Fool Me OnceFool Me Once
Score Modern
What it's about
Maya Stern, a former Army helicopter pilot, has just buried her husband, Joe, who was shot in front of her. A friend gives her a nanny cam to keep an eye on her two-year-old daughter while she's at work. Watching the footage, Maya sees something impossible: Joe, playing with their daughter in her living room.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and became a hit Netflix series. It's classic Coben: fast, twisty and full of family secrets.
You'll love it if you liked
Tell No One
I Will Find You
The TenantGood to know
Maya's war trauma is part of the story. The twists keep coming to the last page.
By the numbers
- Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #254 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #878 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1626 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Harlan Coben
I Will Find You
Live Wire
The Match
CaughtIf you like this, read next
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Verity
Gone Girl
The Martian
2666
Gideon the NinthExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Fool Me Once worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and became a hit Netflix series. It ranks #1,626 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Fool Me Once about?
Maya Stern, a former Army helicopter pilot, has just buried her husband, Joe, who was shot in front of her. A friend gives her a nanny cam to keep an eye on her two-year-old daughter while she's at work. Watching the footage, Maya sees something impossible: Joe, playing with their daughter in her living room.
How long does it take to read Fool Me Once?
About 10 hours (387 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Fool Me Once?
If you liked it, try Tell No One by Harlan Coben, I Will Find You by Harlan Coben or The Tenant by Freida McFadden.