Harlan Coben

BIO

International bestselling author Harlan Coben's last seven novels, The Woods, Promise Me, The Innocent, Just One Look, No Second Chance, Gone for Good, and Tell No One have appeared at the top of all the major bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Book Sense, The Times (London), Le Monde, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as many others throughout the United States and the world. His most recent book The Woods (2007) was a bestseller on lists across the country including USA Today, Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Nielsen Bookscan and Entertainment Weekly. Promise Me and The Woods were both named one of the best thrillers of the year by Library Journal. Coben's books are published in 38 languages and have 40 million copies in print world wide. His new novel, Hold Tight, will be published in the U.S. on April 15, 2008.

In his first books, Coben immersed himself in the exploits of sports agent Myron Bolitar. Critics loved the series, saying, "You race to turn pages...both suspenseful and often surprisingly funny" (People). After seven whodunit books Coben moved away from Myron Bolitar. "I came up with a great idea that simply would not work for Myron," says Coben. The result was the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Tell No One, which has been credited by many as reinventing the thriller and which became the most decorated thriller of 2001 nominated for an Edgar, an Anthony, a Macavity, a Nero, and a Barry; winner of the Audie award for Best Audio Mystery/Suspense Book; and a #1 hardcover book on the Book Sense 76 list. Coben followed the success of Tell No One with the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Gone For Good (2002), No Second Chance (2003), Just One Look (2004) , The Innocent (2005), Promise Me (2006) and The Woods (2007).

Coben's unique take on the American dream has struck an international chord. Bookspan, recognizing his broad appeal, named No Second Chance its first ever International Book of the Month in 2003.

Since 1995, Harlan Coben has won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award, the Private Eye Writers of America's Shamus Award, and the Anthony Award the first writer to win all three. In 2004 he was shortlisted for the Author of the Year Award for the British Book Awards, dubbed "The Oscars of the Book Trade." He was the first American to make the list.

Tell No One, Coben's first stand alone novel, was released as a film in France in 2006. A runaway smash, Tell No One has grossed over $32 million in France and Variety called the film, "a sharp, efficient package." Tell No One was directed by Guillaume Canet (Mon Idole), and features an all-star cast including Kristin Scott Thomas (Gosford Park), Nathalie Baye (Catch Me If You Can), and Marie-Josée Croze (Munich). The movie was released in theaters in the US in the summer of 2008. FOX TV has purchased the rights to Coben's popular Myron Bolitar series for a pilot by "Bones" creator-executive producer Hart Hanson.

A graduate of Amherst College, Harlan Coben was born and raised in New Jersey, where he still lives with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben. Harlan and Anne have four young children and two dogs.

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INTERVIEW

May 2003

Harlan Coben is the author of such bestsellers as TELL NO ONE and GONE FOR GOOD. He is also the winner of the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony awards, the first writer to receive all three honors. In this interview Coben discusses his latest novel, NO SECOND CHANCE --- the significance of the title, the themes that are addressed, and his inspiration for writing it.

Q: What do you feel sets your novels apart?

HC: I don't tell stories about serial killers or conspiracies that reach the highest level of government. I prefer to play in the calmer waters of suburban America. I deal with what we all know --- the strange and powerful bonds of family. In that placid pool, a splash can ripple and reverberate in ways far more devastating and far more emotionally resonant.

Q: What's the title mean?

HC: The title NO SECOND CHANCE is a bit of a misnomer. The book is, after all, about second chances. Check that --- it's about the greatest second chance imaginable. It begins with this nightmare: Marc Seidman is shot and left for dead. His wife is killed. And his daughter, Tara, has vanished. At first, it appears to be a kidnapping for ransom. But be prepared: Nothing is at seems. Things go horribly wrong. And just when it appears all hope is gone, a shocking development gives Marc Seidman that second chance.

Q: Do have a message for your readers or are you just looking to give them a good read?

HC: Ultimately, NO SECOND CHANCE is a story of triumph and hope. It is about how old lovers never leave us. It is about what a father will go through to keep his child safe.

I always start with a theme like this, but for me, it's all about story. NO SECOND CHANCE is first and foremost a page-turner. I want to keep you up at night. I want to keep you glued to the page, pulse racing, heart pounding, breathing shallow. I want there to be deadly secrets. I want to surprise you.

But --- and I think this is the key --- it is no good to stir the mind if you don't also stir the heart. So I don't mind if you're genuinely moved. I don't mind making you shed a tear or two at the end. I'm an emotional guy. I hope that maybe you are too.

Q: How much of your new novel, if any, was influenced by your personal life?

HC: I started out writing a story about a father's love. Why? Well, maybe because I have four children of my own, ages eight and under. No, that's not a typo. Four children --- ages eight, five, three and one. Give me a moment. Deep breath. Okay, I can go on now.

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