BOOK REVIEW

BILL McCARTHY PHEW, a fairly interesting read and plot for a change. A few misdirections, well done at the start, lead you in the wrong direction entirely. Politics, the FBI and conspiracy theories are the real meat. The plot is not terribly fast-paced or complicated, and being an American story involves, of course, extremely rich, talented, handsome and famous characters, not to forget the hero with amazing abilities and a mysterious past.

Unusually, hundreds of people are not shot or blown-up and there are no lengthy descriptions of weapons, always a bonus.

I would not go out of my way to buy the book, but an acceptable read if there is nothing better in your bag. JAN KENT ANOTHER mystery thriller from this most prolific author, but not quite his best. It is an engaging read, however, and I had no trouble making it to the end to see how the many sub-plots in the tale are wound up. The character of the title, simply called Wilde, is a little underdeveloped, I thought. The potential was there to have his background somehow incorporated into the story, which began with missing teenagers but then became a political power game – a little too close to ugly parts of modern US history as we know it. The connection between these two sub-plots was a bit too contrived to be believable. Most engaging was the character of the feisty aged female lawyer Hester Crimstein, whose wit and “no bull” approach gives her a special place in this book. Worth a look for mystery lovers, but not with high expectations.

SUZI HIRST AT last! A book I was happy to sit down with and get my teeth into. Wilde, as the main character is known, was found alone in the woods with no memory of his past and is now an adult happily leading a quiet life with little human connections.

The characters are believable and the plot powerful with many twists and turns – family, abuse, justice, bullying, love triangles, the wealthy and privileged.

Hester, an elderly criminal attorney is a fantastic character and one you would want on your team. This book has it all. And what I loved is that we still do not have Wilde’s story, so there must be another book to follow! 9/10

THE BOY FROM THEBOYFROM THE WOODS By Harlan Coben

As a boy, Wilde was found living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. Now, 30 years later, he still doesn’t know where he came from, and another child has gone missing. Nobody seems to take Naomi Pine’s disappearance seriously except television criminal attorney Hester Crimstein, who knows through her grandson that Naomi was bullied at school. She asks Wilde to help find Naomi. He can’t ignore an outcast in trouble, but to find her he must venture back into the community where he has never belonged, a place where the powerful are protected. In this shocking thriller, Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late. TONY HARRINGTON THIS engaging and entertaining mystery novel has all the elements of a great story: enigmatic boy who emerged from the woods with no memory of his past, family love and loss, murder and kidnapping, covert military surveillance, money and power, lawyers and legalese , rich and powerful people. The main character is a very strong, intelligent womaniser and ex-military loner with James Bond characteristics. All the characters and their relationships are well drawn. It’s all a bit far fetched but, hey, this is written entertainment. I found this novel to be a great page turner and recommend it as an excellent holiday read. 8/10

JOHN KLEINSCHMIDT THE author introduces a quirky character, Wilde, before his story starts, and promotes Hester Crimstein from previous books, to star in this mystery. A pleasure to read a crime story not centred on murder. The plot is well crafted and includes family secrets, corruption and blackmail in politics, touches on bullying and abuse of teenagers, and seeks justice for all.

There is no hero detective, the crime is solved by a quirky, talented loner and a TV criminal lawyer. Enough red herrings and twists to keep the reader interested. Not Coben’s best but a good story and a very easy read. JO BOURKE AUTHOR Harlan Coben is No.7 on the list of 23 top crime thriller authors to read in 2022 – he has published 33 books, seven of them picked up by Netflix. With stats like that I eagerly opened The Boy from the Woods expecting to be captivated. Not so! I found the plot disjointed due to the number of characters including a few high school students, a middle-aged TV host/attorney acting like a lovesick teenager, political intrigue due to damaging tapes and the hero Wilde who tries to solve everything.

I’ll admit that the ending was surprising with the likelihood of a sequel or Netflix movie in the future.

I won’t give up on Harlan Coben but this was a disappointing read for me although according to reviews on his website, many enjoyed it. Hopefully the next Harlan novel I read will restore my enthusiasm!

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