Six Years by Harlan Coben

    I think, for me, Harlan Coben's greatest skill is making me care about his protagonist. Jake Fisher, a professor teaching at a small but prestigious college, is someone I like.  He does his job well, follows the rules and lives a quiet life with only one major flaw in it. He can not forget the love of his life, Natalie Avery, who left him suddenly to marry another man, asking him to please leave them alone. Sure, they had not known each other for very long, but their relationship had seemed perfect. He did not understand and has never gotten over it.

    Six years later he sees the obituary for Todd, Natalie's husband, and attends the funeral.  The grieving widow is not Natalie. Jake is puzzled, tries to find Natalie, hoping to understand and reconnect. But no one remembers her. The art retreat where they met is no longer there and no one remembers it ever existed either. But Jake will not give up.  Even when he is threatened, kidnapped, shot at, beaten and arrested.

    The plot was twisted, exciting, and hooked me. (Okay, as always, Coben's plot is a little far fetched at times, but you don't mind. Really.) Jake's best friend, Sebastian, is interesting.The miner characters are also likable, unless they are bad guys, and then they are very sleazy and ruthless.

    A fun read with a satisfying ending.