Caught

Harlan Coben’s “Caught” is an engrossing book that both challenges and thrills readers. The novel, which centers on 17-year-old Haley McWaid, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, is full of surprising drama and overlooked suburbia intrigue. Heading off to college with all the aspirations and expectations her devoted parents can bestow upon her, she is the captain of the lacrosse team.

One night Haley never returns home and the neighborhood fears the worst. Reporter Wendy Tynes, who is on a quest to track down and expose sexual predators, meets her most recent target, social worker Dan Mercer, who is seen as a friend to disturbed teenagers. However, Wendy finds that Mercer’s tale is more nuanced than she had anticipated, which makes her doubt her intuition and the intentions of others in her immediate vicinity.