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2nd out of 20 books
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The Woods
by
Harlan Coben
Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again.
For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subsid
...moreHardcover, 404 pages
Published
April 17th 2007
by Dutton Adult
(first published January 1st 2007)
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With a debt of gratitude and writing credit to Michael K. Brett-Surman's dinosaurs, from which I stole the format and a good many of the words from page 150.
For D. Pow.
Hackosaurus Rex
Field Notes:
For D. Pow.
Hackosaurus Rex
Field Notes:
HAK-oh-SAW-rus REX...more
Tyrant Hack-Novelist
a.k.a. Harlen Coben
6 feet (1.8288 metres)
Psi Upsilon Frat Boy
Friend of Brownosaurus Dan
Current Holocene
North America (New Jersey, USA)
Edgar Award winner; Shamus Award winner; An
view all 21 comments
Oh Harlan, you were exactly what I needed. But before I begin, let me say that this was my first Harlan Coben experience. I'll more than likely read more of his stuff. Bear with me as I explain myself.
Okay, the writing was nothing spectacular; there were even times when I winced as he described something by using the item. Example: The great oak stood like a, well, great oak. Yes, this type of writing appears more frequently than I liked, but the writing is really not an issue...more
Okay, the writing was nothing spectacular; there were even times when I winced as he described something by using the item. Example: The great oak stood like a, well, great oak. Yes, this type of writing appears more frequently than I liked, but the writing is really not an issue...more
Stephanie
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone who loves a good page turner
Recommended to Stephanie by:
Mom
This was my first Harlan Coben book and I thought it was just fabulous! I'm not huge into "mysteries" or "thrillers", but when I do sit down with one this is the type of story that has everything I want in a "page turner" - short chapters, quick dialog, twists and turns, and narration that was surprisingly funny at times (case in point, after annoying a police officer and a prosecutor both in a matter of hours the main character concludes, "I had itched an ass ...more
After his return to Myron Bolitar with PROMISE ME, Coben went back to standalone thrillers with this one. It was good, although I had some doubts about the characterization. I couldn't quite believe everything I read, even though the facts were consistent. I suspect that Coben knew that if he had done more to make the characterization of certain characters consistent and clearer, then it would have telegraphed the ending. But at this pace, who really cares about characterization. It's only ...more
I liked this book because it was a "couldn't put down" kind of book. I wanted to keep reading it to find out what's going on now.
Paul Copeland is a County Prosecutor who along with his parents and sister Camille,were from Russia and moved to the US when Paul was 4 yrs old. In the present day-Paul is a widower and has a 6 yr old Daughter. Go back 20 yrs,when Paul was a teenager who helped out at a camp that the rich kids as well as the not to well off kids would spend their days ...more
Paul Copeland is a County Prosecutor who along with his parents and sister Camille,were from Russia and moved to the US when Paul was 4 yrs old. In the present day-Paul is a widower and has a 6 yr old Daughter. Go back 20 yrs,when Paul was a teenager who helped out at a camp that the rich kids as well as the not to well off kids would spend their days ...more
Another great book by Mr. Coben. This one takes place at an old summer camp where 2 teens were murdered and 2 more disappeared. Twenty years later, Cope solves the mystery with the help of his former love, Lucy.
My favorite quote:
"She tried to figure out her own life philosophy and came up with something she once heard a rock star - Eric Clapton, she thought- say in an interview about not being a big fan of, uh, people. She wasn't either. She preferred - as ridiculous a...more
My favorite quote:
"She tried to figure out her own life philosophy and came up with something she once heard a rock star - Eric Clapton, she thought- say in an interview about not being a big fan of, uh, people. She wasn't either. She preferred - as ridiculous a...more
Now this was an excellent book!
So many twists I didn't see coming. I thought the characters were upbeat and seemed completely real. The plot was great. At first, it seemed to me that it was going to be a typical suspenseful thriller, but the twists in the plot made it more, especially the ending. Did not see that coming!
Excellent!
So many twists I didn't see coming. I thought the characters were upbeat and seemed completely real. The plot was great. At first, it seemed to me that it was going to be a typical suspenseful thriller, but the twists in the plot made it more, especially the ending. Did not see that coming!
Excellent!
The Woods, by Harlan Coben, B-plus, narrated by Scott Brick, produced by Brilliance Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
This book will definitely make my top ten for the year. This is one of Coben’s stand-alones, and I prefer it to his series.
Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families
had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are abo...more
This book will definitely make my top ten for the year. This is one of Coben’s stand-alones, and I prefer it to his series.
Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families
had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are abo...more
I started this one on my lunch break yesterday. So good. There's a lot of dialogue, which makes the 400 pages fly by, and a mystery that's extremely, well, mysterious. It's written in first person, which usually I don't like, and was still just the tiniest bit annoying here, but it didn't get too much in my way. The main character is a county prosecuter who is prosecuting two rich white boys for raping a black girl. The boys' fathers sic private detectives on him to dig up dirt on him, whic...more
Ed
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Thriller Fans, Coben Fans
Shelves:
crime-fiction,
reviewed
Coben keeps getting better and better.
I read this novel while on a 24 hour trip from Las Vegas to Hong Kong. I could not put it down. The suspense is complete. The characterizations are excellent. The plotting is superb. The story is believable, though fictional, because we have all been in families so we know all families have secrets.
The secrets may not be as violent as the ones in this story but they can be as destructive as these are.
Coben does a ma...more
I read this novel while on a 24 hour trip from Las Vegas to Hong Kong. I could not put it down. The suspense is complete. The characterizations are excellent. The plotting is superb. The story is believable, though fictional, because we have all been in families so we know all families have secrets.
The secrets may not be as violent as the ones in this story but they can be as destructive as these are.
Coben does a ma...more
I bought this on audiobook to listen to in the car and I found myself being happy to be in traffic jams because I didn't want to hurry home, it was that good!
This is the story of Paul Copeland, a county prosecutor, who has a blast from the past when a dead body turns up. Twenty years before, at a summer camp, four teenagers are murdered and buried in the woods while Cope (Paul) is supposed to be on gurad duty. Instead he is having a bit of a fumble with his girlfriend Lucy and one o...more
This is the story of Paul Copeland, a county prosecutor, who has a blast from the past when a dead body turns up. Twenty years before, at a summer camp, four teenagers are murdered and buried in the woods while Cope (Paul) is supposed to be on gurad duty. Instead he is having a bit of a fumble with his girlfriend Lucy and one o...more
Harlan Coben does it again...gets you so wrapped up in the suspense & the story that you just can't put the book down. The main character Paul is a prosecutor who has a past that he'd prefer to forget...being at summer camp 20 years ago when 4 campers disappeared (one being his sister) and 2 were found dead, the other 2 never found. In the present day framework of a trial that seems to be taken straight from the headlines of the Duke lacrosse players case, the past slaps the prosecutor in the ...more
A friend gave me this book as a parting gift. It was intended as a 'in-flight' book but didn't quite make it as having started it, I couldn't rest until I had finished it. What attracted me most to this book was the characters - wholly believable and human with flesh as well as bones. Paul Copeland's dilemma of ethics (tell a lie to save a friend/leave the past buried or dig it up etc) was thought provoking and caused true thrill, mostly because these are questions we all face (though perhaps in...more
I went to summer camp as a kid and was scared of the woods at night. Rightfully so, going by the way Harlan Coben played on those fears with a twist.
I'm a Coben fan. His style is easy to read and quick paced. I never feel like he's hitting me over the head with information, either. In a lot of mysteries/thrillers I have a sense of what's coming next, but in this book I didn't. Nicely done. He kept my interest page after page.
I'm a Coben fan. His style is easy to read and quick paced. I never feel like he's hitting me over the head with information, either. In a lot of mysteries/thrillers I have a sense of what's coming next, but in this book I didn't. Nicely done. He kept my interest page after page.
Harlan Coben is a master story teller. A word of warning ...if you have pressing issues do not start reading this book. You will not put it down until the very last page.
Paul Copeland is the county prosecutor for Essex New Jersey.Two decades ago, four teenagers one of whom was Paul's sister, disappeared in the woods at a summer camp at which Paul was a camp counseller. Two bodies were found murdered not one of which was his sister.
Cope, as he is known,is a man in mourning...more
Paul Copeland is the county prosecutor for Essex New Jersey.Two decades ago, four teenagers one of whom was Paul's sister, disappeared in the woods at a summer camp at which Paul was a camp counseller. Two bodies were found murdered not one of which was his sister.
Cope, as he is known,is a man in mourning...more
Summary
Paul Copeland has experienced significant loss in his lifetime. His sister, Camille, and three other friends were murdered in the woods at a camp where they all went when he was young. The devastation of losing Camille caused Copeland's mother to run off, never to be seen again, and his father to spend evenings digging through the woods that took his daughter's body that was never found, until his own eventual demise. As if that wasn't bad enough, Copeland, who as an adult becam...more
Paul Copeland has experienced significant loss in his lifetime. His sister, Camille, and three other friends were murdered in the woods at a camp where they all went when he was young. The devastation of losing Camille caused Copeland's mother to run off, never to be seen again, and his father to spend evenings digging through the woods that took his daughter's body that was never found, until his own eventual demise. As if that wasn't bad enough, Copeland, who as an adult becam...more
So after reading a book I was not really into I was ready to dive into my next book with a fury...and it wasn't hard with this page turner that kept me up and made good use of my extra day light saving hours..So I must say I was well on my way to making this a strong four star book because I liked it man..It was well written and cleverly mysterious enough to make you so curious to know what was really the truth and what in the world happened at camp that night twenty years ago...This is the stor...more
Harlan Coben- The Woods (Signet Books 2008) 4.25 Stars
Paul Copeland’s sister died in the woods outside of their summer camp, along with three other people, twenty years ago. Only two bodies were ever found; his sister’s body was not among them. Now as County Prosecutor he has a huge career case he is fighting to win, and he must still find time to raise his six year old daughter by himself, after his wife’s death. When one of the supposed dead actually turns up as a murder victim, he...more
Paul Copeland’s sister died in the woods outside of their summer camp, along with three other people, twenty years ago. Only two bodies were ever found; his sister’s body was not among them. Now as County Prosecutor he has a huge career case he is fighting to win, and he must still find time to raise his six year old daughter by himself, after his wife’s death. When one of the supposed dead actually turns up as a murder victim, he...more
Cheat Sheet for Writing A Harlan Coben novel:
-an event that happened a long time ago that affected the lives of the loved ones
-one pretty hip guy who is quick with wit and sarcasm
-main character must be a professional white male who helps inner-city black characters-it's ok to throw out all stereotypes possible, as long as the main character justifies it by performing his civic duty of helping them out
-add a ballsy female side-kick, and give her at least one manly cha...more
-an event that happened a long time ago that affected the lives of the loved ones
-one pretty hip guy who is quick with wit and sarcasm
-main character must be a professional white male who helps inner-city black characters-it's ok to throw out all stereotypes possible, as long as the main character justifies it by performing his civic duty of helping them out
-add a ballsy female side-kick, and give her at least one manly cha...more
this is the first and so far, only harlan coben book that I couldn't get into. I'm not sure what it was, but I just wasn't interested in the characters, or plot. I usually read his books in 4 days or less, only putting them down to eat, sleep and work, but this one... I just didn't. I honestly have not even finished it yet, and I started reading it about three years ago. I read a little less than a third of it before I put it down to read something else that interested me more at the time. The n...more
So, I know there are loads of Harlan Coben fans out there. I get why people like him. He’s a straight-up writer, lots of dialogue and characters and plot threads to keep you busy. Coben’s the sort of writer you read when you’re looking for something fast-paced and, dare I say it, fluffy.
The Woods has a convoluted plot that concerns Paul Copeland, County Prosecutor. Twenty years ago his sister, Camille, went missing (presumed dead) along with three of her friends while they were all a...more
The Woods has a convoluted plot that concerns Paul Copeland, County Prosecutor. Twenty years ago his sister, Camille, went missing (presumed dead) along with three of her friends while they were all a...more
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 als...more
Lucy Silverstein Gold is an old friend/lover of Paul's and she is als...more
I'd give this one 4,5 stars. Harlan Coben is definitely one of my favorite mystery writers. This is an amazing read that draws you in because of the very deeply human characters and the great dialogue. I felt such a trepidation reading the last 50 pages of this book; I just didn't want to get to the end and find out how this story was going to unfold!
Wouldn't mind at all to read more about County Prosecutor Paul Copeland and/or his Chief Investigator Loren Muse.
Great characters!!
Wouldn't mind at all to read more about County Prosecutor Paul Copeland and/or his Chief Investigator Loren Muse.
Great characters!!
Seit langer Zeit mal wieder ein Thriller, der es tatsächlich geschafft hat mich so zu interessieren, dass ich bis zum Ende lesen wollte.
Der Fall, um den es geht, ist wirklich spannend und interessant. Ich wollte jedenfalls immer wissen, wie es weitergeht, und hatte tatsächlich nicht den blassesten Schimmer, wie das ganze jetzt miteinander zusammenhängt und wer den nun der Täter ist. Sehr schön.
Das Buch hat ein paar Längen, die aber zum Glück nicht SO negativ auffallen, dass...more
Der Fall, um den es geht, ist wirklich spannend und interessant. Ich wollte jedenfalls immer wissen, wie es weitergeht, und hatte tatsächlich nicht den blassesten Schimmer, wie das ganze jetzt miteinander zusammenhängt und wer den nun der Täter ist. Sehr schön.
Das Buch hat ein paar Längen, die aber zum Glück nicht SO negativ auffallen, dass...more
Pretty good mystery. I think it falls into a couple of common mystery traps; a little too convoluted - like a lot of little roads that lead nowhere and become more of a distraction than anything else, and too much talking towards the end to explain everything.
There were a couple of significant surprises towards the end, some things that are talked about but with enough detail to make you forget the talking and see the action, and some things that happen in real time.
There are a coupl...more
There were a couple of significant surprises towards the end, some things that are talked about but with enough detail to make you forget the talking and see the action, and some things that happen in real time.
There are a coupl...more
Joy Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
rated it
Recommends it for:
Harlan Coben fans will not be disappointed.
Recommended to Joy Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ by:
Molly
Shelves:
harlan-coben
Another score for Harlan Coben. This book was easy to get in to. The plot is rich with mystery and he has such interesting characters. Nice twists and turns and I know I gasped a whoa! and especially a no he didn't! while reading. And in great Harlan Coben style, The Woods is filled with intrigue interwoven with hints of pop culture - from the Teletubbies (ha, Tinky Winky) to Bruce Springstein. Highly recommended.
Masa lalu adalah untuk yang sudah mati. Kau tak ingin menghidupkan kembali yang sudah mati. Kau ingin mengubur mereka dan meneruskan hidup"
Paul Copeland adalah seorang jaksa penuntut umum yg selalu dihantui oleh masa lalunya. Kejadian 20 tahun silam, yaitu hilangnya sang kakak, Camille Copeland di hutan selalu membayangi Paul. Walaupun 20 tahun telah berlalu, kejadian itu masih membekas dan menyisakan banyak pertanyaan yg belum terjawab.
"Hantu" masa lalu...more
Paul Copeland adalah seorang jaksa penuntut umum yg selalu dihantui oleh masa lalunya. Kejadian 20 tahun silam, yaitu hilangnya sang kakak, Camille Copeland di hutan selalu membayangi Paul. Walaupun 20 tahun telah berlalu, kejadian itu masih membekas dan menyisakan banyak pertanyaan yg belum terjawab.
"Hantu" masa lalu...more
This is my 2nd Harlan Coben after Hold Tight. The novel involves the murder of 2 teens and the disappearance of 2 others at a summer camp in 1968. For Paul Copeland, even after 20 years later, life has changed forever since the disappearance of his sister in the woods during the camp. He is trying to cope up with his life raising his 6 year old daughter. When the body of a guy is found, he once again confronts his difficult past which in due course reveals some earth shattering truths.
...more
...more
This one really kept me guessing. The main characters were well fleshed out so you were invested in their story which kept my attention so I kept reading to see what would happen. All but one loose end was tied up but the one left dangling was good because it kind of allowed the reader to write their own ending.
I can't really fault Harlan Coben. You know exactly what you're going to get with one of his books, and you're never disappointed (I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me, lol). He has a particular style; something bad happens, everyone moves on to one extent or another, then years later something occurs to make the main character realise that there's more to the original event than meets the eye. Some people have being keeping things to themselves and will go to whatever lengths they need to ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This book made #4 on TOP 10 THRILLER NOVELS... | 1 | 19 | Apr 02, 2009 08:26pm | |
| sloppy seconds | 1 | 43 | Aug 20, 2007 06:35pm |
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International bestselling author Harlan Coben's last seven novels, The Woods, Promise Me, The Innocent, Just One Look, No Second Chance, Gone for Good, and Tell No One have appeared at the top of all the major bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Book Sense, The Times (London), Le Monde, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as many others throughout the Uni...more
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“You don't worry about happiness and fulfilment when you're starving.”
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