Uhler,+Christopher

Tell No One By Harlan Coben Review By Christopher Uhler

Destiny Review

//Tell No One// by Harlan Coben is a compelling novel that keeps the reader intrigued throughout. The novel is a mystery thriller that is loaded with action and never leaves the reader lost or confused. The novel revolves around the main character, David Beck, who goes on an annual visit to Lake Charmaine, Pennsylvania, with his wife Elizabeth. While at the lake, Beck’s wife is murdered and he is hit over the head, knocked unconscious. The novel then turns to the future where Beck is accused of murder, and discovers that his wife is really still alive. This novel is an action packed mystery that keeps the reader thinking and wanting more. Tell No One is a captivating novel that will keep the reader tied to the novel till the end. I enjoyed the novel's thrilling action and suspense that kept me motivated to finish the novel. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in action, mystery, or just wants a good read. (4 Stars)

Background

//Tell No One// is a novel written by award winning author Harlan Coben. The novel was published in 2001 by Dell Publishing Company. After rave reviews the novel was adapted into a French film in 2006 and is said to be adapted into a English film for 2010.

Situation

The novel starts off in Lake Charmaine, Pennsylvania. Dr. David Beck, usually called Beck, and his wife Elizabeth take an annual trip to the lake on their anniversary. While at the lake Elizabeth gets murdered. The novel then goes forward eight years, where Beck is accused of murder and also receives an email that gives evidence that his wife may still be alive. With the FBI on his tail, Beck goes through the rest of the story trying to figure out if his wife is still alive, and what really happened the night at the lake.

Characters

Dr. David Beck (Beck)
 * Doctor working at a clinic
 * Husband of Elizabeth Beck
 * Faced with conflict of murder charges
 * Second conflict of trying to figure out whether his wife is alive or not

Elizabeth Beck
 * Wife of Dr. David Beck
 * Her conflict is her alleged murdered
 * Evidence of her being alive later in the novel

Style

__Style__ Coben organizes the plot of the novel by introducing everything right away. The reader is thrown into the action from the very beginning and it continues to the end. Harlan Coben after a while begins to confuse the reader and does so even more towards the end according to a quote by Christine Zibas, “At some point near the end, the story becomes so convoluted that the author loses some of his game, trying to keep all those balls in the air until the story’s end” ([|Zibas]). One of Coben’s specialties is his ability to write suspense, mystery, and thrillers. His ability to use description is used to build the suspense of the novel. David Lazarus discusses his use of suspense in his review of the novel, “Coben, taking a break from his Myron Bolitar series, writes with wit and a shrewd sense of plotting. ‘Tell No One’ may not break much new ground. But what it does, it does well” ([|Lazarus]).  __Character Development__ Coben focuses so much on the action and detail in the book he neglects the characters. Coben does not give enough description to build the characters up for the reader to get to know them. It is as if the story is all about the action and the characters are just minor details in the plot. Coben could add some more description in order to build up the character and form them as if they were real in order for the characters to jump out at the reader.

__Realism__ Coben uses realism in order to bring the reader into the novel. The character of Beck is surrounded by so much description that Coben is able to bring him alive so that one may feel that he is sitting right next to you. Janet Maslin of the New York Times tells of Harlan’s realism, “Mr. Coben of ‘Tell No One,’ digs a little more deply into his characters’ psyches. He paces his book a bit more realistically. And he succeeds in making David a realatively three-dimensional human being” ([|Maslin]). Coben’s use of realism to show the true feelings of the characters and what is happening around them related to the real world is what brings the reader even more into the novel.

About The Author

[|Harlan Coben] is an award winning author who is praised for his works of mystery and thriller novels, along with essays. Coben has written nineteen novels, including //Promise Me//, 2006, and //Fade Away//, 1996. The most recent of his novels is //Caught//, in early 2010. He has sold over 45 million books worldwide. His novels are published in 40 languages. Coben is the winner the Edgar Award, Shamus Award, and the Anthony award, and has been the first author to ever win all three. Harlan Coben was born in Newark, New Jersey, and attended college at Amherst College. Harlan Coben currently resides in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with his wife and four children.

Coben, Harlan. //Tell No One//. New York: Dell, 2001. Print.

Lazarus, David. "Back from the dead, thanks to e-mail." Rev. of //Tell No One//, by David Lazarus. //San Francisco Chronicle//. Hearst Communications Inc., 3 June 2001. Web. 23 May 2010. <[]>.

Maslin, Janet. "Mom and Pop Thrillers in Topsy-Turvy World." Rev. of //Tell No One,// by Janet Maslin. //New York Times//. New York Times, 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 23 May 2010. <[]>.

Zibas, Christine. "Book Review: //Tell No One// by Harlan Coben." Rev. of //Tell No One,// by Christine Zibas. Associatedcontent.com. Associated Content Inc, 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 23 May 2010. <[]>.