Harlan Coben, The Innocent

Harlan Coben, The Innocent - Nine years ago Matt Hunter tried to break up a fight between two college cronies when he accidentally killed one of the combatants. Matt spent four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Over the next five years, Matt rehabilitated his life, becoming a paralegal and getting married to Olivia, who loves him and is pregnant with his child.

Olivia calls on her video phone to enable Matt to see her wearing a blonde wig in a strange hotel room with an unknown man. Not long afterward that male stranger begins calling Matt, mocking him about his inability to keep his loving wife and snidely asking who is the father of the unborn baby that Olivia carries. While Matt struggles in disbelief that his treasured Olivia could have been playing a game of affection to abet in destroying him, other seemingly unrelated incidents happen. Matt tries to become the predator rather than a scurrying rodent in a dangerous cat and mouse game.

Harlan Coben's aficionados always appreciate his hairpin twists, but this time might need more than JUST ONE LOOK at this fabulous thriller as the plot takes turns and detours that will shock everyone at the cost of believability but no one will care. The storyline moves forward at a frantic pace with a beleaguered Matt wondering if he has NO SECOND CHANCE for what seemingly was a wonderful life that now seems to be an illusion. Readers will feel for the shell-shocked Matt, but enjoy every traumatic twirl that happens to him while rooting for him to successfully fight back. Wild and weaving all over the place, fans will take immense delight with this out-of-control serpentine plot.

Dutton, Apr 2005, $26.95, 416 pp.

ISBN: 0525948740

Harriet Klausner