The Innocent

By: Harlan Coben

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Some mistakes can change your life forever. For Matt Hunter, that mistake came in one terrible moment when his attempt to help a friend and stop a fight resulted in an accidental death. Matt was convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison. Time that his peers spent in college, Matt endured behind bars.

Now, nine years after his release from prison, his innocence long forgotten, he's an ex-con who takes nothing for granted. With his wife Olivia pregnant, and the two of them closing on a house in his hometown, things are looking up. Until the day Matt gets a shocking, inexplicable video call from Olivia's phone. And in an instant, the unraveling begins.

A mysterious man who begins tailing Matt turns up dead. A beloved nun is murdered. And local and federal authorities, including homicide investigator Loren Muse, a childhood schoolmate of Matt's with a troubled past of her own, see all signs pointing to a former criminal with one murder already under his belt...Matt Hunter. Unwilling to lose everything for a second time, Matt and Olivia are forced outside the law in a desperate attempt to save their future together.

An electrifying thrill ride of a novel that peeks behind the white picket fences of suburbia, The Innocent is at once a twisting, turning, emotionally-charged story and a compelling tale of the choices we make and the repercussions that never leave us.

©2005 Harlan Coben (P)2005 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"What Coben does best is take readers into his characters’ hearts and minds. His protagonists are just common folks, minding their own business when - bam! - they are drawn into a terrifying world of sordid crimes and mayhem.” (USA Today)

“Modern suburbia unravels in this latest puzzler from Coben...Don’t make the mistake of not reading it!” (Library Journal)

"Jaw-dropping plot twists...Fans of rose-tinted nightmares [will] gasp their way through Matt’s free fall, scared and happy as kids on a roller coaster.” (Kirkus Reviews)

One of Coben’s best

I’ve been going through many of his novels and this stands out a favorite so far. Excited to watch the show!

Excellent

Another well read and very interesting Harlan Coben book. This was another one of his well written, keeping you completely engaged in following the story! I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a mystery suspense type of book.

Liked it. Lots of twists and turns.

Well crafted tale with good characters and a plot line that never stalls. The narrator did avoid mod and was never "over the top".

Well done

I enjoyed listening to this book as it held my interest throughout. Scott brick did an exceptional job of narrating.

Excellent Read

This book was so exciting I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put it down.

Good storyline, great performance!

Held my attention throughout the entirety. Good twists, cohesive plot. I always love this author!

I couldn't figure out what speed to set for this narration

Not as good as other Cobin books. this seemed to drag on. I am actually relieved that it is over.

Great suspenseful story from start to finish!

The narrator is awesome and I love the book itself. I read it many years ago and saw it again on Audible. The narrator was great and made it even better.

Great storyline - tons of twists!

Another amazing Harlan Coben tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Expertly narrated by our favorite Scott Brick.

Meh... Not my favorite H. Coben

Not Harlan's best writing. I'll admit, there were times where I kept listening because I was excited to see where the plot twist was headed. It was written pretty well with many different characters and plot lines intertwining. I enjoyed the process of "unwrapping" the story, much like a present. However, I felt it often times moved slowly.

In my opinion, the story was just too hard to believe and too convoluted for my taste. There were times when I really just wanted the story to get moving. I felt the author focused on a lot of irrelevant details regarding the characters. He'd introduce a character, spend what I felt was an eternity on unrelated minute details regarding said character, and then move on to the next character, only to do it all over again with that character. Honestly, there were times where I found myself zoning out during these introductions and recalls, only to snap out of it and not feel like going back to see what I missed. Another annoyance to me was, when all said and done, everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow. I have to roll my eyes when stories like this, where all these characters from different locals, are so entwined, only to have everything fall into place just in time.

The narration was great. I enjoy Scott Brick and the books he voices. Where some think he's being too dramatic, I find that I lose myself more in the story when the other "performs" the book rather than simply reading it.