Six Years

By: Harlan Coben

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Six years have passed since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of hiding a broken heart by throwing himself into his career as a college professor. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd.

But six years haven’t come close to extinguishing his feelings, and when Jake comes across Todd’s obituary, he can’t keep himself away from the funeral. There he gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife he’s hoping for...but she is not Natalie. Whoever the mourning widow is, she’s been married to Todd for almost two decades, and with that fact, everything Jake thought he knew about the best time of his life - a time he has never gotten over - is turned completely inside out.

As Jake searches for the truth, his picture-perfect memories of Natalie begin to unravel. Mutual friends of the couple either can’t be found or don’t remember Jake. No one has seen Natalie in years. Jake’s search for the woman who broke his heart, who lied to him, soon puts his very life at risk as it dawns on him that the man he has become may be based on a carefully constructed fiction.

Harlan Coben once again delivers a shocking novel that deftly explores the power of past love and the secrets and lies that such love can hide.

©2013 Harlan Coben (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Solid Mystery, Good Story, Ending Worth the Wait

I can see from the reviews that some have taken the narrator, Scott Brick to the woodshed on this one, and I must admit at the beginning of the book some of the drama was really not called for. But all in all, I do love Scott Brick, and as the story progressed, so did the urgency. I really liked the actual story, and so what if it's a love story? It was that, but so much more. And it was anything but predictable. Excellent writing and kept me listening until the wee hours . . .

Great story, fast paced and Scott Brick is PERFECT

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, I never guessed what was going on so many twists and turns.

Which scene was your favorite?

The confrontation between Benedict and Jake...drama!!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Just get it!

keeps you on the end of your seat

it keeps you on the edge of your seat. thrilling, mysterious and i guess in the end, people will just do anything for love.

Write-by-numbers story with melodramatic narration

Would you try another book from Harlan Coben and/or Scott Brick?

I have been a fan of Harlan Coben for years and look forward to Scott Brick's narration. But this was the worst of both I've experienced.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

It was not particularly interesting at all. I can honestly say that there was not a single surprise in the story. Everything was clearly telegraphed and easily guessed. This story does not come close to the typical thrill ride of a Coben story. And the hackneyed slang and conversational stopgaps were not worthy of him. I hope I never hear the phrase "the mind goes where it will" again.

How could the performance have been better?

So many ways. I don't expect Scott Brick to give all the characters different voices. But the exact same phrasing, intonations, and inflections for each and every one is dreary. And the story did not need his added melodrama. It was over-the-top on its own.

Do you think Six Years needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Oh God, please no.

The narration gets in the way of the story.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I may avoid the narrator entirely after this book. If I cared enough to read it, or hear another version, I might find that the book was mildly entertaining. It certainly had a great many twists and turns, mostly improbable and many foreseeable, but the narrator got so annoying that it became difficult to actually keep up with the plot.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I have listened to several books narrated by Brick in the past, and, though he has never been my first choice of narrators, he was not an impediment. This time, however, he was so overly dramatic that it was very distracting. I found myself laughing at his dramatic narration and not paying attention to the book itself.

Very engaging

The story line was great with well time plot twists. Absolutely loved the voice artist - he did a great job making the characters come alive.

Gardener

The first third of the book was hopelessly boring. I would have exchanged it if I hadn’t read other Harlan Coben books. But he pulled it out and the rest was good. If not a bit melodramatic.

Harlan Coben Does it Again

I was hooked by Harlan Coben after reading Run Away and this novel didn’t disappoint. Gripping story, great narration, keeps you guessing until the very last chapters.

Too-stupid-to-live protagonist

I usually enjoy Harlan Coben's books, but this one is not one of his better efforts. The protagonist, as I have noted, gets into incredible situations due to his own stupidity and, if that's not bad enough, he has the emotional maturity of a love sick adolescent. His stubborn insistence on continuing a course which he has been warned not to pursue, no matter whom he hurts or endangers, is unbelievably selfish and destructive. I became increasingly annoyed and impatient and would not recommend this book at all.

Brick is solid

I follow books that Scott Brick reads- in my mind he is the best in the business.
This book had just the right amount of humor, mystery, romance and thriller. Keeps you guessing throughout. Good job Mr. Coben