No Second Chance: A Suspense Thriller Paperback – May 19, 2026

This is, I believe, my fourth Coben novel. I don't remember the names of the previous ones, but the first one lived up to my expectations. My cousins raved about him and read every one of his books. After loving the first one, I figured they were right and I would never turn down a Coben book. But now that I see what his formula is, I am not as enthusiastic. His writing is certainly above par and the reader is hooked on the action. It's the credibility of the endings that has me disappointed. To me his formula is: hook the reader on a premise that makes want to read on and on, gradually throw in more and more characters and, at the same time, make the plot get more and more complicated. Finally, at the end, make the culprit someone you would least expect or, even better, make there be more than one culprit with different motivations. And make the ending so convoluted that it is totally unbelievable and ten minutes after finishing the book, you can't remember exactly what happened and why. Mr. Coben consistently gets top scores, so I guess my opinion is an outlier. Still, it is my opinion. Good reading that leaves me dissatisfied in the end.

NO SECOND CHANCE, a stand-alone thriller by Harlan Coben is well worth the read. This is my ninth Coben novel and it is by far the author's best. In most of his novels Coben highlights some current social or moral issue. In No Second Chance he illuminates the lucrative baby kidnapping, smuggling and selling racket. This gripping novel opens with Dr. Mark Seidman, father of six-month-old Tara, waking up in the hospital after 11 days of being in a coma. He is told that he is the victim of a shooting and lucky to be alive. He has no recollection of the shooting. He is also informed by a local detective and an FBI special agent that his wife died in the brutal shooting and his daughter is missing and believed to have been kidnapped. As in all Coben novels the venue is the New Jersey/New York area. Dr. Seidman is a trained pediatric ophthalmologist who, along with his partner, Zia Leroux, specialize in facial reconstruction in poverty stricken countries in Asia and Africa. Coben, known for his multiple and complex plots grabs the reader's interest from the very start and doesn't let up until the end. While local law enforcement and the FBI have pretty much given up on the case, Dr. Seidman weaves a path of death and destruction over the next 18-months while searching for his daughter. The writer makes sure Marc Seidman is surrounded by some interesting characters. His life-long friend, Lenny, who is also his lawyer; ex-girlfriend and ex-FBI agent, Rachel; and country-boy, Verne, to name a few, all make for a wonderful and supportive cast of friends. Even the bad-guy characters are well developed. Coben, known for his multiple and complex plots grabs the reader's interest from the very start and doesn't let up until the end. The book's ending is a shocker. I guarantee the reader will have a tought time putting this book down. I give No Second Chance a positive 5-star rating.

I always love Harlan Coban‘s books, but this one, on reflection, had me thinking, “what was it about the husband’s death, how did that go?” I found that the suspension of my disbelief was challenged. And jumping from one character to another without some kind of a break was a little strange although I got used to it.But by the end of the book I found myself being critical. I still read it at a breakneck pace; the twist and turns take you down many a path, But I don’t think it’s one of his best

I've read a lot of books in this genre and this one will definitely stick out as one of the best. I don't know that I liked how muddled it got in the end. I enjoyed the bits of humor and loved Verne. I got such a kick out of him and he's a very minor character but one that will stay with me.The Kindle version needs some work. A lot of "breaks" we're missing between storylines. You'd be reading about one storyline and the next sentence would be the start of another. I got used to it as I read but the first time it happened I could not figure out what was going on. The first time it happened it was a tiny storyline that was never brought up again so it was a bit jolting. I had to skip ahead to make sure the other characters were still in the book. :) I hope there aren't too many spelling mistakes as I can't edit this review on my phone.

The plot presents a dilemma that holds your attention throughout, although it becomes one obsessive, hard-to-believe chase. Not hard to believe because the lead character has lost his daughter, but hard to believe that one person can withstand quite so much in a relatively short duration of time. A couple auxiliary characters are deliciously, chillingly malevolent but the rest are barely sketched. Not quite sure why Edgar is such a bad man or why his daughter is so psycho. For that matter, the girlfriend from the past who sets the chain in motion and the best friend are almost too good to be true. Literally. I am starting to notice a Coben "formula"... wife dead or missing, infant daughters with similar names, old girlfriends and a trusty foil; nevertheless, the formula work and it holds your attention. You just have to know how it all turns out. A little long, but a good read

With some 230 odd reviews already on this title, I'm not sure if I can add much here. But I'll start by saying that Harlan Coben writes thrillers and is a very successful author. The implication is that his work is good. Actually, generally better than good and so it proves to be here.The formula of a normal everyday person getting involved in life changing circumstances beyond his initial control and then having to take the initiative to sort out things in a way that his normal everyday life means is alien to him is nothing new. It is staple fare for both novels and indeed cinematic thrillers. But before that puts you off, remember that it is something that has been done before, by Coben and indeed other authors because it works. It delivers scenarios where the normal everyday reader can empathise with the protagonist and thus delivers the escapism we all look for in novels such as this.So add to this successful formula Coben's skill at drawing characters and the ease of writing (which translates into ease of reading) and his storytelling skills and hey presto, you have a great selling book. Easy to explain, not as easy to do, although Coben makes it look so.Frankly, if you like a good thriller, then here's a good thriller. It works, it's good and you will have enjoyment and value for money. So read it with confidence.

Just brilliant. Even though there are so many characters (typical of Harlan), the plot and pacing of the story are easy to follow.So many ups and downs, yet the story flows perfectly. And the culprit or the people who commit the crime are all intertwined in a dizzying frenzy. There may be some slight bewilderment, but you’ve got to finish the story to see how brilliant it is plotted. The ending is appalling.Great read. This is going to be one of my go-to author for intriguing thriller.

I've somehow never read Harlan Cohen before but I'm going to continue reading his from now on. Absolutely brilliant. Great plot, lots of wrist and turns. Kept me guessing right to the end. I won't spoil it (hate it when people reveal ending in reviews so rarely read them now) but it was a great climax to end the book with. Well worth a read if you like a good plot

This is the second Harlan Coben novel that I have read following on from Tell No One. This was another brilliantly written thriller that constantly took my breath away and left me scared and and excited for the characters in equal measures. I was totally immersed in this book and it was yet another book that I could not put down, it made me deflated to close it but I also didn't want it to end. The character development is excellent and the gradual introduction of new characters increases suspicion. At no point was I certain of how the book would conclude until the very end.

I've given up at 80% of this book. Ugh, I enjoyed his earlier books but this is padded out rambling and silly. Maybe Harlon has given up writing and sold his name to some rich school kids.Don't waste yiur time and money on this 3rd rate book