Reese Witherspoon And Harlan Coben Joke Their New Thriller Will Have You Cursing Them Out At 4 A.m.

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If you're planning to pick up a copy of Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben's thriller "Gone Before Goodbye," be forewarned: The authors say reading it could cause you to lose some sleep (in the best way, of course).

During a panel that Women.com attended at Shine Away 2025 on October 11 in Los Angeles, Coben, a bestselling writer most famous for his 2001 hit novel "Tell No One," suggested that this is partially by design. He joked that he envisioned people up late reading the book until they realize, "[It's] four in the morning and you're cursing us out." In other words, readers can expect "Gone Before Goodbye" — which is being billed as both a psychological and medical thriller — to deliver plenty of page-turning suspense. Witherspoon added that she had a friend tell her the book "reads like a movie," which suggests that the story is likely to elicit some visceral reactions. 

Given Coben's track record for writing intense thrillers, and Witherspoon's history of producing and starring in crime dramas like "Big Little Lies" (one of many Reese's Book Club picks that got the big screen treatment), it makes sense that the two joining forces could only mean good things for people who appreciate stories that contain plenty of twists and cliffhangers. But don't just take the co-authors' word for it, because the reviews also suggest this isn't a book you'll be able to say goodbye to easily. "[It] was suspenseful and kept me guessing until the very end!" one reader wrote in their GoodReads review. Another said, "From the start, I struggled to predict where the story would go, since Reese and Harlan were determined not to give anything away. That uncertainty kept me hooked right to the end."

"Gone Before Goodbye" tells the story of Maggie McCabe, an army combat surgeon who finds herself caught up in what Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben described at Shine Away as "[the] crazy world of private wealth and private surgery." Maggie is a tough cookie, but after tragically losing a patient during surgery, she falls into a downward spiral she can't seem to escape. She's offered the chance to provide medical services for very wealthy clients — but that's where things take a deeply intriguing turn. Witherspoon explained Maggie finds herself struck in an internal battle of sticking to her morals or making questionable decisions for a life of luxury, and things only get worse when one of Maggie's wealthy clients goes missing under mysterious circumstances.

While the novel is a fictional book, Witherspoon has a personal connection to the story that gives it extra bite. She described the novel as a "love letter" to her parents, who worked as a doctor and a nurse, respectively. Witherspoon even lived in Germany with her parents when she was young while her dad was stationed there as a military surgeon, so her life's influence on the story is quite literal. 

Between the authors' writing talents, Witherspoon's personal connection to the narrative, and the captivating plot, it doesn't surprise us that the book is already an Amazon bestseller. We wouldn't be surprised if readers were still turning the pages long after 4 a.m. — and having the best time doing it.

"Gone before Goodbye" hit shelves on October 14, 2025 and is available wherever you purchase books.