In regular Coben fashion, this book is dense with story lines and characters. However, in contrast to most of his books, I felt the connections were very tenuous. I really struggled with connecting to the characters and their motivation for getting involved in the story lines. There seemed to be gaps left to the reader's assumptions or imaginations, and not in a good way. I also felt like many story lines weren't fully developed or resolved and parts that were presented sometimes weren't quite believable. Definitely not my favorite Coben book but everyone is allowed to have a bit of a miss sometimes!

Years ago, a young boy was discovered living in the woods. No one ever came forward to claim him, so he grew up in the system, but he grew close to one family. Now, another child has gone missing in the same area and Wilde is drawn to her disappearance. As he investigates, another boy goes missing and it is discovered his parents have secret videos of a current candidate for the presidency doing bad things. Are these disappearances all related? Harlan Coben writes a real adrenaline-laced thriller.

I enjoyed this right from the start, I love this author and this book was exactly what I needed to sink into just now.

As always with Cobens writing I enjoy the way he includes sarcasm into some of his characters and this was done well with the characters in this book. I particularly liked Hester and Wilde.

For me some more ‘bigger’ developments could have happened earlier on, but then we may have lost potential scene setting which could have been detrimental to the process the characters went through, so that’s just a niggle of my own, not at all a criticism.

I loved the route this book took towards the end! As always Coben keeps us guessing - I just wish I’d had more free time to read his quicker!

Typical Coben book! I was on the edge of my seat from the first chapter through the last page. I could not predict the twists and turns and THAT is why I am such a fan of Coban. How long until I can get his next book? LOL

Coben's new protagonist, known as Wilde, is a mystery to everyone, including himself. In 1986, he was just a boy found living feral in the woods. He had no memory of his past or how he came to be alone in the woods.

Thirty-four years later, high-powered celebrity lawyer Hester Crimstein is a widow who knows the pain of losing a beloved child. Her son, David, has been dead for ten years. After Wilde was discovered in the woods behind the Crimstein home, David and Wilde were close friends, and David's death hit Wilde hard, too. Now David's widow, Laila, continues residing in the family home where Hester and her late husband, Ira, raised David and his two brothers. Also still mourning David, she is raising their teenage son, Matthew. Day after day, Matthew watches his classmate, Naomi, being taunted and bullied at school. But he doesn't stand up to her tormenters. So when she disappears, he feels guilty. Even Ava O'Brien, the only teacher who seemed to have a rapport with Naomi, has no idea where she may have gone. Matthew enlists his grandmother to help him find out what happened to her. And Hester retains Wilde because of his military background, as well as the time he spent running an investigative/security firm with his adopted sister.

Among the students who abused Naomi was Crash Maynard, the pampered son of Dash and Delia Maynard. Dash is a successful reality television show producer who allegedly films everything his unwitting cast members do and say, including private dressing room conversations. He is the long-time friend of Rusty Eggers, a controversial U.S. senator running for president. Rumors swirl that Dash could destroy the careers of many celebrities and politicians -- including Eggers -- by releasing video footage of them. And a group of citizens dedicated to ensuring that Eggers is never elected are calling Dash to do just that so the public can see what Eggers is really like in unguarded moments.

At the center of the story is Wilde, a man who learned as a child to navigate the world alone and has never been able to approach life any other way. He cares deeply about others, but cannot sustain relationships for any period of time. He lives in a customized spheroid-shaped pod called an Ecocapsule deep in the woods, and relocates it frequently. Keenly intelligent, fit, and highly trained at West Point before serving in special forces units overseas, Wilde either can't or won't assimilate into "normal" society. But Wilde feels a fondness for and sense of obligation to Hester because of his relationship with David and the fact that he was with David on the night he died. He is also fond of Matthew and has remained a presence in the fatherless boy's life.

Coben slyly and effortlessly tackles social issues, including schoolhouse bullying, the existential danger to the country of electing a leader with a nefarious past and malignant disposition, and the lengths to which some are willing to go in the name of a cause. An undisputed master storyteller, he deftly weaves several story lines that initially appear disparate into a seamless tale. The pace of the book never slows as he gradually pulls the threads together into a cohesive narrative involving long-held secrets, political intrigue, and tenuous alliances. Devotion to the future of the country leads to the implementation of deadly, vigilante-like measures. Once Wilde pieces together enough information to understand the motivation and potential consequences, he races to stop further harm from being inflicted.

Hester appeared in prior novels, including Run Away in 2019, but Coben gives readers insight into her psyche in The Boy from the Woods. Her crisp, sometimes caustic repartee with Oren Carmichael, the divorced police chief, is both hilarious and endearing, illustrating her vulnerability and humanity. Wilde is an intriguing riddle -- self-sufficient and guarded, compassionate and surprisingly sensitive to others' feelings, but morally ambiguous. Why does he hesitate to avail himself of available technology to learn the identity of his parents and ascertain how he ended up alone in the woods all those years ago? What causes him to maintain his solitary existence when he seems to want to establish and maintain close relationships? Coben's nuanced, empathetic, and surprisingly likable characters elevate the mystery and, in combination with the unexpected conclusion, leave many questions unanswered. Coben fans know that his characters, like Hester, have a way of resurfacing in subsequent novels. So there's hope that Coben will ask "What if . . .?" and be inspired to continue Wilde's story in a future release.

The Boy from the Woods proves yet again that Coben is one of an elite group of American authors who consistently deliver entertaining, inventive thrillers featuring intriguing, layered characters.

Been a Harlan Coben fan for a long time. Especially the Myron Bolitar series. Loved this stand alone title. Read it in two sittings.

Published by Grand Central Publishing on March 17, 2020

Harlan Coben seems to alternate between novels that are so-so and novels that are pretty good. The Boy from the Woods falls into the “pretty good” category. Since his last Myron Bolitar novel in 2016, he’s focused on writing stand-alones. The Boy from the Woods is a stand-alone at the moment, but the book sets up some mysteries about the protagonist’s past that invite resolution in future novels.

The Boy from the Woods imagines a senator named Rusty Eggers who is running for president. Eggers claims he wants to rebuild the country when he is only capable of pulling it apart. His rhetoric makes him popular with low-information voters while forcing everyone to choose a side instead of coming together as a nation.

The novel’s star, however, is a mysterious fellow who is aptly named Wilde — apt because he was discovered at the approximate age of six living by himself in a state forest. Since Wilde had no childhood memory of anything other than living in the woods, he believes he lived there for years until he befriended another child named David. That doesn’t seem plausible, but as events unfold, Coben sold me on the premise.

Wilde eventually went into foster care, but as an adult has continued to live in the woods, sheltered by an eco pod. David’s mother Hester has not seen much of Wilde in the six years following his involvement in a car crash that killed David. David married a woman named Laila and had a son named Matthew. Wilde is Matthew’s godfather. Sometimes he stays overnight with Laila, who keeps her distance from Wilde when she’s not using him for comfort. The relationships in this book are complicated, but they are not far-fetched.

Matthew becomes concerned about a classmate named Naomi Pine, who is always being bullied by popular kids, including Crash Maynard, whose father Dash is a documentarian. Naomi was placed for adoption by a biological mother she never knew, which gives her a bond with Wilde. The plot kicks off when Naomi disappears and ratchets up when Crash disappears. At least one of those disappearances seems to be related to pressure that Dash is receiving to release a rumored tape that shows the kind of wrongdoing that might bring down Senator Eggers. As a favor to Matthew, Wilde goes looking for Naomi, whose teacher happens to be another woman with whom Wilde has kept company at night.

I’m particularly impressed with the way the story imagines Eggers’ ability to manage obvious evidence of his unsuitability for office by denying and deflecting. Bots attack social media in ways that change the public's focus. He has bots call the evidence fake news. He has bots fabricate defenses that paint him as a victim. He has bots assert that damaging videos were obviously photoshopped. He has one set of bots make social media comments that appeal to the right and another set of bots make social media comments that appeal to the left. Then he has the bots attack each other while he stands aside and waits for a new controversy to occupy the public’s attention. So it goes in the age of easily manipulated social media.

To his credit, Coben avoided the outlandish plot development that often mars thrillers, including some of his own. The facts twist at the end, revealing a surprise in what otherwise might have been a predictable story. Another surprise follows, this one a little too manipulative, but it deals with a collateral plot thread and doesn’t overwhelm the story. The central plotline is believable, and all the more entertaining because it is convincing. Wilde has an air of mystery that substitutes for a personality (he’s a strong, silent type). I expect his personality to grow, much as Myron Bolitar’s did, as more novels explore Wilde’s past. On the strength of The Boy from the Woods, I am optimistic that those novels will be worth reading.

RECOMMENDED

This was fantastic! I have been a Harlan Coben fan for a very long time. Since finding his work, I have worked my way through his backlist and always eagerly await each new release. I was really excited to start reading this book and had pretty high expectations. Coben did not disappoint! I found this to be quite the page-turner and was completely entertained until the final page.

This book is a stand-alone but readers who are familiar with Coben's books will recognize one of the key characters, Hester Crimstein. I was delighted to see Hester step into the spotlight. She has been a great character that would show up for a scene or two in various other books but she really shined in one of the leading roles in this book. There were a few nods to other books and characters that Coben fans will appreciate as well.

Hester is a criminal attorney who is well known as a result of her television show. When her grandson asks her to look into the disappearance of his classmate, Naomi Pine. Hester enlists the help of a man she has known since he was found in the woods as a boy, Wilde. Wilde knows the woods like no one else and tends to look at things in a unique manner and quickly finds himself very involved in the things going on in his small town.

I found this book to be quite exciting. There were several different threads that wove their way throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing how everything fit together. I love the way that Coben is able to keep me guessing until the very end and this book was no exception. I do have to say that a couple of things felt a little too convenient but that would be my only complaint and it is very minor.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I had a great time with this book. I thought that the characters were well done, the mystery was captivating, and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting. I cannot wait to read more of Coben's work and hope to see more of Hester and Wilde in future books.

I received a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
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This was my first Harlan Coben read and I generally enjoyed it! The Boy from the Woods was sorta a low-key thriller that had some twists and turns, but wasn't super edge-of-my-seat gotta-keep-reading to know more type of book.
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Wilde is the boy from the woods. He is literally from the woods. No one knows where this Mowgli-like character came from. Fast forward to when Wilde is an adult. Now he's a bad-ass, straight-up hottie that helps solve crimes. I think. Wasn't ever super clear on what Wilde does. ANYwho, a girl in town has gone missing. And then soon after, a boy goes missing. What's going on in this town? Why is everyone going missing? Who's involved? Wilde is going to find out.
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I like how the book answered most of the questions at the end. However, the actual issue of where Wilde came from, as a boy, was never wrapped up and that sorta bothered me. In addition, there were a lot of little plot lines that just didn't make sense and didn't need to be in the book. I found these dead-end plot points distracting and detracting. I also thought the very very end was silly and contrived and out of character for the Wilde I came to know.
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This isn't a bad read, but there are a lot of other thrillers I'd read before I picked up this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Harlan Coben for the opportunity to read and review his latest novel. With Coben, you know you are in for a great read without question!

Wilde was found in the woods, living on his own with no memory of any family. He has come far from that life, thanks to good foster families and friends, although he still is skittish around people and lives off the grid. His godson, Matthew, goes for help to his grandmother, Hester, a powerful attorney with her own TV show, with news that a classmate who has been bullied has disappeared. Hester and Matthew go to Wilde to help and he begins to investigate. That investigation leads to powerful people and everyone has secrets to hide.

As always, a great read with fully-developed characters and fast-moving plot with requisite twists. Plus, lots of themes such as family, loyalty, secrets, politics. There were some plot lines left open so I'm hoping that we'll meet these characters again!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. Here is my review:

Boy, is there a LOT going on: Wilde, a 36-year old man man who was found 30 years ago living in the woods with no recollection of a life before the woods, his deceased best friend's son and wife and mother. The boy is his godson and sometimes charge, the wife is his sometime lover and the mother is a high-powered attorney in New York who also happens to have a TV show.

When Wilde's godson, Matthew, tells him he is worried about a classmate who has gone missing, everyone gets involved. Did the son of the Hollywood producer, the richest boy in town and somewhat of a bully, have something to do with the girl's disappearance? Or was it just the girl got tired of the cruelty and bullying she was forced to endure daily at school?

There is a LOT more to this story than it seems at first glance: a Senator who is running for President, old hippies who don't like him or any of the rich friends who support him, a man who has been in jail for 30+ years for a murder he may not have committed. The list seems endless.

A good read that will keep your attention and keep you guessing

When a local girl Amelia goes missing Wilde -the now-grown infamous Boy from the Wood, is pulled into the case by his godson. It doesn't take Wilde long to solve the mystery, but soon the girl disappears again as does another teen and this time the stakes are a little bigger. Everybody seems to have a dog in this hunt, from the ex-military security detail the boy shook to a front-running Presidential hopeful. Secrets are everywhere, not the least of which is the secret of Wilde's own childhood.
You can't go wrong reading Harlan Coben. I was immediately drawn in by Wilde's story and can't wait for more of it to come to light. And Hester Crimstein's always a hoot with her sass and romance at 70. The story was fast-paced and action-packed, taking me only 48 hours to read. Wilde's up against some nasty individuals up to and including his obstinate clients. The only innocent in this whole mess seems to be Amelia and even she has secrets she's not sharing. I recommend this book to all lovers of action thrillers.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An enjoyable and entertaining suspense novel with well drawn characters.

SUMMARY
A young wild-hair boy, thought to be between the age of 6 to 8 was found living in the woods all alone. No one has any idea who the boy was or how long he had been there. That was thirty years ago. “Wilde” still prefers to live in those woods today. The woods are the air for his lungs. Now an adult, he still doesn’t know who he is, and another child has gone missing.

No one seems to take Naomi Pine’s disappearance seriously, not even her father-with one exception. Hester Crimstein, a television criminal attorney, knows through her grandson that Naomi was relentlessly bullied at school. Hester asks Wilde-with whom she shares a tragic connection-to use his unique skills to help find Naomi.

Wilde can’t ignore an outcast in trouble, but in order to find Naomi he must venture back into the community where he has never fit in, a place where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it’s too late.

REVIEW
The Boy From the Woods is an enjoyable and entertaining suspenseful novel set in Westville, New Jersey. The novel is smart and full of terrific twists and turns. The writing was smooth and easy and the characters are distinct and delightfully well-drawn.

I absolutely loved Hester, she is strong, bright and thinks quick on her feet. She has one or two soft spots that makes you believe she’s real. If I ever need an attorney I’m calling her! Wilde also surprised me. I really liked his intelligence, compassion and sensitivity. Hard to believe, with his childhood he turned out way better than ok. I wouldn’t mind seeing Hester and Wilde again.

Author Harlan Coben has given us yet another suspense-filled novel destined for the number one spot on the best-seller list. The ending had me completely gobsmacked! You should immediately add this to your “to be read” pile.
Thanks to Netgalley, and a Grand Central Publishing for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Grand Central Publishing
Published March 17, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Another winner from Cohen

In 1986 a 6-8 year old feral boy is found living in the forest near Westville, New Jersey. He remembers nothing of his past and becomes known as Wilde.

Now it's 2020 and Wilde still mostly lives in the forest, doesn't like being around crowds, and works part-time as an investigator with a firm he helped found.

He gets involved in a case with two missing teenagers, a crooked politician, a kidnapping and is working for the lawyer mother of a long ago friend.

I loved this story and its characters, especially Wilde and Hester, the lawyer who hires him. I'm betting we will see more books with these characters because there are still unanswered questions after this story wraps up.

If you like thrillers, especially ones with twists and turns, try this one. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I received this book from Grand Central Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Here I am once more trying to explain how Harlan is one of the best authors ever! First thing firsts, I loved seeing Hester again, she is a badass. Giving her a love story was even more amazing. Merging Run Away with this one was very clever and it made sense to explain how to bring Hester. Wilde, I thought we were going to read a story 100% about him because of the title. Which brings my only issue with the novel. The title is a bit misleading as of course I was intrigued with Wilde and who he really was, the fact that his ancestry report came back vague was a downer for me. Also Matthew, his involvement left me asking more questions than a got answers for. Other than that I truly enjoyed it! Thanks for the copy!

A great book by one of my favorite authors! Coben’s writing keeps the pages turning swiftly. When Naomi Pine goes missing only one person really cares. Everyone just assumes she ran away, but did she? When a second teen goes missing things really heat up. When Attorney Hester Crimstein is called by her grandson to help find Naomi, she in turn asks for help from Wilde. Who better to find a missing girl in the woods than one who was living feral in them 30 years ago. Crimstein is quite the character and the introduction of Wilde really adds to story. There are so many twists and turns, you might just get dizzy! The Harlan Coben I love is back with this fast paced, engaging read!

The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben is a very highly recommended thriller with an unconventional investigator named Wilde.

Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a six to eight year-old boy living feral in the woods near Westville, N.J. He had no memory of his past and still doesn't know where he came from. He uses his exceptional detective skills and insight working as a private investigator with his foster sister - when he wants to. When Hester Crimstein, a well-known attorney with a television show, is asked by her grandson Matthew to look into the disappearance of a classmate, Naomi Pine, Hester immediately talks to Wilde. Wilde has a connection to her family and Matthew is his godson.

Wilde uses his unique skills to find Naomi the first time she disappears. When she disappears a second time, it seems that there is more going on under the surface in the community of Westville and Naomi's disappearance may be connected to some powerful people. Wilde knows that Crash Maynard, teenage son of TV producer, Dash Maynard, relentlessly bullied Naomi. When Crash disappears too and a ransom note is sent to his parents, Wilde needs to find out if the disappearance of Naomi and Crash is connected or if there is something else at play.

Wilde is an interesting, unique, well-developed character. His backstory may seem a bit incredible, but it was believable in the plot and setting Coben sets up for us in The Boy from the Woods. Hester Crimstein always makes a splash as a memorable character, and that is still the case here. There is also a romantic subplot starting for her. Most of the teenagers were just standard teenage characters - bullies, good kids, outcasts - but then standard characters are so because it is the reality.

The plot and subplots are plentiful as the investigations are underway and they are all fun to follow. Wilde is probably a bit more interesting to follow if only to experience his powers of observation as his investigation is underway, but Hester has her own strengths. There were several surprises in the plot, with one being a complete surprise. Politics rears its ugly head in the plot and novel, which I hope is just a fluke and not going to become a ongoing occurrence. All in all The Boy from the Woods is a compelling novel. It may start out a bit slow, but once it picks up the pace you won't want to put it down.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Boy in the Woods March 16, 2020 4.5 rounded up 5 Stars
Author, Harlan Coben] is without a doubt one of my “fav” authors. This is novel #31 for me. I have read all the Myron Bolitar novels.
Coben is usually very witty and has me laughing out loud. Although this story doesn’t have his usual wit, I did laugh when Hester answers the phone “Articulate” (any Coben fan knows that is the way Win Lockwood III always answers the phone)

The novel is named “The Boy in the Woods”; however story takes place when the “boy” called Wilde is in his mid-30s. Story has several subplots, all had me curious.

Cannot help but love “hot” 70 something, defense attorney Hester Crimstein, who has been in other novels; however, is a lead character in this one. Coben’s wit does come through when Hester is acting like a teenager when handsome 70 something Oren asked her out on a date.

Most of these characters are likeable and enjoyable. Sure hope we’ll hear from “Wilde”, Oren, and Hester perhaps a few of the other friends in another story ~ hmmm a new series would be nice!

Coben is a great story teller and doesn’t disappoint. This story has twists and turns I expected but sure don’t see coming!

Want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this early release granted in exchange for an honest review.

Harland Coben always delivers! I’m a big fan of his books having read everything he’s written. This is a good one. Full of twists and turns like all of his books. I highly recommend this book.

THE BOY FROM THE WOODS, by Harlan Coben, centers around the disappearance of Naomi Pine. The namesake of the book, Wilde, leads the investigation and the deeper he digs, the more secrets and deceptions he finds. As the truth unfolds, this single disappearance has led Wilde into a dangerous search for multiple conspirators that threatens the lives of several people, including himself.
Coben, as usual, creates a cast of characters that is likable, charismatic, and endearingly flawed. They are from all walks of life and their sudden collision adds a juicy layer to the already exciting mystery/thriller story that Coben is telling. This is the first author I've ever read that I've said to myself: "Coben's books are fairly formulaic in plot, with the usual amount of twist and reveals, but I am nonetheless compelled to keep reading them, probably because I can pleasantly escape into each novel and forget my troubles". Coben also knows the geography of New Jersey well and takes the reader to some fun locales throughout the book.
I think Coben has a winner in the Wilde character in THE BOY FROM THE WOODS and I hope he considers writing another book with Wilde in it. I really enjoyed this book, one of my favorites by Coben.