Book Review: Tell No One

Tell No One

Thrillers can be of several types. But for American author Harlan Coben they always seem to revolve around abductions, kidnappings etc.; at least from the books that I've read of his so far. Tell No One is no exception. However it is so predictable, lame and contrived that I would have stopped reading the book halfway had it not been so unputdownable, it quite compensated for almost all its other shortcomings. If it was anything that made me pick the book from my library, it was the blurb on the back jacket. Clever publishers!

Dr. David Beck lost his wife Elizabeth in a freak incident involvng a kidnapping-cum-murder eight years ago. Yet he finds it impossible to shrug himself off the horrifying past and start a new life. It's in such a situation that he gets an anonymous mail, its contents revealing a phrase only he and his dead wife know. Puzzled and shocked at the sudden turn of events, his whole world goes upside down as more secrets tumble out, and Beck is forced to confront the reality about Elizabeth and her existence. But he's been warned to tell no one.

Don't you see now how I fell for the bait? Coben's premise assuredly has the capacity to pique one's interest; unfortunately he fails miserably in the execution. Having read the whole novel in one sitting (the pages literally fly by!), the first person narrative has overdoses of twists and turns pumped in an attempt to stun the readers with consecutive epiphanies. But they are too far-fetched and hard to digest, with Coben choosing an equally incredulous romantic backdrop. Spilling any further details would be a spoiler, if you must choose to read this book. Excusing the overall silliness, Tell No One is a fairly enjoyable read.