries. He lives in New Jersey.

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Reviews for Fool Me Once

Rating: 3.950413223140496 out of 5 stars
4/5

121 ratings67 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    There were many twists to this story, most I didn't see coming, which was a lot of fun. Maya's husband has been murdered, oh, and her sister was murdered four months before that. Are they connected and if so, how? As the answers slowly come out the story gets stranger and stranger, yet tighter and tighter. Fantastic writing, very fast paced, really kept you guessing and a well thought out ending that didn't just end with something convoluted. I can't wait to read more from Coben!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ending was totally unexpectedly!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As is the case with all Harlan Coben novels, FOOL ME ONCE is a thriller with many different mysteries going on at once. And that’s what makes this book, all his books, unputdownable. Since I began reading this book, the only constructive thing I did was finish it.We follow the beautiful but tough Maya, former army captain, a helicopter pilot, as she investigates and gets to the bottom of two murders, first of her sister, then of her husband. The reader will suspect everyone yet still be surprised at the outcome. It’s typical Harlan Coben.It is also typical of Coben to grab the reader right on page 1 or 2. So I was disappointed that FOOL ME ONCE didn’t grab me until page 63. Still, other readers may differ because the story is interesting right away.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In comparison to other books by Harlan Coben, this one fell a little short of the mark. The storyline and intrigue were interesting but the reveal of it all was just a bit unremarkable; it seemed ridiculously simple for all of the hype and suspense that led up to it. I also found the character of Maya to be extremely unrealistic. She may have been in the war and may be suffering from PTSD but that doesn't mean she needed to be devoid of a personality. At the end of the novel, I was left wondering what was the point of it all. Unfortunately, this novel just missed the mark on way too many levels and I'm going to have to give it a pass. I will continue to read more by this author and I encourage you all to do the same... but maybe skip this one?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “Fool Me Once” (FMO) by Harlan Coben is a very good crime fiction novel with two very appealing features, both unique in today’s glut of mysteries and crime stories. First, though the FMO plot eventually hinges on events of 20-30 years ago (yawn), it does so without using flashbacks! What, no flashbacks?! How can that be! Uhh, good story-telling, maybe. Secondly, the investigation, carried out by the mommy of a two year old (not a cop, nor a PI), is completely plausible, and there are well crafted reasons why our heroine does not let the professionals handle the case.FMO is a fast paced story that develops at page turner speed. It’s a bit complicated, and the reader will not be able to escape thoughts of “is this guy really dead, and if so who could have done it and why?” An author’s dream. A reader’s dream. Right up until the very end. I didn’t like the end, not at all. I came away with the feeling that the author wanted this climax and constructed a plot such that there could only be this finish – as opposed to getting to the last chapter then sitting there thinking “how can I end this thing now that I’ve painted heroine into this corner….” Anyway, it’s a good stand-alone novel. Harlan Coben has written two series and a number of stand-alone novels. I tried his Myron series twice and though I liked the books I read, I never got into him. I may read other stand alones in the future. Try to catch an interview of Cben, if not on TV try YouTube; he's a very likeable guy.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I love a good Coban mystery.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If Maya's husband, Joe, was killed, then who is her two year old daughter playing with, or is this a figment of her imagination? Page by page, questions came up for me. When Maya put a nanny cam in her home, would her nanny suspect anything. Especially if she saw a new picture frame that suddenly appeared in the room? And Maya being followed by a red Buick Verano, or is this just a coincidence thrown in the plot for no reason other than teasing the reader?.Enter Kierce, a detective, or is he? Is he taking payoffs and if so why, and from whom? Whom to trust, which is Maya's big phobia, being fed by all of the above. I could go on and on and hope you would still buy the book after all of my detailed descriptions But this book is so full of twists, turns and questions that you must do yourself a favor and get this book. And if you know anyone who loves a page-turner, this is the perfect gift book for them. Harlan Coben has not let us down with "Food Me Once."
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book had a great premise and storyline, but it left some kind of big threads hanging lose at the end. The big "twist" near the end almost didn't make sense, and I guess we were supposed to suspend our belief that this could possibly happen. But it just left me feels no confused and disjointed, and a little disgruntled as well. It was just not his best work.
    Anyway, I signed on for the thrill ride, and left feeling slightly, but only slightly gypped. I still enjoyed it though. It was what I needed at the time - easy, fast, and thrilling in places.
    3.5 stars, and only recommended for huge fans of the author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Family and money is never a good mix. Someone is always going to feel resentful."Maya Stern is an ex-helicopter pilot who is suffering from PTSD when she is a witness to her husband’s, Joe, murder. This comes just months after her sister was tortured and brutally murdered using the same weapon. Days after his funeral she sees footage of him on a nanny cam apparently, playing with their two-year-old daughter. Is he really still alive, is grief playing tricks with her mind or is she having a mental breakdown?When the SD card is taken, Maya, an ex- captain who was forced out of the Army after a fatal error whilst serving in Iraq,has no proof of what she saw, and no one she tells believes her. Who can she trust? Her nanny who took the SD card, the friend who actually gave her the nanny cam, her old Army colleague or the detective leading the inquiry into her husband's death? Unsure who she can turn to she sets out to follow the clues and solve the puzzle herself.The story starts slowly as we gradually learn more about Joe's early adult life whilst at college, as Maya methodically uncovering a raft of family secrets including the mysterious death of Joe's elder brother. We learn that Joe, despite outward appearances, also has a rather dark side himself and the author asks the reader to ponder just how much we really know about their own partner's past and whether love blinds us to their faults. The pace of the book steadily climbs until we reach a shattering climax.Initially we meet Maya at her husband’s funeral, still dazed and overwhelmed by feelings of grief and loss. This her an easy character to sympathize with as she seemingly reels from one tragedy, one revelation to another. As you would expect there are numerous twists and turns along the way and I must admit that the identity of Joe's killer took me completely by surprise making the slow build up to it worth the wait. Overall I really enjoyed the author's writing style and I at times found myself unable to put the book down. It totally sucked me in. Coben is a masterful storyteller and I look forward to reading yet more of his books.“Things can always be said later, but things can never be unheard.”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Typical Harlan Coben - fast paced and intriging, with twists you won't see coming. Even more so than usual, if that's possible. Lacking the usual random insertions of humour though - perhaps he reserves that for his Myron Bolitar series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked it BUT it's not the way I WANTED it to end... by any means. I guess that wasn't really my place lol... I had a hard time putting it down... and then. Oh well. But I like Coben's writing and his characters, so it was not wasted time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Whirlwind story about Maya and her husband, Joe, who was murdered, and Maya trying to get through her PTSD. Joe was murdered just a few months after Maya's sister was murdered. Are they linked? Who can Maya trust? Who is truly helping Maya and who is lying? Fast moving thriller, and as with every Harlan Coben book, there is a twist that you won't see coming! Enjoyable!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love when a new Coben book comes out and this one did not disappoint. The plot kept me glued until the last pages as I had to find out what was happening and who killed Maya's husband, Joe. Coben's excellent writing forces you to hate these characters and there are some nasty ones. The twists and turns keep coming as Coben shows you that you have no clue what is going on. In the end, you finally realize that all the clues were there and you just failed to put them together. I am now looking forward to the new Myron book which is soon to be released and getting back on that roller coaster which Coben allows us to ride each time we read one of his novels.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Olivia finds out that her mother didn't die when she was very young, but didn't want her at birth. Now her mother's lawyer shows up with her mother's will and a letter from her mother asking her to find her mother's two friends and correct a mistake from her past. It also involves a story about cute Yorkie terriers. It was a cute story and a page turner. I do want to read her next story called "Up Close And Personal."
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The ending was a complete surprise to me. All the information Maya kept finding made me want to hurry up and finish the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Bsit of a disapointment. The lead character was as dull as ditchwater, and I didn't like her at all. The ending was sloppy and very last minute..
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was my first Harlan Coben read and I was not overly impressed. The resolution of the turmoil in Maya Stern Burkett's life did not ring true to me. My sense was that Coben had not adequately set the stage for the denouement, so it came across as forced, not convincing, not plausible. Her actions at the very end of the book were entirely improbable as there were other, less confrontational, less dangerous ways in which she could have effectively dealt with the evil personalities with which she was confronted. Her headlong rush seemed unnecessary and out of character for a high-achiever, a planner, a deliberative person used to employing logic and reason to her life. It simply did not wash. Hopefully, another try at Coben will have better results since he 'fooled me once' on this one, but not in an enjoyable way!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I always look forward to a Harlan Coben book. Lots of intrigue and mystery in his thrillers. And he always mixes it in with some laugh at loud humour and sarcasm. I loved Maya; a strong woman working through her demons and her sarcasm and wit made me love her more. This one went in a direction I totally didn't suspect; Mr Coben can still surprise us with the unexpected. This is another good book from one of my long time favourite authors
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Cute, easy read but enjoyable even though it's simple. It would be a good book to take on a vacation where you want to relax and not think too much.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maya is a former special ops pilot. She was forced to retire from the military when a video of a botched mission killing civilians was released on a whistle blower sight. She has not lived a happy life in the last few years. Her sister was murdered, her career is in a shambles, she suffers from PTSD and the final blow is her husband is also murdered.
    When Maya sees her husband on her nanny cam, things start to happen fast and furious. I could not put the book down. Maya begins to investigate the murder of her sister, is it tied in to the murder of her husband? Her two year old daughter, Lily, is the one thing that is grounding her at this time. Her friends, Shane and Eileen, try to help but she won't let them. She can't risk anyone else getting hurt. Is death following her, as her brother-in-law said. This is a taut thriller that will hook you and keep you reading. I wanted to find out who killed Joe and Clare as much as Maya did. The characters were well rounded from her friends to her immediate relatives. The only ones that were not really fleshed out were Joe's family, the Burketts but that did not harm the story in any way. Another Coben book that I had no clue about the ending until it came. Just what I expect from a thriller. I am glad I read this one, I almost missed it. I recommend it to Coben lovers as well as anyone who loves a suspenseful thriller. 4.5 stars for me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A solid mystery involving Maya, a veteran with PTSD issues who comes home following a scandal involving her actions overseas and shortly thereafter her husband is murdered in a so-called robbery-gone-bad in Central Park. Based in New Jersey (my original home state, so that is fun). Lots of intrigue and questions about who is telling the truth and what bad things are being covered up, but the ending completely changes the premise of the book, and I think it's an unfair way to have kept the reader engaged... otherwise, I would have rated this book higher as the writing is solid and the storytelling strong -- until the end. Still, most mystery/thriller readers will probably enjoy.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Too many plots and twists for me. Too much movement
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Maya Burkett, a former Army special ops helicopter pilot, stands graveside three days after the Central Park murder of her husband, Joe. But when the nanny cam in the den reveals her dead husband playing with their two-year-old daughter, Lily, she must decide if it’s possible to believe what she thinks she is seeing. Certain that Joe died, she wonders how he could possibly be alive. And, if he were dead, why would someone want to make her believe she’d seen her husband still alive? Maya sets out to solve the mystery and to determine the truth.Although the characters are not particularly likable and Maya’s choices are questionable at best, the mystery of what Maya sees and the fast pace of the storytelling will keep the pages turning as readers seek to discover the truth. Some may find Maya’s deductive reasoning and investigative skills to be a bit super-human and a revelation that readers are not likely to see coming is a bit of a jolt in the context of previous insights. But the writing is crisp, the plot twists numerous, and a surprising bit of information leads to the turning-everything-upside-down ending.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great read by Mr. Coben. When I saw this book advertised around the internet, I was excited and put it on my wish list right away. I could not wait to get a copy to read. The last couple of books I have read by Mr. Coven have been quick, nice reads. This book is no exception. Maya is a good heroine. She is a strong leader, smart, and takes no shit from anyone. In the beginning I did not put the pieces together but when it the puzzle started coming together I was not surprised by the outcome. Yet, I was still in it for the ride. I could not stop reading to see how Maya would figure it all out. In fact, I read the first sixteen chapters in one sitting. I am sad that I finished this book because now I have to wait for the next one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Harlan Coben is a new author for me. I kept seeing his latest novel, Fool Me Once, on the best-seller list. It's a fast-paced, skillfully-plotted murder mystery/thriller that held my attention with its many twists and turns.The protagonist is Maya who has an interesting background as a military helicopter pilot in Iraq, a tour that did not end well for her. She's suffering from PTSD and struggling with the death of her sister several months ago. Now her husband has been murdered. As she sets out to solve these murders, she becomes involved in strange situations that keep the novel moving along.I didn't know what to expect out of Mr. Coben's writing but can see why he has so many fans. He knows how to keep your interest and while I didn't like the ending to Fool Me Once, I would like to read another of his novels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Interesting psychological thriller
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    There's a lot going on in this story plot. I do mean a lot. I think I believe in family more than where this story will want to take you. My first Coben book though and I will try him again.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I am a big fan of Harlan Coben. His latest book, FOOL ME ONCE, is quite suspenseful with Coben’s signature twists, turns and mystery.Maya is a former special ops military pilot who married into the very wealthy Burkett Family. Maya has a lot ‘going on’ - she suffers from PTSD; her husband, Joe, was recently murdered; her sister, Claire, was also murdered; she is a single parent to 2 year old, Lily. Maya is trying to unravel the mystery of her husband’s murder. Every character seems to be tainted with death and violence and their aftereffects. The young daughter, Lily, and her cousins seem to offer the only lightheartedness in this story.I don’t fault Mr. Coben’s writing or writing style - I like it; I always have. But I didn’t like any of the characters in this story and felt no empathy for them - even Maya. In fact, I liked her the least. She just isn’t believable and her situation just isn’t believable. The scene at the gun club was particularly offensive to me. I do not like and I did not like (in the story) all the fondling, caressing and adoration of firearms. That scene really disgusted me.The ending did not impress me at all and I felt little satisfaction in the results.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book started out so strong, I expected a good read. Sadly, the novel has an unexplainable weak finish, so disappointed! Sorry I ever started it, there are too many really good books to read and I have not enough time to read everything I want, skip this one, a waste of reading time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Harlan Coben is back at his best with his latest mystery/thriller "Fool Me Once." Retired military officer Maya Burkett has just buried her husband Joe, who was murdered. Yet on her nanny cam a few days later, she sees a recording of Joe reading to her toddler daughter. How is this possible? Is Maya's own PTSD causing her to hallucinate? Or is Joe actually alive, even though Maya saw him killed?This tautly written mystery kept me engrossed the entire time; I couldn't put it down. I was intrigued as I tried to figure things out along with Maya, and I was floored by the satisfying twist at the end. It's never easy for a male author to write from the perspective of a female protagonist, but Harlan Coben does an admirable job, with only a couple of minor instances in which Maya's behavior feels more male than female (and thus gives away the fact that the author is male).It was a relief to read this book that reflects Coben's trademark strong writing, solid plot, good character development, and satisfying conclusion. After reading Coben's disappointing last book ("The Stranger"), I was worried, but now I see I had nothing to worry about. Coben is back in fine form.