I can not believe I have gone never reading a Harlan Coben book until this week. This was an amazing story that hooked me in the first couple of pages. I absolutely feel in love with the story, totally did not end the way I thought it was going to. Great author, great story, I can not wait to get into more of his books.

From what I read in the synopsis of this book I was so intrigued. I was very excited to read this and have heard good things about Mr Coben’s other books. This was my first. I am so very sorry but this one did not do it for me. I didn’t get that thriller effect that I love.

The main character, Wilde, was ok but I still am wondering why was he in the woods. Why was he left and what happened to him before. What was his life like before that. I don’t like to read about someone that is the main character, the title actually about said character, then no answers as to why, when or what happened. While he was a somewhat likable character there are still many questions about him.

I did not feel like any of the other characters were realistic. This book did not hold my interest like a good thriller should. I didn’t care about any of the characters, not even the victims. I didn’t like the political aspects that were involved either. It was just not what I expected. It fell way short for me. I am not going to say that I will never read a Harlan Coben book again as that would possibly not happen. I always give an author at least two tries before I write them off. As I said, I have heard good things about this author’s work, so I will give him a try again. It was this book. It read like a manuscript and not a flowing story. It just didn’t keep me interested thus took me a long while to read. I picked it up then put it back down several times before actually finishing it.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #HarlanCoben, #GrandCentralPublishing for this ARC. This is my own honest opinion of this book.

I give it 2.5 stars and just can’t in all honesty recommend it. It just fell short.

Another twisting, surprising story from Coben. His style is always fresh and entertaining. The characters in this book were vivid and real and so unique. Definitely worth the read.

This book features two strong main characters – Hester Crimstein and Wilde. They are polar opposites. She a highly successful lawyer with a sharp wit and an equally sharp tongue. He is an enigmatic man of the shadows, who was found living on his own in the woods as a boy. Their relationship is based on Wilde’s friendship with Hester’s son.
Not as engaging a thriller as his previous works, the pace was slow at first and a bit rushed toward the end. True to form, there were twists and surprises along the way to the resolution. A resolution that was not entirely satisfying. Loose ends remained.
It was a thought-provoking read. The author seems to use the intricate plot as a vehicle for exploring ethical dilemmas on multiple levels, specifically the integrity of the legal system and the media. Can real and untampered evidence be easily discredited by the savvy PR teams of a slick politician? Is it ever okay to just look the other way?
If you are expecting the feel of a Myron Bolitar tale, be forewarned. This one is different. Different, but still a good read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Boy from the Woods! This was my first book written by Harlan Coben that I picked up and I definitely understand why the name carries so much hype. The first half of the book was a slower start to me, mainly because Coven truly built characters that had a ton of dimension and that takes time to lay down. I didn't really know where the story was going to go, but by the end I was pretty surprised with the outcome. I will definitely keep an eye out to read more from Coben.

Good book a little slow at first. Not like most of Cohen’s books I have read. Wilde was a boy found in the woods not remembering any of his past. He is not exactly accepted by the students but not exactly anxious to be accepted. Wilde’s life is intertwined, though, with many of the folks in the town. He is a friend to Laila and a surrogate father to Matthew after Matthew’s father died in a fiery crash. The story has many diverse characters that are important to the story. A must read

Wilde had been found as a boy in the woods. With not knowing who he was or where he came from. He snuck into peoples house and watch TV and learned computers so when he was found he knew how to read and talk. It is now 30 years later and he still doesn't know who he is or where his family is. He lives a very simple life in the woods.
Hester Crimstein is a famous TV lawyer and has a connection to Wilde, since he was her son's best friend growing up. When a local girl ends up missing Hester asks Wilde for his help to find her. He is a retired soldier and has ways to find things out.
I have always loved Harlan Coben but am behind in his books so I had to pick this one up and I was not disappointed.
Thank you to Grand Central and Netgalley for the arc to review.
#NetGalley #grandcentral

A girl has gone missing and Matthew Crimstein reaches out to his grandmother, Hester, for help. She is a lawyer with her own show on cable television and if anybody can help it is her. But Hester takes it one step further and enlists the help of her late son's best friend, Wilde. Thirty years ago Wilde was a boy found in the woods. Nobody knew who he was, nobody knew how long he had been alone in the woods, but the rest of his life has been spent as a loner, developing the sort of skills that can help find a missing girl. But then another student goes missing and Wilde starts to suspect that there is more to this story. Will Wilde be able to find the missing students before it is too late?

There is nothing better than escaping into a Harlan Coben book on a Sunday morning. The world is just a bit weird right now, so escaping is good. Wilde is the kind of enigmatic character that hooks the reader. I wanted to know more about him. The author even left some things about Wilde hanging and leads me to believe that we haven't seen the last of Wilde. I also really liked Hester. She was a no-nonsense lawyer, but also a kind and funny grandmother. It was easy to get lost in the story. I had guessed who had taken Crash, but I didn't know why. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - It doesn't matter what Harlan Coben writes, I will read it. The Boy From The Woods was a great, fast-paced read that will help you escape your troubles for a little while.

Details:

The Boy From The Worlds by Harlan Coben
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Pages: 384
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publishing Date: 3/17/2020
Buy it Here!
Thanks to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

I have read all of Coben's books and unfortunately, this is not one of his best. The book is very plot-heavy, and it is an exciting plot, but the characters are simplistic and underdeveloped. The thing that really drove me crazy was that there wasn't a single prominent character to had anything resembling a regular life. They are all fabulously wealthy and some have super-human skills. The book was interesting, but could have been so much better if it was fleshed out and the characters were more realistic.

This was my very first Harlan Coben book. I have another one of his books that has been sitting on my shelf for a year and I have just not brought myself to read it. I will definitely be moving it up the list now that I've finished The Boy From the Woods.
Our story focuses on a missing teenage girl, Naomi. When one of her classmates, Matthew, starts to worry about her he gets his hotshot Lawyer Grandma to look into the case. Hester, Matthew's Grandmother along with Matthew's Godfather Wilde, found that the girl really isn't missing at all. But when she disappears again a week later, and then Crush, the most popular boy in school also disappears, things start to get out of hand.
First off the story line is fabulous for this book. I flew through the chapters without even realizing how long I had been reading for. The language is clear, not flowy, but with just enough description to make it easy to visual everything. This is definitely more a mystery than thriller but I still loved the entire story.
Character wise, Coben has developed some really great characters. Even the most minor characters have distinct personality traits. Hester and Wilde, being two of the main characters are my favorite. Hester's no nonsense personality mixed with Wilde's quite and soft demeanor were a perfect mix. I also really enjoyed the back stories that tied all of the characters together.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I didn't see the ending coming and it posed some good questions, who's place is it to determine what is right and wrong? This book is out now!

This was a good one if you need a quick, enjoyable #suspense that won’t keep you up at night! Bonus: Wilde is quite the masculine image (Think: Tarzan meets Bucky from the Marvel movies) and Hester in her older age is a competent, badass hero of a leading lady. •

Wilde was discovered decades before, a child seemingly living on his own in the wilderness who became a local phenomenon. Wilde is drawn into the search for a missing young girl by the few human connections that remain dear to him, and ends up teaming up with Hester Crimstein, a famed criminal defense attorney turned TV star, to discover the truth. •

Wilde and Hester quickly becomes enmeshed in a tangle of political conspiracies, past murders, and cruel high school games. Another missing boy leads them to believe the missing children might be linked to one of the most powerful political figures in history, and Wilde is forced to race against the clock in order to untangle the mystery that has landed at his feet. •

Harlan Coben has become the master of the stand alone action thriller and The Boy from the Woods is Coben at the top of his game. The novel centers around a man, called Wilde, who was found feral and living in the woods years ago. He is now a brilliant man who has managed to acclimate to society but chooses to live on its periphery.

When a teenage girl goes missing Wilde is called I’m to invistigate, by tv analyst and lawyer Hester Crimstein. Wilde and Crimstein share connections that go back to his childhood, so when her grandson comes to her about a missing friend Wilde feels obligated to help.

Like all Cobens thrillers, nothing is quite what it seems on the surface and twists and turns take you places you never could have foreseen.

I loved this book, but what I loved the most was the character of Hester Crimstein. She is the type of character rarely given a starring role in literature or film. An aging lawyer who is tough, brilliant, ambitious, sexy and vulnerable. This is just the kind of character we need more of in literature, I kept wanting to flip ahead to read more of her storyline. Please, Mr. Coben give Hester a starring role in your next novel!

Harlan Coben's books are always a treat and this one is no different. Fans of Coben will gobble this one up. It's a nice mystery drama that hooks the reader from the beginning and keeps going. The characters are memorable and the storyline pulls in a bit of political drama that's enough to be believable. I like that the ending is left open enough that Coben could easily add a sequel (hint, hint). If you take this one on vacation, make sure and take another book too - this one won't take you long to read. It's great!

I have enjoyed many books by Coben and this one did not disappoint. The setting and characters were well developed. The plot was well constructed and fast paced. The story was suspenseful and had some twists. I hope Coben will write more featuring these characters especially the "boy from the woods." I think readers would like to follow Wilde as he discovers his origins. Thank you for allowing me to read an advance edition.

The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben tells about Wilde, a now-grown man who was discovered living in the woods as a small child. Little is known about Wilde and his origins but his past helps him keep a low profile that comes in handy while investigating the disappearance of a couple teens from his town. Wilde has plenty of tricks up his sleeve to get to the bottom of the mystery. Read and enjoy!

Wilde was a boy when he was discovered living in the woods. Now, as an adult, he still doesn’t know anything about his past. He lives a quiet existence until a child goes missing. Recruited by his friend, Hester, a criminal defense attorney and television personality, Wilde begins to investigate the disappearance. When a second child also goes missing, the stakes become higher and Wilde is forced to look closer at the community that he has always tried to avoid.

The Boy from the Woods is a suspenseful story with a glowing cast. I particularly like Hester who is a feisty seventy-something (she stopped counting at sixty-nine), with a can-do attitude. The dialogue is snappy, witty, and, sometimes, even charming. The interactions between the various characters is fresh and enjoyable. All in all, it is a very well-put together story that thoroughly held my attention.

This is the first book I have read by Harlan Corben. Now, he is definitely on my radar and I’ll be on the lookout for more novels by this superb author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Wow, Harlan Coben knocks it out of the park again!!

I absolutely loved The Boy From the Woods. Going into it, all I knew was that a little boy was found living in the woods. I had no idea it would be so much more than that!

I loved all of the characters. The book was pretty fast paced with short chapters and flipping between characters. The twists at the end though...

My favorite character is Hester. I feel like she reminds me a lot of myself because she is so sarcastic.

4.5 rounded up.

Great book and timely too. I have read some but not all of the Myron Bolitar series so I recognized one character from before, but I can't say if any others have been previously introduced. Regardless, the book is a standalone, no question. There was at least one scene that I think went unresolved, which is the only reason I deducted from the full 5 stars. Another big question remains, which I am thinking will force Coben to give us a follow up book.

Otherwise, this had a great deal to offer. Political intrigue, a missing teenager or two, a bit of a commentary on right and wrong, how justice is served, family, grief, and a murder from years ago with a wrongly accused man serving time. Attorney Hester Crimstein is on the case, and she calls in a man with a mysterious childhood, Wilde, with whom she has a previous connection. The ending chapters are very twisty and surprised me over and over. Loved it.

When a frequently bullied teen goes missing, lawyer and television personality Hester Crimstein reaches out to a family friend for help. Wilde was found in the woods as a child with no knowledge of his identity. Now, he’s in his late thirties with a military career under his belt and a consulting gig with a security firm run by his foster sister, but the unsolved mystery surrounding his past continues to haunt him. The trail keeps leading to one of the kids in missing girl’s class. The boy’s wealthy parents and their ties to a political candidate complicate the case. Only Hester and Wilde, with their unique skill sets and connections stand a chance at separating the clues from the red herrings and delivering justice for crimes that go well beyond the fate of one missing teen.

When I first heard about this book, I assumed the plot focused on the story of the little boy who was found in the woods. Having read a ton of Harlan Coben books, I should have known better. Instead of concentrating the story on a young Wilde, Coben made him a point of view character as an adult who is searching for a missing teen. Wilde’s history serves to create a phenomenal character. A character who could easily carry a series of his own. At least I hope that’s Coben’s plan. I adore Coben’s storytelling, but what makes me addicted to his books are his characters.

Speaking of series and character, Coben gives devoted readers plenty of Easter eggs in this book, from subtle references to series favorites Myron Bolitar and Win Lockwood to a cameo by Zelda and Hester Crimstein herself, who appears as a minor character in several of Coben’s books.

THE BOY FROM THE WOODS has the great characters, solid plot, and humor that makes Coben a best seller. Fingers crossed that Coben lets Hester and Wilde get back into the driver’s seat to give them their own series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy! Unfortunately this was not my favorite Harlan Coben. It was not as thrilling as some past books and I just felt like the story dragged on. The first few chapters were actually more exciting than the rest of the book. I felt like the beginning made it seem like it will be a much faster paced thriller than it was. Overall it was not a bad book just the pacing was kind of all over the place for me. I give it 3 stars