Loading...
117th out of 2,513 books
—
4,366 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Gone for Good
by
Harlan Coben
As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother, Ken. Then, on a warm suburban night in the Kleins’ affluent New Jersey neighborhood, a young woman—a girl Will had once loved—was found brutally murdered in her family’s basement. The prime suspect: Ken Klein. With the evidence against him overwhelming, Ken simply vanished. And when his shattered family never heard from K...more
Mass Market Paperback, 417 pages
Published
December 18th 2007
by Dell
(first published January 1st 2002)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
10,241)
Yes, I did it again. I am addicted. It's like crack. or the crack of an ass. I can feel the damage being done to my brain as I read page after implausible page and I wince at phrase after ham-handed phrase but still I keep going. As McDonalds is to one's arteries so is Coben to ones brain. What is the cranial equivalent of an oxygen tank and an electric wheel chair, and a long day spent drooling through the aisles at Wal-mart? That is what Coben is, what he does to me. God, I hate him. God, I ha...more
view all 11 comments
Coben is the King of the Plot Twist. Gone for Good is first of Harlan Coben's many novels that I have read and this one drew me is so much that I read it all in one day. Each chapter ends with a cliff hanger and that makes you want to keep reading. He also does a fantastic job of character development. If you enjoy a good mystery that will keep up on the edge and always guessing...I suggest Gone For Good.
I just finished this book and I feel like I've gone on a hell of a roller coaster ride without even leaving home. WOW! This book was absolutely incredible! Every time I thought I had it figured out, Coben came up with another twist to make me question my theories or spin them into nothing but complete chaos. The man is absolutely genius when it comes to thinking up plot twists and turns to keeping the reader second-guessing.
If you like a book that will keep you guessing all the...more
If you like a book that will keep you guessing all the...more
Gone for Good is a usual mystery novel where one brother who assumes his elder brother is deceased learns just the opposite as event spiral into a net of truths that are laid out to catch the lies that were once told. Fact after fact, and turn after twist after turn, soon Will Klein learns what happened all those years ago when his brother was accused of murder and then disappeared.
Despite the number of pages in this novel. I finished it rather quickly. The story line was interes...more
Despite the number of pages in this novel. I finished it rather quickly. The story line was interes...more
I have read one of Harlan Coben's stand alone novels, albeit some time ago, and am slowly working my way through his back catalogue. In this book we meet Will Klein and I found that it didn't take long for me to like him. What also became apparent pretty quickly was that Will Klein is an ordinary bloke. He isn't somebody who can ruthlessly take down bad guys and he isn't a brooding lead character that has an issue with authority. In other words, a welcome change from the ordinary leading male co...more
Gone for Good is one the most complicated crime stories I've read in quite a while. Its protagonist is Will Klein, whose older brother Ken vanished eleven years ago, on the night of the brutal murder of Will's former high school sweetheart. Everyone except his family assumes Ken is guilty, and Will has never been able to believe that his brother is probably dead. As the story opens, their mother has just died, and in her final hours, she revealed that Ken is indeed alive. The funeral is barely o...more
Eleven years ago, Ken fled his family's suburban New Jersey neighborhood after Will's ex-girlfriend, Julie Miller, was raped and strangled. The Kleins eventually convinced themselves that Ken perished on the lam. But as Will discovers, the facts are not so simple. On her deathbed, his mother tells him that Ken is still alive. Then Will's girlfriend and "soul mate" disappears too, only to have her fingerprints turn up at a New Mexico homicide scene. How are these tragedies connected? An...more
Harlan Coben- Gone for Good (Dell Books 2002) 5 Stars
Will Klein’s brother was accused of murdering Will’s ex-girlfriend and quickly disappeared. Everyone assumed he was never coming back, but now eleven years later events are unfolding that have them all revisiting the past. Danger seems to come along with every shocking revelation they discover. Can they figure things out before it is too late?
I really enjoyed this book. It twisted and turned so many times, you just neve...more
Will Klein’s brother was accused of murdering Will’s ex-girlfriend and quickly disappeared. Everyone assumed he was never coming back, but now eleven years later events are unfolding that have them all revisiting the past. Danger seems to come along with every shocking revelation they discover. Can they figure things out before it is too late?
I really enjoyed this book. It twisted and turned so many times, you just neve...more
My parents live 5 hours away. I wanted to give audio books a shot. I work at a library. I thought these three facts would result in me being able to, I don't know, catch up on a classic or something that I'd be too bored to actually read but wouldn't mind listening to, whatever. Of course, there is only a CD player in my car, there is no tape deck. This severely limited my options.
I eventually decided on this because I thought it might be like a cheap thriller movie from the ear...more
I eventually decided on this because I thought it might be like a cheap thriller movie from the ear...more
This was my first experience with Harlan Coben and I don't think I'm clamoring to read another. I didn't hate this. It was good enough entertainment for a couple of days. But I can't recommend it.
Characters are one-dimensional. But they almost have to be. Revealing too much of each character wouldn't allow Harlan Coben to change what all the characters are and what they stand for and what they'r emotivated by in the last twenty pages. Seriously, this was one of those novels where a new...more
Characters are one-dimensional. But they almost have to be. Revealing too much of each character wouldn't allow Harlan Coben to change what all the characters are and what they stand for and what they'r emotivated by in the last twenty pages. Seriously, this was one of those novels where a new...more
Coben takes a good plot and suspense, but taints it with cardboard characters and too much suspension of belief. The humorous first person which I normally love seems to only work part of the time. Will, the protagonist seems to have only two traits: irrationally angry and hopelessly naive (you know, when another character is trying to explain a formulaic plot twist that you as the reader saw through five minutes earlier, but he just can't wrap his head around it.) The only interesting charac...more
Gone for Good is a wonderful distraction and possibly a cure for depression. It is a one-night stand of a book- easy to read and happy to let go of and pass on. This book is for sheer entertainment "TMZ" value, not for deep interpretations of the soul or hidden meanings. Coben dispenses plot twists with a formulaic suspense.
The main character, Will Klein has a hero: his older brother, Ken. Ken Klein is suspected of raping and murdering a girl in a basement. With the evide...more
The main character, Will Klein has a hero: his older brother, Ken. Ken Klein is suspected of raping and murdering a girl in a basement. With the evide...more
I enjoyed my first Harlan Coben experience. It was exactly what I expected it to be and exactly what I felt like reading on a long airplane flight - fast-paced, CSI-style murder mystery with surprise plot twists and an unpredictable ending. Not surprisingly, the characters were pretty shallow, the first-person narrator was way too omniscient and the story was completely unrealistic (believability rating 3 out of 100). But that's absolutely fine. Now I know what all the hype was about and I choo...more
Harlan Coben (in my experience) writes two kinds of book... there are those featuring Myron Bolitar, which are implausible tales of throwaway readability; and there are those in which something has happened in the past, certain assumptions were made, years later all manner of shennanigans occur which throws a different light on those assumptions; leading to all sorts of twists and turns and a conclusion where everything is turned on it's head. In Gone for Good, something has happened in the past...more
Not my favorite of Coben's works. I already like the Myron Bolitar series better than his stand alones, but it seems like all of the individual books have the basic elements in common. Someone is shocked out of their normal life by revelations from their past, usually involving the death of a loved one. While there are very few "original" ideas in any media any more, it seems like Mr. Coben keeps recycling his ideas in his own books. Perhaps what worked in books like "The Wood...more
Well I have finally decided after years of dragging myself through books that I prayed would end, that if the lead character is a jack ass and the story puts me to sleep more than 3 times, I can quit with no guilt. So my friends, I quit. I found myself wishing that maybe it would be best if one of the bad guys would put this character out of his misery, but felt it was better just to move on to a more entertaining book. I have read many Coben novels so I should have known what to expect but ac...more
This was my first Harlan Coben book although I saw the film version of Tell No One a few years ago and thought it was terrific. Lots of twists, likable characters, and a very quick read with short chapters. I suppose a lot of the plot is implausible but I didn't care - most mystery plots are implausible. I saw some of the twists coming but most of them blindsided me. This is the best mystery I've read in a long time. The writing is much better than you usually find in modern mystery and crime no...more
I think I originally read this book a long time and forgot that I had read it before. With that said, reading it a second time was as good as reading it as the first. It was a definite page turner for me and I could see similarties to his Myron Bolitar series in this book with the New Jersey connection and having a substantially wealtheir friend. I liked the plot it was very enaging and theme continued all the way through the book. It had its twists and turns in it as well where you think you kn...more
Audio/Abridged: This was a great read if you don't take the story to seriously. Yeah, there are way to many red herrings, plot twists and coincidences, but that is what makes it fun. You need to suspect everyone in Coben's books. The good guys are honorable and the bad guys are over-the-top evil.
The ending was a little crazy and I didn't/couldn't remember what the security guard's murder had to do with anything by the end of this roller coaster ride. Very enjoyable; the character Squar...more
The ending was a little crazy and I didn't/couldn't remember what the security guard's murder had to do with anything by the end of this roller coaster ride. Very enjoyable; the character Squar...more
Harlan Coben is the "master of the twist" and this story does not let down. It twists left, right, up, down, east, west....well you get the picture.
Will Klein's older brother Ken was accused of killing Will's ex-girlfriend, Julie, 11 years before. Ken disappeared soon after the murder, leaving most to believe that he is also dead. Will has reason to believe that Ken is still alive and that he didn't murder Julie. Soon his current girlfriend Sheila turns up dead. Is histo...more
Amazing author! I recently read The Woods and have just finished Gone For Good. I was wowed by each one. Lots of details keep the story interesting and provide an element of surprise along the way with all of the twists and turns. What kind of an imagination could come up with all of that? Truly amazing. I have to start the series he has written next - that should keep me busy in between some of my other current series. Certainly this author is one I will continue to watch. I can never g...more
I have always liked this author's books but I have to say that this one didn't come up to snuff as much as his others have. It's a good thriller with twists and turns but something was lacking I feel.
Back Cover Blurb:
As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother, Ken. Then, on a warm suburban night in the Kleins' affluent New Jersey neighbourhood, a young woman - a girl Will had once loved - was found brutally murdered in her family's basement. The prime suspect: Ken Kle...more
Back Cover Blurb:
As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother, Ken. Then, on a warm suburban night in the Kleins' affluent New Jersey neighbourhood, a young woman - a girl Will had once loved - was found brutally murdered in her family's basement. The prime suspect: Ken Kle...more
People magazine was quoted as saying that Coben "stands on the accelerator and never lets up...the action is seamless, clear, and riveting." I'll second that!! Phenomenal author!
From back cover:
As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother Ken. Then, on a warm suburban night in the Klein's affluent New Jersey neighborhood, a young woman-a girl Will had once loved-was found brutally murdered in her family's basement. The prime suspect: Ken Klein. With the ev...more
From back cover:
As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother Ken. Then, on a warm suburban night in the Klein's affluent New Jersey neighborhood, a young woman-a girl Will had once loved-was found brutally murdered in her family's basement. The prime suspect: Ken Klein. With the ev...more
This is yet another great book to read for Coben, but there is one downside that bugged me a little. This is not part of his Myron Bolitar series, but there were too many similarities between characters that made it a little frustrating.
The story line that evolves in this book is great and it couldn't have worked with his usual characters based on how their lives had progressed in previous novels. Therefore it was required for Coben to create a new set of characters for this book. H...more
The story line that evolves in this book is great and it couldn't have worked with his usual characters based on how their lives had progressed in previous novels. Therefore it was required for Coben to create a new set of characters for this book. H...more
This is the story of Will Klein, who lost both his first love and his brother on the same day eleven years ago. His ex-girlfriend, Julie Miller was found brutally strangled, and his brother became the subject of an international manhunt accused of the crime. When his new girlfriend, Sheila, disappears too, Will starts to delve into the past, not always liking what he finds...
This was not the sort of formulaic mystery story that I am used to. Usually, a body appears within the first c...more
This was not the sort of formulaic mystery story that I am used to. Usually, a body appears within the first c...more
11 years ago, Will Klein's brother Ken disappeared (some would argue that he's dead) after he was accused of murdering a neighbor girl named Julie Miller in the heat of passion and he's been the target of an international manhunt ever since. And just when it seems like Will's life is starting to obtain some sense of normalcy, his own girlfriend Sheila disappears under similarly mysterious circumstances. Additionally, the FBI as well as local hitmen have started to invade Will's life because, as ...more
Downloaded from Audible.com
Narrator: Dylan Baker
Publisher: Random House Audio, 2002
Length: 5 hours and 34 min.
Publisher's Summary
As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother, Ken. Then, on a warm suburban night in the Kleins' affluent New Jersey neighborhood, a young woman - a girl Will had once loved - was found raped and murdered in her family's basement.
The prime suspect: Ken Klein. With the evidence against him overwhelming, Ken simply vanis...more
Narrator: Dylan Baker
Publisher: Random House Audio, 2002
Length: 5 hours and 34 min.
Publisher's Summary
As a boy, Will Klein had a hero: his older brother, Ken. Then, on a warm suburban night in the Kleins' affluent New Jersey neighborhood, a young woman - a girl Will had once loved - was found raped and murdered in her family's basement.
The prime suspect: Ken Klein. With the evidence against him overwhelming, Ken simply vanis...more
WOW. A good mystery throughout, but the ending ... wow. I was kind of getting tired of the Myron Bolitar stories (maybe it was just when I was reading them) but Coben has so much more range in storytelling than that. His stand-alone mystery novels are very good. Haven't read one yet that has not been very good. This one involves the main character who is the brother of the man who is the prime suspect in the death of the woman who used to be his love. If that seems weird, as they say, you ...more
Gone for Good - Ok
Harlan Coben - Standalone
Eleven years ago, Ken fled his family's suburban New Jersey neighborhood after Will's ex-girlfriend, Julie Miller, was raped and strangled. The Kleins eventually convinced themselves that Ken perished on the lam. But as Will discovers, the facts are not so simple. On her deathbed, his mother tells him that Ken is still alive. Then Will's girlfriend and "soul mate" disappears too, only to have her fingerprints turn up at a New Mexic...more
Harlan Coben - Standalone
Eleven years ago, Ken fled his family's suburban New Jersey neighborhood after Will's ex-girlfriend, Julie Miller, was raped and strangled. The Kleins eventually convinced themselves that Ken perished on the lam. But as Will discovers, the facts are not so simple. On her deathbed, his mother tells him that Ken is still alive. Then Will's girlfriend and "soul mate" disappears too, only to have her fingerprints turn up at a New Mexic...more
Finished my second book by Coben. I'm beginning to notice a trend here.
1. The author throws so many supporting characters into the novel that it's hard to keep track
2. The main character has the worst luck in the world. Bad things just keep happening to the main character
3. Despite the constant bad luck, the main character is blessed to have friends with influence, pull, and intelligence
4. Coben likes to throw in twist after twist
1. The author throws so many supporting characters into the novel that it's hard to keep track
2. The main character has the worst luck in the world. Bad things just keep happening to the main character
3. Despite the constant bad luck, the main character is blessed to have friends with influence, pull, and intelligence
4. Coben likes to throw in twist after twist
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
International bestselling author Harlan Coben's last seven novels, The Woods, Promise Me, The Innocent, Just One Look, No Second Chance, Gone for Good, and Tell No One have appeared at the top of all the major bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Book Sense, The Times (London), Le Monde, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as many others throughout the Uni...more
More about Harlan Coben...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
