Book Review: The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben
Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
Run Away was a favorite read of mine in 2019. I loved the mystery and the shocking finale. In that intense thriller, I was introduced to Simon Greene and his quest to find his daughter, who had gone missing. Along the way, he encountered fierce lawyer, Hester Crimstein. In her seventies, Hester is a non-stop juggernaut of a personality with a nationally-aired television show. I had wondered what she had done while separated from Simon. In the Boy from the Woods, we find out.
The Boy from the Woods is Harlan Coben's latest novel. It is published by Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of the Hatchett Book Group. In this story that happens simultaneously with Run Away, we find Hester Crimstein is separated from her client, Simon Greene. Working to clear his name after the events of that novel's opening, Hester is contacted by her grandson, Matthew. The teen is worried about his classmate, Naomi Pine, who has mysteriously disappeared without warning. A bullied girl, their school seems to not care or notice her disappearance. This causes Matthew to suspect a group of teens, led by rich kid Crash Maynard, of involvement in Pine's vanishing. Hester is protective of Matthew and would go to great lengths to help him. However, she is still working with Simon Greene and needs assistance. She looks to Wilde, Matthew's godfather, for help.
Discovered as a young boy living in the woods, Wilde became national news. Along the way, he exhibited heightened learning capabilities. And as an adult, his military career led him down dark paths. Living by himself in the woods, he continues to have limited human contact. He is loyal to those he lets in, including Hester's family. He agrees to help find Naomi. Then a group of clandestine military men enters the town where Naomi disappeared and another teen goes missing. Hester and Wilde begin to see that something worse may be happening when the family of one of the teens is sent a body part of their missing son. A race against time begins as the boy from the woods must use all his skills as an adult to prevent the unthinkable.
The Boy from the Woods gave us an interesting line up of characters to follow. Bringing back Hester Crimstein was a wise choice on Coben's behalf. She was as feisty and unmoving as she was in Run Away. I enjoyed her relationship with Wilde. Since he was close to her now-deceased son, it gave her more of a backstory. I liked the side characters and their motives. But this book seemed to start as one narrative and was changed halfway through, giving it an almost two-books-in-one feel. I was unsure where the storyline was going and when part of the mystery was solved at the mid-point, I could not help but be a bit let down. The book as a whole felt detached and the ending was a bit rushed since much of the first two parts were backstory and some slower moments in the novel.
I read the Boy from the Woods in part with the narration of actor Steven Weber (IZombie, Wings). He once again gave Hester Crimstein a voice that often had me laughing out loud. His delivery of intense moments added to the story. It was another excellent performance.
The Boy from the Woods was three-star read for me. It felt like it did not know what it wanted to be for a lot of the book. But I did love reading another Hester Crimstein story. Whenever she popped up it was always a good time. This was still a fun book to read despite my issues with it. And I recommend it as a great way to pass the time while self quarantining.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading this week.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book Depository.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
At Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xepherusstudios/
At RedBubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/xepherus3
At Twitter: https://twitter.com/XepherusStudios
My Amazon Wish List: https://amzn.com/w/3J58FXCH0Y44F
All written content and top logo (c) Copyright 2020 by Thomas Bahr II
Book cover is (c) Copyright by the publisher
Comments
Post a Comment