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I started reading this book expecting not to like it. I'm a great fan of Coben's Myron Bolitar sports agent series, but his standalones have so far left me cold. The ending of TELL NO ONE made me so mad that it was touch and go as to whether the book was going to hit the opposite wall of my living room at speed. I began NO SECOND CHANCE in the waiting room at the osteopath's. Several hours later, when I'd returned home and realised I didn't have the book with me, I sent out a search party to find it, as I was hooked. So thank you to the man who found it and saved me a trip into town to buy a replacement copy! Coben treads a fine line between smart-arseness and a writing voice all of his own. He can certainly tell a tale, and carries you along with a roguish wink and a nudge in the ribs. OK, so often you do feel that it's a case of 'look at me, ma!' But by this time you'll forgive him almost anything. The quick and dirty guide to NO SECOND CHANCE is this. Marc Seidman, a plastic surgeon, wakes up in hospital to find out his wife is dead and their baby daughter is missing. A fortnight later, a ransom note arrives, warning him not to tell the police if he wants to see little Tara again. So he hooks up with old flame Rachel, a former FBI agent, to track down the child. You can guarantee with Coben that there will be hairpin bend plot twists and a pile of past history to contend with. And there are some great supporting characters -- gun-mad Verne; Rachel, Marc's blast from the past and his colleague Zia. I didn't see the final plot twist coming, and if you are feeling particularly grumpy, you might think the ending is a touch too pat. But it's been an exhilarating ride to get there, and this time at least Coben plays fair with his readers.
Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, March 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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