The Cephalopod Coffeehouse: Six Years

It has been a long time since I’ve read a novel that has made me want to read everything that author writes. I have found that magical connection with the books of Harlan Coben. 

For the second month in a row, I’m choosing one of his books to feature as the best book I’ve read this month in the blog hop through The Cephalopod Coffeehouse. 

Six Years is the story of Jake Fisher, a man plagued by the memory of the woman he watched marry Todd Sanderson six years before. He wonders if he missed out on the best thing that might have ever happened to him. Should he have been the one marrying Natalie?

At the time of Natalie’s marriage, he promised that he would leave her alone and never try to contact her. But when he comes across Todd Sanderson’s obituary in the paper, he decides to break that promise and contact the woman who once meant so much to him. Jake attends the funeral to pay his respects, but when he catches a glimpse of Todd’s widow (a woman to whom Todd’s been married for over ten years, apparently), Jake knows the widow is not Natalie.  

As a college professor, Jake is well-versed in the methods of research, and he begins an all-out search for the woman named Natalie. As he tries to untangle the sticky and confusing web of Natalie’s whereabouts, he finds that no one will talk to him, no one remembers him, no one saw or knows anything. Even friends with whom he and Natalie had once socialized don’t recollect ever having seen them together.

In the midst of it all, Jake finds himself entangled a dangerous game that threatens his very life—the life he lives and the life he thinks he lives. Is Natalie’s whole life a lie? Or is his?

Just like The Stranger, Six Years is a compelling page-turner. From the two books I’ve read, Coben appears to a master of the guessing game. What is going on? How did this happen? How will he get out of this?

I love it when an author weaves a tale in which I cannot figure out the answers until the end. Coben does not use plot conveniences, but he capitalizes on jaw-dropping plot twists. His characters are flawed and damaged, yet human and understandable, invoking a willingness to follow and believe them.

I loved this novel, which was recommended to me by my blog buddy and author, Stephanie Faris. She has a great list of books every month, and I always try to snag one from her list to read.

Upcoming for me this month are the following books and their accompanying blurbs from Amazon. I’ll let you know next month if one of them turns out to be my best read of the month.

The Watershed by Wilden Turk

There’s something in the water… Or so believes muck-raking journalist Owen Fisher. When he’s suddenly arrested under suspicious circumstances, he can only assume that his latest article went viral, the one in which he accused the world’s largest water company of selling tainted water. If he’s wrong, only one person’s life is over: his own. But if he’s right, the world as we know it is on the brink of collapse.

The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart

Adrienne Vogt and Harper Penny were closer than sisters, until the day a tragedy blew their seemingly idyllic world apart. Afraid that they got away with murder and unable to accept who they had lost—and what they had done—Harper and Adri exiled themselves from small-town Blackhawk, Iowa, and from each other. Adriran thousands of miles away to Africa while Harper ventured down a more destructive path closer to home.

Now, five years later, both are convinced that nothing could ever coax them out of the worlds in which they’ve been living. But unexpected news from home soon pulls Adri and Harper back together, and the two cannot avoid facing their memories and guilt head-on. As they are pulled back into the tangle of their fractured relationships and the mystery of Piperhall, the sprawling estate where their lives first began to unravel, secrets and lies behind the tragic accident are laid bare. The former best friends are forced to come to terms with their shared past and search for the beauty in each other while mending the brokenness in themselves.

Tell me what good books you have read this month. Then head on over and check out some of the great books on the other stops of this blog hop.

Favorite Things Friday: The Stranger

I hate to say it, but most of the time I find myself beginning a novel, only to finish the first chapter and think, “There’s nothing new here. Same old story, just different character names.” This might explain why I start five or six books at a time and find it a chore to finish any of them.

But this month, I found a novel that kept me turning pages, eager to know what would happen next. 

The Stranger by Harlan Coben was a recommendation by a blogger buddy, Stephanie Faris.  When I read her review, I immediately bought the book on Amazon, but it’s taken me several months to actually read it. 

 

This story is riveting in the same way as Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.It starts out with the main character, Adam Price, having a conversation in a bar with a stranger. The stranger knows a lot about his life. He even knows about Adam’s wife and her miscarriage. And then he plants the seed in Adam’s mind that germinates into doubt: “Did your wife fake her pregnancy?” Adam initially dismisses the idea, but after talking to the stranger, he can’t shake the possibility. This possibility grows into mistrust, and Adam digs a little deeper into his wife’s life only to learn devastating information about his own marriage. 

The stranger is a fascinating character. For most of the book, it is unclear who he is or why he’s doing what he’s doing. He plants suspicion with the power of suggestion, and then he disappears, leaving the recipient of the information in a whirlwind of emotion and fear.

The setting is relatable—a suburbia full of soccer moms and involved dads. It’s a voyeuristic peek into neighbor’s houses as they sort through their spouse’s secrets, their children’s dangerous activities, and their own weak, self-created mirage of perfection.

Harlan Coben creates suspense on every page, but it’s not fill-in-the-template, formulaic kind of suspense. It’s original, fresh, and unique. There’s an eeriness to the story without being over the top, and three-quarters of the way into the story, it's hard to know what is going to happen or how it will end.

I love the tag line from Amazon: “The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.”

What have you been reading this month?