by Harlan Coben
First published 2020
Wilde grew up wild in the forest with no memory of his origins. Three decades later, he remains an outsider who never discovered his true identity. When teenager Naomi Pine vanishes, most people dismiss her disappearance. Her own father shows little concern. Only television attorney Hester Crimstein takes notice after learning from her grandson that classmates tormented Naomi relentlessly. Hester approaches Wilde, with whom she shares a painful history, asking him to locate the missing girl. His unusual background gave him skills others lack. Wilde cannot turn away from another outcast who needs help. His search forces him back into a community that never accepted him. The investigation reveals that influential people guard dangerous secrets. These hidden truths could ruin countless lives if exposed. Wilde must uncover what powerful figures want buried before Naomi runs out of time.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Forest
Period: Three Decades Later
371 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: child-abuse, mental-illness