Play Dead

Shadows from the Past

In Play Dead, Harlan Coben plunges readers into a web of deceit and danger where every revelation cuts deeper than the last. When successful lawyer Reed Brighton receives a cryptic message suggesting his wife, Brooke, may still be alive after vanishing a decade earlier, he is forced to confront the ghosts he thought he had buried. As Reed retraces the steps of that fateful night, he uncovers a labyrinth of half-truths, missing evidence, and hidden alliances that threaten not only his sanity but also the woman he loves.

The Price of Silence

Coben’s prose is taut and unrelenting, propelling the narrative through darkened streets, high-stakes interrogations, and forgotten safe houses. Secondary characters—a disgraced detective haunted by one last unsolved case, a femme fatale with shifting loyalties, and a crime boss with everything to lose—add layers of suspense at every turn. Secrets long kept in shadow begin to surface, and every instinct Reed has about trust and betrayal is put to the ultimate test. As clues emerge, the distinction between friend and foe blurs until survival demands sacrifices no one could foresee.

Race Against Time

With a relentless pace and an electrifying climax, Play Dead becomes a masterclass in psychological suspense. Coben deftly explores themes of redemption and the lengths to which one will go to right past wrongs. From clandestine meetings in deserted parking garages to pulse-pounding chases through city alleys, each scene is rendered with cinematic precision. As the final pieces of the puzzle fall into place, readers are left breathless—wondering who will live, who will die, and who can truly be trusted when the stakes are life and death.

Author’s Description

Harlan Coben is an international bestselling author renowned for his heart-stopping thrillers and complex characters. Winner of multiple Edgar Awards, he lives in New Jersey and continues to push the boundaries of suspense fiction with his signature blend of emotion and adrenaline.