Fool Me Once

by Harlan Coben

            I’m not sure how I’ve never read a Coben novel until this one, but if this novel is any indication, I’m a fan! This story has more twists and turns than a mountain highway, plus an ending that will shock you.

            Maya, a vet with PTSD is trying to put her life back together after the murder of her husband, Joe. Trying to hold her world together by day for her young daughter and suffering from nightly flash backs to a battle gone horribly wrong, Maya has her hands full. When a friend gives Maya a nannycam, she sets it up, never expecting to see anything shocking on it. But she does; a video of her dead husband playing with their daughter. Is Maya having hallucinations? Is Joe really alive? Who do you trust when you can’t trust anyone? As she works to find out what was really on that video, Maya will uncover far more lies and deceit than she ever expected. Will the truth set her free, or push Maya over the edge?

            This is a novel that WILL fool you. Not once, not twice, but many times over. Whatever you believe the truth to be, you will be wrong. A great beach read, this book will keep you guessing right up to the end.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Burning Fields

by Nathan Brown

Burning Fields is Brown’s first novel, and the author shows promise.  The story revolves around Jacob Fields, a CIA agent presumed dead, whose first act upon returning to the US, is to kill his ex-partner. When the CIA sends agents after Fields, it is with the directive to kill, not apprehend him. What follows is a chess game with hidden agendas, plots and sub plots. Brown does a good job of keeping the tension up, allowing the story to flow and keep the reader’s interest. There is an unresolved issue at the end that hints at further books from Brown.

                This is a good first novel, albeit a little short. The character development could have been better. There is a back story involving Fields that could have used more development and elaboration. I will be watching for future novels from this author since he shows promise.

                Buy this novel and watch for future offerings from this author.