Reese Witherspoon co-wrote a thriller with Harlan Coban — which honestly probably means she pitched him an idea and he wrote it with her feedback, or even that she pitched him an idea and he farmed it out to a team that wrote it with both their feedback. Who knows. The log line: “Gone Before Goodbye” follows Army combat surgeon Maggie McCabe as she navigates an international conspiracy involving spies and deception while confronting serious personal problems. Seems like pretty boilerplate stuff in the vein of She’s Smart, But She’s a Mess!!!!!!!, which admittedly can be a little boring to me at this point unless it’s executed well. Which it might be!
As of this typing, there are only three reviews on Amazon. One is five stars with the headline “BOOM,” and reads simply, “im thrilled.” Another is four stars with a lengthy summary and reads a teeny bit like ChatGPT penned it (“The plotting is designed to keep readers turning the pages, seeking answers to the questions skillfully planted by Ms. Witherspoon and Mr. Coban”). The last is one star and says “VERY UPSET!!!” because the book is damaged. Someone on Goodreads is infuriated by overuse of the name “Porkchop.” he LA Times used the phrase “plot mechanics,” but in a complimentary way? I think another Goodreads reviewer is correct that it was written to be a movie, and I’m sure that’s where we’re headed with it. Reese apparently wants her to be the new James Bond. I might have to read it and let you know how likely it seems.
