The Stranger

 The Stranger

By Harlan Coben


My Rating: 5
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Finished on: 31st Dec, 2019




Yet another gripping book from Harlan!
How could I not love it?

There wasn't any moment I could put it down. The moment I started this, I just wanted to know what has happened, and what's going on.
And gosh, it's so messed up!


Simply stealing from the lacrosse organisation started this all. Why did Tripp had to do this? Stoop down so low by taking a life? It could have been sorted out in a much peaceful manner, if only they had all simply sat and talked.
I really did not expect Corrine to die. That was a surprise to me. Tripp just going and showing the place where he buried her? How sick!


And Harlan in this book throws light on what limits can a person reach for their own selfish needs.
Tripp and John Kuntz. Both of them broke, in desperate need of money, one to save their son and the other to stabilize their family life, sees other people as threats who might so much as come remotely close to posing as a threat to them.
They have resorted to murder! Without thinking twice.


And Chris & his mates? Did they even imagine at all how it might end for them?
Merton was already at edge ever since Ingrid died. And she was so terribly tortured that she had to beg for Kuntz to kill her.
How sick and monstrous can greed make you.
Gabrielle was a mother of two like Corrine. Did she see how this would end for her? Did she think she might see her kids for the last time while dropping them off at her ex?
Same goes for Corinne. And for Tripp. And Heidi!
Chris's clan started off this with a good intention. To stop people from cheating and deceiving.
It didn't go so bad for the others now, did it.
Kenny's father paid the money. Paying was way easier than lifetime worth of humiliation.
Michaela probably broke off her engagement and moved on, who knows?
Suzanna was better off with the secret being revealed.
Their lives weren't shattered apart like Heidi's and Adam's.


I know I'm going at the emotional side of all this, but seriously.
Every problem could be sorted out if people just sat and talked.
Maybe that Larry guy could have arranged money for John from somewhere.
Maybe the board members would be considerate with Tripp and let him pay back the money when times are good.

Why do you have to resort to murder? Why end the life of a person?

And Harlan has this emotional touch in his stories.
Even in this one he ends with a similar touch.

You don't have to believe she (Corinne) actually sees her boys smile. You only have to believe she'd want to.

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