Harlan Coben has produced countless bestsellers for the past three decades and can always be counted on to write a top-notch thriller. His global success has led to feature film adaptations of his work (be sure to catch the terrific French version of TELL NO ONE), as well as seven Netflix miniseries to date.

The premise of Coben’s latest effort, I WILL FIND YOU, is a unique one that will hook readers from start to finish. David Burroughs has been sitting in prison for the past five years. He received a life sentence for brutally beating to death his three-year-old son, Matthew, with a baseball bat. Yet he has no recollection of this; if anything, he attributes his actions to being in a fugue state. However, his wife, Cheryl, immediately divorced him, and the trial that culminated in his conviction included an eyewitness who saw him bury the murder weapon.

"Coben’s writing will grab you by the throat and threaten to never let go.... [I WILL FIND YOU] is a real winner and just begs to be put in line for the same cinematic treatment that so many of Coben’s other novels have received."

David has continued to claim his innocence, but wallows in self-pity and refuses to see any visitors. Then he gets a surprise visit from his ex-sister-in-law, who he never thought he would see again. Rachel is Cheryl’s younger sister, and she always had a close relationship with David. However, she chose to support the family and believe in his guilt, even though it never felt right to her. Rachel has brought with her a photograph that her friend took at an amusement park. She notices a young boy in the background who looks exactly like Matthew if he was five years older, right down to the unique birthmark on his cheek.

The photo is enough to convince David that he is not a killer, but there is nothing he can do about it while behind bars. Thankfully, the prison warden is his godfather and his father’s best friend, and he helps him escape. This is only half the battle for David, who now must elude law enforcement while trying to get to the bottom of the new evidence that might prove his son is still alive. Rachel is committed to helping in any way she can. She also has to find the right time to tell Cheryl, who has since remarried and is expecting a child.

All of the characters I have mentioned are complex and dynamic in their own way. However, Coben saves his best writing for FBI special agents Max Bernstein and Sarah Jablonski, who are pursuing David. Their dialogue is written in such witty back-and-forth fashion that they refer to themselves as the Lucy and Desi of the FBI. In a move that is very much like The Fugitive, Max will become convinced that David is innocent, only to be reminded by Sarah that it doesn’t matter --- their job is to catch him, bring him in and let someone else determine the truth.

David’s escape is never predictable, and Coben’s writing will grab you by the throat and threaten to never let go. I WILL FIND YOU brings on a slew of characters along the way, and each not only adds to the plot but occasionally spins off into exciting new directions. It is a real winner and just begs to be put in line for the same cinematic treatment that so many of Coben’s other novels have received.