A flat thriller that didn't do it for me
by messyreader
Spoiler free Going into Six Years, I was excited to finally see what all the fuss surrounding Harlan Coben was about. Surprisingly, this is my first of his novels, and while I know he has a huge fanbase, I'm left wondering whether his writing simply isn't for me, or whether I happened to pick one of his weaker books. If you've read more of his work, I'd genuinely love to know which titles you'd recommend. Surely his books aren’t just good for the screen (thanks, Netflix).
The premise is undeniably intriguing. Jake Fisher has spent six years honouring a promise to stay away from the woman he loves, only to discover that everything he believed about her may have been a lie. It's a setup that should have delivered plenty of suspense, but unfortunately, it never really gripped me.
A big part of the problem was Jake himself. I found him incredibly frustrating to spend time with. His decisions often felt irrational, and rather than rooting for him, I spent much of the novel questioning why he kept making the same mistakes. It's difficult to invest in a thriller when the protagonist continually tests your patience.
I also struggled with the way the female characters were written. Too many of them felt flat or existed solely to serve Jake's story, making their actions and motivations feel unconvincing. That lack of authenticity made it harder to become emotionally invested in what was happening. I do sometimes struggle with female characters written by men, unfortunately.
As for the mystery, I found the endless twists and reveals less thrilling and more exhausting. Instead of building tension, the story seemed to pile on increasingly implausible plot points, and by the end I'd stopped trying to piece everything together because it all felt a little too far-fetched.
Overall, Six Years wasn't a terrible read, but it certainly wasn't the page-turning thriller I'd hoped for. I can appreciate why Coben has such a loyal following, but this novel just didn't work for me. I'm not giving up on him entirely, though… if you've got a favourite Harlan Coben novel that might change my mind, I'd love to hear your recommendations.
