The Innocent

The Innocent
by Harlan Coben

The Innocent
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Book Summary Information

Author: Harlan Coben
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-04-25
ISBN: 045121577X
Number of pages: 528
Publisher: Signet
Product features:
  • ISBN13: 9780451215772
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Book Reviews of The Innocent

Book Review: Mediocre Writing, Interesting Plot
Summary: 3 Stars

Harlan Coben's novel, The Innocent, was recommended to me as an entertaining, page-turner. That is about it. It reminds me of a work that was solely intended for film production. Like a movie, this book was merely amusing. It lacked the intricate language that other authors encompass in their works. In addition, the character development was mediocre. One of the greatest statements about the development of characters came from Steven King's On Writing. King writes that one should try to give subtle details about a character. Coben's descriptions are so vague and direct that it retracts from the fluency of the novel; however, the plot and quick pace counterbalance the negatives of the book.

Essentially, the book is about a young man, Matt Hunter, who innocently attempts to defend his friend by breaking up a fight and ends up a killer. From then on out, he is regarded as dangerous to those around him by the very same people he grew up with. When his pregnant wife is called away on business, he receives one phone call that will smash his life again.

Another problem I encountered with this book was that it was extremely predictable. There was only one occasion where I did not know what was going on, but for the most part, I was going with the motions and following the characters through their obvious predicament. I think that if Coben limited the amount of twists and focused on developing the characters and integrate fewer coincidences, the book would be even more pleasurable.

The plot is apparent and makes up for the ordinary writing. Coben provides an adequate amount of twists and turns which keep the reader attentive. Every chapter, a new complication arises which simultaneously brings up another question to be asked. How many coincidences are evident in The Innocent? I believe that there were too many coincidences in the novel. And every concurrence was solved by another concurrence. It made the novel hard to read near the end, because it again resembled a movie. Every t was crossed and every i was dotted.

I cannot lie about the readability of this book. Despite the fact that it is written is common language that is neither artistic nor original, the novel had very nice flow. I read the entire novel in three sittings of several hours each. The primary rationale that I continued to read the book was that it had an appealing storyline. It has plot elements ranging from nuns with breast implants to accidental murder to adultery. The incorporation of all the previous aspects provides an excellent foundation for the novel.

Nevertheless, The Innocent is a compelling book. It is not a classic or contemporary masterpiece by any means, but it is a powerful book that should give the reader something to think about. It is a fantastic story, in spite of the ordinary language. In summation, Harlan Coben's novel is a success, because the plot is unique and the smoothness of the novel allowed it to be easy to read.

Summary of The Innocent

You never meant to kill him?.

One night, Matt Hunter innocently tried to break up a fight?and ended up a killer. Now, nine years later, he?s an ex-con who takes nothing for granted. His wife, Olivia, is pregnant, and the two of them are closing on their dream house. But all it will take is one shocking, inexplicable call from Olivia?s phone to shatter Matt?s life a second time?.

An electrifying thrill ride of a novel that peeks behind the white picket fences of suburbia, The Innocent is at once a twisting, turning, emotionally charged story and a compelling tale of the choices we make and the repercussions that never leave.

 


Matt Hunter made a mistake when he was 20 years old and paid for it with a four-year stint in prison that left him with a determination never to be locked up again. Finally, his life is back on the promising track he was taking before he accidentally killed a man: He has a good job, a newly pregnant wife he adores, and is about to close on the home of their dreams. Then he gets a couple of bizarre photos on his cell phone that seem to show his wife in a compromising position with a black-haired stranger. But before he can sort out who sent the anonymous pictures and why, he's running from the law--especially from the cop who was his best friend in grade school, and a sharp young detective who's stepped right into the middle of an FBI investigation spurred by the discovery that a dead nun who wasn't who she claimed to be is somehow mixed up in Matt and Olivia Hunter's life. Coben deftly wields a complicated plot involving a missing stripper, a dead gangster, an incriminating videotape, and a couple of agents who aren't quite who they seem to be, while Hunter manages to hold onto his faith in Olivia despite her clouded past and uncertain future. Like all Coben's protagonists, (including the hero of his popular series starring sports agent turned detective Myron Bolitar) Hunter is a nice, middle-class New Jersey boy who's still the innocent of the title, despite the miscarriage of justice that sent him to prison. Or was it? That's the moral question at the heart of this tightly constructed thriller, which will no doubt shoot directly to the top of the bestseller list, and deservedly so. --Jane Adams

Amazon.com Exclusive Content

A Bit of Bolitar: An Exclusive Essay by Harlan Coben

Beloved series character Myron Bolitar appears in a new short story included with Harlan Coben's latest thriller, The Innocent. In this Amazon.com exclusive essay, Coben shares his thoughts on Bolitar's return.

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