Book Reviews of Caught

EXCELLENT!!!! I am a huge fan, this is a great thriller. Lots of twists and turns the ending keeps changing and you just can't read fast enough.

This was in my opinion Harlan Coben at his best. The story starts off kind of all over but it quickly all comes together. There is a new twist around every corner. I thought a few times that I had it figured out only to be led in another direction.

A great read for anyone who likes an edge of your seat ride.

Another fantastic thriller from one of my favorite authors. Fast paced and well written, it had me guessing until the end. Look forward to his next effort.

This book is absolutely outstanding. A must read. One word, "WOW"

Sandra S is a complete idiot.

Interesting-moves around alot. Ending was not what I expected-but added an interesting aspect to the story. I found that there were ALOT of characters-especially male characters, but it wasn't too hard to keep them straight. All in all, an interesting story.

This book belongs in the teen section of the library; definitely NOT in the mystery/thriller section.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I disliked this book.

Due to Coben's recommendations as a great writer I ordered several of his books but I literally had to force myself to keep reading this just to see if it got any better. Consequently it took me over two weeks to finish. I kept hoping that something would happen that could keep my attention for more than 20 minutes at a time but that did not happen.
It was one of the most boring books I have ever read. No action with the exception for a one page scene that seemed like an after thought and was so contrived that it was like a page from another book that was put in by mistake.
Even the so called red herrings were boring; consisting of things such as the same conversations over and over with old friends,acquaintances,ex-father in laws,bosses and that list goes on and on...visits back and forth was the same people etc.etc. but no action and definitely no thrills or real mysteries.
This being my first book by Coben makes me think I will probably list the others that I have by him without bothering to read them.

Reporter Wendy Tynes is on a mission to bring pedophiles to justice and when evidence falls into her hands about Dan Mercer, she runs with it. As it inevitably does, everything goes horribly wrong and a vigilante kills Dan. Instead of letting it go, Wendy convinces herself that Dan was setup. She's off and running with a conspiracy theory which eventually threatens her life and her career. Mix in a missing teenage girl and a bunch of college roommates (Dan's) with a terrible secret, and you have yourself a great read with multiple plot twists and surprises. This is good but not as good as others I've read by Harlan Coben.

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fun!, July 20, 2010

This review is from: Caught (Hardcover)
This was a fun summer read, a fast-paced suspense thriller without all the gore or grisly details that are often the hallmark of this genre. If you like Linwood Barclay (No Time for Goodbye or Never Look Away: A Thriller), you'll find that Coben writes similar tales. He writes tales about ordinary people faced with unexpected events that cause them to make decisions and perform heroic efforts to find the answers or solutions to the situations.

In this book, a TV news reporter, Wendy Tynes, lures a suspected pedophile, social worker Dan Mercer, to a house where he is "caught" in a sting operation that is televised nationally. In another side plot, teenager Haley McWaid has disappeared from her suburban New Jersey home without a trace. These two stories converge in a plot that becomes more complicated as it evolves. Ultimately, the novel is about accusations, both founded and unfounded, and how quickly reputations can be ruined by false charges, even if later the accused are proven to be not guilty or deemed innocent by the courts. At times, Coben seems to be juggling too many moral and ethical questions, for example, what should be done to parents who provide alcohol to teenagers? Should victims forgive those who have caused them harm? Is vigilante style justice ever acceptable? How far will parents go to protect their children? to name a few. Some of the characters tended to take the moral high road in a manner that almost seemed like a "lesson" or lecture to the reader. As far as characters go, incidentally, none of them were all that likable to me. It also seemed as if there were some loose ends in a rushed ending, but nothing that will keep me up at night wondering!

In short, I recommend this for a those who like a quick entertaining read.

Fabulous Five Stars - this book deserves twice that. From the first paragraph I was totally hooked. This has everything - mystery & suspense (that's a given - it IS Harlan Coben after all); twists(galore!); puzzle pieces that come one at a time and fill in the blanks at just the right pace. You feel like you're part of the story, along for the ride. I absolutely could not stop reading this once I started. Picked it up every single change I got until the very last page. The epilogue brought an unexpected tear to my eye. Bravo Harlan Coben!

I think this is his very very very very best book in the past 10 years. I'm a very hard sell on endings I feel the ending makes or brakes the book. I have always said if he could find out how to write a good ending he'd have a really good book.--up til now his ending were a BIG let down. This book has it all and he finally got the ending right in spades. I highly recommend this book. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I really can't wait for his next book for the first time in many years and keep in mind a big fan of his.Out of 10 I'd give it 50. It's that good.

This is a great book. will keep you up late though, it's a hard one to put down.

Fast-paced, interesting read about a case of a suspected child predator that turns out to be about much more.

Excellent book

Caught has several plots running through it which intertwine at the end to make a great story.

We first learn of a high school girl, Haley McWaid who has gone missing and people start thinking the worst but everyone is asking, what could have happened to her? How can someone just disappear? Next we have Dan Mercer who works with troubled teens. Could Dan be the cause of Haley's disappearance?

Wendy Tynes a local news reporter who is determined to figure out if Dan was involved in the disappearance, suddenly stumbles upon an even more intriguing story that gets her wrapped up in some problems of her own. Will she continue to research the story? This book is definitely worth reading to find out.

I will say that I had a little trouble starting this book because I felt like I was reading a familiar story line but after the first 100 pages, the story took on several twists that made me want to read more. I agree what some stated in their reviews that the story is predictable to a certain point but you really cannot imagine the whole story and this is what makes this one worth four stars.

This book was a quick read,it kept my interest and had a great ending. I dont think Harlan Coben is a great writer but his books generally move fast and are good entertainment. This one actually had a good message so I would probably rate it higher than his other novels.

"Caught" is one of the most thrilling and thought provoking books I have read in a very long time. Once I picked it up I did not want to put it down.

Very tricky book. So many characters, so many ways it could go. Is this one a good guy/gal or a bad guy/gal? It was fun to have Win from the Myron Bolitar series pop in the plot briefly. Very satisfactory ending.

Classic Coben. I don't think he can do any wrong. Excellent read. Finished it in a few days - only because work interefered with getting it read faster! :)

His best book yet! I loved it!!

This was a great read a little slow at first but it gets moving rather quickly would really recommend this book.

Great book! Classic Coben! Read it in 2 days.

Great read!!! I have never read anything by this author, but I will definately be looking for more by him. I really enjoyed this!!!

Standard Coben style...Twists and turns - Sad story of how the news can convict a person and the crazies can use technology to destroy others!

Good Book, keeps moving, good suspense and I didn't guess the ending at all. Well worth the read