Book Review ‘The Stranger’ by Harlan Coben

The internet is a scary frontier and not a day goes by that we do not learn of a negative incident involving the web.

However, most of these situations involve unsavory, cruel, or even sick individuals on social media. Under those circumstances, most of us now know the risks and take precautions to alleviate some of our exposure.

On the other hand, what about the crevices in cyberspace where we do not expect a dark faceless stranger to be hiding? After all, outside of social media and beyond a financial gain, do we expect anyone to care? Think, again. 

Fathom an act of deceit committed by an insecure wife, a lie so personal it should matter to no one except the woman and her husband. Nevertheless, two years after the fact, it shatters the cozy life the couple created and it doesn't stop with them.

In spite of, an often annoying amount of petty details, THE STRANGER is engrossing and engaging. In addition to our existing fears, it forces us to re-evaluate, yet again, as the premise exposes another possible concern about individual privacy on the web when a quasi-group of “holier than thou” self-professed vigilantes naively set a chain of seemingly unrelated events into motion. The results of their stupidity are deadly.

Veteran, author, Harlan Coben manages the layers of complexity and the various subplots well. On so many levels, this is an intricate story and his skill as an award-winning author shines through as he keeps the entanglement from becoming chaotic. His art results in an addictive suspenseful tale.

The much sought after audio performer, George Newbern, narrates and, of course, his performance is outstanding. All-in-all, this book is a good choice in any format.

Review by Sammy Sutton