Caught
by Harlan Coben

Dutton Adult, March 2010

                                                                                

I was conflicted about this novel. It is a page turner and the plot twists are nonstop. I read it quickly over two days. The characters are weak one dimensional stereotypes. Some of Coben’s earlier novels are much more engaging. I won’t give away any spoilers in this review. The setting is suburbia and the upper middle class milieu, a place where Coben is very comfortable. There is a murder early on and the book is peppered with up to the minute references – pedophilia, cyber crimes, reality TV stings, facebook postings. The central character is Wendy Tynes, a TV news reporter who investigates the crimes. When Coben writes dialogue, it is first rate and credible. Conversations between Wendy and her teenage son are very believable. Because the plot develops so quickly character development is sacrificed and I think by the end of next week, I will be unable to remember anything about this book. If you are looking for a page turner to read on an airplane this book will serve that purpose. Coben has written much better.