Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben’s latest thriller, The Boy from the Woods, is mostly about how the search for a bullied teenager ends up leading down a trail of kidnapping, blackmail, political shenanigans, and internet influencers that reveals some very nasty secrets. As usual, virtually everybody in the book has something to hide, and Coben keeps the twists coming to the very last line. So on that level, it’s a 3-star read, marked down from 4 because the whole “boy from the woods” angle really doesn’t have much to do with the story and because it takes over 100 pages to get into the real nitty-gritty.

Now -- anybody here remember a movie called ‘Wag the Dog’? It was a 1997 black comedy about how easily information could be manipulated to create totally false scenarios.

The reason I bring this up is that the real heart of this pseudo-thriller is a segment that’s kind of a “Dog the Wag”, if you will, wherein a public figure puts together a lightning campaign to discredit a genuine video. This time, it’s not the images that are manipulated, but the social media response to it. And it is scarier, frankly, than anything Coben (or Stephen King or H.P. Lovecraft or Dean Koontz) ever wrote.

So if you get the chance, pick this book up. I don't care whether you read the rest of it or not, but please read Chapter 31. And think about it every time you see a video posted on the internet, or hear an opinion piece that tries to push every button you own.… (more)

I always enjoy a Myron Bolitar book, and this did not disappoint. The novel opens with murder, and it is clear that the murderer is framing an innocent person. But, when the FBI gets involved and comes to Myron, it is with shocking news. His former friend and client, Greg Downing, is a suspect, but there is a problem-he is supposedly dead. As Myron and Win investigate, Myron once again has to confront his former lover and mother of his son (and widow of Greg) to get answers.
A shocking and explosive ending to this book, completely surprised by what happened!… (more)