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Jack Till #2
The Boyfriend
Jack Till, who has retired from the LAPD after a respected career as a homicide detective, now works as a private investigator, comfortable chasing down routine cases while visiting his 24-year-old daughter, Holly, who has Down Syndrome. But when the parents of a recently murdered young girl, about Holly's age, ask for his help when the police come up empty, Till reluctantly takes the case.
It was discovered after her death that the victim had been working as a high-class prostitute, and the police are content to assume she was killed by a client, common in such a dangerous line of work. Yet as Till digs deeper, he realizes that the victim is just one of several young female escorts killed in different cities in the exact same way -- all had strawberry blonde hair, and all were shot with a 9mm handgun in the sanctity of their apartments.
Till must find his way around the tawdry and secretive online escort business, and decode ads placed by young women who all use false names, sometimes advertise using other women's pictures, and move from city to city every few months. Yet when Till is finally able to catch up with the killer, he finds that the man he's after is far more dangerous and volatile than he ever could have imagined. As the body count rises, Till must risk his life to find this seductive and ruthless killer whose murderous spree masks a far deadlier agenda.
It was discovered after her death that the victim had been working as a high-class prostitute, and the police are content to assume she was killed by a client, common in such a dangerous line of work. Yet as Till digs deeper, he realizes that the victim is just one of several young female escorts killed in different cities in the exact same way -- all had strawberry blonde hair, and all were shot with a 9mm handgun in the sanctity of their apartments.
Till must find his way around the tawdry and secretive online escort business, and decode ads placed by young women who all use false names, sometimes advertise using other women's pictures, and move from city to city every few months. Yet when Till is finally able to catch up with the killer, he finds that the man he's after is far more dangerous and volatile than he ever could have imagined. As the body count rises, Till must risk his life to find this seductive and ruthless killer whose murderous spree masks a far deadlier agenda.
298 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2013
802 people are currently reading
1138 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Perry
93 books1,713 followersThomas Perry was the author of 25 novels. He was born in Tonawanda, New York in 1947. He received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1969 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Rochester in 1974. He had worked as a park maintenance man, factory laborer, commercial fisherman, university administrator and teacher, and as a writer and producer of prime time network television shows.
Thomas Perry lived in Southern California.
Thomas Perry lived in Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
February 19, 2017
Catherine Hamilton is an extremely attractive young woman who's making a very good living as "Tamera Sanders," an upscale L.A. escort. But when Catherine/Tamera turns up shot to death in her apartment, the police conduct a fairly cursory investigation before concluding that the young woman's death was simply one of the occupational hazards of her chosen career and that they'll never be able to find the killer.
Perhaps understandably, Catherine's parents are not willing to give up that easily. Naturally, they're shocked to discover how their daughter was earning a living, but they loved her nonetheless and will not rest until her killer is brought to justice.
The Hamiltons turn to Jack Till who's retired from the LAPD after a distinguished career as a homicide detective. He's now a P.I. who works mainly on civil cases. But someone refers the grieving parents to him and he reluctantly agrees to take the case, in part because he has a daughter himself who is about the age of Catherine Hamilton.
As he digs into the case, Jack realizes that Catherine was only the latest victim of a serial killer who has targeted escorts in several other cities and killed them in exactly the same way. The women are all eerily similar in appearance--all strawberry blondes with very pale skin--and each was shot to death in her home.
Jack determines that the only way to catch the killer is to find his next potential victim. Thus he begins a long and tedious Internet search, looking for an escort in a major city who fits the profile. The principal thing working in his favor is the fact that several of the victims were each wearing the same piece of very distinctive jewelry in the pictures that they posted on line--apparently a gift from the man who would eventually kill them.
Jack soon realizes that he's on the trail of a very clever killer who may be much more than the average run-of-the-mill psycho who gets his kicks by murdering hookers. The story is ultimately told in alternating points of view between Jack and the killer, and it makes for a very gripping and entertaining tale.
Jack Till is an especially interesting protagonist. In addition to being a talented investigator, he's also the divorced father of a daughter with Down's Syndrome. The daughter, Holly, is also an interesting character and the scenes between father and daughter are very well done.
Thomas Perry is well known as a gifted writer and has previously created two great series characters in the Butcher's Boy and Jane Whitefield. One hopes this won't be the last we see of Jack Till.
Perhaps understandably, Catherine's parents are not willing to give up that easily. Naturally, they're shocked to discover how their daughter was earning a living, but they loved her nonetheless and will not rest until her killer is brought to justice.
The Hamiltons turn to Jack Till who's retired from the LAPD after a distinguished career as a homicide detective. He's now a P.I. who works mainly on civil cases. But someone refers the grieving parents to him and he reluctantly agrees to take the case, in part because he has a daughter himself who is about the age of Catherine Hamilton.
As he digs into the case, Jack realizes that Catherine was only the latest victim of a serial killer who has targeted escorts in several other cities and killed them in exactly the same way. The women are all eerily similar in appearance--all strawberry blondes with very pale skin--and each was shot to death in her home.
Jack determines that the only way to catch the killer is to find his next potential victim. Thus he begins a long and tedious Internet search, looking for an escort in a major city who fits the profile. The principal thing working in his favor is the fact that several of the victims were each wearing the same piece of very distinctive jewelry in the pictures that they posted on line--apparently a gift from the man who would eventually kill them.
Jack soon realizes that he's on the trail of a very clever killer who may be much more than the average run-of-the-mill psycho who gets his kicks by murdering hookers. The story is ultimately told in alternating points of view between Jack and the killer, and it makes for a very gripping and entertaining tale.
Jack Till is an especially interesting protagonist. In addition to being a talented investigator, he's also the divorced father of a daughter with Down's Syndrome. The daughter, Holly, is also an interesting character and the scenes between father and daughter are very well done.
Thomas Perry is well known as a gifted writer and has previously created two great series characters in the Butcher's Boy and Jane Whitefield. One hopes this won't be the last we see of Jack Till.
March 11, 2013
Thomas Perry has always been one of my favourite suspense authors. This is especially so when he is writing in his specialized niche of 'hunt and evade' thrillers. Some of these have been one-off novels such as "Pursuit" or "Death Benefits", and some have made for excellent series characters such as the Jane Whitefield or the Butcher's Boy series. With "The Boyfriend" we now have the 2nd of the Jack Till books, the 1st being 2007's "Silence", thus turning Till into a further series character. So why such a relatively low rating of 3 for "The Boyfriend"? For a favourite author you'd expect to give at least or 4 or 5 usually.
I had too much the sense of recycled plot ideas in this novel, probably esp. from the Butcher's Boy, with the scenes of a veteran hit-man teaching a novice the trade. Also, the 'hunt' element just seemed too unbelievable. Jack Till is able to single-handedly identify the patterns of a serial killer and hit-man and is able to start predicting and tracking down future victims when the entire police services of several major cities and that of state and federal authorities were completely clueless to these things. Of course, there would be no novel if this wasn't the case, but you hope for a bit more cleverness, a bit more outside-the-box thinking, to propel the hero over the regular crowd, and i just didn't feel that sort of kick from the steps that Jack Till takes to track down the killer. It all seems to come remarkably easily to him, even if he is often a step behind where he needs to be (and he has to be or the book would end too quickly). Lastly, especially from Thomas Perry, who has written strong female characters in the past, this book's recurring victimhood of a series of otherwise sharp self-employed call-girls was another distressing element.
Of course I finished it within a few days, Perry has not lost his knack for writing compulsive reads. It just didn't win me over. The women are sadly interchangeable victims, the Jack Till character is just too bland and you aren't exactly going to side with the sociopathic killer, so who is there left to root for?
I had too much the sense of recycled plot ideas in this novel, probably esp. from the Butcher's Boy, with the scenes of a veteran hit-man teaching a novice the trade. Also, the 'hunt' element just seemed too unbelievable. Jack Till is able to single-handedly identify the patterns of a serial killer and hit-man and is able to start predicting and tracking down future victims when the entire police services of several major cities and that of state and federal authorities were completely clueless to these things. Of course, there would be no novel if this wasn't the case, but you hope for a bit more cleverness, a bit more outside-the-box thinking, to propel the hero over the regular crowd, and i just didn't feel that sort of kick from the steps that Jack Till takes to track down the killer. It all seems to come remarkably easily to him, even if he is often a step behind where he needs to be (and he has to be or the book would end too quickly). Lastly, especially from Thomas Perry, who has written strong female characters in the past, this book's recurring victimhood of a series of otherwise sharp self-employed call-girls was another distressing element.
Of course I finished it within a few days, Perry has not lost his knack for writing compulsive reads. It just didn't win me over. The women are sadly interchangeable victims, the Jack Till character is just too bland and you aren't exactly going to side with the sociopathic killer, so who is there left to root for?
October 5, 2012
I do like Thomas Perry. I've read most of his other books (both the Butcher's Boy and Jane Whitfield series are excellent) and was pleased to get this one as an advanced reader copy. It introduces a new character, Jack Till, ex-homicide detective, who is hired (for a considerable amount of money, which, given what they already know about their daughter, surprised me they would want to discover more,) to find the killer of their high-priced escort daughter, Catherine.
The Boyfriend has all the ingredients of a first rate thriller: a competent assassin, beautiful escorts who are getting killed as cover for the assassin's work (we learn this, and the identity of the killer, early in the book so it's not a spoiler,) and a driven P.I., an ex-homicide cop. The chase is on. This book does not disappoint and lives up to Perry's other books. Very enjoyable.
One mild complaint. It would seem that each new detective has to have some personal travail. In Jack's case, it's his Down Syndrome daughter with whom he has a charming relationship, but about whom he is totally freaked out paranoid that some monster he put in jail years before will take the trouble to hunt down and harm. I long for the days of just a good-old investigatory police procedural or detective story that focuses on the investigation without unnecessary and unrealistic baggage of dysfunctional families, personal threats to families, etc.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy in return for my always independent reviews.
The Boyfriend has all the ingredients of a first rate thriller: a competent assassin, beautiful escorts who are getting killed as cover for the assassin's work (we learn this, and the identity of the killer, early in the book so it's not a spoiler,) and a driven P.I., an ex-homicide cop. The chase is on. This book does not disappoint and lives up to Perry's other books. Very enjoyable.
One mild complaint. It would seem that each new detective has to have some personal travail. In Jack's case, it's his Down Syndrome daughter with whom he has a charming relationship, but about whom he is totally freaked out paranoid that some monster he put in jail years before will take the trouble to hunt down and harm. I long for the days of just a good-old investigatory police procedural or detective story that focuses on the investigation without unnecessary and unrealistic baggage of dysfunctional families, personal threats to families, etc.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy in return for my always independent reviews.
July 3, 2017
Perry does it again. He delivers a twisty murder thriller. No real mystery except how the heck can Jack catch this guy? Without boring me, he managed to put in hours, days, & weeks of plain drudgery hunting him down. The bad guy is very good, meticulous, & seemingly emotionless - a great assassin, especially in his own mind.
As is usual in Perry's books, the characters stood out. They make the story & not just the main character. Even secondary characters feel full blown. I like Jack Till, my second favorite of his series characters. The Butcher's Boy is my favorite with Jane trailing well behind. Even those books are good, though.
If you haven't read the first Jack Till, it would be nice to read them in order, but not necessary - another bonus. On top of all that, it was well narrated. A thoroughly enjoyable ride. Highly recommended.
As is usual in Perry's books, the characters stood out. They make the story & not just the main character. Even secondary characters feel full blown. I like Jack Till, my second favorite of his series characters. The Butcher's Boy is my favorite with Jane trailing well behind. Even those books are good, though.
If you haven't read the first Jack Till, it would be nice to read them in order, but not necessary - another bonus. On top of all that, it was well narrated. A thoroughly enjoyable ride. Highly recommended.
September 30, 2019
2013 book was available at library and my brother recently liked it, so I carried it home. This is action and then more action, not a story about reality or even plausible people. Thus, when you want a page turner and a good chase by way of a very smart private investigator tracking a contract killer moving through the country, this book should fill the bill.
I did rather like Jack Till, but I don't think I will look for the first one where he was featured.
Library Loan
I did rather like Jack Till, but I don't think I will look for the first one where he was featured.
Library Loan
January 11, 2019
“The Boyfriend” by Thomas Perry opens as readers look in on Catherine Hamilton and her friends.
Catherine has a job that pays well, but one that would perhaps shock her friends, or perhaps not. Joey, her new boyfriend, also has a job that would astonish Catherine’s friends, and even Catherine herself finds it surprising in a most alarming way.
Jack Till is a retired homicide detective, currently working as a private investigator. Readers get a sense of Jack right from the start. He needs money and to get it he needs a case. The parents of a girl who had been murdered bring him that case. They want answers, and they will pay what it costs to get those answers, now.
Till is a complex, multi-faceted character. Readers see the personal side of Till through his relationship with his daughter, but, he has another side as well. He has been hunting killers for a long time, and he has learned patience. Most people do not understand patience.
The narrative focuses on Till and the investigative process as he pursues the killer. Tension steadily builds page after page as readers and Till unravel a tangled string of clues, encounter dead ends, and meet the dead themselves. Till travels, waits, watches, and listens until he learns everything there is to know about this killer. There is an occasional chapter from a different perspective to give the reader background, insights, and other information that Till has yet to uncover.
“The Boyfriend” is a compelling story with not just twists and turns, but with sharp diversions, unexpected deviations, and a bombshell ending. This book keeps readers glued to the pages.
“Three young women who were sophisticated, graceful, and just reaching the late peak of their beauty, they would have made a wonderful painting—one head light blond, one strawberry red, one coal black.”
Catherine has a job that pays well, but one that would perhaps shock her friends, or perhaps not. Joey, her new boyfriend, also has a job that would astonish Catherine’s friends, and even Catherine herself finds it surprising in a most alarming way.
Jack Till is a retired homicide detective, currently working as a private investigator. Readers get a sense of Jack right from the start. He needs money and to get it he needs a case. The parents of a girl who had been murdered bring him that case. They want answers, and they will pay what it costs to get those answers, now.
Till is a complex, multi-faceted character. Readers see the personal side of Till through his relationship with his daughter, but, he has another side as well. He has been hunting killers for a long time, and he has learned patience. Most people do not understand patience.
The narrative focuses on Till and the investigative process as he pursues the killer. Tension steadily builds page after page as readers and Till unravel a tangled string of clues, encounter dead ends, and meet the dead themselves. Till travels, waits, watches, and listens until he learns everything there is to know about this killer. There is an occasional chapter from a different perspective to give the reader background, insights, and other information that Till has yet to uncover.
“The Boyfriend” is a compelling story with not just twists and turns, but with sharp diversions, unexpected deviations, and a bombshell ending. This book keeps readers glued to the pages.
June 25, 2013
Perry is a fine writer, but I have begun to read him selectively, as I have with T. Jefferson Parker. Last time I tried one, I found his recent Jane Whitefield books to be bizarre and disconnected from a credible world. But I will go back and look again, since I enjoyed this serial killer novel very much. The Boyfriend does what Perry does very well: present a credible problem and a determined solver, whose ethics and values have consonance and maturity, seasoned with large doses of ambivalence -- like Harry Bosch, Matthew Scudder, Lew Archer, the best of the best. I found this book to be deeply enticing, the protagonist's character to be suitably complex, and the killer as cold a predator as any. I am reminded that it is not easy to draw killers well, but Perry is brilliant at this. As evidence, see the incomparable masterpieces devoted to the deadly hit-man known as the butcher's boy: The Butcher's Boy, Sleeping Dogs, The Informant. In those books, as in this one, expect thick yet fluid plotting, extraordinary sequences of action, each different and equally complex. And, of course, brilliant evil mixed here with compelling sexuality.
March 8, 2013
Outstanding new mystery/thriller from Thomas Perry. I didn't care for his last book but this one is Thomas Perry returning to form with an original take on a manhunt for an unusually efficient bad guy. I highly recommend it!
April 4, 2017
This is a 3 star read- I added another star for a pretty good series and with the hope for more to come series!
This is about an ex-cop who now is a private investigator. If you like the Robert B. Parker series of Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, and Spencer- then you will like this series too. Like those books, this was a very fast read- although I do have to say the ending , to me was a little flat. Something seem to be 'missing' - But having said that- it was just what "The doctor ordered" - Looking for a quick read, nothing too complicated , a nice crime and a PI to solve the case. Simple. Easy. Just like Robert B Parker books.
For those who are looking for something new and read all of Parker's books- this series is pretty good.
This is about an ex-cop who now is a private investigator. If you like the Robert B. Parker series of Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, and Spencer- then you will like this series too. Like those books, this was a very fast read- although I do have to say the ending , to me was a little flat. Something seem to be 'missing' - But having said that- it was just what "The doctor ordered" - Looking for a quick read, nothing too complicated , a nice crime and a PI to solve the case. Simple. Easy. Just like Robert B Parker books.
For those who are looking for something new and read all of Parker's books- this series is pretty good.
August 25, 2013
This is the second book in Perry's serIes with private detective Jack Till. Good story that kept me interested. Till has been hired to find the killer of his client's daughter. As he researches the case, he learns that the guy who killed this woman is in fact a serial killer with a pattern of killing female escorts with the same physical description. No police have noticed the pattern because the women live in big cities all over the country.
I loved Perry's Jane Whitefield series. I was fascinated by the level of detail she went into when planning to relocate one of her clients. I think I might do okay if for some reason I had to disappear. In this Jack Till book, Perry goes into excruciating detail when talking about weaponry. We hear all about the different guns he and the serial killer favor, their range, how to shoot them, and much more. Details about cartridges. If you're into weapons, you may find this interesting but it was information overload for me. I'm sure Perry did his research but I really didn't want to hear about it.
Interesting thriller. Quick read. Summer fun.
I loved Perry's Jane Whitefield series. I was fascinated by the level of detail she went into when planning to relocate one of her clients. I think I might do okay if for some reason I had to disappear. In this Jack Till book, Perry goes into excruciating detail when talking about weaponry. We hear all about the different guns he and the serial killer favor, their range, how to shoot them, and much more. Details about cartridges. If you're into weapons, you may find this interesting but it was information overload for me. I'm sure Perry did his research but I really didn't want to hear about it.
Interesting thriller. Quick read. Summer fun.
June 12, 2025
"He supposed the life everyone lived was a life nobody had foreseen."
In this the second Jack Till book we find Jack retired from the LAPD and earning his living as a private investigator. When he gets a call from desperate parents who's daughter, a young woman working as an upscale escort is murdered and robbed in her own home, Jack takes the case and finds himself in the middle of a mystery. His digging quickly leads him to more murders of similar women and sends him on a wild chase of a slick killer, who's motive is not what he might have expected. I have read multiple Thomas Perry novels and have enjoyed them all, this one was no different, he is a master of the genre. I hope to bump into Jack Till again.
In this the second Jack Till book we find Jack retired from the LAPD and earning his living as a private investigator. When he gets a call from desperate parents who's daughter, a young woman working as an upscale escort is murdered and robbed in her own home, Jack takes the case and finds himself in the middle of a mystery. His digging quickly leads him to more murders of similar women and sends him on a wild chase of a slick killer, who's motive is not what he might have expected. I have read multiple Thomas Perry novels and have enjoyed them all, this one was no different, he is a master of the genre. I hope to bump into Jack Till again.
April 25, 2013
Where did the Thomas Perry who wrote Butcher's Boy, Metzger's Dog or even Death Benefits go? His early works showed excitement and creativity while his later works are all going past formulaic and into poorly executed, tired patterns.
For example, in his book, we're reminded that our hero's daughter has Down's Syndrome through a statement in the text. Of course, we don't really see that in her interaction with her Dad, her boss or her housemates. Having the narrator tell us, versus showing us this condition, and then, once being told, not showing us through her speech, behavior and interaction with her environment is pretty easy to do. It takes effort to create a cast of characters that works in your created reality and this isn't even speculative fiction.
There's clearly been some investigation into the reality of the sex trade in america done for this book. www.backpage.com really exists. Now I know something about my metro area I could have lived without knowing. His pricing references in the book are very contemporary with the advertised prices on backpage.com. But, the premise of the whore with the heart of gold, willing to take a (rich) sympathetic emo lover to give her a satisfying sexual experience seems a bit of a stretch. (Pretty Lady, perhaps) The speed with which the Boyfriend breaks through the layers of protection these ladies must develop in order to become the high price call girls they are purported to be fits the pace of the novel. However, I suspect that these successful working ladies have developed defenses to hide their true selves and their needs that would withstand the mirroring advances of the Boyfriend. (Andy Bernard in The Office, perhaps.)
That said, I still read each of Perry's new books in hopes of his getting back to the juice of his older works. But, I now use the library to borrow a copy rather than purchasing it.
The ending of this national chase fits into the category of - ok, got enough pages to wrap up this project, so, let's shoot the bastard in the head and be done with it.
For example, in his book, we're reminded that our hero's daughter has Down's Syndrome through a statement in the text. Of course, we don't really see that in her interaction with her Dad, her boss or her housemates. Having the narrator tell us, versus showing us this condition, and then, once being told, not showing us through her speech, behavior and interaction with her environment is pretty easy to do. It takes effort to create a cast of characters that works in your created reality and this isn't even speculative fiction.
There's clearly been some investigation into the reality of the sex trade in america done for this book. www.backpage.com really exists. Now I know something about my metro area I could have lived without knowing. His pricing references in the book are very contemporary with the advertised prices on backpage.com. But, the premise of the whore with the heart of gold, willing to take a (rich) sympathetic emo lover to give her a satisfying sexual experience seems a bit of a stretch. (Pretty Lady, perhaps) The speed with which the Boyfriend breaks through the layers of protection these ladies must develop in order to become the high price call girls they are purported to be fits the pace of the novel. However, I suspect that these successful working ladies have developed defenses to hide their true selves and their needs that would withstand the mirroring advances of the Boyfriend. (Andy Bernard in The Office, perhaps.)
That said, I still read each of Perry's new books in hopes of his getting back to the juice of his older works. But, I now use the library to borrow a copy rather than purchasing it.
The ending of this national chase fits into the category of - ok, got enough pages to wrap up this project, so, let's shoot the bastard in the head and be done with it.
March 5, 2013
The Boyfriend by Thomas Perry can best be described as a crime thriller/suspense novel. The story begins with a high-priced call girl, Catherine Hamilton, being murdered in her home and her parents are intent on finding whodunnit. They enlist the help of retired LAPD detective Jack Till. Till has been moonlighting as a gumshoe of pretty mundane cases. In between those cases, he visits his daughter Holly, who has down syndrome. She is the same age as the victim and this encourages him to take the case.
Before long Jack Till is able to find clues that link Catherine Hamilton to a few other call girls who look almost exactly like her. This connection is lost on the police but thankfully we have Till to come to their aid because he is one smart gumshoe. Actually, Till and Holly are the only characters I care about. The rest are pretty cardboardish and flat.
Contrary to a couple gripes I have about this novel, The Boyfriend is pretty interesting and I think Perry's fans will really enjoy it. There are no unnecessary details to trudge through and no characters that aren't introduced to serve a purpose. This being my introduction to Perry has not been a bad one. Although there were hokey lines like "he is unusually good-looking" and if I read one more "strawberry blond" than I was going to really have a problem. But I did like the way the story came together and I look forward to seeing this character in future publications. I feel there's many more places the author can take this character.
Before long Jack Till is able to find clues that link Catherine Hamilton to a few other call girls who look almost exactly like her. This connection is lost on the police but thankfully we have Till to come to their aid because he is one smart gumshoe. Actually, Till and Holly are the only characters I care about. The rest are pretty cardboardish and flat.
Contrary to a couple gripes I have about this novel, The Boyfriend is pretty interesting and I think Perry's fans will really enjoy it. There are no unnecessary details to trudge through and no characters that aren't introduced to serve a purpose. This being my introduction to Perry has not been a bad one. Although there were hokey lines like "he is unusually good-looking" and if I read one more "strawberry blond" than I was going to really have a problem. But I did like the way the story came together and I look forward to seeing this character in future publications. I feel there's many more places the author can take this character.
March 28, 2016
Funny, I've read and enjoyed several Thomas Perry books, and I don't remember being offended by the outlandish sexism and female stereotypes before. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention. Maybe it's because the first chapter really turned me off with the three catty young frenemies lunching together. They are portrayed as ostensibly typical, competitive, disingenuous women. Ugh. Once I notice something that bugs me, it keeps bugging me throughout the read.
Misogynistic characterizations aside, the story was a decent crime story. We watch the chase from alternating perspectives of the criminal and the private investigator.
Misogynistic characterizations aside, the story was a decent crime story. We watch the chase from alternating perspectives of the criminal and the private investigator.
March 20, 2013
I'd never read any of Thomas Perry's books before THE BOYFRIEND. I think I've found a new favorite. Reviews seem mixed. Some like it. Some don't. I fall squarely on the LOVE IT side.
Jack Till, retired homicide cop, now P.I., is asked by a pair of distraught parents to find their daughter's killer. They laid a hundred thousand dollar check on him and said "Let us know when you need more."
Their daughter had been a high priced call girl and was shot twice, once in the back, then a finishing shot to the back of the head, with a 9mm. She was very beautiful with strawberry blonde hair and porcelain skin. Her apartment had been robbed and wiped especially clean.
As Till gets deeper into the case and consults with former co-workers, he learns that more than one girl fitting that description, and all in different cities around the country had been killed with the same M.O.
A serial killer? Something else?
Liked this one and the writing style kept me engaged as I flipped through the pages. I will be sure to check out more of Perry's work,
Jack Till, retired homicide cop, now P.I., is asked by a pair of distraught parents to find their daughter's killer. They laid a hundred thousand dollar check on him and said "Let us know when you need more."
Their daughter had been a high priced call girl and was shot twice, once in the back, then a finishing shot to the back of the head, with a 9mm. She was very beautiful with strawberry blonde hair and porcelain skin. Her apartment had been robbed and wiped especially clean.
As Till gets deeper into the case and consults with former co-workers, he learns that more than one girl fitting that description, and all in different cities around the country had been killed with the same M.O.
A serial killer? Something else?
Liked this one and the writing style kept me engaged as I flipped through the pages. I will be sure to check out more of Perry's work,
April 20, 2013
Thomas Perry has a very dry style of telling a story. I think it works better with his Jane Whitefield series than it does in this book. I was thinking about what was lacking in his writing and I think it is any semblance of humor. There are many crime writers who do not use humor in their writing , but I just finished one by Lawrence Block, also starring a hit man, and his observational, wry writing lifted his book to another level. Perry's writing lacks "juice", not just humor, but is otherwise better than average.
This is a pretty good read, and it moves along. Jack Till is a retired policeman/private detective who has a grown daughter with Downs Syndrome. He is hired by the parents of a murdered high class prostitute to help find more clues about their daughter's murder. This leads Jack on the trail of a man who is a cunning killer with a trail of murdered escorts behind him, all with strawberry blond hair. The ending is a bit abrupt, but all in all, not bad for this genre.
This is a pretty good read, and it moves along. Jack Till is a retired policeman/private detective who has a grown daughter with Downs Syndrome. He is hired by the parents of a murdered high class prostitute to help find more clues about their daughter's murder. This leads Jack on the trail of a man who is a cunning killer with a trail of murdered escorts behind him, all with strawberry blond hair. The ending is a bit abrupt, but all in all, not bad for this genre.
October 12, 2013
This story begins by looking into a murder by the victims family and expands across a trail of connected murders. As with most of Perry's work, this is well thought and well written. 8 of 10 stars
October 28, 2020
The Boyfriend is another enjoyable novel from Thomas Perry. This author has entertained many with his excellent Butcher’s Boy series, Jane Whitefield series, and some other standalone novels.
The Boyfriend is a half step below the Butcher’s Boy series inasmuch as some of the storyline and characters are just not believable. The Boyfriend is, in fact, a very skilled hitman who capitalizes on his boyish good looks and charm to seduce high dollar prostitutes, er... “escorts,” into providing him with a place to live while he secretly plans his “hit” in each new city. Women whom, I might suspect, would be unlikely to be swept away by a fella, regardless of his skill between the sheets. Ignoring that, there’s also a bit of a disappointment in the conclusion and inevitable confrontation between our protagonist, former detective and now PI, Jack Till and the Boyfriend.
Okay, all of these issues aside, Perry has nevertheless written a page turner and it is still a fun way to spend a few days. Every novel of the genre requires the reader to suspend disbelief for a while, to some degree or other. So I can forgive any number of minor issues and rate this at 3.5 stars, rounded up for Perry’s evident skill.
The Boyfriend is a half step below the Butcher’s Boy series inasmuch as some of the storyline and characters are just not believable. The Boyfriend is, in fact, a very skilled hitman who capitalizes on his boyish good looks and charm to seduce high dollar prostitutes, er... “escorts,” into providing him with a place to live while he secretly plans his “hit” in each new city. Women whom, I might suspect, would be unlikely to be swept away by a fella, regardless of his skill between the sheets. Ignoring that, there’s also a bit of a disappointment in the conclusion and inevitable confrontation between our protagonist, former detective and now PI, Jack Till and the Boyfriend.
Okay, all of these issues aside, Perry has nevertheless written a page turner and it is still a fun way to spend a few days. Every novel of the genre requires the reader to suspend disbelief for a while, to some degree or other. So I can forgive any number of minor issues and rate this at 3.5 stars, rounded up for Perry’s evident skill.
November 8, 2019
This is the second in a series featuring Jack Till, a private investigator. While the mystery of a man who attaches himself to a series of women who end up murdered was interesting, I wish the character of Till was featured more prominently.
January 6, 2024
Thomas Perry writes great series books. But he has written several stand alone that are just as good. The Boyfriend is scary and had me up all night to finish this fast paced thriller
Excellent 5 stars
Excellent 5 stars
April 25, 2013
The Boyfriend by Thomas Perry is a thriller and page-turner of the first order. It had me by the first chapter and held on to me like a pit bull to a bone. I enjoyed the excitement and all the adrenaline that goes with the book. It was difficult to put down and I read it in two sittings.
The story is about a hit man named Joey Moreland who has a thing for strawberry blond escorts. He ingratiates himself to them and gets them to make him their boyfriend. For several weeks he stays with them while they go about their usual work and when he's through with them he kills them with two bullets to the head. He goes around the country and follows this pattern in lots of cities. He's probably killed six or seven young women. Is this really all of Joey's M.O. or is there more to what he's doing. Jack Till, Private Investigator, thinks there is a lot more going on.
Jack is approached by the parents of one of Joey's victims and is hired to catch Moreland who is known as 'the boyfriend'. Jack is an ex-homicide detective with 23 years on the job. Interestingly, he has a daughter, Holly, with Down syndrome who he has raised as a single parent. When his wife found out that Holly was disabled she abandoned both Jack and the baby. Jack and Holly are very close.
Jack pursues Moreland all over the United States and begins to understand that there is a lot more to what he's doing than shacking up with strawberry blonds for weeks at a time. All the women he chooses look alike but that's only a small part of what Joey is doing. He is a hit man and uses the women as a cover-up for his true work.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel even though I knew the ending and could predict a lot of what was happening. It is entertaining, engrossing, and like a good dessert after a meal.
The story is about a hit man named Joey Moreland who has a thing for strawberry blond escorts. He ingratiates himself to them and gets them to make him their boyfriend. For several weeks he stays with them while they go about their usual work and when he's through with them he kills them with two bullets to the head. He goes around the country and follows this pattern in lots of cities. He's probably killed six or seven young women. Is this really all of Joey's M.O. or is there more to what he's doing. Jack Till, Private Investigator, thinks there is a lot more going on.
Jack is approached by the parents of one of Joey's victims and is hired to catch Moreland who is known as 'the boyfriend'. Jack is an ex-homicide detective with 23 years on the job. Interestingly, he has a daughter, Holly, with Down syndrome who he has raised as a single parent. When his wife found out that Holly was disabled she abandoned both Jack and the baby. Jack and Holly are very close.
Jack pursues Moreland all over the United States and begins to understand that there is a lot more to what he's doing than shacking up with strawberry blonds for weeks at a time. All the women he chooses look alike but that's only a small part of what Joey is doing. He is a hit man and uses the women as a cover-up for his true work.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel even though I knew the ending and could predict a lot of what was happening. It is entertaining, engrossing, and like a good dessert after a meal.
June 6, 2014
This crime thriller from Perry was our first to feature retired cop, PI Jack Till – the second of just two so far, but quite different from his popular Jane Whitefield series. Jack gets hired to find the killer of a young woman whose parents have given up on police efforts to solve the case. That the woman was a high-class call-girl, almost certainly murdered by one of her “John’s”, was hardly a unique idea for the plot; but what soon unfolded was a highly intricate mystery where the “escort” angle was only part of a much larger serial killing escapade.
We marveled at Jack’s intelligence and tenacity in unearthing information the cops never found – although of course he’s working non-stop on only this issue. Perry’s ability to create suspense through both the chase and the ongoing activities of the villain kept us turning pages rapidly – always a good sign. In the end, we were highly entertained and quite satisfied with the outcome; plenty of motivation to seek out Perry’s other story about Till, “Silence.”
We marveled at Jack’s intelligence and tenacity in unearthing information the cops never found – although of course he’s working non-stop on only this issue. Perry’s ability to create suspense through both the chase and the ongoing activities of the villain kept us turning pages rapidly – always a good sign. In the end, we were highly entertained and quite satisfied with the outcome; plenty of motivation to seek out Perry’s other story about Till, “Silence.”
September 22, 2019
This is one of the best stories I’ve read lately
The Protagonist is a sixty year old retired homicide cop who has a one man private investigator business.
The story is written from two points of view
The second point of view is the contract killer This part has a third person narrator The killer!s history and training as contact killer is fully fleshed out.
The investigator is retained by the parents of an upscale escort who has been killed in her home. Six months have passed and the cops have no leads and no real interest in pursuing the death of a prostitute
The give the investigator one hundred thousand dollars to try find the killer. He goes into full scale research mode He finds two or three other escorts who look similar and are wearing the same gold necklace and ankle bracelet. The murders happened all over the country
The motive is unusual I won’t spoil it Another feature I like is the absence of vulgarity and unnecessary sexual scenes and descriptions. The characters are believable and engaging
You won’t be disappointed
Herb
are all over the country
The Protagonist is a sixty year old retired homicide cop who has a one man private investigator business.
The story is written from two points of view
The second point of view is the contract killer This part has a third person narrator The killer!s history and training as contact killer is fully fleshed out.
The investigator is retained by the parents of an upscale escort who has been killed in her home. Six months have passed and the cops have no leads and no real interest in pursuing the death of a prostitute
The give the investigator one hundred thousand dollars to try find the killer. He goes into full scale research mode He finds two or three other escorts who look similar and are wearing the same gold necklace and ankle bracelet. The murders happened all over the country
The motive is unusual I won’t spoil it Another feature I like is the absence of vulgarity and unnecessary sexual scenes and descriptions. The characters are believable and engaging
You won’t be disappointed
Herb
are all over the country
August 17, 2023
Hold on readers for an awesome plot-stand alone Detective Till book #2, murder of look alike young women who were involved in up scale prostitution, a boyfriend who has a mission, twists and turns…A super read. Enjoy
January 16, 2025
lol I thought this was one mere recommended but I just realized now I read the wrong one (one she rec’d was Freida) haha It was a good read, I feel like it kinda not as good at the end but still good!! Changing pov’s were fun
February 27, 2017
Retired LAPD homicide detective Jack Till gave up his badge and opened his own private investigating firm. Most of his cases have been simple until he decided to take the case of a murdered high-priced prostitute. She was killed a month earlier but he police had been unable to find the murderer and her parents didn’t think they think it was important enough to keep looking. Till was reluctant to get involved but he decided the case interested him, partly because he has a daughter about the same age who has Down’s Syndrom and the parents paid him a considerable advance.
It didn’t take long for Till to discover the woman murder wasn’t an isolated case. There had been others in the same line of work across the country who had been killed in a similar manner. In addition, they all looked very similar in build and hair color. All the apartments had been thoroughly cleaned after the murders. No one else had picked up those threads. He realized the killer would likely strike again and Till set out to follow the thread, trying to find something the women had in common before there were more victims. He began looking at on-line pictures of escorts looking for those who shared the same attributes. Eventually he did find one major commonality. Since there were no signs of a forced entry or of any defensive wounds on the victims, he also had to figure out why the women were willing to let the killer into their lives. He began calling the killer “The boyfriend.”
He also tried to determine why the killer was in those cities at those particular times.
In addition, as he continued his search, he had to keep from being spotted by the killer.
Part of the story is told from the killer’s perspective. He explains how he went about finding his victims as well as his reason for killing them.
One of the most important skills of a detective was patience. “People didn’t understand patience. It was very close to humility. It was the capacity to admit to himself that he didn’t know enough to act yet. He was prepared to travel and wait and watch and listen, possibly for a long time, before he made a move.”
THE BOYFRIEND was a fast-paced, well-written thriller. The side story of Till and his daughter provide a different, positive look into the world of people with Down’s Syndrom. Thomas Perry includes a lot of description of people and places which brought the reader firmly into the story. It does not include gratuitous vulgar language or sex scenes. The plot has enough action that those add-ons are totally unnecessary.
It didn’t take long for Till to discover the woman murder wasn’t an isolated case. There had been others in the same line of work across the country who had been killed in a similar manner. In addition, they all looked very similar in build and hair color. All the apartments had been thoroughly cleaned after the murders. No one else had picked up those threads. He realized the killer would likely strike again and Till set out to follow the thread, trying to find something the women had in common before there were more victims. He began looking at on-line pictures of escorts looking for those who shared the same attributes. Eventually he did find one major commonality. Since there were no signs of a forced entry or of any defensive wounds on the victims, he also had to figure out why the women were willing to let the killer into their lives. He began calling the killer “The boyfriend.”
He also tried to determine why the killer was in those cities at those particular times.
In addition, as he continued his search, he had to keep from being spotted by the killer.
Part of the story is told from the killer’s perspective. He explains how he went about finding his victims as well as his reason for killing them.
One of the most important skills of a detective was patience. “People didn’t understand patience. It was very close to humility. It was the capacity to admit to himself that he didn’t know enough to act yet. He was prepared to travel and wait and watch and listen, possibly for a long time, before he made a move.”
THE BOYFRIEND was a fast-paced, well-written thriller. The side story of Till and his daughter provide a different, positive look into the world of people with Down’s Syndrom. Thomas Perry includes a lot of description of people and places which brought the reader firmly into the story. It does not include gratuitous vulgar language or sex scenes. The plot has enough action that those add-ons are totally unnecessary.
August 9, 2019
Solid Thomas Perry thriller. Book features Jack Till from Silence and he is a good character. But this book belongs to The Boyfriend, the antihero of the book. The ending was a bit abrupt but didn't ruin an otherwise interesting thriller.
March 9, 2017
My first Thomas Perry thriller and I really enjoyed it! I'm really liking Perry's Jack Till character. Definitely going to pick up the other books in the Jack Till series.
March 13, 2013
This is a first reads book I won here on Goodreads.
I’ve read most of Perry’s Jane Whitfield series books and enjoyed them.
The Boyfriend starts off well with the murder of a woman working as a high-class prostitute. This first chapter, however, could have been a little shorter and tighter because much of it is a lunch the victim has with two women friends at a fancy restaurant. Since we spend several pages with these three women, we expect to encounter the other two again but they never resurface.
I was drawn to the main character, Jack Till, within a few pages of his introduction. Perry gives us a good picture of his persona in the early chapters without beating us over the head with the information. Yet, I never felt as ‘close’ to Jack as I like to feel with a book’s main character. I like to feel like I am standing right next to him, seeing almost exactly what he sees. With Jack, I felt like I was observing from a foot or two away, taking in a slightly larger picture than he was seeing. This is not a slam at Perry, just a personal preference.
Late in the book, in a scene set in the antagonist’s point of view, in the middle of the scene Perry moves into his companion’s head. This should have been caught by an editor. Perry should have either kept the scene in the antagonist’s head, written it entirely from his companion’s viewpoint, or started a new scene when he made the jump. Some people don’t find this bothersome, but it always throws me out of the flow of the story.
From there to the end of this novel, every chapter in the antagonist’s point of view hops freely between his and his companion’s heads. And in one of those chapters, we get one short scene in the point of view of a character who has never appeared before and never appears again.
The climax also seemed rushed. In a book like this, the reader expects the hero to prevail, but given the skill the bad guy displays throughout this book, we also expect him to be challenged. After following Jack’s pursuit of the bad guy over two-hundred-some-odd pages, we deserve a confrontation that will test both men’s determination and skill, will push them to their limits and perhaps a touch beyond. Perry wraps The Boyfriend up in a scene that lasts barely 4 pages with action that barely fills one.
These short-comings at the end of what to that point had been an excellent story make me wonder if Perry was facing a looming deadline and rushed the ending to meet it. I feel Perry has cheated me by wrapping up this otherwise good novel in such a slap-dash fashion.
These things prevented me from giving The Boyfriend 5 stars.
One final small nit: In one chapter, Perry has his antagonist buy a Toyota Maxima. Being a ‘car guy,’ I know there is no such thing as a Toyota Maxima. If Perry didn’t catch this mistake, his line editor should have. And seeing this error makes me wonder if other things in the book are wrong. Do the guns his Jack and his foe use really exist? Are the hotels they stay in and the streets they travel real?
Even with these beefs, I enjoyed this novel enough that I hope Perry brings Jack Till back for more adventures.
I’ve read most of Perry’s Jane Whitfield series books and enjoyed them.
The Boyfriend starts off well with the murder of a woman working as a high-class prostitute. This first chapter, however, could have been a little shorter and tighter because much of it is a lunch the victim has with two women friends at a fancy restaurant. Since we spend several pages with these three women, we expect to encounter the other two again but they never resurface.
I was drawn to the main character, Jack Till, within a few pages of his introduction. Perry gives us a good picture of his persona in the early chapters without beating us over the head with the information. Yet, I never felt as ‘close’ to Jack as I like to feel with a book’s main character. I like to feel like I am standing right next to him, seeing almost exactly what he sees. With Jack, I felt like I was observing from a foot or two away, taking in a slightly larger picture than he was seeing. This is not a slam at Perry, just a personal preference.
Late in the book, in a scene set in the antagonist’s point of view, in the middle of the scene Perry moves into his companion’s head. This should have been caught by an editor. Perry should have either kept the scene in the antagonist’s head, written it entirely from his companion’s viewpoint, or started a new scene when he made the jump. Some people don’t find this bothersome, but it always throws me out of the flow of the story.
From there to the end of this novel, every chapter in the antagonist’s point of view hops freely between his and his companion’s heads. And in one of those chapters, we get one short scene in the point of view of a character who has never appeared before and never appears again.
The climax also seemed rushed. In a book like this, the reader expects the hero to prevail, but given the skill the bad guy displays throughout this book, we also expect him to be challenged. After following Jack’s pursuit of the bad guy over two-hundred-some-odd pages, we deserve a confrontation that will test both men’s determination and skill, will push them to their limits and perhaps a touch beyond. Perry wraps The Boyfriend up in a scene that lasts barely 4 pages with action that barely fills one.
These short-comings at the end of what to that point had been an excellent story make me wonder if Perry was facing a looming deadline and rushed the ending to meet it. I feel Perry has cheated me by wrapping up this otherwise good novel in such a slap-dash fashion.
These things prevented me from giving The Boyfriend 5 stars.
One final small nit: In one chapter, Perry has his antagonist buy a Toyota Maxima. Being a ‘car guy,’ I know there is no such thing as a Toyota Maxima. If Perry didn’t catch this mistake, his line editor should have. And seeing this error makes me wonder if other things in the book are wrong. Do the guns his Jack and his foe use really exist? Are the hotels they stay in and the streets they travel real?
Even with these beefs, I enjoyed this novel enough that I hope Perry brings Jack Till back for more adventures.
February 24, 2013
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The Boyfriend was my first Thomas Perry novel and I did end up enjoying it. I would consider this more a crime thriller than a mystery/thriller because the reader knows who the murderer is up front. Instead of a whodunit, this turns the novel into a cat and mouse game as the chapters alternate between Till and the murderer’s points of view. Will Jack be able to stop him before he kills again and why is it that he always looks for the same physical features?
Jack Till was interesting character with a fleshed out background, but we don’t really learn too much about what makes him tick. I did like his interactions with his daughter, but he spent so much of the book in different cities that we didn’t really see what his normal, everyday life is like. On the other hand, our murderer, The Boyfriend, is fully developed and we learn many things about his early life and why he does the things he does. It was a little strange to have the murderer become a more vivid character than the PI, but since I believe this is just the first in a new series, it does make sense. We will have multiple books to learn more about Jack, but the villains will probably be different in each book. There were quite a few supporting characters but the ones that stuck out to me the most were Jack’s daughter, Holly, and the first escort that Jack meets, Kyra.
The plot was fast-paced and thrilling, and I did like the little twist that was thrown in. The escort murders are just a small part of a much darker plot; The Boyfriend is just using them as cover for when he completes his actual missions. I enjoyed getting to be both in Jack and The Boyfriend’s heads. It gave the story a feeling of completeness that would have been hard to achieve from just Jack’s viewpoint. The only thing that I was less than satisfied with was the ending. It was very abrupt and didn’t feel climatic enough for such an involved chase.
All in all, The Boyfriend was an intriguing crime novel and one that I recommend to anyone looking for a thriller with an interesting lead and an intelligent villain. I would like to see more books featuring Jack Till and will definitely be checking out more of Thomas Perry’s older novels.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mysterious Press for providing an ARC copy of this book!
The Boyfriend was my first Thomas Perry novel and I did end up enjoying it. I would consider this more a crime thriller than a mystery/thriller because the reader knows who the murderer is up front. Instead of a whodunit, this turns the novel into a cat and mouse game as the chapters alternate between Till and the murderer’s points of view. Will Jack be able to stop him before he kills again and why is it that he always looks for the same physical features?
Jack Till was interesting character with a fleshed out background, but we don’t really learn too much about what makes him tick. I did like his interactions with his daughter, but he spent so much of the book in different cities that we didn’t really see what his normal, everyday life is like. On the other hand, our murderer, The Boyfriend, is fully developed and we learn many things about his early life and why he does the things he does. It was a little strange to have the murderer become a more vivid character than the PI, but since I believe this is just the first in a new series, it does make sense. We will have multiple books to learn more about Jack, but the villains will probably be different in each book. There were quite a few supporting characters but the ones that stuck out to me the most were Jack’s daughter, Holly, and the first escort that Jack meets, Kyra.
The plot was fast-paced and thrilling, and I did like the little twist that was thrown in. The escort murders are just a small part of a much darker plot; The Boyfriend is just using them as cover for when he completes his actual missions. I enjoyed getting to be both in Jack and The Boyfriend’s heads. It gave the story a feeling of completeness that would have been hard to achieve from just Jack’s viewpoint. The only thing that I was less than satisfied with was the ending. It was very abrupt and didn’t feel climatic enough for such an involved chase.
All in all, The Boyfriend was an intriguing crime novel and one that I recommend to anyone looking for a thriller with an interesting lead and an intelligent villain. I would like to see more books featuring Jack Till and will definitely be checking out more of Thomas Perry’s older novels.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mysterious Press for providing an ARC copy of this book!
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