BOOK REVIEW: I WILL FIND YOU by Harlan Coben

BOOK REVIEW: I WILL FIND YOU by Harlan Coben
Penguin Random House
March 2023 – rrp AUD$32.99
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
84%

Harlan Coben’s latest novel came about by asking himself, “What if you were accused of the worst crime possible? What happens if, after losing everything and being imprisoned, you find evidence that could prove your innocence? What if someone you loved so dearly, someone you were accused of murdering, may still be alive?”

David Burroughs is five years into his prison term, convicted of murdering his three-year-old son Matthew. He’d been having a hard time of things at the time of the murder – drinking too much, blacking out. The evidence against him was overwhelming, even though he had no recollection of what happened. Even though he knew he couldn’t have done this abhorrent thing. He didn’t fight it, though. Let his wife and his life go and took the punishment. Took the beatings.

One day his ex-sister-in-law pays him a visit in prison with a photograph of a boy who looks a lot like Matthew, right down to his facial wine stain blemish. He realises that perhaps – just perhaps – Matthew is alive, and that he didn’t murder whoever was in the cot that dark and terrible night. David knows that he needs to be out of prison in order to find out, and to prove his innocence.

Coben rightly describes his book as “propulsive and fast-moving.” It is relentless in its action, and its twists and turns. Some of those twists are a little trite – a little overly convenient. I won’t list them here, no spoilers, but for the dominoes to line up for David, a lot of very unusual and unlikely things have to happen. To be fair, this isn’t that unusual in an action novel, and you’ll get no dispute from me that I WILL FIND YOU is an exciting and emotional read – and will make a gripping miniseries soon.

Category: Book Reviews