I must admit to not having read any of author Harlan Coben's work before seeing the Netflix mini-series based on both Safe and The Stranger.

The Boy from the Woods, his latest offering, turned out to be a fascinating read, although the back-cover blurb almost put me off in that it gives a very limited idea of what the novel is about.

The characters are captivating in their rather unusual aspects, like a boy found in the woods and a lawyer in her 70s, but the interaction and dialogues are realistic and for the most part plausible.

The missing teenagers that the blurb refers to are essential but rather minor players in the story, which eventually revolves around politics and the media. In fact, it is the philosophical arguments that emerge concerning the politics that drive the story and entrance the reader, but at no time do they veer off into the esoteric.

Similarly, the way a politician talks about focus groups and fake news to deflate an incriminating video is scary by virtue of it seeming all too plausible and familiar.

Coben has another winner on his hands here and I have little doubt it may also end up as a mini-series, but if you value a good read don't wait for that -- get the book.