The Boy From The Woods - Harlan Coben

Suspense Fiction

Rating: 6.5/10

A man with a mysterious past finds himself caught up in the case of a missing teenage girl. In the pursuit of the truth in that matter, secrets upon secrets are uncovered.  Political ones, marital ones, parental ones…you get my drift.

When all is said and done, the underlying mystery here, to put it simply, is humdrum. While this talented author teases the reader with a multitude of story threads, many go nowhere that lead back to the main plotline.  A bit of a no no in suspense fiction and in my opinion a contributing factor to why the story fizzled out in the end.

I have only now come to the realization, after reading dozens of Coben novels, that he consistently casts his books with likable people.  Even the “bad guys” have some redeeming quality.  So even if the plot is soft, as in this particular book, the characters you keep company with are a welcome diversion. My favourite of which is Hester, a 70(ish) year old lawyer with a razor-sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. 

Footnote: Thankfully Coben’s trademark witty banter is still alive and well!