Based on the description of his newest novel, Six Years, I decided to try this author out, and was told that this one would be a good place to start. If the description of that one and this novel are anything to go by, then Coben certainly likes stories about women that disappear. David Beck, this novel's protagonist married his childhood sweetheart, only to see her kidnapped and murdered on their anniversary. Eight years later, he still has not recovered from her death. However, when two bodies are discovered at her kidnapping site, it begins to raise questions about what happened. Then David receives an email that makes him think that Elizabeth is still alive.
This is what I would call a good disposable novel. While I was reading it, I was hooked enough to want to know what has happening next, but it's not something I would ever reread. I thought the end started having just a few too many twists, but overall I thought the story was rather entertaining. I didn't really like David that much, though. I think part of it may be that in the beginning of the novel, David refers to some secret he should tell Elizabeth. As a result, I never suspected him of her death, but I thought he might be shady. As it turns out, the secret was something completely different from what I suspected, and maybe if I hadn't had this suspicion of David the whole time, I would have liked him more. I'm not sure. I still thought some of his interactions with people were a bit dickish.
Overall, not a bad novel, and I would say it's probably perfect for travel. It doesn't matter if it gets wet at the beach, it's one that could easily be left on the shelf at a hotel or cafe, and it doesn't require too much involvement.
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