By: Harlan Coben
ISBN: 978-1538748282
Publisher: Grand Central
Publication Date: 03/15/2022
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
From the modern master of suspense comes a gripping new thriller in which Wilde follows a tip that may finally reveal the truth behind his abandonment . . . Only to end up in the sights of a ruthless killer.
After months away, Wilde has returned to the Ramapo Mountains in the wake of a failed bid at domesticity that confirms what he’s known all along: He belongs on his own, free from the comforts and constraints of modern life.
Suddenly, a DNA match on an online ancestry database brings Wilde closer to his past than he’s ever dreamed, and finally gives Wilde the opening he needs to track down his father. But meeting the man leads to more questions than answers. So Wilde reaches out to his last, most desperate lead, a second cousin who disappears as quickly as he resurfaces, having experienced an epic fall from grace that can only be described as a waking nightmare.
Was his cousin’s downfall a long time coming? Or was he the victim of a conspiracy as cunning as it is complex? And how does it all connect to the man once known as The Stranger, a dangerous fugitive with a growing following whose mission and methods have only turned more dangerous with time?
Praise
“The topical follow-up to Coben’s best-selling The Boy from the Woods addresses reality shows, DNA searches, cyberbullying, and social media influencers in a suspenseful novel guaranteed to be a hit.”
―Library Journal (Starred Review)
“If you like the Netflix series Stay Close, created by the author, this is a good one to add to your reading list.”―CNN
“Harlan Coben's puzzle-box mysteries have inspired numerous Netflix series, and his latest book, The Match, seems poised to follow suit.”
―Popsugar
Praise for Harlan Coben
"The crafty Coben knows how to weave a compelling story with intriguing characters, and Wilde is one of his best."
―Associated Press
"Coben never, ever lets you down." ―Lee Child
"Every time you think Harlan Coben couldn't get any better at uncoiling a whip snake of a page-turner, he comes along with a new novel that somehow surpasses its predecessor."
―San Francisco Chronicle
"[Harlan Coben is] the modern master of the hook and twist."
―Dan Brown
"Coben is simply one of the all-time greats."
―Gillian Flynn
My Review
From the creator of Netflix's Stay Close and The Stranger, the brilliant master of suspense, Harlan Coben makes many readers very happy (myself included) with his latest knock-out psychological suspense thriller, THE MATCH.
RIVETING. ENGROSSING. SATISFYING.
Will Wilde finally attain the pieces of the puzzle of his past?
A follow-up from The Boy from the Woods, Wilde was called "Little Tarzan" and no one ever came forward to claim the abandoned little boy in the woods. He was around 6-8 yrs old when he was found.
Wilde is now 40-42 years of age, and as a boy, he lived alone in the woods. Something horrible happened to him, a dark past, but his memory was blocked out, and he only remembered pieces.
He had a foster father, and now, three decades later, Wilde did not have a clue about his origin until now. But the initial meeting did not go as expected from a DNA online site match.
Of course, if you know Coben, you know it is not simply getting from point A to B. There is so much in between. We get to catch up with Hester Crimstein, an attorney from previous books (love), and other characters from previous books.
Wilde had spent the last few months in Costa Rica, and it was time to return to his remote Ecocapsule deep in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains, in New Jersey, where he belonged in the woods alone.
Wilde is intelligent. He had a successful military career, years as a security expert, and excellent detective skills.
However, now he is about to meet his father, Daniel Carter, from a DNA ancestry website. The man was around 61 and married a woman named Sofia with three grown daughters, who are now his half-sisters and live in Nevada. The guy had a past with other women but does not want to screw up his current marriage and family. But little does he know?
Can Wilde move on with his future until he finds out his past?
Wilde receives an email from PB (Peter Bennett) who claims to be a distant cousin. He reached out to Wilde, who became famous as a popular contestant on a dating reality show until the public turned against him. He was humiliated, his career ruined, and his marriage in tatters. Now Peter has disappeared and may have committed suicide.
Wilde had not answered the email when it came in and now he appears to be missing. Wilde then gets caught up in the middle of a crazy vigilante group specializing in destroying the lives of bullies. All this turns into madness and soon Wilde wishes he were back living in the woods alone where life is simpler.
From mysterious DNA searches, cyberbullying, reality TV stars, and social media influencers, an action-packed suspense thriller with excellent character development.
Coben keeps you on edge, waiting to see if Wilde will learn about his past and connect with his mother and father.
I really enjoyed the mother's past and how it all began. Fans will be delighted with the ending and excited to have all the answers from the previous book. The author does a great job with background, and THE MATCH can be read as a standalone; however, I am glad I read the first book.
Coben Fans will devour this one! Loved it. Hopefully, we will hear more from these characters in future books. Highly recommend.
A special thank you to #NetGalley and #GrandCentral for an ARC.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date: March 15, 2022
About the Author
Photograph by: Claudio Marinesco
With over 75 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times author of thirty one novels including THE BOY FROM THE WOODS, RUN AWAY, FOOL ME ONCE, TELL NO ONE and the renowned Myron Bolitar series. His books are published in 45 languages around the globe.
Harlan is the creator and executive producer of several Netflix television dramas including THE STRANGER, SAFE, THE FIVE, and THE WOODS. Harlan was also showrunner and executive producer for two French TV mini-series, UNE CHANCE DE TROP (NO SECOND CHANCE) and JUST UN REGARD (JUST ONE LOOK). KEINE ZWEIT CHANCE, also based on Harlan’s novel, aired in Germany on Sat1.
Harlan’s novel TELL NO ONE (NE LE DIS A PERSONNE) was turned into the renowned French film, directed by Guillaume Canet and starring Francois Cluzet. The movie was the top box office foreign-language film of the year in USA, won the Lumiere (French Golden Globe) for best picture and was nominated for nine Cesars (French Oscar) and won four, including best actor, best director and best music.
Winner of the Edgar Award, Shamus Award and Anthony Award – the first author to win all three – international bestselling author Harlan Coben’s critically-acclaimed novels have been called “ingenious” (New York Times), “poignant and insightful” (Los Angeles Times), “consistently entertaining” (Houston Chronicle), “superb” (Chicago Tribune) and “must reading” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
In his first books, Coben immersed himself in the exploits of sports agent Myron Bolitar. Critics loved the series, saying, “You race to turn pages…both suspenseful and often surprisingly funny” (People). After seven books Coben wanted to try something different. “I came up with a great idea that simply would not work for Myron,” says Coben. The result was the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller TELL NO ONE, which became the most decorated thriller of the year. Two books later, Bookspan, recognizing Coben’s broad international appeal, named NO SECOND CHANCE its first ever International Book of the Month in 2003 – the Main Selection in 15 different countries.
Harlan was the first writer in more than a decade to be invited to write fiction for the NEW YORK TIMES op-ed page. His Father’s Day short story, THE KEY TO MY FATHER, appeared June 15, 2003. His essays and columns have appeared in many top publications including the New York Times, Parade Magazine and Bloomberg Views.
Harlan has received an eclectic variety of honors from all over the world. In Paris, he was awarded the prestigious Vermeil Medal of Honor for contributions to culture and society by the Mayor of Paris. He was won the El Premio del Novela Negra RBA in Spain, the Grand Prix de Lectrices in France, and the CWA/ITV3 Bestseller Dagger for favorite crime novelist in England. On the other end of the spectrum, Little League Baseball inducted Harlan into their Hall of Excellence in 2013, and Harlan is also a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame from his playing days at Amherst College.
Harlan was born in Newark, New Jersey. He still lives in New Jersey with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben MD, a pediatrician, and their four children. WEBSITE
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