Written by Jeff

Typically a former reluctant fiction reader, it is difficult for such a book to capture my attention and keep me focused for any length of time. This said, The Woods by Harlan Coben, is an attention grabber. This is the first Coben book I have read, but it will not be the last. The story starts (but the book doesn’t begin) with a teenage summer camp romance between Lucy and Paul. One night when Paul should have been watching the camp to assure that no boys left their cabins to sneak off, he and Lucy found love in the woods. While in the throes of their passion, they were interrupted by screams and later encountered blood along the paths as they retreated in haste.

Two of the camp’s residents were found dead while two others had disappeared and were presumed dead. The story picks up many years later. Paul Copeland, widower and single dad, is a Prosecutor in Essex County, New Jersey. Lucy Gold is a college professor with a drinking problem. They think of each other from time-to-time, but they haven’t tried to connect since their teenage years and that incident in the woods.

As Paul begins to prosecute a rape case involving four, well-heeled fraternity brothers and a black exotic dancer, he finds that someone from that evening of terror has resurfaced and others are digging up dirt to dampen his aspirations for higher public office. Many puzzles need to be solved as he has to juggle the rape case, mixed identities and thoughts about Lucy who now seems to hold several answers he needs as he remains a “person of interest” regarding the murders at the camp.

Paul learns that while his father was digging in the woods looking for his sister’s body, there might have been another reason for his visits to the forest. Was it the KGB past of his father and uncle or was it something closer to home and even more sinister?

The book has numerous twists, turns and surprises. One chapter leads the reader to the next with enthusiasm to continue. This is a quick and captivating read with an ending that does not disappoint. I highly recommend The Woods to anyone who likes the detective-mystery genre.
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Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post


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