Fool Me Once

Capt. Maya Stern Burkett, the heroine of this stellar standalone from Edgar-winner Coben (The Stranger), has suffered more than her fair share of tragedy. Her career as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot came to an end after whistle-blower Corey Rudzinski exposed the civilian deaths caused by her actions in Iraq. Even worse, her husband, Joe Burkett, is shot to death in front of her in Manhattan’s Central Park, though Maya is able to give a good description of the masked killers to an NYPD homicide detective. Maya is already dealing with the nightmares from her combat experiences and the murder of her sister, Claire, four months earlier while Maya was stationed in Kuwait. Then, weeks after Joe’s funeral, a recently installed nanny cam shows her two-year-old daughter, Lily, crawling onto Joe’s lap. Other shocks follow. Implausible links arise between Joe’s death and Claire’s, and she must face the possibility of more revelations from Rudzinski. Coben is like a skilled magician saving the best, most stunning trick for the very end. Five-city author tour. Agent: Lisa Erbach Vance, Aaron Priest Literary Agency (Mar.)