Reese Witherspoon's resume is longer than my arm. Actress, producer, book club founder, media mogul...and now, author. While the Academy Award winner has several children's books to her name, this newest tome marks her foray into adult fiction. Her suspense novel, Gone Before Goodbye, hit shelves last week—and you need a copy, stat. (Take this from a gal who blew through it in six hours.)
Reese Witherspoon Just Published a Thriller and I Read It in 6 Hours
You're going to binge this
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Published Oct 15, 2025
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International Intrigue Meets Hollywood Glamor
Seeing that Witherspoon comes from Hollywood, I wasn't surprised that the premise of the book involved lots of...cosmetic surgery. Combine that with the blinding wealth of a Russian oligarch and the heady, hedonistic backdrop of Dubai, and you've got a propulsive setup filled with mystery and intrigue.
The story focuses on disgraced army surgeon Maggie McCabe who, in want of other options after her medical license is suspended, agrees to a secretive, high-stakes job for a mysterious client. As soon as she steps onto the private jet en route to Russia, Maggie becomes entangled in a violent conspiracy that will soon reveal the secrets of her deceased husband and their missing friend.
Fast Pace, So Much Suspense and a Shocking Ending
When I learned that Harlan Coben was teaming up with Witherspoon to write Gone Before Goodbye, my interest was immediately pique. As a kid, I devoured Coben's Mickey Bolitar series as well as some of his adult fiction before one particularly violent scene had me creeped out. I'm glad I decided to pick this book up, though. As a reader, my one weakness I try to hide behind my wall of classic literature is a love for murder mysteries. My guiltiest pleasure is not a Netflix binge but starting a thriller at 9 p.m., snuggled in bed, and turning the last page at 3 a.m.
Gone Before Goodbye delivered on all fronts—a deeply painful death, international machinations of the sinister medical variety, plot twists and enough red herrings to keep me guessing until I turned the last page. It was everything I expected from Coben as a writer, with the Hollywood spin on elite plastic surgery that could have only been imagined by someone who lives in an industry that breathes these procedures.
While I found the novel highly entertaining, I was bothered by some POV changes I found rather inconsistent, a character who felt a little half-baked and a few murky details that still felt unclear by the time I turned the last page. But overall, it was a spectacular debut for Witherspoon and hallmark of Coben's best work. The writing is crisp, clean and detailed, with a satisfying ending. Definitely worth a reading binge into the wee hours of the morning.
