The Boy from the Woods

Written by Harlan Coben

Narrated by Steven Weber

A man with a mysterious past must find a missing teenage girl in this shocking thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Run Away.

Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. Now an adult, he still doesn't know where he comes from, and another child has gone missing.

No one seems to take Naomi Pine's disappearance seriously, not even her father-with one exception. Hester Crimstein, a television criminal attorney, knows through her grandson that Naomi was relentlessly bullied at school. Hester asks Wilde-with whom she shares a tragic connection-to use his unique skills to help find Naomi.

Wilde can't ignore an outcast in trouble, but in order to find Naomi he must venture back into the community where he has never fit in, a place 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Mar 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781543661200

Harlan Coben

With more than seventy million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous suspense novels, including Don't Let Go, Home, and Fool Me Once, as well as the multi-award-winning Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in forty-three languages around the globe and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries. He lives in New Jersey.

Reviews for The Boy from the Woods

[Darcia Helle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’ve been a Harlan Coben fan since the mid ‘90s, when Myron Bolitar was born, and I’ll happily read anything he writes.

The Boy from the Woods, the first in the Wilde series, brings us an intriguing main character. Wilde reminds me a bit of Jack Reacher, one of my favorite characters ever. He’s smart, tough, a loner, and lives in a morally gray zone.

The plot gives us spoiled rich people who bend the law at will, along with some profound content regarding today’s political and social climate.

My one quibble is Hester, a middle-aged, intelligent lawyer, constantly mimicking Win from Coben’s Myron Bolitar—and now his own—series by answering the phone with, “Articulate.” That’s signature Win, and it works exceptionally well for him, but it doesn’t at all fit Hester’s character. It felt too much like a deliberate tie-in to the other series.

The narration is excellent and kept me fully engaged.

[cindy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book very much. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

[yvonne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This Author is Excellent!! I have read many of his books

[Ms.Jaxon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Steven Weber is Fantastic! I like Harlan Coben but this book made so ANGRY. I know that at time "Art can imitate Life"; but I just so mad about what happens to "Raymond Stark". But this book had all of the trademark Harlan Coben "twist and turns" that I enjoy. Just when you think you know "Who done it" along comes a twist that you didn't see... I recommend this book. All of Harlan Coben's boom and Definitely any that are being read by Steven Weber he is AMAZING!

[Davey Little · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While not a 'Stay Close' it is a solid Story.
I would have given it a 3 1/2 if I could but 4 is close enough.

[Rlynoyb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Oh boy where to start? This book got rave reviews and I really don't think it was that good. Plus WTF at the end of this book? You go through the whole book wondering about Wilde's backstory and you don't ever get it. I found the character of Hester to be annoying, probably because she is too much like Judge Judy. Also, if the author was trying to get you to think Rusty Stevens was some kind of Trumpian character he is off the mark, if anything this character is more like HRC who seems to leave dead bodies in her wake. This is the third book I have read/listened to by this author and I am sadly disappointed in all of them. The main reason I listened to the books was because Steven Weber narrates them, and I would listen to him read the phone book.

[Denise White · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the first book that I’ve read by this author and I actually really liked it.. I have definitely found a new favorite author to go to as far as suspense and thrillers… and I definitely will be reading more by this author and I can’t wait for the next book about Wild..

[Amber Jackson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was pretty good... I like the ending. Can't wait for the next book.

[Karen Chandler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great suspenseful, believable storyline with interesting characters. As always with Harlan, you have many twists and turns yet he never ends his books without tying loose ends. I highly recommend this book.

[B Hickerson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I realllllllly enjoyed this book. I was curious to learn how all the separate storylines would tie in together, but by the end, they all fit beautifully. I loved the unique characters, the pacing of everything, and even the narration. 5/5, would totally recommend. Best book I've listened to this year.

[Jacqueline Lee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

great story! it all tied up beautifully in the end. the narrator did a fantastic job!

[Jessica Kopchik · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’ve recently read a few of his books, and I’ve definately enjoyed them. The characters are well drawn, the plots are interesting without being TOO intricate, and this one had a few pretty good twists. I’d love a sequel!

[Karen Arrighetti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wild is an amazing character! I would LOVE to read a sequel with this character. So much mystery. Wild is a hero with real flaws. Too often books portray a hero as being competent in all sorts of skills which would make a highly trained, special forces type person look like a keystone kop in comparison. Wild’s code of ethics, unusual start in life & lifestyle, & his incredible mind are his greatest strengths. A gun? Not so much:-D

More Wild please Mr. Coben!

[buffalogr · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was a disappointing read for me. After beginning with a high school drama, and then stuffing it in my ears at every chance, I became disenchanted with the story. Wilde (the grown up boy in the woods without a job nor an income source) tracks the kidnappers of a high school girl. Then, he becomes enmeshed in a huge national security thing. I almost put it down, but then [thankfully] it ended. Yuck! I'm not enamored with the characters nor the story--so, if there's a second, I won't bother.

[techeditor_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Harlan Coben’s books are such a pleasure to read, all of them, including THE BOY FROM THE WOODS. Even better, Coben does not shy away from including characters who are capable, smart, and gutsy senior citizens. This is unlike most other popular fiction, as if anyone over 40 could not be interesting.No spoilers: the boy from the woods, Wilde, is a grown man now, looking into the disappearance of a teenager at the request of the teenage son of Wilde’s best friend, the now-deceased son of Hester. You’re probably already familiar with Hester if you’ve read any of Coben’s other books, especially those in his Myron Bolitar series. She is the lawyer who has made appearances in Coben’s books for years. In THE BOY FROM THE WOODS, Hester is now a senior citizen and one of the main characters.As usual in Coben’s books, THE BOY FROM THE WOODS has so much going on. Another teenager, same age, same school, also goes missing. Hester and Wilde both become involved in these cases, which are first one thing, then another, then another. Somehow, a politician who works with the father of one of the missing teenagers is also involved, and that’s another story. There are twists and turns and more to the stories right to the end.I wonder if I missed something, though: what about the guy in Sing Sing?THE BOY FROM THE WOODS is a standalone book. I’ve read suggestions that Coben make this the beginning of a new series with Wilde. But it looks to me like Coben made that unlikely. Still, he did leave something about Wilde hanging in the wind. That's not like him.

[mojomomma_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wilde, the now grown feral boy and his best friend's mother, Hester--a brash TV lawyer are called in to look for a run away girl in Hester's grandsons class. Eventually, another boy goes missing. Are they linked? They are at opposite ends of the high school social spectrum. Does the popular privileged boy fall in love with the bullied girl. Ah, no. Entertaining enough, but it was obvious that the families security team was involved. I would have enjoyed more Hester and less Wilde.

[robertalea-223265 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love a good Harlan Coben mystery/thriller. And, as usual, I think I know where it's going and how it might end, and BAM, it all changes and it's not what I expected...it's better. I thought the closure was so open-ended it needs a sequel.

[alanteder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bourne to be WildeReview of the Brilliance Audio audiobook edition (2020)Harlan Coben sets the scene here for what is likely to be a continuing character as there is a major loose end left in the plot by the time the book ends. Fortunately, the character Wilde is intriguing enough to live up to that possible extension. Found as a lost boy in the woods at a young age he becomes somewhat of a survivalist also adept with technological tools in a post-military service career as in investigator. His origin is a mystery though there perhaps isn't exactly the amnesia of the Ludlum Bourne series. There was enough of parallel though that I couldn't resist using it in my lede.The narration by Steven Weber was excellent in all voices.It was surprising to see that such a recent release as The Boy From the Woods (March 2020) was already an Audible Daily Deal on October 6 2020 but it was certainly good marketing to give the book such a push after the more faithful fans had already snapped it up.

[jfe16 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A teen girl relentlessly bullied in school, a hotshot criminal attorney with a popular television show, an apparent kidnapping, dangerous lies, divisive political machinations, long-held secrets . . . . what ties all of them together? Despite an over-abundance of obnoxious characters, the enigma surrounding the boy left in the woods some thirty years earlier lies at the heart of this tale. However, the twisty subplot with its story of wealth, power, entitlement, politics, and fake news overshadows this intriguing mystery, leaving readers to decide when [if ever] the ends justify the means. The narrative addresses many current-and-substantive issues, but all at the expense of Wilde’s story. With no resolution on his backstory, could another Wilde book be in the works?

[siri51 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Hated this book - only finished it as it was for book club and needed to be discussed. Complicated plot with far too many issues, obnoxious characters both the goodies and baddies, unbelievable back stories of main characters, unconvincing language in dialogues, unnecessary graphic violence.Liked the last sentence that Wilde decides to go to Costa Rica but I think he might be back for a whole new book series?

[smcgovern-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Missing boy and girl. Wilde grew up in woods and involved in finding them. Easy read for summer

[tibobi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Short of It:Eagerly anticipated this one but it just didn’t work for me.The Rest of It:The Boy from the Woods is the first Coben book I’ve read and as you probably know, he has many. I was curious about his books after watching and enjoying several Netflix shows based on his books. I mean, I could not get enough of them so when I realized he had so many books available, I decided to try his new one.The story centers around Wilde, a boy who was literally found in the woods many years ago. As an adult, he’s close to Hester, an abrasive but witty lawyer who also happens to be a popular TV personality. Wilde was a good friend of Hester’s son who died in a car accident so he is more like family than an old friend.In this story, a girl goes missing. Her classmate is worried about her and since that classmate is Hester’s grandson, she becomes involved as does Wilde, who is kind of a rogue detective of sorts. There is a lot of back and forth about the girl who is missing and then another classmate goes missing. What is going on here? Are the two cases related?This was a disappointing read for me. The characters are one-dimensional but my main issue was the dialogue. It was so stilted and unnatural. You say this, I say this. You say this, I say this. Plus, the plot was so ridiculous. Before the big reveal, I almost gave up on it because I just didn’t care what happened to any of them.Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one. I heard good things about it so maybe those readers are die hard fans because I tried to enjoy it and was so looking forward to it but it was choppy and just not good in my opinion.For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.

[ellenh_28 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Outcasts in society, disappearance, a little politics, a mystery and a secret at the end that you will wonder what you would have done. Good book!!

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It had the first appearance that it was going to be a story within a story...but even though it was a good story...there never was much more said or explained how the boy found in the woods came to be in the woods in the first place. That part was unbelievable....that a young boy could have survived the way Wilde did on his own and no one ever saw him or found him. Now the real story of how Wilde helped everyone that he came in contact with in the storyline. That made sense and what really what the book was about in the first place. Readers will see some similarities in the plot to real life events taking place now. I don't know if the author did this on purpose or if it just occurred of it's own accord. Whatever the reason...I had absolutely no objection to it. Another good read for Harlan Coben fans.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really 3.5 starsI always enjoy Harlan Cohen’s books, and I love how he mentions characters from his other books in his novels.In this one, Wilde, who had been rescued from the woods where he has been living alone as a child, is asked by the mother (Hester Crimstein) of his dead best friend to help her solve the disappearance of a young girl, Naomi Pine. Hester’s grandson, Matthew, felt guilty about the way he treated Naomi, and wanted Hester to look into her disappearance. Coinciding with this storyline is a political candidate’s campaign, and the possibility that he is evil, so his competition wants to take him down by digging into his past.The story is well written, but I thought the ending was a bit too pat and corny.#TheBoyFromTheWoods #HarlanCobenI

[drapple_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. Coben introduces some great new characters and features some we have met in previous books. I was surprised at the solution to both mysteries, and, as aways, I enjoyed the occasional humor and the attention to detail.

[susan.macura · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this latest tale from Harlan Coben, a feral child was discovered in the woods in New Jersey. No one knows how long he was there, but he did manage to befriend another child. He grew up, became known as Wilde and then used his unique skills in the professional world. However, when a teen goes missing, and then another, Wilde finds himself drawn into the search. Issues of political corruption, bullying, murder, kidnapping and finding family are issues covered in this interesting tale.

[jnmegan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Descendants of Poe’s Dupin and Conan Doyle’s Holmes, eccentric investigators with uncanny abilities of perception and intelligence have become ubiquitous in modern detective fiction. These characters are portrayed as having supernatural abilities of observation and deductive reasoning when solving crimes but are almost completely socially stunted and misanthropic. Their “outsider” status makes them exceptional, but their lack of interpersonal skills makes it difficult for them to operate within established systems of law enforcement. In The Boy From the Woods, Harlan Coben’s latest release, a nod to this canonical character takes the form of “Wilde” —a man whose feral childhood has honed his instincts but reduced his ability to operate in society. The book opens with a news article describing how he was found living on his own for an indeterminate amount of time in the woods as a young boy. With no knowledge of his past or a family to claim him, Wilde’s only connection with people are with those who discovered him and tried to re-incorporate him into their NJ community. Now an adult with a military background, Wilde’s survivalist nature comes in handy when his godson asks him to help track down a missing classmate. Matthew is concerned about this girl and feels guilty for not coming to her defense through many years of ritualized bullying. He enlists his grandmother as well, a well-connected attorney with a strong media presence and hard-earned reputation. Just as this first disappearance is resolved, another one soon follows that may be tied to a prominent family and a controversial political candidate. Wilde and his family become enmeshed in a drama that has huge ramifications, with national security implications and much higher stakes than it at first appears. The Boy From the Woods is an ambitious book, with themes of wrongful imprisonment, rich/white privilege and racism, and threats to democracy resulting from extreme political factionalism. The over-arching question posed by the book is “When do the ends justify the means?” and it addresses the idolization and vilification of the rich and famous. Wilde’s role allows for an examination of vigilantism, especially under circumstances where the system is skewed toward protecting the status quo rather than achieving justice. These are big and timely issues, and Coben does an admirable job balancing these weighty topics with a story that remains gripping enough to maintain entertainment value. The novel may be accused of taking on too many issues and having an excessive number of side plots and exposition, but Coban has the requisite experience and talent to achieve success.Thanks to the author and Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[maggie1961-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love a good Harlan Coben. And they are all good. I hadn’t read one recently and missed the thriller combined with sarcasm. Never disappoints. 4 1/2 stars for me.

[norinrad10 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Coben's saving grace is that he can flat out write. Over the years - through the Myron Bolitar series and several stand alones - he has created memorable characters that inhabited interesting stories. The Boy from the Woods is the latest, reintroducing some past characters while bringing some new ones forth. The problem is, their tale is a mess.So much of The Boy From The Woods defies reality that it's hard to take the book serious. I know that's not the point of a pop culture thriller, but like I said earlier, Coben can flat out write. So his books should command a little more weight than the genre they live in. It's that skill that will keep the reader engaged until the ending of his latest, ignoring the sheer preposterousness of what they are reading until its conclusion.. The plot of BFTW involves a famous TV lawyer, a Trump-like presidential candidate, a boy that once raised himself in the woods only to go on to become a special forces operator with attachment issues, a mother still mourning her deceased husband a decade later who tempers that grief by regularly sleeping with his best friend, and another couple of military guys that are supposed to make you think about the definition of "patriot". It's all one hot mess that can't decide if its a romance novel, a kidnapping tale, a political warning, or a lone wolf thriller, all semi-saved by the authors skill as a writer. There are worse books to read, but few that bear the name of Harlan Coben as author.