The Woods

For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subside. Cope, as he is known, is now dealing with raising his six- year-old daughter as a single father after his wife has died of cancer. Balancing family life and a rapidly ascending career as a prosecutor distracts him from his past traumas, but only for so long. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor’s family are threatened.

Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive? Cope has to confront so much he left behind that summer twenty years ago: his first love, Lucy; his mother, who abandoned the family; and the secrets that his Russian parents might have been hiding even from their own children. Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to the light.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

It Kept Me On the Edge of My Seat..., 2008-08-28
Really great read. I couldn't put the book down. It only took me a few hours to read. It was thoroughly enjoyable! I highly recommend this for a light read.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Quite a Ride (Read), 2008-08-21
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.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

The Woods, 2008-08-20
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.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Stand-alone thriller delivers despite flaws, 2008-08-14
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.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Couldnt put it down, 2008-08-12
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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