DNA Match Uncovers Family Secrets

The Match is a thoroughly engaging thriller that combines the best elements of mystery and character-driven storytelling. Harlan Coben’s exploration of identity and modern societal issues adds depth to the narrative, making it a must-read for fans of the genre. Whether you are new to Coben’s work or a long-time admirer, "The Match" is a novel that delivers both suspense and substance.

This was fantastic. I loved learning more about Wilde and his origin story. This was full of twists and turns. I couldn’t stop reading and so I sped through this one. Looking forward to seeing more from Harlan Coben

This book was a convoluted mess. There is so much going on that it was hard to keep track, and by the end I didn't care to. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Steven Weber. He has an incredible voice but I couldn't differentiate between the male characters. They all sounded the same and this added to the confusing plot.

This is the sequel to The Boy in the Woods, which I haven’t read. I will say after reading this one I think I should have read the first one. While this does work as a stand alone I think I felt as though I missed out on learning more about Wilde. He grew up alone in the wilderness but now has uploaded his DNA on an ancestry site in the hopes of figuring out who his parents were.

He finds the match to one parent as well as another possible family member. That family member leads him on a journey filled with danger. There are some murders, reality show contestants, and plenty of twists to leave you guessing. That is one thing that drew me to this book. Having watched a few of the television series based on Coben’s books in the past I knew he always had plenty of twists and turns that leave you guessing.

The Match is no exception to that. Every single time it seems like I was figuring things out there would be a twist that left me wondering what was going on. It is by far one of the best mysteries that I have read this year so far. It was entertaining and I had to read it all in one sitting. I just had to know what happened.

I absolutely loved The Boy in the Woods and was very excited to read about Wilde again. Unfortunately and surprisingly, I did not enjoy this book. I found it very slow and I was bored throughout almost all of it. I still love Harlan Coben, just wasn’t a fan of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of the arc.

Honestly, It was a letdown for me. I didnt care for the first book in the Wild series. I think that vibe carried over to this one. I had high hopes but it was a miss for me.

This is my first Harlan Coben and I see why so many people must read his books. His characters are fun without being overly quirky. The mystery was good but not overwrought with twists and turns. While not a blow my mind book it was a good read and I’m very likely to pick up another Harlan Coben. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Following on the first of the Wilde series, The Match could easily be read as a stand-alone. Readers will be able to follow along but I do wish I had read the first book for better context. That said Corben offers readers a tale
In this trademark popcorn thriller suspense we have come to love to read and binge on Netflix! I’m sure this will be picked up and made into a series. Love Harlan!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I can’t believe I forgot to review this book. 5 STARS!! I love everything Coben writes and this was no exception. I’m so happy we got to see Wilde again and continue his story. This book, as always, had amazing twists and turns that I never saw coming!

This is the second book in the Wilde series, but I read it as a standalone. That worked out fine, but I do wish I had read the first book before reading this one. It wasn't necessary to enjoy this book, but I think the experience would have been even better. Overall, I loved this, as is usual for anything Harlan Coben writes - I flew through it, at the edge of my seat the entire time. Loved the character Wilde, and Coben is one of the best character writers. If you're a fan, don't miss this one! I felt like there was room left for a possible continuation of the series as well, which is exciting. Strong 4.5 stars - the only reason it misses a 5 is because I found some of it a bit too far-fetched.

I don't know what kind spell Harlan Coben has over me but it seems that no matter what, I must finish his book. I've made it no secret that I'm a fan of Coben's work. When given the opportunity, I'm always super excited when provided with an ARC or hardcover to read and review. But in all honesty, I always intend to read and review his work AFTER I choose some other read. He's usually my go-to when I'm indecisive and haven't chosen my next read for review. I always pledge that I'll read a page or two until I choose something else.

I fail every time.

Coben reels me in with his gripping first few sentences and familiar cadence to the point where I look up and realize I'm 80% in the novel and have no intentions of jumping ship.

Why, you might ask.

There's nothing special about Coben's work. His writing style is uncomplicated. Besides the main character, the rest are 1-dimensional (at best). The plots... whoa those plots...

Actually, his plotlines are what keeps me coming back. Sure, I gave The Match 3-stars but it wasn't because of his plots that are filled with mystery and intrigue. Let's get to it...

Coben's The Match reconnects readers with Wilde. Wilde was a child abandoned in the woods. No matter how "different" the woods has made Wilde, he pursues finding answers to his origin. Wilde does what millions before have done and submits his DNA on the interwebs. (Personally, I would never do this. I'm no conspiracy theorist but there are times when I think that they're on to something... I don't want my DNA in anyone's database and I don't feel the urge to discover what part of Africa my DNA suggests I'm from... I almost went off on a tangent but erased everything because this is not that type of review).

Essentially, Wilde, who we all met in The Boy From the Woods takes a starring role in this read with a supporting role from the cast of The Stranger. After finding a close familial DNA match online (who happens to be famous), Wilde learns that this relative is also missing and presumed dead. The Match follows Wilde's determination in finding the truth to his own past and how this present mystery connects to his present.

I gave this read 3-stars because it was a constant rollercoaster. The plot gets a little lost as Coben toggles between Wilde and the antagonists' story but... what's the point in fussing with a plotline when people like me are under Coben's spell and could care less so long as there's ACTION.

What Coben does well is pacing and keeping the story moving forward. Since this read is an installation of a familiar character, the supporting characters don't matter so much. All that matters is getting to the end so the killer can be revealed. Let me tell you, I didn't see it coming. Maybe I'm rusty since I'm not reading as much as I used to... but... yeah... I was surprised.

Before I give too much away, I'll conclude this review by stating that Coben does what he does best with The Match. He offers up a few potential suspects, throws in a few more for good measure, and dares you to put down one of his reads. I don't read Coben's novels because I'm in search of some philosophical diatribe. I read his novels because I'm allowed to lose myself in a read that's fast paced, fun, action-packed, and intriguing.

In typical Harlan Coben fashion, this is a twisty ride full of unsuspecting characters and a mystery that has more layers than a giant cake.

I loved spending time with Hester Crimstein and her family, she’s been a favorite throughout my journey reading Coben’a books and I’m glad she was featured so centrally.

I felt the mysteries themselves were less important in this one as Coben takes a sharp and unapologetic look at reality tv, fame, and social media and the ways it’s warped and molded culture. It does run a bit dark and snarky, but I think it’s fair md it does make you question what we choose to feed in to and why.

I also loved the way ancestry tracing and genealogy was featured, giving nods to the recent Golden State Killer solving and the way those services have exploded not just in crime and forensics, but as part of gifts and everyday curiosity over who we are.

Unlike most of his other reads, I saw the twist coming early, but I think that’s ok given how much more focus was given in character development vs. big surprises. I will say, the twist still lands when it happens and the ending is nebulous enough that I think the larger themes and questions Coben proposes are still open ended in the right way. Definitely a fun read I could t out down.

Let me start by saying I am a HUGE Harlan Coben Fan. However, this series of his isn't my favorite. I can't really connect with the characters but did finish reading it. I much prefer his other series. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy.

Since I hadn't liked the book "The Boy from the Woods", I didn't expect to enjoy this one but I really did! Thankfully! Since I'm a huge Harlan Coben fan. This book examines a situation where the character Wilde finds out a bit about his father, and figures out how he had come to be found living as a feral child in the woods. Coben is back on track with this book and I'm happy to recommend it to those who had been turned off by The Boy from the woods.

A story that kept me confused until the end when everything came together. When I started reading, I didn’t realize there was a first book. Not sure whether that would have helped or not, but this was a great read. It’s a story about a boy wanting to know his family’s background and particularly who were his mother and father. But it becomes more than that with a reality show, a vigilante computer group, the FBI, and a reality show star who goes missing which sets everything off. Well written, entertaining, and fun to read.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series and a huge reason for that was how much I loved the characters. I loved Hester and Wilde and was so excited to continue learning about them. This book was not my favorite though. I felt like it started to get very convoluted with the hackers and different far fetched story lines. I found myself kinda over it. And the ending just didn’t really satisfy me. Harlan Coben is always a master of keeping you guessing till the very last page but this one felt a tad rushed in the end.

The second book in the Wilde series did not disappoint. I liked, but didn't love The Boy in the Woods. The characters felt more developed in this book and some of the things that were bugging me in the first book start to get resolved in this one. We see some growth from Wilde and maybe some possible lead-ins for a third book in the series. And Hester is feisty as ever. Recommend!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

I'm a huge Harlan Coben fan but this one has to be my least favorite book by him so far but it just may possibly be my fault since I didn't read The Boy from the Woods before I read this.
I did feel as though there were too many characters, like it was hard to keep track of who's who at times and towards the end I was starting to lose interest in finding out who Wilde's biological parents are.

Loved this sequel to the boy from the woods. This had some twists and turns and it was absolutely delightful!

Everybody knows the saying—and maybe, most people even believe—“there’s no such thing as bad publicity”.

I’ve never considered myself “everybody”, though… and have always found it to be a patently ridiculous truism. (Seriously, it doesn’t take that active an imagination to envision plenty of scenarios in which “bad” publicity would be the polar opposite of “desirable” or “beneficial” for anyone.) And, hilarious jokester that she is, Fate even decided to put me smack in the middle of some very bad publicity, a few years ago, just to make really sure I’d never think otherwise. [Thanks, Fate. Really, got the memo. We’re good.]

But back to “everybody” (else). What happens to someone who genuinely believes that any publicity is good publicity… until the moment they find out how very wrong that can be? Harlan Coben explores that—and a whole lot more—in his latest thriller, The Match.
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Wilde is one of those people who marches to his own beat, full stop. Following his (undoubtedly) memorable introduction in (Coben’s preceding book) The Boy from the Woods (which I haven’t read), the man who mysteriously appeared out of nowhere, all those years ago, a sort of “wolf-boy”—a child with no memories of anything other than living on his own in the woods of upstate New York—remains something of an oddity, a loner… and most definitely someone more comfortable with his beloved forest than with any concrete jungles.

And yet… the man with no early memories also feels an irresistible pull to find out something about his past: where did he come from? Who were his people, and how on earth did he end up all alone in the wilderness? (Can he “go on” without finding the answers to these questions? Of course; he has a handful of friends [aka the people who found him] if/when he feels the need for some sort of tether or belonging… but there’d at least be something nice in knowing a little bit more.)

So, he does what we do, now—sends his DNA off to a find-out-about-yourself site, to see if there are any matches.
And, voilà, there are. A couple of them, in fact. Someone who seems, miraculously, to be Wilde’s birth father(!), and another relation, a semi-distant cousin.

After a less-than-illuminating meeting with his father [but honestly, what could anyone reasonably expect, after some three-and-a-half-plus decades of not being in contact with each other?], Wilde attempts to reach out to the cousin [figuring the person closer to his own age might have more intel on matters].

And that’s when things get really interesting… because the cousin, after having found himself in the very brightest of limelights, as a celebrity (in the whole, now-otherwise-completely-ordinary-people-can-suddenly-be-celebs-when-they’re-REALITY-show-faves! genre) who was once a media darling, but—following an epic scandal [Very Bad Publicity, of the absolute worst kind]—has become a media pariah (of equally-epic proportions). In fact, the cousin’s shame is so monumental that it’s made him pull a disappearing act, like he were a famous magician, going “poof!” into thin air.

As Wilde seeks to unravel the mystery behind his cousin’s disappearance—not just where he is, but who, at heart, he is now/was before the whole reality thing, and how things went downhill so quickly—Wilde discovers that he’s far from the only person (or group) looking for the maligned man. Rabid reality fans, local police, a federal alphabet group (or two), and a sketchy dark web entity—known only as “The Stranger”—are all on the manhunt, as well.

Someone will find this missing link to Wilde’s still-unknown past… but will it be Wilde, who only wants to talk (and possibly help) his newfound relative… or will it be someone who wants to make him pay, either in a court of law, or even, worst-case scenario, with his life?
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I knew, when setting out to read The Match, there was a chance I’d be sitting behind the eight ball, not having read the prior book setting up the characters and Wilde’s situation. I also knew, though—after years of reading him—that Coben is one of those storytelling masters undoubtedly up to the task of getting me up to speed, even without benefit of the first book. [And yeah, if you haven’t already guessed, I was right. Reading The Boy from the Woods first would be the ideal way to go, here, but I had zero difficulty figuring out the backstory.]

The Match is a deliciously-engrossing, twisty, ripped-from-the-headlines kind of tale, that sets off at a brisk little jog, before diving into a marathon, and ending with a photo-finish-worthy, all-out sprint. [Apparently I need to… run more?] Reading it, I had no idea where, exactly, things were going… and even less, where they’d end up. [Saying that in the best way, in case it wasn’t clear.]

As much or more than the intricately-plotted suspense, though, I really appreciated Coben’s commentary pertaining to the vicissitudes of celebrity [or “celebrity”, when dealing with “reality” stars] in the twenty-first century, the lengths people will go to, to try and achieve it, and the myriad potential downfalls available to those who taste it. His observations—carefully interwoven with the tale, itself—are thoughtfully considered and absolutely on-point.

The Match—like, frankly, anything from Harlan Coben—is an easy (and hearty) recommendation. It’s an of-the-moment thriller not soon forgotten.

Now, enduring the wait until a filmed version of it comes to Netflix..! ;)

~GlamKitty