Well Now That Was a Lot of Fun! - The Stranger

TITLE: The Stranger
AUTHOR: Harlan Coben
PUBLISHER: Dutton
PUBLISHING DATE: March 24. 2015

FROM GOODREADS: 

A secret destroys a man’s perfect life and sends him on a collision course with a deadly conspiracy in this shocking thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben. 

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world... 

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life. 

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne's deception, and realizes that if he doesn't make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.  

MY THOUGHTS: So I was prompted to read this book due to a buddy read with Anne @ Books Of My Heart .  I am so glad I decided to pick this one up.  It was a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages quickly in anticipation of finding out what was really happening.

One night at a parent meeting for the school's rugby team, Adam Price is confronted by a stranger.  He tells Adam about a secret his wife Corinne is hiding.  The secret festers in Adam for a few days and when he finally confronts her, she disappears, leaving him to care for and field all questions from their two sons.  As Adam begins to look for clues about Corinne's disappearance, he learns the stranger has delivered messages to other individuals.  Adam is clearly over his head in this investigation but with some help from a police officer from a neighboring town, Adam may just learn what the stranger is up to and hopefully find his wife.

This book was one turn after another.  In the beginning, there are several story lines going and I knew while reading it that in a matter of time, it would all come together and make sense.  And I was right!  Coben managed to weave several tales together and create a fantastic ending.  I really felt for Adam as he tried to learn what really happened to drive his wife away, and enjoyed meeting the other people in his life.  I will add that this book did confirm a recent feeling I experienced while reading another book.  School parents can be a horrible little clique at times.

So overall, if you're looking for a great thriller, look no further.  This is the first time I've read a book by Coben but I will definitely be looking into more reads from him in the future.

RATING: 5 PAWS

EXTRA THOUGHTS: I loved this book so much that the day after finishing it I immediately started watching the Netflix adaptation.  Now let me clarify.  I don't think it is a horrible series, but seriously, the things it has in common with the novel are minimal.  Without giving too much away, I'll give two examples.  The book takes place in the US but the show is set in the UK.  Also, the stranger is a male in the book but a female in the show.  I don't see why such simple things had to be changed.  There is also a group of kids acting out and cutting off llama heads in the show which thankfully did not happen in the book.  So my take, read the book and watch the show, just don't expect them to be the same.