“The Woods,” by Harlan Coben; Dutton ($26.95)
Harlan Coben has become a formula writer. But that’s a compliment, not a criticism.
While some writers use a formula to produce dry, lethargic stories, Coben turns his familiar blueprint (a past disappearance or crime that has ramifications on seemingly innocent people years later) into exciting, involving thrillers.
Coben’s family thrillers – a term I applied to his stand-alone books several years ago – have given this New Jersey author a special niche. In these family thrillers, ordinary people are forced to examine their own sense of morality and fears as they are swept away by situations beyond their control.
Coben’s tales begin with a faded photograph, a passing glance on a Web cam or, in the case of the enthralling “The Woods,” a simple phrase uttered by a father on his deathbed: “We still need to find her.”
From there, “The Woods” branches out into a fast-paced, complex plot with characters whom the reader not only will care about but who also seem as realistic as your next-door neighbor. And because “The Woods” is about families above everything else, the novel also touches on bonds, secrets and just how well we know our family’s history.
Paul Copeland, a New Jersey county prosecutor, hears his father’s dying words. He knows his father is talking about the disappearance and presumed murder of Paul’s younger sister, Camille, while she was at a sleep-away camp almost 18 years ago. A serial killer who targeted camps was sentenced to life in prison.
The murder tore apart his family, who emigrated from Russia before Paul was born. His mother abandoned the family. For years, his father made frequent trips to the woods to try to find where the killer buried Camille. Paul, a widowed father, has carried a lifetime of guilt. He was supposed to be on guard duty at the camp the night his sister was killed, but he slipped away for a date.
Just as he is trying a high-profile rape case involving the son of a wealthy businessman, the past encroaches on Paul. The body of a man, who may have been one of the teens murdered with Camille, has just been found. Paul’s old girlfriend is receiving cryptic messages about that night. Now Paul and the police are wondering just what did happen in “The Woods.”
Coben keeps the tension high as “The Woods” explores Paul’s investigation into his sister’s death and his immigrant family’s background. Coben’s talent creating involving and compelling stories shines in his sixth stand-alone thriller. Yes, he fills the story with contrived gimmicks and the ending seems a bit rushed – a flaw in most of his thrillers. But Coben also knows how to make these contrivances work to his advantage, sweeping the reader into the story’s outcome.
Coben burst into the mystery genre with his novels about wise-cracking sports agent Myron Bolitar that combined serious plots with biting humor. After seven novels about Myron, Coben sidelined the character in favor of his thrillers. Myron resonated with readers and earned the author multiple awards. But Coben’s superb thrillers propelled him in a different direction, put him on the best-seller lists and made him a regular on talk shows. He brought Myron back last year with the excellent “Promise Me.”
But “The Woods” is one more proof of Coben’s skill at creating believable action without gratuitous violence.
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