No Second Chance (Hardcover)

by Harlan Coben (Author) "When the first bullet hit my chest, I thought of my daughter..." (more)
Key Phrases: ransom drop, robotic voice, soul patch, Denise Vanech, Rachel Mills, New Jersey (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Supercharged by a father's fierce drive to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Coben's third stand-alone thriller proves far more gripping than his second, Tell No One. Marc Seidman, a plastic surgeon near New York City, wakes up in a hospital to learn that he has been gravely wounded, his wife shot dead and his infant daughter, Tara, snatched. The ensuing narrative, which shuttles between third person and Marc's first person, covers more than a year in Marc's hunt for Tara and climaxes twice with his fumbling of payments in response to ransom demands, plunging him into despair. A smartly drawn supporting cast supports Marc in his quest, including an old girlfriend-an ex-FBI agent-who reappears in his life; Marc's lawyer, who's also his best friend; a cop/FBI duo who for a while suspect Marc of engineering the snatch and ransom demands; and a working-class hero who joins forces with Marc near the end of his hunt and steals every scene he's in. On the villain's side lurk several shady folk, including a psychopathic former child star and her hulking boyfriend. The plot is overly complicated, and there's a revelation at book's end that veteran thriller readers will have sussed out long before. Those flaws matter little, though, in the face of the emotional onslaught of Marc's gut-wrenching, self-questioning, relentless narration, which will carry readers like a tidal wave through the novel's twists and turns. What Coben's thriller lacks in originality, it makes up for in sheer vigor; few browsers or dippers will put this down.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Very few writers can induce in their readers the kind of trancelike state, punctuated by frequent "wows," that most of us associate with much-loved books from childhood. Coben can. Although he has had a fairly short mystery-writing career (this is his fourth novel), Coben has already won a great deal of acclaim. He is the only writer to have won all three of the genre's most competitive awards: the Edgar, the Anthony, and the Shamus. His current thriller is as pleasantly painful to read as its predecessors. Coben starts with an excruciating premise: What would you do if your infant were kidnapped? His hero, a plastic surgeon specializing in pediatric reconstructions, has no known enemies. But he wakes up 12 days after having been shot in his own home to discover that his wife has died, his six-month-old daughter has been taken, and he himself is a suspect. When the kidnappers make contact, promising that there will be "no second chance" if the cops or feds are brought into the case, Coben's hero is thrown into an agony of hope and indecision. The novel, spanning 18 months and jumping between the father and the kidnappers, sets off depth charges of meets, double-crosses, near-misses, and vengeful acts. Coben holds it together with his hero's determination and smarts. This is the kind of book that will leave readers dazed--but only after they finally look up from the final page. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First. edition (April 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525947299
• ISBN-13: 978-1402556876
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (178 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #314,143 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Thriller, May 16, 2003

By	N. Sausser "pucksau" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This one grabs you with the first sentence and doesn't let go until the last page. Dr. Marc Seidman wakes up in the hospital after being shot and almost killed, to learn that his wife was killed and his six month old daughter is missing. Coben weaves a fine tale of death, destruction and double-dealing over a period of eighteen months. As Marc searches for his daughter, the reader is taken on a wild non-stop ride. If you like Coben's two recent novels, Tell No One and Gone For Good, you are going to love this one. The characters are very well drawn. I loved the character, Verne, dearly. The action never lets up and the ending was very satisfying. Just one thing. The title, No Second Chance, is misleading. There is a second chance. Actually there are more than two and Dr. Marc Seidman handles each one with sometimes bumbling and sometimes brilliant action. An Exceptional thriller.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Page Turner-Why Did I wait so long, May 3, 2003

By	R.T. Fireman (On the beach reading suspense novels) - See all my reviews

I had heard alot about Harlan Coben, but No Second Chance was my first read, and now I feel foolish for waiting so long. I wish I could divulge some plot elements, for they are brilliant, but let me say simply that this book has a fantastically constructed serpentine plot. Reminds me of being on Space Mountain, a great roller coaster where you always think you know the next exciting twist and turn, never do, and then wonder of course why didnt I think of that.

Dr. Marc Seidman, Coben's lead character, is a good guy with just enough hint of darkness to make him interesting. And the characters surrounding him all seem to be hiding some deep dark secret, though discerning which do and what they are is part of what makes this novel a great read. And I also like Coben's eye for detail and description-it is at the same time vivid yet well researched and accurate. One can actually painlessly learn something from a Harlan Coben book.

This was the best money Ive spent in a long time, and now Im off to order the rest of Coben's book. Read it, you won't regret it. Yeah Harlan!!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Coben fans will appreciate it, but newcomers start elsewhere, May 2, 2003

By	Adam Ellis (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

As a huge Harlan Coben fan, I will dutifully buy and read each of his new releases as they come out. At this point I think I appreciate the familiarity provided by each new novel. Coben's like the Kevin Smith of the literary world, tying the same characters into multiple books, while never really spending too much time away from the main characters.

Not to say that each book can't be appreciated on its own merits, but it always feels like Coben wants to go back to writing about Myron Bolitar (and I hope he does someday).

No Second Chance was a great, quick read. It has its quirks and downsides, but like his other works its a brilliant way to pass the time. However, if you've never read Coben before ... try starting with Tell No One or Gone for Good.