One of the best ways to tell whether or not a book is worth reading is to check the size of the author's name on the front cover. If the author's name is bigger than the title, the novel is not worth reading. Occasionally, I discover exceptions...but they are almost as rare as a good Disney Channel recording artist.
Here's an example. This is a current best-seller. I have never read it, but since the author's name is significantly larger than the title it has to be lame.
I apologize to any Harlan Coben fans out there. I recommend writing Mr. Coben's publishers about decreasing the size of his name on the covers of his novels. Doing so, I imagine, would likely increase the literary value of his writing.