At first glance, this unique pairing might seem a bit bizarre. What is bestselling thriller writer Harlan Coben doing authoring a novel with award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon? I assure you, once you dig deeper, the collaboration behind GONE BEFORE GOODBYE makes a lot of sense.

Coben is world-renowned for his thrillers, several of which have been turned into international feature films and streaming series. Witherspoon has published her own nonfiction work, in addition to three children’s books. More importantly, she is the force behind Hello Sunshine, which promotes Reese’s Book Club, connecting authors and stories with a wide audience. This turns out to be an ideal match, and the result is a novel that moves at breakneck speed. It stays one step ahead of the reader at each turn, keeping the guessing and predictions coming with each passing chapter.

"Witherspoon and Coben do an admirable job of never taking their foot off the gas, resulting in a thriller that is exhaustingly satisfying."

If we have learned anything from Coben’s fiction, it is that nothing is as it appears to be. This has never been more clearly on display than it is in GONE BEFORE GOODBYE, where the constant shift in plot makes it nearly impossible for readers to figure out what will happen next or how the story will end. I suggest that you just strap in for a wild ride and enjoy!

We meet Dr. Maggie McCabe one year after the ordeal that her husband, Marc, went through as he was working as a physician at their organization while on assignment in North Africa. A year later, Maggie is in Baltimore, and it is obvious that she suffered a major setback that cost her her medical license, among other things. She is visiting her brilliant sister, Sharon, and attending an event at Johns Hopkins University honoring her late mother. She is approached by an ex-friend of hers, who subtly tells her that she is not welcome there and that everyone would feel better if she left.

Before Maggie is able to run out, a former teacher and mentor stops her. Dr. Evan Barlow doesn't care about what happened in the past. He has a job proposal for her and wants her to be in New York City the next day to meet with him at the Barlow Cosmetic Center. He asks that she not tell anyone the details of her trip. Upon arriving at his office, Maggie is introduced to Ivan Brovski, who outlines the need for her to accompany him to Russia for a medical procedure they want her to perform on a top-secret set of patients.

Maggie is offered upwards of $10 million for her expertise and discretion, and she cannot refuse. Once in Russia, she meets her patients: Oleg Ragoravich, who requires multiple facial surgeries, and his girlfriend, Nadia, who needs a breast augmentation. Maggie does not question who they are or why this is being done. She is overwhelmed to learn that she was specifically requested to be the only person to do this job. At this point, one gut-wrenching plot twist after another ensues.

Witherspoon and Coben do an admirable job of never taking their foot off the gas, resulting in a thriller that is exhaustingly satisfying.