With more than seventy million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels, including the Myron Bolitar series and a series aimed at young adults featuring Myron's newphew, Mickey Bolitar. His books are published in forty-three languages around the globe and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries. The winner of the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, he lives in New Jersey.
In Coben's latest (after No Second Chance), a snapshot turns a dedicated wife and mother's suburban fantasy life upside down. While flipping through a set of newly developed photographs, Grace Lawson comes across an old picture of four people, one of whom resembles her husband, Jack. When she shows him the photo, he denies being the person or knowing anyone involved. Later that night, with the photo in his possession, Jack flees the house and promptly vanishes. When Grace uncovers proof that one of the strangers in the picture is now dead, her picture-perfect life starts to unravel. With each thriller, Coben just gets better and better. His latest is terrifying on several levels, offering so many questions with intricate and complex answers. The pages fly until the last piece of the puzzle falls neatly into place. Just one look, and you will be hooked. For all fiction collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/04; a Mystery Guild, Literary Guild, and BOMC main selection.] Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Coben's latest thriller (after No Second Chance) is a riveting, albeit perplexing, nightmare that finds hapless New Jersey wife and mother Grace Lawson dealing with an assortment of fearful developments, including a missing spouse, a terrifyingly adaptable hit man, deceitful friends, hidden agendas and ghosts from the past. Reader MacDuffie wisely takes her cues from Coben's prose. When he describes a policeman as "patronizing," she lends just the right vocal inflection to his lines, then quickly switches to the sarcastic tones of feisty Grace. And for the novel's most ingratiating character, Charlene Swain, MacDuffie's voice subtly shifts from vague to vital as the Percodan-popping, bored-to-tears housewife rises above her ennui to give Grace a helping hand in combating the wicked hit man Wu. Coben fills his thriller with unoriginal characters (including a murderer on death row, a rock-and-roller in comeback mode and a gentrified mobster with revenge on his mind), but MacDuffie's skillful interpretation brings the characters and action into sharp focus. Simultaneous release with the Dutton hardcover (Forecasts, Mar. 29). (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Praise for Just One Look
"The tension doesn't build slowly; it snaps and crackles right from the get-go...The only plausible reason for setting down this book is to make sure your front door is locked and double-bolted."--People "A nifty suspense premise...[Coben] does a good job of riveting the reader."--The New York Times "A heck of a ride."--New York Daily News"Coben twists story lines into psychological thrill rides. The pages flip so fast it's a wonder you don't develop paper cuts."--The Orlando Sentinel "There's plenty of adrenalin-pumping stuff here, but it's the walk down the hall of mirrors Coben does so well that rivets the attention."--The Houston Chronicle "Harlan Coben remains one of the best in the game...It's one of those books in which the main character--and readers--have no real idea what's going on until the very last pages. This is both highly satisfying and enjoyably frustrating, especially when the plot twists are being carefully doled out by a pro like Coben."--The San Francisco Chronicle "It's only when the last page turns that the reader has a chance to breathe, say 'Wow!' and marvel at the impressively interconnected structure."--The Miami Herald "Coben proves his nimble, knowing grasp of plot and pace, juggling as many as seven plotlines while still imparting a healthy backstory to cameo characters. You'll read it in a day, maybe two; it's fresh fast food in a cup-of-ramen world."--Entertainment Weekly
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