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 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. 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. As an adult, a military career led him down dark paths. 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 a 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.
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