A review by godofwar
The Innocent by Harlan Coben

2.0

two-dimensional characters running circles around a contrived plot that's trying too hard to be unpredictable, only to end up so confusing that the characters need to spend the last ~50 pages just stating everything in dialogue because there's really no way for the reader to sort everything out on their own. it's also horribly dated, in a way that makes for a painful reading experience; i get that certain tech must have felt futuristic at the time of publication, but it's just a little cringe to read in 2023 about the wonders of a "camera phone."

Spoiler

one of the 'twists' also feels vaguely transphobic. the main character's wife had faked her death years earlier, and the reason some people found out she wasn't really dead is because the woman whose body she passed off as her own had AIS, but the language used regarding this character and her condition becomes pretty gross. it's not handled well at all.

i'm a fan of a few of coben's shows, so it's disappointing to hate the first book i've read by him. but, i'll give him a couple more chances. hopefully this is just a one-off.