Harlan Coben (born January 4, 1962) is a Jewish American author of mystery novels. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolve or misinterpreted events in the past (such as murders, fatal accidents, etc.) and often have multiple plot twists. Both series of Coben's books are set in and around New York and New Jersey, and some of the supporting characters in two series of novels have appeared in both. His novels are most popular in the United States and France.