I'm sorry to say, I did not like this one. It was so formulaically Harlan Coben and it's my own fault for picking it up, because I am a tepid fan of the author at best. That said, his books are usually entertaining and that's all I was hoping for. Unfortunately, I was not entertained at all. Every character felt like a caricature to me and the story very tired. Obviously, I am in the minority here, and to be honest, that makes me happy, because I wish for people to love what they are reading and to write glowing reviews. I know a lot of work goes into every book and it is for that reason I am not giving a star rating. I want to acknowledge that these times are strange and there is a lot on my mind that could have affected how I read this. That being said, I also just started "Ghettoside" and am already fascinated, so it can't totally be a case of "it's me not the book". In any case, if you do pick this one up, I hope you love it the way so many readers seem to. For me, sadly, it was a disappointment.

Wilde was found in the woods as a young boy thirty years ago. While he was adopted into a family, he still chooses to live off the grid and remains a bit of a mystery to the town. When Hester Crimestein is asked to investigate a missing local girl, she asks him to help her find her.

I could not put this down and stayed up way too late reading more than one night. Every discovery led to something even more interesting, and I didn’t want to stop reading until I knew what happened. The Boy From The Woods is suspenseful and well written.

Harlan Coben books are always fun and a good distraction, which is probably never more important than this particular time in history. This one has questions for days---and several are left unanswered, so I'm really hoping that we spend more time with Wilde in future books.

The real story here, though, centers around the two missing teenagers. We don't really know what's happened to them or why---or even if they chose to leave or if something more sinister is happening. (Well, OK, we learn pretty quickly that it's more sinister. But nothing here is obvious, especially at first glance.)

With books and movies, I tend to classify the ones I love as "fun" or "good," and Harlan Coben's books are always both. This one was exactly what I needed. Highly recommended.

The title is a bit misleading on this one. While the boy from the woods does play a role in this book, it’s not the primary focus of the story-line. Then again, there were so many themes running parallel through the read I’m not sure one actually stood out more than the next.

Take your pick:
Missing teens....
Politics...
Second chances at love...
Discovering your past...

Every one of these themes held its own powerful story. Though it felt that each was competing to be front and center. Now, I do love a book with multiple story-lines that leave you guessing how they all dove-tail in the end. Sadly, this was not one of those.

I’ve read every book Harlan Coben has written and though his series books remain my favorite this stand-alone just didn’t make the grade.

My only saving grace was dear Hester! What a delicious character! Her sharp wit and quips saved the read for me.
Fingers crossed that I will once again be singing Harlan Coben’s praises with his next release.

A buddy read with Susanne.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Harlan Coben for an ARC to read and review.

Wilde was literally a wild feral boy found some thirty years earlier who is now working as an investigator figuring out a couple of missing teenagers. The investigation leads to the path back to his history. As the plots interweave and connect, Coben provides a cast of complex characters that I enjoyed reading about.

This is my first Harlan Coben book and now I know why Coben has such a loyal following. Coben is a master storyteller of thrillers and mysteries. This was an edge of my seat read that kept my interest from the very first page. This was a wow read that I was completely engrossed in, and had me turning those pages as quickly as I possibly can to find out what is coming next. There is just a lot going on and I really liked the complex plot twists and surprises sprinkled throughout.

This was a really enjoyable thriller read that I highly recommend.

"How far would you go to save millions of lives, Wilde?"
"...life is lived in the gray. Life is lived in the nuances."

This is an entertaining standalone suspense and mystery novel by a prolific writer who's had a couple of his books adapted to Netflix miniseries. The main character is the boy from the woods - his name is Wilde, and he was found ages ago as a feral child who had been living on his own in the local state forest in the Ramapo Mountains outside Westville. "It's like Mowgli in the 'Jungle Book' movie" He was adopted and years later becomes a partner with his foster sister in a PI business and still lives in Westville in a special home in the woods. Wilde is connected to Hester Crimstein, a 70-something defense attorney and local television celebrity, through her deceased son, David, and is godson to David's son Matthew. Wilde and David had been good friends so when Matthew asks Hester to find a missing friend, Hester engages Wilde to help. The plot evolves further when another teen later goes missing as well and his wealthy parents need Wilde and Hester to help them with sensitive issues involving a presidential candidate who some feel is the "most dangerous man in America." NO SPOILERS.

This was quite the convoluted tale with a heavy political theme and actually didn't reveal as much about the main character, Wilde, as I had hoped. The story line was fairly predictable and long-time readers will probably recognize some familiar characters, especially Hester. The narrative is straight forward and everything is tied up neatly for the reader. I wonder if Coben intentionally didn't give too much information about Wilde so to revisit his character in the next book. I've read all the standalones by this author and will likely read the next as they are all so similar in basic ways to provide a good diversion for a couple of hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Harlan Coben. Unfortunately, the book has little to do with the boy from the woods so I am feeling disappointed and somewhat cheated. In fact, after about halfway through, I really had no desire to find out what happened in the rest of the story. I may be in the minority but I can't recommend it.

I read Run Away, my first Coben book last year, and after this one it's safe to say I'll be a lifelong fan. The books are just so compelling- the characters are SO vivid you're sure they're off living their lives when you're not looking. The chapters are short and the narrative is really compelling- it's almost like the book version of watching a TV drama like Scandal, if that makes sense.

In TBFTW, we're introduced to Wilde, a boy with no past who lived in the woods by himself for years before finally getting adopted as an adolescent. But the story really isn't about him- we're also introduced to Hester Crimstein, a woman of a certain age who's a very popular political pundit/lawyer and a host of other characters. There's missing kids, politics, corruption, and conspiracy theories with a healthy side of drama. This book is very layered and I never quite knew where things were going to go- but I was never confused. I loved Hester's character and that he gave her a love life! You don't often get to see older women dating, and it was refreshing. I can see some readers getting annoyed at the over-the-topness of Wilde- can anyone really be THAT good at what he does?- but for me, it worked perfectly. Recommend!

When a bullied teen goes missing, but unreported, another teen persuades his aunt to look into her disappearance. She in turn call on the skills of Wilde, who was found living alone in the woods as a young boy and never identified, growing up in the foster care system, and best friends with her now dead son. Wilde, now an adult, has returned to living in the woods in near isolation, slipping into the worlds of his friends - and enemies - with scarcely a shadow, the perfect person to track down a missing person. But the girl returns, then disappears again, and yet another teen disappears, this time the son of a wealthy, powerful couple tied to a Presidential candidate and the secrets and the power plays come fast and furious.
Wilde is a very intriguing character, and not fully explained. Not even he knows how he came to be in the woods, so his past is murky, and some of his motivations mysterious even to himself. Naturally his relationships and friendships are a bit different from normal and fascinating to watch evolve. All of the characters are well developed and believable, even the "bad guys." Fast moving with as much psychology as action (love the mix), and an absolutely perfect ending. I really enjoyed this one.

Hester Crimstein - the formidable criminal defense lawyer who easily bests police and prosecutors - is a secondary character in Harlan Coben's 'Myron Bolitar' series. In this book Hester gets a starring role when her grandson comes to her for help.

The novel is a standalone and appears to be the start of a new series.

*****

Sixteen-year-old Matthew Crimstein, who attends Westville High School in New Jersey, has a problem. Matthew feels guilty for sitting by - day after day - while his classmate Naomi is tormented by a group of bullies. The yobbos, led by entitled Crash Maynard, jeer at Naomi; call her names; throw rubber bands and spitballs; whisper nasty things; and so on.

Then one day Naomi vanishes.

Matthew seeks out his grandmother, criminal defense attorney Hester Crimstein, while she's taping her television show 'Crimstein on Crime.' Matthew explains about Naomi, and says, "Nana, I want you to help."

Hester gets right on the job by enlisting the assistance of a man called Wilde, who has a VERY unusual history. In 1986, when he was around 6 years old, Wilde was discovered living on his own in New Jersey's Ramapo State Forest, near the suburb of Westville. Wilde spoke and understood English, but had no idea who he was or how long he'd been living alone in the woods.

At that time Hester and her family lived in Westville, and Wilde became close friends with Hester's son David. When they grew up, Wilde became godfather to David's son Matthew; and when David died in a tragic accident, Wilde became a father figure to the boy.

Wilde is just the person to investigate Naomi's disappearance. He's a part-time private investigator; is adept at surveillance and tracking; can expertly navigate the woods; and is a former special forces soldier.

While Wilde is looking into Naomi's disappearance, he comes into contact with school bully Crash Maynard and Crash's wealthy parents, Dash and Delia Maynard (I love these names 😊). As it happens, Dash is a reality show producer who's sponsoring the presidential campaign of former reality star Rusty Eggers - a HIGHLY controversial figure. Eggers is a vain narcissist and egotistical sociopath, and many people would do anything to take him down.

One anti-Eggers activist is attorney Saul Strauss, who's certain Dash Maynard has tapes that would destroy Eggers.....AND HE MEANS TO GET THEM. Thus, the Maynard family is guarded by security expert Gavin Chambers and his team of thugs.

As the story unfolds another high schooler vanishes and Dash Maynard is put under EXTREME pressure to hand over the 'incriminating tapes' about Rusty Eggers. Since the pair of teen disappearances may be linked, Hester and Wilde take an interest in both cases, and Wilde makes it his mission to locate both kids.

While all this is going on, widowed Hester - who now lives in New York - becomes reacquainted with Westville police chief Oren Carmichael. Carmichael is nearly 70 years old, but "remained what he'd always been - a grade-A prime slice of top-shelf beefcake." So sparks fly there. 😍 And Matthew's widowed mother Laila, a beautiful black woman, also puts a toe in the dating world.

The romances add a flirty element to the story, but I simply can't believe that Hester - the toughest broad in New York - goes googly-eyed over a man. 😏

An underlying motif of the book involves Wilde's origins. Who were his parents and how did he come to grow up in the woods all by himself? Wilde takes initial steps to unravel this puzzle, and his childhood will probably be explored more in future books.

This is an engaging story that alludes to familiar American events, so it's kind of a twofer: a mystery and a mildly political novel. The book isn't Coben's best work (IMO), but I enjoyed it and look forward to further escapades involving Hester Crimstein and Wilde.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Harlan Coben), and the publisher (Grand Central Publishing) for a copy of the book.

I was excited to get a Harlan Coben book to review. It sort of felt like going on vacation after a lot of recent reading that didn't captivate me. That said, it wasn't my favorite of his, and I own most of them. I am fascinated with Hester Crimstein and was pleased that she was a central figure in the story. "The boy from the woods" was her partner in trying to locate two missing teens. Going by "Wilde", he had been found in the woods as a child with no recollection of his past or how he got there. I wouldn't mind seeing him in another story, either.

Harlan Coben is one of my FAVORITE thriller writers of all time! Books like his new offering, The Boy from the Woods, proves why he is an aut0-buy and a "set everything else aside and start reading" kind of author. The characters were sharp; the plot was intriguing; and the mystery and thrills were very satisfying. Probably the best thriller I have read all year!

Harlan Coben has always been and will always be a masterful storyteller with great characters! There are multiple things going on in this book, lies, secrets. Conspiracy theories, kidnapping , and more! Don't overthink it because it is action packed and highly entertaining!

THE BOY FROM THE WOODS by Harlan Coben (Grand Central, $29.00) Rating: B+
Wilde is a hunter in northern New Jersey who was previously found as a young boy in the woods. He has no idea who his parents or family are and he self-taught himself how to read by breaking into vacant vacation homes and watching educational television shows. Now, he is an adult with a high degree of intelligence. He has had several girlfriends including the Laila, the widow of Wilde’s best friend, David. Laila’s son Matthew asks Wilde to look into the disappearance of one of his classmates, Naomi Pine. Matthew also asks his grandmother, Hester Crimstein, a New York City lawyer for help, as well. As Wilde investigates, it soon becomes apparent that there is more than just a classmate’s disappearance involved. In a broad sense, this investigation could impact millions of lives.
Harlan has written another entertaining suspense novel in the suburban noir subgenre. Wilde is a clever creation- a man without a past who just so happens to have had some experience with military special ops giving him a variety of skills, not to mention, his ability to survive in the woods. The plot moves swiftly with enough twists throughout the book that make it difficult to put down. The conclusion is a bit too filled with dialogue and explanations to be realistic but there are several surprises in store. With the character of Wilde, Harlan has another potential series character. Recommended.

Naomi is being bullied. Matthew does nothing after being burned before. And then Naomi vanishes. Who can find her? Only Wilde, The Boy from the Woods.

There are three main mysteries within this twisty tale. Where is Naomi? How did Wilde end up living alone in the woods as a child? What is up with the radical presidential candidate, Rusty? Ultimately, how do they all interrelate? Or do they?

There are a multitude of twists in the latest thriller by bestseller Harlan Coben. And I love twists! Both the beginning and the end of The Boy from the Woods runs at a breakneck pace. However, the middle is rather sluggish for this author. Even though it’s not his best work, it is still better than most new thrillers and well worth reading. 4 stars!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Guys, I read this from start to finish yesterday! I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

HERE'S THE SUMMARY: A freshman girl is being bullied and harassed by a bunch of really wealthy classmates, and then one day, she disappears. Then she's found. Then she disappears again, along with another classmate. It's up to private security man, Wilde, and famous TV lawyer, Hester Crimstein, to solve the case. How will they fare when everyone is lying and each has their own agenda?

HERE'S THE REVIEW: Someone please tell me this is the start of a series? Please!

This mystery was really interesting, and I did fly through this to find out what a missing girl, a dead student from decades earlier, a senator, a possible kidnapping, and a boy who raised himself in the woods all had in common. BUT what I really read for, were these delightful, funny, heart-warming characters.

Hester is 70-some years old, a widow, a successful lawyer, and a hell of a spitfire. Wilde is a middle-aged loner who was found in the woods as a child, and doesn't remember anything before that. I fell in absolute love with these two, and I really hope I get to read about them again.

#theboyinthewoods by @harlancoben is a twisty, fun page-turner with just fabulous characters. It's out now - you should read it!

Lots of twists and turns in this book. Interesting that Little Pocahantas is now a respected attorney and grandmother. I love how Coben incorporates characters from Myron's past into his current writing. It's fun for long time fans of the author.

Another up-all-night read! I look forward to every Harlan Coben book and he does not disappoint. This book is full of twists and turns, surprises and me saying “I didn't see that coming.”. This feels like the start of a series because we are left wondering about “the boy” and his past. Wilde is the perfect mysterious hero. Hester is a force to be reckoned with. I hope to see them in another book . I gave it only 4-stars because there were a couple of too convenient issues which I won't elaborate; so no spoilers. This would make a fun Netflix series.

This is my third Harlan Coben novel (including one in the Myron Bolitar series) and my third two star rating. Despite his large and loyal fan base, Coben is apparently just not my cup of tea. I did enjoy the character Wilde, although he is pretty unbelievable. I disliked the character Hester Crimstein very much although it seemed she was meant to be sympathetic. She constantly irritated me. There were some clever plot twists but I can’t talk about them without spoilers. Altogether, required too much suspension of disbelief.

First of all, thank you for the advanced copy of the book. I had never read a Coben book before, so I was very excited to dig in. I read 33% of the book over a few days, but I was having an extremely difficult time reading it. I enjoyed the beginning part about Naomi, but it was not gripping enough to make me want to keep reading. There were a lot of characters, and I kept getting confused about different people. I am not a big fan of politics in books, and was bored by that side story. I really wanted to like this book, but I decided to stop reading because I just was not enjoying it. This review will not be posted to goodreads or instagram.