The Boy From the Woods (2020) is the first book in the two-book Wilde series by Harlan Coben. It is an adult mystery suspense legal thriller and follows Wilde, the titular “boy from the woods,” and Hester, a famous television lawyer, as they are sucked into a complex case involving missing teenagers, divisive politicians, and a wealthy documentarian. The Boy From the Woods was nominated for the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery and Thriller. Coben is an award-winning New York Times best-selling author from New Jersey. He has written 35 novels, many of which have been adapted for film and television (“Harlan Coben Biography.” Harlan Coben, 2017). Among his many accolades, Coben is the first author to win the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award, and the Anthony Award.

This guide refers to the Hachette/Grand Central Publishing edition of the novel, first published in 2020.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss child abandonment, death, child abuse and neglect, bullying, rape, murder, and the kidnapping, mutilation, and sexual assault of minors. They also mention suicidal ideation and addiction.

Plot Summary

In 1986, a boy is discovered in the forest near Westville, New Jersey. He can speak English but has no memory of his name, home, or background. Nicknamed Wilde, the boy is placed in foster care with a family who later adopts him. As an adult, he establishes a private security firm with his foster sister, Rola, before quitting and retreating to the same forest where he was found as a child.

In 2020, a high school girl named Naomi Pine goes missing in Westville. Naomi comes from a troubled home and lives with an adoptive father with an alcohol addiction. Her mother abandoned them years ago. At school, she is the target of bullying. Matthew Crimstein, her classmate, is concerned about her absence and contacts his grandmother, the successful television attorney Hester Crimstein. Hester enlists Westville Police Chief Oren Carmichael and Wilde (best friend to her late son, David, Matthew’s father) to assist with the investigation.

Matthew attempts some sleuthing of his own at a party thrown by Crash Maynard, son of wealthy television producer Dash Maynard and his wife, Delia. Crash is Naomi’s chief bully. However, Crash and his posse learn of Hester’s missing person announcement and accuse Matthew of telling her. Crash beats Matthew up in anger. Wilde rescues Matthew just in time but antagonizes Gavin Chambers, head of security at Maynard Manor. Gavin works for controversial New Jersey Senator Rusty Eggers and is on loan to the Maynards.

Wilde locates Naomi in the basement of her own home. She was attempting the “48-hour-challenge” game to impress her bullies, hiding in the woods and then in the basement for 48 hours. Naomi returns to school. Hester feels like a fool for her news announcement. Since Naomi cheated at the challenge game, the bullying intensifies, and Naomi vanishes again, this time for real.

In the meantime, Hester and Oren flirt and begin to tentatively date. Hester has misgivings about a new romance at her age. Wilde has a friends-with-benefits arrangement with Matthew’s mother, Laila; Wilde is also Matthew’s godfather. Wilde’s ex, Ava O’Brien, is a teacher at Matthew’s school and becomes involved in Naomi’s case. Saul Strauss, an attorney who fights for social justice, tries to convince Hester and Wilde to help him take down Rusty, but he has limited success.

While Wilde is investigating Naomi’s second disappearance, Crash goes missing. Some believe that the two teens ran away together, but the Maynards soon receive a ransom demand: In exchange for their son, they must hand over all the incriminating video footage that Dash has on Rusty. Fearful for their son, the Maynards hire Hester as their attorney and Wilde as security. The Maynards comply with the kidnappers’ demands but don’t send the full footage. The kidnappers return Crash’s severed finger as a warning. This time, the Maynards have an even shorter window to comply; Wilde brings in Rola for extra backup.

An incriminating tape is released that shows Rusty sexually assaulting a minor, but Rusty’s team manipulates the media so that he comes out on top. Hester interviews a former colleague of Dash and Rusty’s, who alleges that Rusty once killed someone. Saul confirms this when he takes Wilde to Sing Sing Correctional Facility. There, Wilde meets Raymond Stark, a Black man who was framed for the murder of Christopher Anson. Anson, Rusty, and the Maynards all interned at Capitol Hill together. Rusty and Anson did not get along, and the body and murder weapon were planted to frame him. After Raymond was incarcerated, he was attacked in prison. The attack left him paralyzed from the waist down. Wilde and Hester sympathize with Raymond’s plight and want to free him.

Dash sends the kidnappers the footage they want, a video of Rusty with Anson’s corpse and the murder weapon, demanding Dash’s assistance in transporting and dumping the body. Dash kept the footage as insurance against Rusty but had also demanded that Rusty break up with Delia (whom he’d been dating at the time) as part of the deal. Delia later reveals the truth: Anson drunkenly raped her, so she killed him in self-defense, and Rusty disposed of the corpse.

Wilde and Rola search for Crash. Using GPS trackers, they trace the suspects to a closed highway rest stop. Crash is being held hostage by Gavin and Saul, who teamed up to take down Rusty. Rola rescues Crash and takes him to the hospital to reattach his finger. Wilde stays behind, allowing Gavin and Saul to leak the murder tape footage before confronting them in their hideout. He is furious at their treatment of Crash but allows them to get away with their crimes.

Meanwhile, Hester’s first date with Oren goes swimmingly, but the second gives her flashbacks to David’s untimely death; distraught, Hester decides to end things. Laila has a new beau, Darryl, so her arrangement with Wilde is over. Wilde takes a DNA test to try and find answers to his mysterious origins. There is only one result, a distant relative called PB. Wilde eventually asks to meet.

Naomi is still missing. Matthew’s involvement finally comes to light. At a party at Maynard Manor, Crash’s cronies destroyed one of Naomi’s beloved stuffed animals. Matthew found her in the woods and kissed her, but he was discovered and ridiculed by Crash and his friends. To get back into Crash’s good graces, Matthew agreed to prank Naomi by asking her out and then ghosting her. He later apologizes and feels very guilty. Wilde is unimpressed with his godson.

As Wilde and Hester continue their investigation, they become increasingly concerned. Naomi is not with her adoptive mother, Pia, whom Bernard Pine decries as abusive. Pia reveals that Bernard is the abusive parent. Naomi ran away to escape him, and Pia kept her secret. Wilde eventually discovers that Ava is Naomi’s biological mother and wanted to rescue Naomi from her horrible living situation in Westville. Wilde tracks them with GPS to say goodbye but impulsively joins them on their trip to Costa Rica.

Laila and her beau become serious. Delia refuses to testify about Anson’s murder, so Raymond languishes in prison. Rusty weathers the scandal and comes out on top. Hester finally learns the truth about David’s death. He and Wilde had gone to a bar and gotten drunk. Wilde left first, but David drove drunk and crashed his car. Wilde found him first and lied to protect David from legal action, but David died. Hester reconnects with Oren, and they become a couple.