Harlan Coben’s best books

Reading lists

Where to start reading Harlan Coben

Think Twice

There's no such thing as the perfect murder. From the global No. 1 bestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix drama Stay Close comes the unputdownable new Sunday Times bestselling Myron Bolitar thriller. 
 
'He never disappoints' STEPHEN KING 
'Witty, tense, sharp, and paced like a racecar, this one hums' GREGG HURWITZ 
'Had me hooked' COSMOPOLITAN 
'Another gripping tale from the modern master of the impossible plot twist' SUN 
'Deliciously complicated and compelling at every turn' DAILY MAIL 
'Just as twisty as you would expect' TELEGRAPH 
‘This tense thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.’ Woman Magazine, Best Books 
_________________ 
 
How can a man who’s already dead be wanted for murder? 
 
This is the question sports agent Myron Bolitar asks himself when two FBI agents visit him in New York. 
 
The man they are looking for is Myron’s former client and rival, Greg Downing. Greg’s DNA has been found at the scene of a high-profile double murder, and he is now the FBI’s main suspect. 
 
But Greg died three years previously, Myron says. He went to his funeral and gave the eulogy. 
 
The FBI are disbelieving, and Myron knows he has to find some answers – and quickly. 
 
Could Greg Downing still be alive? 
 
The more Myron and his close friend Win dig into what really happened, the more dangerous their world becomes . . . 
 
Secrets, lies and a murderous conspiracy that stretches back into the past lie at the heart of Harlan Coben’s blistering new thriller. 
_________________ 
 
Readers love Think Twice . . . 
 
'Great writing. Great dialogue' 
'Harlan Coben does it again!' 
'Highly recommend' 
'Loved, loved, loved' 
'The best one yet' 
_________________ 
 
'HARLAN COBEN never ever lets you down' LEE CHILD 
'HARLAN COBEN: simply one of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN 
'HARLAN COBEN is the modern master of the hook and twist' DAN BROWN 
'HARLAN COBEN is unbelievably brilliant' RICHARD OSMAN 
'HARLAN COBEN is a GREAT writer' JOHN GRISHAM 
 
Harlan Coben, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024 
Think Twice was a top 5 Sunday Times bestseller 26/05/2024

Harlan Coben once again proves to be compulsively readable. Witty, tense, sharp, and paced like a racecar, this one hums. And if you think the maestro of twists and turns has run out of surprises, just wait till you slam into Chapter 40

This is vintage Coben, beautifully constructed, deliciously complicated and compelling at every turn of the page

Another gripping tale from the modern master of the impossible plot twist

This tense thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat

Harlan Coben is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-six languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with ninety million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards. 
 
Coben is also the creator and executive producer of many television shows, including adaptations on Netflix of the #1 global hit Fool Me Once, Missing You, Stay Close, The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good, Hold Tight, Caught, Just One Look, and The Woods as well as the Amazon Prime series adaptation of Shelter. His forthcoming TV series include Run Away and I Will Find You on Netflix, Lazarus on Amazon Prime and many more in the works.

How can a man who’s already dead be wanted for murder? 
 
This is the question sports agent Myron Bolitar asks himself when two FBI agents come looking for his former client and rival, Greg Downing. 
 
Greg’s DNA has been found at the scene of a recent high-profile double murder, and he is now the FBI’s main suspect. 
 
But that’s impossible. Greg died three years ago. Myron went to his funeral and gave the eulogy. 
 
But why would someone frame a dead man for murder? 
 
Or is Greg Downing still alive? 
 
The more Myron digs into this mystery, the more dangerous his world becomes . . . 
____________________________________ 
 
'HARLAN COBEN never disappoints' STEPHEN KING 
 
'HARLAN COBEN: simply one of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN 
'HARLAN COBEN is the modern master of the hook and twist' DAN BROWN 
'HARLAN COBEN never ever lets you down' LEE CHILD 
'HARLAN COBEN is unbelievably brilliant' RICHARD OSMAN 
'HARLAN COBEN is a GREAT writer' JOHN GRISHAM

Home

An un-putdownable thriller from the internationally bestselling author of I Will Find You and Fool Me Once. 
 
'Loved it!' Richard Osman 
'Another instant Coben Bolitar classic' Michael J Fox 
'Coben is a phenomenon' The Times 
'Told at breakneck pace, it glows on the page' Daily Mail 
'To the aficionados of the series, this will feel like a homecoming' Guardian 
___________ 
 
A decade ago, two boys were kidnapped from a wealthy New Jersey home. 
 
Now, one of the boys has been found, wandering the streets of London. 
 
But, home at last, he won’t say a word about what happened to him and crucial questions remain unanswered. 
 
Who took him all those years ago? Where has he been? 
 
And, most of all, where is his missing friend? 
___________ 
 
Readers can't get enough of Home . . . 
 
***** 'Harlan Coben never seems to fail' 
***** 'Gripping' 
***** 'This is Coben's finest' 
***** 'Couldn't put it down!' 
***** 'Tense, clever, funny' 
___________ 
 
Praise for Harlan Coben . . . 
 
'HARLAN COBEN never ever lets you down' LEE CHILD 
'HARLAN COBEN: simply one of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN 
'HARLAN COBEN is the modern master of the hook and twist' DAN BROWN 
'HARLAN COBEN is unbelievably brilliant' RICHARD OSMAN 
'HARLAN COBEN is a GREAT writer' JOHN GRISHAM 
 
Harlan Coben, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024

Coben is a phenomenon - the most reliable of American thriller-writers, the least likely to disappoint ... the true mystery is Coben's extraordinary capacity to keep writing such wonderful thrillers

Told at breakneck pace, it glows on the page… Terrifying and unputdownable.

Just   finished the brilliant new @HarlanCoben   novel 'Home'. Myron, Win and the gang are all back, and some of it is even in   London. Loved it!

The skill of Harlan Coben is illustrated by the ease that this novel uncoils, with humour and empathy striating the twisty narrative…. Home doesn’t require a bookmark as it is hard to put the book down once the spine is broken, as your hands will appear glued to the binding.

To the aficionados of the series, this will feel like a homecoming

A decade ago, two boys were kidnapped from a wealthy New Jersey home. 
 
Now, one of the boys has been found, wandering the streets of London. 
 
But, home at last, he won’t say a word about what happened to him and crucial questions remain unanswered. 
 
Who took him all those years ago? Where has he been? 
 
And, most of all, where is his missing friend? 
__________________________________ 
 
Praise for Harlan Coben... 
 
'HARLAN COBEN never ever lets you down' LEE CHILD 
'HARLAN COBEN: simply one of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN 
'HARLAN COBEN is the modern master of the hook and twist' DAN BROWN 
'HARLAN COBEN is unbelievably brilliant' RICHARD OSMAN 
'HARLAN COBEN is a GREAT writer' JOHN GRISHAM

Fool Me Once

THE BIGGEST NETFLIX SHOW OF 2024 STARRING MICHELLE KEEGAN, JOANNA LUMLEY AND RICHARD ARMITAGE. 
 
READ THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL . . . 
 
'The absolute master' RICHARD OSMAN 
'One of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN 
'At the top of his game' PETER JAMES 
'Never lets you down' LEE CHILD 
_______________ 
 
You think you know the truth. The truth is you know nothing. 
 
If your husband was murdered. 
 
And you were a witness. 
 
How do you explain it when he appears on your nanny cam, back from the dead? 
 
You thought you trusted him. 
 
Now you can't even trust yourself. 
 
Dark secrets and a terrifying hunt for the truth lie at the heart of this gripping thriller by the 'master of the double twist' Harlan Coben ... 
_______________ 
 
Readers love Fool Me Once . . . 
 
***** 'This book was such a spine tingling page turner!' 
***** 'The story was fast-paced and very captivating. I couldn't wait to see how everything would turn out.' 
***** 'Any reader who enjoys a cleverly plotted book filled with twists and turns will enjoy this one.' 
***** 'An excellent thriller, packed with taut, edgy suspense, and is certainly entertaining.' 
***** 'What a story. What a plot.'

…adorned with that peerless brand of storytelling he always provides.

Fool Me Once is a perfect example of what makes his work so appealing… When you're writing a story full of twists, nothing is ever the way it seems, and Coben is brilliant in the way he reminds you of this with small references to ambiguities, to yin and yang, things like the opposite interpretations of the Second Amendment, to a school overlooking a graveyard, or receiving lines at weddings and funerals. Reminders that things have different meanings at different times. I won't give away any spoilers, but the climax of the story not only ties things together, but does it in a way that is chilling and maybe darker than anything I've read from Coben…[There is a] brilliant finish.

Coben excels in thrillers about families torn apart by secrets…Typically twisty read with customary Coben shock ending.

This slick thriller examines what you can believe and who you ever really trust… Coben has excelled himself.  This intense and multi-layered story has a very creepy conspiracy.  Exciting, poignant and insanely readable.

Coben hits the bull's eye again with a tale guaranteed to fool even the craftiest readers a lot more than once.

Coben is like a skilled magician saving the best, most stunning trick for the very end.

Coben’s storytelling is as moreish as ever

a top notch thriller…an enjoyable twisty experience where I defy you to predict the ending! A standalone novel that will delighted fans both old and new.

this book was fantastic… Very hard to put down, I most definitely recommend this to thriller fans and I sure that Coben fans will not be disappointed

Another masterful display from the master of smoke and mirrors fiction

There is nothing quite as exciting as a brand new Harlen Coben…Brimming with plot twists, secret lives and untrustworthy confidantes, Fool Me Once centres around Maya Stern…badass and totally cool – she is a heroine you won’t be able to get enough of.

An outrageously stunning read, that takes a tight hold from the outset and continues to squeeze until the shockingly intense end.

As ever, Coben ramps up the tension expertly.

Slick, stylish and – ultimately – beautifully crafted and delivered, Harlan Coben’s Fool Me Once is tremendous crime novel of depth, pathos, shocks and surprises that will delight anyone who loves great crime fiction that’s made to make jaws drop in wonder.

Full of twists and turns… a gripping page-turner

Coben remains one of the most reliable thriller writers around and his standalones, like Fool Me Once, make it very easy to entice new readers on board.

I am a huge fan of Harlan Coben and have read just about all his books, and this one surpassed my expectations. This is a very clever and well thought out plot and kept me guessing right up to the very end.

He takes you on a journey so detailed, and with such rich characters, that when the inevitable twist finally comes, it really stings. As the truth about that fateful night is revealed, it will leave you wondering if you can really trust anyone at all. Another must read from Camp Coben.

*Soon to be a hit Netflix series starring Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Joanna Lumley and Richard Armitage* 
 
You think you know the truth. The truth is you know nothing. 
 
If your husband was murdered. 
 
And you were a witness. 
 
How do you explain it when he appears on your nanny cam, back from the dead? 
 
You thought you trusted him. 
 
Now you can't even trust yourself. 
 
Dark secrets and a terrifying hunt for the truth lie at the heart of this gripping thriller by the 'master of the double twist' Harlan Coben ... 
_______________ 
 
'The absolute master' RICHARD OSMAN 
'One of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN 
'At the top of his game' PETER JAMES 
'Never lets you down' LEE CHILD

I Will Find You

A master of the intricately plotted thriller, I Will Find You bristles with the irresistible storytelling nous that is Coben&rsquo;s purview

Rightly admired for his plotting, Coben pulls off some trademark twists and scores with the screwball exchanges of two FBI agents

I Will Find You takes the heart-pounding action to another level, leaving the reader on tenterhooks until an explosive finale. Coben is a writer at the top of his game and this thriller is one of his best yet

Compelling... A fantastically breakneck prison break/fugitive adventure story

It certainly delivers pace and the requisite sugar rush of excitement

Coben is definitely the master of the page-turner. In fact, he says he hasn't done his job if you don't end up reading his books late into the night. And believe me, dear reader, that is exactly what you will be doing with this novel

Coben is recognised as the master of the modern thriller and this is one you absolutely won&rsquo;t want to miss

This has such a superb opening that you&rsquo;ll lock yourself away so you aren&rsquo;t interrupted whilst reading! The master of Netflix adaptions is on fine form

This is a dramatic suspenseful Coben novel&hellip; a fabulous crime novel with a satisfying resolution

An enthrallingly tense read from start to finish

You can&rsquo;t go wrong with Harlan Coben. If you&rsquo;re after the kind of thriller that has you taking the phone off the hook&hellip; and staying up past any reasonable hour in order to keep turning the pages, then he&rsquo;s your man

Harlan&rsquo;s plots never drop below breakneck speed &hellip; By the end my head was spinning, but it&rsquo;s expertly done, a visual tale that will surely be on screen one day. For now, it&rsquo;s a perfect page-turner

David and Cheryl Burroughs are living the dream - married, a beautiful house in the suburbs, a three year old son named Matthew - when tragedy strikes one night in the worst possible way. 
 
David awakes to find himself covered in blood, but not his own - his son's. And while he knows he did not murder his son, the overwhelming evidence against him puts him behind bars indefinitely. 
 
Five years into his imprisonment, Cheryl's sister arrives - and drops a bombshell. 
 
She's come with a photograph that a friend took on vacation at a theme park. The boy in the background seems familiar - and even though David realizes it can't be, he knows it is. 
 
It's Matthew, and he's still alive. 
 
David plans a harrowing escape from prison, determined to do what seems impossible - save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened that devastating night. 
______________ 
 
Praise for Harlan Coben ... 
 
'Unbelievably brilliant' RICHARD OSMAN 
'A GREAT writer' JOHN GRISHAM 
'Never lets you down' LEE CHILD 
'Simply one of the all-time greats' GILLIAN FLYNN 
'The modern master of the hook and twist' DAN BROWN 
'One of the world's finest thriller writers' PETER JAMES

Don't Let Go

From the international bestselling author of Home and Fool Me Once. Mistaken identities, dark family secrets and mysterious conspiracies lie at the heart of this gripping thriller. 
 
'The master of the double-twist' The Times 
'Simply one of the all-time greats' Gillian Flynn 
'The modern master of the hook and twist' Dan Brown 
'As moreish as ever' Sunday Times 
______________ 
 
Secrets can kill. But will the truth set him free? 
 
Fifteen years ago, Detective Nap Dumas' twin brother was found dead on the railway tracks near his home. 
 
Most people concluded it was a tragic suicide. Nap did not. 
 
Now, after years of searching for answers, he believes he may have finally found what he's been looking for. 
 
But Nap is a cop who plays by his own rules. 
 
And when the past comes back to haunt him, he discovers secrets can kill . . . 
______________ 
 
Readers can't get enough of Don't Let Go ... 
 
***** 'An absolutely superb, stand-alone thriller to add to his (and my) collection.' 
***** 'Don't Let Go is one of the best books Harlan Coben has ever written.' 
***** 'An ingenious, potent, and disturbing thriller.' 
***** 'All the stars and wow this was one awesome book with a main character that I absolutely loved!!' 
***** 'I highly recommend it to thriller readers young and old and I look forward with baited breath for Harlan's next book.'

Secrets can kill. But will the truth set him free? 
 
Fifteen years ago, Detective Nap Dumas' twin brother was found dead on the railway tracks near his home. 
 
Most people concluded it was a tragic suicide. Nap did not. 
 
Now, after years of searching for answers, he believes he may have finally found what he's been looking for. 
 
But Nap is a cop who plays by his own rules. 
 
And when the past comes back to haunt him, he discovers secrets can kill . . . 
______________ 
 
'The master of the double-twist' The Times 
 
'Simply one of the all-time greats' Gillian Flynn 
 
'The modern master of the hook and twist' Dan Brown 
 
'As moreish as ever' Sunday Times

The Match

Discover the exhilarating Richard and Judy Book Club pick from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling crime thriller author 
 
'The absolute master' Richard Osman 
'One of the all-time greats' Gillian Flynn 
'Never lets you down' Lee Child 
'One of my favourites' John Grisham 
'Harlan Coben is the king of a killer twist [...] a highly addictive read.' HEAT 
_________ 
 
He is known simply as Wilde, the boy from the woods. 
 
Discovered living a feral existence in the Ramapo mountains of New Jersey, he has grown up knowing nothing of his parents, and even less about his own identity. 
 
But when a match on a DNA database puts him on the trail of a close relative, Wilde thinks he might be about to solve the mystery of who he really is. 
 
Only, this relation disappears as quickly as he's resurfaced. 
 
Undaunted, Wilde continues his research, becoming caught up in a secret community committed to exposing anonymous online trolls. 
 
Then one by one, people start to die. It soon becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting this secret community. 
 
And that the next victim could be Wilde himself . . . 
_________ 
 
'A helter-skelter of a read!' Lisa Jewell 
'At the top of his game' Peter James 
'Twisty, well characterised, gently satirical' Jake Kerridge 
'Insanely readable' Sunday Mirror 
'Coben is a phenomenon' The Times 
'It really is a page-turning thriller' JAZZ FM 
'The king of tense thrillers is back with a book steeped in jaw-dropping twists.' OK! 
'A superb twist I really didn't see coming' Jackie's Reading Corner 
_________ 
 
Readers love The Match . . . 
 
***** 'A compelling read and one I'd highly recommend to those who like an intelligent plot' 
***** 'It was very entertaining.' 
***** 'The twists/turns are endless and putting it down was always with much angst.' 
***** 'He's a master storyteller.' 
***** 'An easy 5 star review for me. Get a copy of this, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.' 
 
 
The Match, Sunday Times bestseller, January 2023 
Richard and Judy Book Club pick, December 2022 
Harlan Coben, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024

He is known simply as Wilde, the boy from the woods. 
 
He has grown up knowing nothing of his family, and even less about his own identity. 
 
Until now. 
 
When a match on a DNA database puts him on the trail of a close relative - the only family member he has ever known - Wilde thinks he might be about to solve the mystery of who he really is. 
 
Only this relation disappears as quickly as he's resurfaced. Undaunted, Wilde continues his research, becoming caught up in a secret community committed to exposing anonymous online trolls. 
 
Then one by one, people start to die, and it soon becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting this secret community. 
 
And that the next victim could be Wilde himself . . .

Harlan Coben

A tense, suspenseful and action-packed thriller . . . it’ll have you staying up late into the night to find out what happens next

A year after the devastating events that took place in Fool Me Once, a secret from former Detective Sami Kierce's college days comes back to haunt him. Present day is hard enough for Kierce, but his past isn’t through with him yet… 
Sami Kierce, a young college grad backpacking in Spain with friends, wakes up one morning, covered in blood. There’s a knife in his hand. Beside him, the body of his girlfriend. Anna. Dead. He begins to scream - and then he runs. 
Twenty two years later, Kierce, now a private investigator, is a new father who’s working off his debts by teaching wannabe sleuths at a night school in New York City. One evening, he recognizes a familiar face at the back of the classroom. Anna. It’s unmistakably her. But as soon as he makes eye contact with her, she bolts.For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the impossible mystery that has haunted his every waking moment since that terrible day.His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past. Soon he discovers that some secrets should stay buried 
_________ 
 
HARLAN COBEN never ever lets you down - LEE CHILD 
HARLAN COBEN: simply one of the all-time greats - GILLIAN FLYNN 
HARLAN COBEN never disappoints – STEPHEN KING 
HARLAN COBEN is the modern master of the hook and twist - DAN BROWN 
HARLAN COBEN is unbelievably brilliant - RICHARD OSMAN 
HARLAN COBEN is a GREAT writer - JOHN GRISHAM

Harlan Coben

Praise for Nobody’s Fool

A tense, suspenseful and action-packed thriller . . . it’ll have you staying up late into the night to find out what happens next

I couldn’t put it down

Books by Harlan Coben

Series by Harlan Coben

Myron Bolitar

Articles featuring Harlan Coben

Where to start reading Harlan Coben

On Dead Good

14 best detective thriller books of all time

9 crime TV shows you shouldn’t miss in 2025

What to read next if you love Harlan Coben

7 must-read books for Fool Me Once fans

Harlan Coben: writing thrillers

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter