Stand-alone thriller delivers despite flaws

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	• The Woods Harlan Coben Signet, 2008 - 528 pages average customer review:based on 178 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Woods

This is one of Coben's more facinating books because he interlaces two stories and a subplot. It drags in one place with the former girlfriend, but picks up later. It is a fast read and creative. We are cheering for him throughout the book as he deals with the past and the present.

Couldnt put it down

I loved this book! My girlfriends mother suggested she read it, then I happen to see it on our coffee table. I dont consider myself an "active" or "avid" reader... but after I read the first chapter I knew I wouldnt be able to sleep if I stopped. I read from 9:30pm to 4:30am!!!

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Quite a Ride (Read)

The central character is Paul Copeland, a county prosecutor in New Jersey. While in the midst of arguing the prosecution's case at the trial of two wealthy college fraternity brothers accused of rape, he is questioned about the murder of a man in New York City. This man's death appeared to be connected to an incident that happened twenty years earlier at a summer camp attended by the then-teenaged Copeland. It was believed that four youths were murdered one night, deep in the woods, although only two bodies were found. One of the victims was Copeland's sister. Copeland has long been haunted by the events of that night, for, it turns out, he was more than just the brother of a victim.

From this starting point, the novel takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of plot twists and turns. I'm not a speed reader, but I finished this book in record time (for me) because I was able to race through the extremely well written pages. The only speed bumps were occasional digressions in the form of overlong explanations as the story developed. Also, there were a few false conclusions, something like the amusement park ride that gives you a couple of extra shocks near the end.

But it was an exciting read (ride), well worth the cost of admission.

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Stand-alone thriller delivers despite flaws

I read this book in one night, which testifies to its quickly paced plot. However, there are a few implausibilites and shallow characters (Lonnie, for example) here. Coben's thriller puts a 20-year-old mystery concerning the disappearance (and presumed murder) of Paul Copeland's sister Camille back into his focus even as he valiantly tries to defend a stripper accusing frat boys of rape (shades of Duke University).

Lucy Silverstein Gold is an old friend/lover of Paul's and she is also haunted by a summer they spent together at a camp that her parents ran. Two campers were brutally murdered by a serial killer, Wayne Steubens, who is up for parole. Two other campers disappeared and are presumed dead but without physical evidence, Paul's ready to believe that his sister's still alive.

This book reminded me more of the TV show "Cold Case" than anything else and as I read, and the plot holes became more discernable, I began fantasizing about a Cold Case/Law & Order crossover. This is the first Coben book I've picked up and assuredly it won't be the last.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Twenty years ago at summer camp, Paul Copeland's sister died in the woods, the alleged victim of a serial killer. Her body was never found. Now, Paul is the prosecutor for Essex County, New Jersey, immersed in one of the biggest cases of his career-a case that will change everything he believes about the past...and the truth.

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