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Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: March 17th, 2020
384 Pages
Synopsis: The man known as Wilde is a mystery to everyone, including himself. Decades ago, he was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. After the police concluded an exhaustive search for the child’s family, which was never found, he was turned over to the foster system.
Now, thirty years later, Wilde still doesn’t know where he comes from, and he’s back living in the woods on the outskirts of town, content to be an outcast, comfortable only outdoors, preferably alone, and with few connections to other people.
When a local girl goes missing, famous TV lawyer, Hester Crimstein—with whom Wilde shares a tragic connection—asks him to use his unique skills to find her. Meanwhile, a group of ex-military security experts arrive in town, and when another teen disappears, the case’s impact expands far beyond the borders of the peaceful suburb. Wilde must return to the community where he has never fit in, and 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.
The last couple of weeks I’ve had a bumpy road in regards to good reading, so it was with great anticipation that I turned to one of my go-to authors, Harlan Coben. And I’m happy to say that with The Boy From the Woods, he once again delivers a picture perfect suspense tale.
If you’re a longtime reader of Coben, you’ll have noticed that while most of his books are standalones (except for his Myron Bolitar) series, there are commonly cross references to events and characters between his books. Here, Hester Crimstein, a sassy 70-year-old defense attorney who answers her phone “Articulate,” and has appeared in previous stories, gets a well-deserved starring role. And teaming her up with an enigmatic introvert with quite the mysterious background like Wilde is a study in how to write perfectly compelling characters who readers will instantly love. I absolutely loved, Loved, LOVED the scenes and dialogue with these two, and they make wonderful foils for each other. The secondary characters are intriguing and I was kept guessing as to who was or wasn’t a villain and what everyone’s motivations were.
The story unfolded at a fast pace and contained several twists right up until the end. I’m thinking (hoping) that this is just the first book featuring Crimstein and Wilde. If you’re a fan of Coben, The Boy From the Woods will serve as confirmation as to why you excitedly look forward to each new release of his. If you haven’t tried one of his books, but you like twisty suspense with quirky characters, well, what are you waiting for?
By Hook Or By Book 
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