57 - Caught; Harlan Coben

In this suspense thriller Wendy Tynes is a 30 something woman who lost her husband as a result of a drunk driver.  She is a driven woman, who has made a name for herself by catching child predators. She does this by luring these predators in internet chat rooms and then setting up a sting operation by arranging to meet them at a specific location.  Little do these individuals know that behind the scenes is a camera crew ready to film the entire scene ( imagine Dateline’s: To Catch a Predator).

Flash forward and the man who is "caught" is Dan Mercer, a social worker who works with troubled children and young adults.  Mercer claims he has a good reason for being at the location. When the Mercer case is thrown out, Wendy begins to question if her initial instincts were correct or whether Dan could have been framed.  There is also a seventeen year old girl who has mysteriously disappeared. Could there be a connection?

Without giving any spoilers, I’ll just say that although this audio book started out a bit slow for me, it quickly picked up its pace and kept me guessing along the way. The reader, Carrington MacDuffie, was very good as well.  Just when I thought I had the story figured out, out came a few curve balls and my theory was quickly debunked.

MY THOUGHTS: If you are in the mood for a good thriller, and one that drives home a moral message as well, give this book a try. Although this is the author’s 17^th novel, this novel, Caught, is a stand alone, so you need not worry if this author is new to you. 

RECOMMENDED – 4/5 stars (Library audio book)