2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss
Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben

Pages: 352 Pages

Length: 1 Month (January)

Participants: Susan, Jana, Eirelyn

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Here are some questions to help get the conversation started! Feel free to look up discussion questions specific to this book or come up with your own. Just make sure any questions that contain spoilers are under spoiler tags.
Discussion questions are not required but may be a fun way to talk about the book and get to know each other!

Prior to starting:
What prompted you to join this buddy read?
Have you read this author before? What do you think of their other books?

Mid-read:
What character or ideas do you relate to the most and why?
Do you have any favorite quotes or scenes?

After reading:
What was enjoyable or not-so-enjoyable about this book?
Did this book change your perception about anything, either within the book (character development) or in real life?

I've read a lot of Harlan Coben, and I've always liked Reese Witherspoon (ever since watching her in Fear way back in the mid-90s). This sounded like an interesting combo to me.

I was especially intrigued by the part of the book summary that says that the main character, Maggie, becomes a fugitive herself after the patient under her care goes missing. I've always loved "wrongly accused & on the run" plot lines. I can't wait to start reading & dicussing!

I haven't started reading this one yet. Hopefully within the next couple of days. 😄

I just started this one today. I've only read through chapter 2 so far, but I'm definitely thinking that (just speculation based on some hints so far) (view spoiler)[the "Marc" that Maggie is talking to on her phone is just an AI version of him. The hints: 1) In the prologue, when Trace left the hospital scene, it said that that was the last time Marc would see him, yet 2) Sharon asks if Maggie is going to see Trace in New York, which indicates that he is still alive which leads me to believe Marc isn't, 3) Maggie is living with her sister so Marc is certainly out of the picture, 4) Maggie called it an "awful crutch" to be calling Marc again during the horrid event (there would be nothing "crutch"-like about that if he were a real loved one offering his support), and 5) AI people are exactly the tech that Sharon is working on, so why wouldn't there be a helpful AI version of Maggie's deceased husband to help her through her difficult time?

Has anyone else been thinking this? (hide spoiler)]

Just a few thoughts so far.

I just finished chapter 10. There's so much intrigue & mystery in this storyline. And now they have hinted that (view spoiler)[maybe Maggie's husband was actually targeted when he was murdered.

And what is with both him & Nadia having the same tattoo? Who was the doctor who removed her kidney? Where has Oleg gone post-surgery? Why did he want the surgery to begin with? I have lots of questions lol. (hide spoiler)]

I am enjoying it so far. I find myself turning page after page because I just want to keep reading.

Picked up my copy from the library yesterday. Hoping to get started on this one today!

Eirelyn wrote: "I just started this one today. I've only read through chapter 2 so far, but I'm definitely thinking that (just speculation based on some hints so far) the "Marc" that Maggie is talking to on her ph..."

I read to chapter 4 today and was wondering about Marc. Great observation! I'll be on the lookout for more of the same! Liking this book so far.

I am enjoying this book a lot! I just finished chapter 14, (view spoiler)[Is it possible that Marc is really alive??? The twists and turns have me wanting to sit and read until I finish this! (hide spoiler)]

Finished reading this book, I really liked the first half more than the second half. (view spoiler)[I was surprised Porkchop was the one who killed Trace. I was really hoping there was more to that part of the story. I'm also glad Marc really wasn't secretly alive. (hide spoiler)]

Susan wrote: "Finished reading this book, I really liked the first half more than the second half."

I'm through chapter 23 right now. Getting close to the end! I feel like they've done a good job making me question (view spoiler)[whether or not Marc is still alive. Like Maggie seems 100% certain that he's dead, but there are all of these little bits of hope that he is still alive. Obviously, it would be great if he were still alive, but I just don't know which way they're going to go with it...considering Maggie & Porkchop have been so heartbroken for a whole year & trying to cope with his death. (hide spoiler)] I guess I'll find out soon! 😄

Yeah, I get what you're saying about liking the first half better. I feel like the first half was a little more intense & suspenseful. The second half has felt a little like it's wandering to me. The second half has brought up so many more questions, and almost none of them have been answered yet. I just have a feeling it's going to come down to the end and just have this huge explanation/info dump of answers. I hope that's not the case, but I guess I'll see about that too lol.

Overall, I'm enjoying it, and I'm interested to see how it ends, but it's definitely not one of my favorite Coben novels.