I Will Find You

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben is a 2023 Grand Central Publication.

I know I just finished a Coben book a few weeks back and I seldom read a book by the same author too close together, but this is a new release and decided to treat myself to yet another mind-bender from one of my favorite go-to

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authors.

The premise is compelling. David is sent to prison for murdering his own son while allegedly drunk or in a fugue state. Five years into this prison stint, his former sister in law, Rachel visits him, revealing a possibility that will turn his world tilts on its axis. Rachel has discovered a photograph of a little boy that looks exactly like David’s son, Matthew. But how can that be? Is it really Matthew? In order to find out for sure, David needs to find a way of prison….

As usual, Coben grabbed my attention right away and I was ready and willing to be carried away into whatever murky, twisted tale he might have in store for me. I usually give thrillers a great deal of latitude when it comes to plausibility, but this one is just a wee bit too far-fetched for my taste.

That said, I was still invested in the story, and stayed up past my usual bedtime to see how it all turned out. Even the best, most reputable, dependable authors can under perform on occasion- but even so- Coben’s lesser efforts still out flank most of today’s newest releases… so there’s that.

Overall, this is not one of Coben’s best undertaking, in my opinion, and I’m rating this one according to Coben’s own high standards. That said, I did find the story entertaining enough and it held my attention from start to finish.

Diehard Coben fans who read everything he writes will still find this novel satisfying if one can keep your expectations in check. Coben is still a ‘go-to’ author and as always, I’ll be the first line for his next book.

3 stars

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This was incredibly exciting right from the start! I have been a huge fan of Harlan Coben’s work for a very long time. I was really eager to read this book and went into the book with incredibly high expectations. I am happy to report that those expectations were all met. This was the kind of

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story that grabs you right away and doesn’t let go and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I couldn’t imagine finding myself in David’s situation. To not only lose a child but to be serving time for that child’s murder when you know that you didn’t do it. When he learns that his son may actually be alive, he will stop at nothing to find him. I found this book almost impossible to put down and I loved the fact that it kept me guessing until the end.

I had so many questions as I worked my way through this story. I hoped that David would actually find that his son was still alive but then that raised the question of who was actually killed. Every time I thought that I had things figured out, something would happen and I would realize that I had been wrong. I really liked the characters and wanted to see things work out for them. I am not sure that everything that occurred in the book was entirely possible but it was entertaining so it works for me.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I loved the twists and turns of the story that kept me glued to the pages. I thought that the characters were easy to like and I felt invested in the outcome of the story. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s writing.

I received a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing.

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Harlan Coben is hands down, one of my favourite authors. I eagerly await every new book. And then despite my plan to savour it slowly - I end up binge reading late into the night. This latest book, I Will Find You is no exception!

Coben gives us a protagonist who, on first glance, looks like he

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should be the antagonist. David Burroughs has been in prison for the last five years for killing his three year old son, even though he swears he’s innocent. A chance picture of a boy who looks like young Matthew raises David’s hopes. Could his son be alive?

I’m always behind a premise like this, where it’s David and Goliath battle. Can an everyday guy beat the odds? Prove his innocence? And in this case, find his son?

The tension starts in the first pages and just never lets up. Prison breaks, gangland bosses, shady wealthy families, old friends and foes, tendrils from the past and more is all woven into a non stop, edge of your seat, heart pounding plot. Did I mention the twisty turns that change the narrative? I was surprised every time!

And I have to mention the dialogue between the two FBI agents. It's a rapid patter that is actually quite funny.

Over the top? A wee bit, but just go with it - it’s such a great read.

Coben fans will enjoy the cameo of Hester Crimstein from the Wilde series. I can see this one coming to a screen.

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I am a huge Harlan Cohen fan and have read all of his books and his newest did not disappoint. One of his best! A real page turner, great plot, characters and full of twists. And the less you know about the story the better for your enjoyment.
Highly recommended.
There is a reason why he is my go to

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Author.

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I almost always love Harlan Coben, and this is no exception. A man serving a life sentence for killing his own son finds out that the child is not dead. He proceeds to break out o prison to find the boy.

Mystery thriller that requires more suspension of disbelief than I could manage.

A man serving a life sentence in prison is confronted with a photograph that suggests that the son he was convicted of killing is still alive.

I haven't read Coben in some time despite really enjoying his first books. I

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picked this one to give the author another chance but ended up almost marking it DNF. The plot was riddled with so many holes and instances of ludicrousness that I was mostly shaking my head. I didn't care about the characters and the ending was so predictable -- it was only a matter of how far things would twist to get it done.

In the end, the book met my every expectation. The story line was unbelievable and not at all compelling. I'm sure many Coben fans will disagree with me and that's fine -- to each their own. I won't be trying another.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review. Pass.

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It’s been five years since David Burroughs was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his three-year-old son Matthew. Eyewitness testimony claiming to have witnessed him burying the murder weapon and his own hazy memories of the night contributed to his conviction, though David has

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consistently maintained that he is innocent. Since then his marriage to his high school sweetheart, Matthew’s mother Cheryl has ended and she has moved on. He has refused to accept visitors and has cut himself off from friends and family. But then, his former sister-in-law Rachel, a journalist who has suffered setbacks both personally and professionally, turns up with a photograph taken by her friends during a recent trip to an amusement park that shows a child who resembles Matthew.

Is Matthew still alive? If so, whose body did they bury? If he is alive, where is Matthew now?

The first step is breaking out of a maximum security prison and that isn’t going to be easy. Adding to his problems is a new inmate who seems to have it in for David. Then comes evading the FBI, who are in pursuit, while he searches for the truth David does not doubt that the child in the picture is his son and he will leave no stone unturned to find him. It soon becomes evident that there are forces at play who don’t want David to find out what truly happened five years ago and will go to any length to make sure of it.

Harlan Coben’s stories are well-crafted and engaging and reel you in from the very first page. I Will Find You is no exception. The mystery angle is well executed and though the main characters David and Rachel are both seriously flawed individuals you don’t hesitate to root for them. The story also features a strong cast of supporting characters – including David’s friends and allies (among whom is Attorney Heather Crimstein who plays a significant role in assisting Rachel and David), and foes, both old and new. I should mention that a few scenes of prison violence are a bit disturbing. The FBI Agent duo featured in this story and their comedy act was a tad annoying. Though those segments did mess with the otherwise consistent pacing, thankfully it doesn't detract from the overall reading experience.

Overall, as far as action-packed suspense thrillers go, Harlan Coben’s I Will Find You does not disappoint! Fans of this genre are well aware that enjoying these books requires suspension of disbelief. As long as you don’t overthink it and don’t mind the OTT moments, you will enjoy the ride!

Many thanks to author Harlan Coben, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. This book is due to be released on March 14, 2023.

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"Harlan Coben can always be relied on for a few hours of enjoyable escapism and "I Will Find You was one of his better novels. Full of twists and turns, it was action-packed and exciting, and I was on the edge of my seat most of the time hoping David wouldn't be caught and returned to prison. Every

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time I thought he was close to finding his son, something would happen to mess things up.

Although over the top, "I Will Find You" was a fast-paced, gripping read that was difficult to put down until the last page. I can easily see it becoming a movie adaptation.

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I have nothing but five stars, or more, for books by Harlan Coben. HOWEVER, I must admit that this one DID give me....pause. Was it just the tiniest bit TOO contrived ---of COURSE it's a thriller and anything can be done in a thriller but I had a hard time at the beginning...wondering where this

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story could possibly go. The twists and turns were incredible and we are left with just a little cliff hanger at the end. All I can say is that Coben just needs to keep writing his incredible stories!!!

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I WILL FIND YOU is another Harlan Coben book written in his usual style. That might sound negative, but it's not. I love Coben's style and so do an awful lot of other readers. So why change a winning formula?

Almost all of I WILL FIND YOU is a chase. David, who is in jail for killing his son,

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Mathew, manages to escape with the help of friends. He didn't do it and is convinced his son is alive. So now the chase is on as FBI detectives and police go after what they think is an armed-and-dangerous child murderer. And David gets closer and closer to learning the truth of what really happened.

As usual with Coben's books, you need to suspend your disbelief at times. Do that, and you will enjoy the heck out of I WILL FIND YOU.

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From my point of view, a story that stretches the bounds of probability, but nevertheless a feel good scenario, helping us think that justice can be achieved in the most improbable ways.

Two plot strands: a father jailed for life for killing his 3 year old son, and then the possibility that the son

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is still alive.

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Harlan Coben always writes a great thriller. In this one, David is 5 years into serving a life sentence for murdering his child. He believes he is innocent, but is resigned to spend life in prison without his son. When his former sister-in-law, Rachel, visits him with a recent picture of Matthew,

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he is determined to find his son. The warden and his son help orchestrate a break-out. Then, David is chased across the country while searching for his son. David and Cheryl divorced due to the strain of fertility / pregnancy troubles, and Cheryl's deceit. This is also a story of paternity, wealth, and secrets.
Another exciting book by Coben.

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