Helpful Score: 5
Another great story by Harlan Coben. I listened to the abridged version and was very satisfied with the narrator and the story. The story was narrated by Carrington MacDuffie and har voice was a good match for the action presented in CAUGHT. Carrington is now on my list of narrators that I want to hear more from.
Helpful Score: 5
I love the ups and ups of this book.......it just keeps getting better with each chapter! Highly recommend!
Helpful Score: 5
EXCELLENT!!!! I am a huge fan, this is a great thriller. Lots of twists and turns the ending keeps changing and you just can't read fast enough.
Helpful Score: 4
This was in my opinion Harlan Coben at his best. The story starts off kind of all over but it quickly all comes together. There is a new twist around every corner. I thought a few times that I had it figured out only to be led in another direction.
A great read for anyone who likes an edge of your seat ride.
A great read for anyone who likes an edge of your seat ride.
Helpful Score: 3
Another fantastic thriller from one of my favorite authors. Fast paced and well written, it had me guessing until the end. Look forward to his next effort.
Helpful Score: 2
I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I'd heard a lot about how great a writer Coben is. I see exactly why people like reading him. This thriller engaged me, enraged me, and pleased me with its complexity. I like that Coben didn't include superfluous and useless detail in order to round out the characters. No detail was insignificant. Everything came into play and Coben wrapped things up tight - really tight. I have to admit I was impressed, as I've never read an author who introduced so many little sub-plots and interesting side stories and then weaved them all together. It was like looking at one of those pictures that you can easily see from a distance and then when you get close up you see it's really thousands of smaller pictures. Coben just steps the reader back, a little bit at a time, until you see the stunning picture he's created. The message at the end of this one truly touched me and it's a good lesson for anyone.
Helpful Score: 1
It was not as gripping as his other books.
Helpful Score: 1
Harlan Cooben is one of my favorite authors and he did'nt again disappoint me. Once I opened the book it was very hard to put down.
Helpful Score: 1
Very good read!
Helpful Score: 1
I didn't find this to be one of Coben's best. It was OK and it read fairly quickly, but the characters were rather flat, and underdeveloped. Not what I've come to expect from this author at all. Even his trademark ending just left me feeling unsatisfied.
Helpful Score: 1
Set in a typically uneventful suburban town in New Jersey, this story is told from the perspective of a host from a "To Catch A Predator" type show. She goes to catch said "predator" and realizes something is off. So basically, the story is this suburban mom of a high school boy getting wrapped up in this man's life. I love the story and never guessed the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Definitely read it if you have a chance. You won't regret it.
Interesting-moves around alot. Ending was not what I expected-but added an interesting aspect to the story. I found that there were ALOT of characters-especially male characters, but it wasn't too hard to keep them straight. All in all, an interesting story.
Fast-paced, interesting read about a case of a suspected child predator that turns out to be about much more.
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fun!, July 20, 2010
This review is from: Caught (Hardcover)
This was a fun summer read, a fast-paced suspense thriller without all the gore or grisly details that are often the hallmark of this genre. If you like Linwood Barclay (No Time for Goodbye or Never Look Away: A Thriller), you'll find that Coben writes similar tales. He writes tales about ordinary people faced with unexpected events that cause them to make decisions and perform heroic efforts to find the answers or solutions to the situations.
In this book, a TV news reporter, Wendy Tynes, lures a suspected pedophile, social worker Dan Mercer, to a house where he is "caught" in a sting operation that is televised nationally. In another side plot, teenager Haley McWaid has disappeared from her suburban New Jersey home without a trace. These two stories converge in a plot that becomes more complicated as it evolves. Ultimately, the novel is about accusations, both founded and unfounded, and how quickly reputations can be ruined by false charges, even if later the accused are proven to be not guilty or deemed innocent by the courts. At times, Coben seems to be juggling too many moral and ethical questions, for example, what should be done to parents who provide alcohol to teenagers? Should victims forgive those who have caused them harm? Is vigilante style justice ever acceptable? How far will parents go to protect their children? to name a few. Some of the characters tended to take the moral high road in a manner that almost seemed like a "lesson" or lecture to the reader. As far as characters go, incidentally, none of them were all that likable to me. It also seemed as if there were some loose ends in a rushed ending, but nothing that will keep me up at night wondering!
In short, I recommend this for a those who like a quick entertaining read.
This review is from: Caught (Hardcover)
This was a fun summer read, a fast-paced suspense thriller without all the gore or grisly details that are often the hallmark of this genre. If you like Linwood Barclay (No Time for Goodbye or Never Look Away: A Thriller), you'll find that Coben writes similar tales. He writes tales about ordinary people faced with unexpected events that cause them to make decisions and perform heroic efforts to find the answers or solutions to the situations.
In this book, a TV news reporter, Wendy Tynes, lures a suspected pedophile, social worker Dan Mercer, to a house where he is "caught" in a sting operation that is televised nationally. In another side plot, teenager Haley McWaid has disappeared from her suburban New Jersey home without a trace. These two stories converge in a plot that becomes more complicated as it evolves. Ultimately, the novel is about accusations, both founded and unfounded, and how quickly reputations can be ruined by false charges, even if later the accused are proven to be not guilty or deemed innocent by the courts. At times, Coben seems to be juggling too many moral and ethical questions, for example, what should be done to parents who provide alcohol to teenagers? Should victims forgive those who have caused them harm? Is vigilante style justice ever acceptable? How far will parents go to protect their children? to name a few. Some of the characters tended to take the moral high road in a manner that almost seemed like a "lesson" or lecture to the reader. As far as characters go, incidentally, none of them were all that likable to me. It also seemed as if there were some loose ends in a rushed ending, but nothing that will keep me up at night wondering!
In short, I recommend this for a those who like a quick entertaining read.
A very good book! I will read more by this author.
I think this is his very very very very best book in the past 10 years. I'm a very hard sell on endings I feel the ending makes or brakes the book. I have always said if he could find out how to write a good ending he'd have a really good book.--up til now his ending were a BIG let down. This book has it all and he finally got the ending right in spades. I highly recommend this book. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I really can't wait for his next book for the first time in many years and keep in mind a big fan of his.Out of 10 I'd give it 50. It's that good.
This is a great book. will keep you up late though, it's a hard one to put down.
Couldn't put it down (like all Harlan Coben books I've read). I figured out one major piece but had to wait till the end to confirm it, but there were lots of other twists in the plot that had me wondering if I was wrong.
This was a great read a little slow at first but it gets moving rather quickly would really recommend this book.
Once again, I have been reminded why Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors. Read this tale of suspense with its twists and turns, in 2days.
Good book, very fast read. Nice mystery without the gore. Couple scenes with blood but mostly PG13 stuff, nothing too graphic. My only real dislike was that half way through, it seemed to have turned into another story. Lots of twists, and the ending satisfied me so all in all, good read.
I love this author and he is a fast read This book was as good as the other ones I have read of his See if you can guess what will happen! And who is actually the bad guy in the disappeareance of a young girl and the death of the suspect! Loved it!
Great book! First one of Coben's books that I have read. I have added him to my list of "to read" authors!
Excellent read, full of intense action and twists and turns.
Can't ask for more in a thriller.
Can't ask for more in a thriller.
This one keeps you guessing right to the end! Enjoyed it!
This is the second book by Harlan Coben that I have read. If you like crime, action and suspense this is a very good read. Will definately be reading more of his books in the near future.
I enjoyed the story but the writing was a little more then I could handle. There were actually to much information that I became overwhelmed trying to remember all the details.
Great Coben book. Many twists and turns that will keep you reading. Also, fans of Coben's Myran Bolitar series will find Win in this book, as his usual self!
This one builds and builds and just keeps on getting more intense and thrilling.
Great read.
Great read.
A very fascinating riveting story that drew me in immediately. Several plots are occurring simultaneously in this book that appear to be separate and individual but begin to connect together. A missing teenager who vanishes in the middle of the night without a trace and leaves the entire community baffled. A social workers arrest as a sexual predator of children opens up more questions than answers. I was prepared to dislike Wendy Tynes initially. She struck me as a Nancy Grace type of journalist looking for explosive headlines and bright lights and assuming her target was guilty without due process. The story weaves in and around the characters of this story to make the reader unsure of their own convictions. Several times while reading this book I was positive that Dan Mercer was a pedophile and had killed the missing girl, but a few pages later, I began to doubt and then start the process over again. This book really made me think about the criminal justice system in this country, when it works and works well, and also when it doesnt.
This book is also about rash decisions and how they can alter lives forever. Decisions made by Haley, Dan, Wendy and others lead to actions by others that cause a tsunami effect of destruction in their wake. This book showed me that nothing is ever as it seems on the surface but all too often, people go with that perception and make judgments based on it.
Harlan Coben is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to turn to when I want a story that packs a solid punch but still manages to surprise the reader. This story brought out a range of emotions in me while reading. Everything from anger and shock to fear and sorrow combined with some tears and laughter will give the reader a thoroughly entertaining, though exhausting experience.
If you enjoy James Patterson, I highly recommend you try Harlan Coben. He is definitely a master of his craft. Find a comfortable chair, kick off your shoes and settle in for a thrilling adventure when you open this book. You wont want to put it down.
This book is also about rash decisions and how they can alter lives forever. Decisions made by Haley, Dan, Wendy and others lead to actions by others that cause a tsunami effect of destruction in their wake. This book showed me that nothing is ever as it seems on the surface but all too often, people go with that perception and make judgments based on it.
Harlan Coben is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to turn to when I want a story that packs a solid punch but still manages to surprise the reader. This story brought out a range of emotions in me while reading. Everything from anger and shock to fear and sorrow combined with some tears and laughter will give the reader a thoroughly entertaining, though exhausting experience.
If you enjoy James Patterson, I highly recommend you try Harlan Coben. He is definitely a master of his craft. Find a comfortable chair, kick off your shoes and settle in for a thrilling adventure when you open this book. You wont want to put it down.
Excellent book
This book is absolutely outstanding. A must read. One word, "WOW"
Sandra S is a complete idiot.
Sandra S is a complete idiot.
Very good book--exciting.
This was an intriguing story of twists and turns and misleads at almost every page and was a very good read and hard to put down.
Lots of interesting twists and turns. A good lesson in how we can be duped by first impressions and even by people we think that we know really well. Do we all have something to hide? Hmmmm
I usually like Harlan Coben, but this book definitely not. No only was the heroine a very unlikable person, all she had to do to get people to talk, was threaten them once and they spilled everything. Not to mention how implausible the whole sequence of events was.
Dan Mercer, a social worker who helps troubled teens, is exposed as a sexual predator by TV Reporter Wendy Tynes on her investigative series "Caught". The accusations turn Dan's life upside down. Wendy begins to doubt whether he is guilty, even though all of the evidence says he is. When the police discover the phone of a missing teenage girl in Dan's hotel room, Wendy digs into Dan's past. Is he a sexual predator? Or did something in his past cause trouble in the present?
Wow! I couldn't put this book down. Wendy must gather the clues and piece together the information before she becomes a casualty of her own investigative series. Harlan Coben takes several story threads and ties them all together in this mystery. Loved the story and loved seeing some characters from his Myron Bolitar series, especially Win! My rating: 5 Stars.
Wow! I couldn't put this book down. Wendy must gather the clues and piece together the information before she becomes a casualty of her own investigative series. Harlan Coben takes several story threads and ties them all together in this mystery. Loved the story and loved seeing some characters from his Myron Bolitar series, especially Win! My rating: 5 Stars.
Great book. I loved the story..good read.
Caught has several plots running through it which intertwine at the end to make a great story.
We first learn of a high school girl, Haley McWaid who has gone missing and people start thinking the worst but everyone is asking, what could have happened to her? How can someone just disappear? Next we have Dan Mercer who works with troubled teens. Could Dan be the cause of Haley's disappearance?
Wendy Tynes a local news reporter who is determined to figure out if Dan was involved in the disappearance, suddenly stumbles upon an even more intriguing story that gets her wrapped up in some problems of her own. Will she continue to research the story? This book is definitely worth reading to find out.
I will say that I had a little trouble starting this book because I felt like I was reading a familiar story line but after the first 100 pages, the story took on several twists that made me want to read more. I agree what some stated in their reviews that the story is predictable to a certain point but you really cannot imagine the whole story and this is what makes this one worth four stars.
We first learn of a high school girl, Haley McWaid who has gone missing and people start thinking the worst but everyone is asking, what could have happened to her? How can someone just disappear? Next we have Dan Mercer who works with troubled teens. Could Dan be the cause of Haley's disappearance?
Wendy Tynes a local news reporter who is determined to figure out if Dan was involved in the disappearance, suddenly stumbles upon an even more intriguing story that gets her wrapped up in some problems of her own. Will she continue to research the story? This book is definitely worth reading to find out.
I will say that I had a little trouble starting this book because I felt like I was reading a familiar story line but after the first 100 pages, the story took on several twists that made me want to read more. I agree what some stated in their reviews that the story is predictable to a certain point but you really cannot imagine the whole story and this is what makes this one worth four stars.
Started this book as soon as I got it, great story line.
Standard Coben style...Twists and turns - Sad story of how the news can convict a person and the crazies can use technology to destroy others!
His best book yet! I loved it!!
Good Book, keeps moving, good suspense and I didn't guess the ending at all. Well worth the read
As usual, Coben's plots are so intricate and full of twists that the cautious reader might want to leave a trail of bread crumbs behind. This one, which starts with a pedophile sting, rapidly spirals into the territory of old secrets and heartbreak. I had one portion of it figured out, which is slightly above average for me on Coben thrillers.
I read this for a group discussion and it had us all guessing right to the end. The characters are well developed and seem like true-to-life people. The plot is excellent with many twists and turns and the ending is very surprising. I'm looking forward to reading more of Coben's books in the near future.
Very tricky book. So many characters, so many ways it could go. Is this one a good guy/gal or a bad guy/gal? It was fun to have Win from the Myron Bolitar series pop in the plot briefly. Very satisfactory ending.
Harlan Coben touches us where we live. In this book, a reporter who is very successful - in this slippery twists and turns story finds that she has doubts about her own instincts. Can she confront the true nature of guilt, grief and her own capacity for forgiveness?
What a writer!! Thoroughly enjoyed from first page to last. Great characters and this book will keep you guessing.
Great read as always by Coben.
Fabulous Five Stars - this book deserves twice that. From the first paragraph I was totally hooked. This has everything - mystery; suspense (that's a given - it IS Harlan Coben after all); twists(galore!); puzzle pieces that come one at a time and fill in the blanks at just the right pace. You feel like you're part of the story, along for the ride. I absolutely could not stop reading this once I started. Picked it up every single chance I got until the very last page. The epilogue brought an unexpected tear to my eye. Bravo Harlan Coben!
Classic Coben. I don't think he can do any wrong. Excellent read. Finished it in a few days - only because work interefered with getting it read faster! :)
This book was a quick read,it kept my interest and had a great ending. I dont think Harlan Coben is a great writer but his books generally move fast and are good entertainment. This one actually had a good message so I would probably rate it higher than his other novels.
Great book! Classic Coben! Read it in 2 days.
This book belongs in the teen section of the library; definitely NOT in the mystery/thriller section.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I disliked this book.
Due to Coben's recommendations as a great writer I ordered several of his books but I literally had to force myself to keep reading this just to see if it got any better. Consequently it took me over two weeks to finish. I kept hoping that something would happen that could keep my attention for more than 20 minutes at a time but that did not happen.
It was one of the most boring books I have ever read. No action with the exception for a one page scene that seemed like an after thought and was so contrived that it was like a page from another book that was put in by mistake.
Even the so called red herrings were boring; consisting of things such as the same conversations over and over with old friends,acquaintances,ex-father in laws,bosses and that list goes on and on...visits back and forth was the same people etc.etc. but no action and definitely no thrills or real mysteries.
This being my first book by Coben makes me think I will probably list the others that I have by him without bothering to read them.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I disliked this book.
Due to Coben's recommendations as a great writer I ordered several of his books but I literally had to force myself to keep reading this just to see if it got any better. Consequently it took me over two weeks to finish. I kept hoping that something would happen that could keep my attention for more than 20 minutes at a time but that did not happen.
It was one of the most boring books I have ever read. No action with the exception for a one page scene that seemed like an after thought and was so contrived that it was like a page from another book that was put in by mistake.
Even the so called red herrings were boring; consisting of things such as the same conversations over and over with old friends,acquaintances,ex-father in laws,bosses and that list goes on and on...visits back and forth was the same people etc.etc. but no action and definitely no thrills or real mysteries.
This being my first book by Coben makes me think I will probably list the others that I have by him without bothering to read them.
Great read!!! I have never read anything by this author, but I will definately be looking for more by him. I really enjoyed this!!!
"Caught" is one of the most thrilling and thought provoking books I have read in a very long time. Once I picked it up I did not want to put it down.
While the prologue definitely got my attention, I found CAUGHT to be a more contrived than clever story, with too many characters and convenient common threads to explain the convoluted plot.
The prologue starts off in a first person narrative, and you really feel for Dan Mercer and believe he's definitely been set up. But with chapter one, the narrative shifts to 3rd for pretty much the rest of the book, totally cutting you off from Dan. It just didn't work for me.
In terms of creativity, I don't think this was one of Harlan Coben's stronger efforts. I give it a C. It's average, but implausible entertainment. :)
The prologue starts off in a first person narrative, and you really feel for Dan Mercer and believe he's definitely been set up. But with chapter one, the narrative shifts to 3rd for pretty much the rest of the book, totally cutting you off from Dan. It just didn't work for me.
In terms of creativity, I don't think this was one of Harlan Coben's stronger efforts. I give it a C. It's average, but implausible entertainment. :)
Reporter Wendy Tynes is on a mission to bring pedophiles to justice and when evidence falls into her hands about Dan Mercer, she runs with it. As it inevitably does, everything goes horribly wrong and a vigilante kills Dan. Instead of letting it go, Wendy convinces herself that Dan was setup. She's off and running with a conspiracy theory which eventually threatens her life and her career. Mix in a missing teenage girl and a bunch of college roommates (Dan's) with a terrible secret, and you have yourself a great read with multiple plot twists and surprises. This is good but not as good as others I've read by Harlan Coben.
Harlen's books are great read always.
Good book, easy reading. Keeps your attention!
