Review copy was received from Library. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben Narrator: January LaVoy
Series: Detective Sami Kierce #1
Published by Brilliance Audio on March 22, 2016
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Length: 10 hours, 5 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
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.
I read Fool Me Once to prepare for the next book in the series, Nobody’s Fool. The characters mostly were wealthy enough to be able to spend their time as they wanted without worrying about the bills which always seems unrealistic. The series is Sami Kierce but there was no Sami Kierce in this book, only a Roger Kierce.
The main character here is Maya whose husband, Joe, has been murdered. She has not been back in the US long after being deployed overseas in the military. So she is getting used to her new circumstances and caring for her 2 year old daughter, Lily. Her sister, Claire was also murdered about 4 months ago and she worked with Joe.
Maya spends her time researching how and why Claire might have been killed. This has her looking into the family business since both Joe and Claire worked there. But she finds a lot of things especially when there is a nanny cam that seems to show Joe is still alive. Maya is also trying to help Claire’s husband, Eddie as with his grief he is not managing his 2 middle school kids very well. She needs answers for herself and Eddie.
The bulk of the story has Maya investigating who killed Joe and Claire. The information is disjointed because she learns things in bits and pieces. Of course, many people aren’t honest with her. The police, Detective Kierce, talks to her more than a few times but it is obvious she didn’t kill Claire and he doesn’t believe she killed Joe.
Things get interesting as more facts come to light. The ending is very twisty and I enjoyed it.
Narration:
January LaVoy is an excellent narrator. She handled the story and voices well. There are females, males and children but most of the story is with Maya. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About January LaVoy
photo: Scott Sherratt
January (she/her) is an Atlanta-based actress, best known for her role as Noelle Ortiz-Stubbs on the long-running ABC daytime drama ONE LIFE TO LIVE. She has appeared on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters across the country, and guest starred on several prime time network series, including Elementary, Blue Bloods, and N0S4A2. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, and was a faculty member in the Department of Theater and Dance at Emory University from 2019-2021.
An Audiofile Magazine “Golden Voice” since May 2019, January has an extensive body of work in both narration and commercial voiceover. With hundreds of audiobook titles to her credit, she has received more than thirty Earphones Awards, eighteen Audie Award nominations (including seven wins), and was named Publishers Weekly’s “Audiobook Narrator of the Year” for 2013. Her voice has been heard in national campaigns for dozens of products, and she shares a 2020 Grammy nomination with Meryl Streep and the cast of the Charlotte’s Web audiobook, in which she plays the title role of Charlotte.
About Harlan Coben
With over 60 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben’s last seven consecutive novels, MISSING YOU, SIX YEARS, STAY CLOSE, LIVE WIRE, CAUGHT, LONG LOST and HOLD TIGHT all debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and lists around the world. His books are published in 43 languages around the globe.
Coben is the winner of the Edgar Award, Shamus Award and Anthony Award – the first author to win all three – and he has received an eclectic variety of honors from all over the world. His novel TELL NO ONE has been turned into a hit French film of the same name. His essays and columns have appeared in many top publications.
Harlan was born in Newark, New Jersey. He still lives in New Jersey with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben MD, a pediatrician, and their four children.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
This is an author I really need to read. This sounds good and definitely like one I need to read.
I really enjoy this author. I like this one pretty well. But he has many others I have liked more.
I started watching the Netflix adaptation of this one and I had to stop because the story wasn’t believable. Sometimes I can suspend my disbelief, but here. The acting was pretty terrible, too. Glad the book was better.
This one was pretty good but the next one was confusing and less enjoyable. He has many other books I have enjoyed a lot.
Might consider this for book club
I liked this better than the second book.
I had a friend who loved this author, and then I met him in passing at BEA in NYC back in 2013 I think? He was a really nice guy. I think maybe my mom just started reading him too. Glad you enjoyed this one getting ready for the next book. Great review!
He’s written a lot of books I enjoy. His stand alone mystery thriller are also great, not just the series.