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In an example of a perfectly taut, character-driven murder mystery, author Harlan Coben delivers exactly what his audience is looking for: a great story that is impossible to put down. There is a lot of heart in this novel, as the three intertwined lives (a washed-up photojournalist, a dissatisfied soccer mom, and a detective with a very cold case) come together to tell one story. Set in Atlantic City (one of the seediest locales ever), the story begins when a down-and-out photojournalist (who now poses as a paparazzo for private parties) is attacked while leaving an assignment. Is someone stealing his camera or the photos he took earlier that day? Meanwhile, a dissatisfied soccer mom wishes for the excitement of her old life (at least for brief moment), despite the fact that she has kept it secretly hidden for decades. Finally, a cold case that has haunted a detective for many years is reopened when an identical event happens to a new victim on the exact same date many years later. Just how are these three connected? And who else will be drawn into the chaos and mayhem of serial murder? Coben has created a perfectly satisfying storyline, with vulnerable characters who, like so many of us, find themselves wondering just how did they get where they are today? The linking of theses lives and the backstory that connects them to each other are well written into the Atlantic City setting. Along the way, there are plenty of notorious villains and lots of edge-of-your seat action sequences. Really, Coben has struck the perfect balance in his murder mystery, and populated the story with enough bad guys to make any one of them the plausible serial killer. What ultimately redeems the story is the faith that the characters have in each other, even when they suspect the whole truth might not have been told. This stand-alone by Coben is another feather in the hat of an author who has written more than twenty novels and won every major award in the mystery writing genre. That he keeps managing to come up with books this satisfying is a testament to his fine skills and knack for good storytelling. § Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, March 2012
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