Gone for Good : A Novel

Amazon.com Review "The ugliest truth, in the end, was still better than the prettiest of lies." So says Will Klein, whose search for his missing and allegedly murderous brother, Ken, leaves him doubting the actions of everybody he's ever loved. 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? And what's their relationship to the recent appearance of a contract killer known as the Ghost? With help from an abused ex-hooker, a former white supremacist turned yoga guru, and Julie's younger sister, Will finds himself in a tightly twisted plot that turns on double identities and misplaced trust and that forces him to dig for the courage he was always sure he lacked. Although the premise sounds much like that of Harlan Coben's last book, the acclaimed Tell No One , and the books' ingenuous protagonists are nearly interchangeable, Gone for Good quickly establishes its separate but equally suspenseful identity. This is a tale of manifold deceptions guaranteed to show its readers up as suckers, and to make them love every moment of the experience. --J. Kingston Pierce From Publishers Weekly "We never forget our first love. Mine ended up being murdered." Newcomers and fans alike will know they're deep in Coben country with the author's ninth book, in which a counselor of runaways with his own history of broken hearts and death finds himself caught in a web of lost identities, forgotten nemeses and smoldering grudges. Will Klein was a nice Jewish boy from a nice Jersey suburb until his ex-girlfriend was found strangled next door and his brother became an international fugitive. Eleven years later, as his mother succumbs to cancer, Will gets the deathbed confession that his brother, Ken, is alive; around the same time, his girlfriend, Sheila (herself a runaway with a "murky past"), disappears and a neighborhood psycho called the Ghost resurfaces. Will is yanked into an FBI investigation via his friend Squares (a yogi whose forehead tattoo carries multiple meanings), which jumbles up the aforementioned cast of characters with another mystery occurring in the Midwest. True to form, Coben keeps the plot twists coming fast and furious, and readers will give up trying to guess the outcome quite early on; yet the book's entertainment value lies less in its plot than its characters. From the New York streetwalker Raquel ("Many transvestites are beautiful. Raquel was not. He was black, six-six, and comfortably on the north side of three hundred pounds") to Belmont, Neb.'s Sheriff Bertha Farrow ("Murder scenes were bad, but for overall vomit-inducing, bone-crunching, head-splitting, blood-splattering grossness, it was hard to beat the metal-against-flesh effect of an old-fashioned automobile accident"), this title delivers. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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 Ken Again, They Were Sure He Was Gone For Good.

now Eleven Years Have Passed. Will Has Found Proof That Ken Is Alive. And This Is Just The First In A Series Of Stunning Revelations As Will Is Forced To Confront Startling Truths About His Brother, And Even Himself. As A Violent Mystery Unwinds Around Him, Will Knows He Must Press His Search All The Way To The End. Because The Most Powerful Surprises Are Yet To Come.

publishers Weekly

we Never Forget Our First Love. Mine Ended Up Being Murdered. Newcomers And Fans Alike Will Know They're Deep In Coben Country With The Author's Ninth Book, In Which A Counselor Of Runaways With His Own History Of Broken Hearts And Death Finds Himself Caught In A Web Of Lost Identities, Forgotten Nemeses And Smoldering Grudges. Will Klein Was A Nice Jewish Boy From A Nice Jersey Suburb Until His Ex-girlfriend Was Found Strangled Next Door And His Brother Became An International Fugitive. Eleven Years Later, As His Mother Succumbs To Cancer, Will Gets The Deathbed Confession That His Brother, Ken, Is Alive; Around The Same Time, His Girlfriend, Sheila (herself A Runaway With A Murky Past), Disappears And A Neighborhood Psycho Called The Ghost Resurfaces. Will Is Yanked Into An Fbi Investigation Via His Friend Squares (a Yogi Whose Forehead Tattoo Carries Multiple Meanings), Which Jumbles Up The Aforementioned Cast Of Characters With Another Mystery Occurring In The Midwest. True To Form, Coben Keeps The Plot Twists Coming Fast And Furious, And Readers Will Give Up Trying To Guess The Outcome Quite Early On; Yet The Book's Entertainment Value Lies Less In Its Plot Than Its Characters. From The New York Streetwalker Raquel (many Transvestites Are Beautiful. Raquel Was Not. He Was Black, Six-six, And Comfortably On The North Side Of Three Hundred Pounds) To Belmont, Neb.'s Sheriff Bertha Farrow (murder Scenes Were Bad, But For Overall Vomit-inducing, Bone-crunching, Head-splitting, Blood-splattering Grossness, It Was Hard To Beat The Metal-against-flesh Effect Of An Old-fashioned Automobile Accident), This Title Delivers. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES • “Gone for Good contains more plot twists than you can count, with a jarring revelation in nearly every chapter.... [Harlan] Coben has crafted a taut thriller with a slew of compelling characters.... As subtle as a shotgun, and just as effective.”—San Francisco ChronicleAs 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 Ken again, they were sure he was gone for good.Now eleven years have passed. Will has found proof that Ken is alive. And this is just the first in a series of stunning revelations as Will is forced to confront startling truths about his brother—and himself. As a violent mystery unwinds around him, Will knows he must press his search all the way to the end. Because the most powerful surprises are yet to come.“Coben stands on the accelerator and never lets up.... The action is seamless, clear, and riveting.”—People (Page-turner of the Week) 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 Ken again, they were sure he was gone for good. Now eleven years have passed. Will has found proof that Ken is alive. And this is just the first in a series of stunning revelations as Will is forced to confront startling truths about his brother, and even himself. As a violent mystery unwinds around him, Will knows he must press his search all the way to the end. Because the most powerful surprises are yet to come. "From the Paperback edition." GONE FOR GOOD –“ An instant New York Times Bestseller. ” Now, in a bold new novel, Edgar-Award Winner HARLAN COBEN, author of the international bestseller TELL NO ONE, unleashes a haunting tale of secrets and betrayal... and of one man’s search for his missing brother that spirals into a breakneck hunt for a killer, a victim, and the truth. Gone for Good is at once a powerhouse of suspense and a haunting tale of love—the love between brothers, between lovers, between family members. It is one of those rare thrillers that not only make the pulse pound, but stir the heart as well. Investigating his girlfriend's mysterious disappearance, Will Klein learns that she is somehow tied to his brother's death, and he becomes increasingly disturbed when he realizes that everyone he loves is harboring dark secrets.