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Jack McMorrow Mystery #8
Home Body
When Maine reporter Jack McMorrow comes to the aid of a terrified teenage runaway, he becomes entangled in one family's dark and dangerous secrets in a case complicated by the murder of the boy's mother. By the author of Pretty Dead. Reprint.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 6, 2020
Veteran newspaperman Jack McMorrow is now working as an editor at a small Maine newspaper. The job doesn't pay much, but Jack is there for the health insurance. His long-time girlfriend, Roxanne, is pregnant with their first child and, obviously, they need the coverage. But while Jack awaits the birth of his own child, he becomes entangled in the problems of a young street kid named Rocky.
As the book opens, Jack rescues Rocky from a beating. Rocky is a small kid, totally defenseless, and thus a natural target for bullies. Some other street kids are kicking the daylights out of him when Jack chases them away and saves Rocky. Rocky obviously has no business being out on the street, but he won't tell Jack where his home is. Jack attempts to take the kid to the emergency room, but Rocky bolts and runs away.
Later that night, Rocky shows up at Jack's house which is out in the middle of nowhere. It's snowing; it's brutally cold; Rocky is not dressed for the elements, and he's obviously in trouble. Jack is home alone that night and so brings Rocky into the house, feeds him, gives him a change of clothes and tells him to sleep on the couch.
The next morning, Rocky runs off again and when a couple of sheriff's deputies arrive to investigate the situation, they strongly suggest that Jack is some sort of pedophile who invited Rocky into his home so that he could molest him. Jack insists that he did no such thing and that he was only trying to save the kid, first from a beating and then from freezing to death. The deputies aren't sure whether to believe him or not and then the poor kid's clearly abusive stepfather shows up, repeating the charges and threatening to kick the crap out of Jack.
At this point, almost anyone else would step aside and let the authorities handle the matter. But Jack is genuinely concerned about Rocky and fears that no one else really cares about him. It's clear by now, at least to Jack, that there's some very scary reason why Rocky is so afraid to go home to his mother and stepfather, and Jack is determined to discover what that might be. In the course of doing so, he may place his own life, and the future of his yet-unborn child on the line.
This is a very absorbing mystery that demonstrates what can sometimes be the costs of acting with good intentions. Jack McMorrow is clearly a decent guy, and that decency again gets him into deep trouble here as it has in earlier books. Another very good entry in a great regional mystery series.
As the book opens, Jack rescues Rocky from a beating. Rocky is a small kid, totally defenseless, and thus a natural target for bullies. Some other street kids are kicking the daylights out of him when Jack chases them away and saves Rocky. Rocky obviously has no business being out on the street, but he won't tell Jack where his home is. Jack attempts to take the kid to the emergency room, but Rocky bolts and runs away.
Later that night, Rocky shows up at Jack's house which is out in the middle of nowhere. It's snowing; it's brutally cold; Rocky is not dressed for the elements, and he's obviously in trouble. Jack is home alone that night and so brings Rocky into the house, feeds him, gives him a change of clothes and tells him to sleep on the couch.
The next morning, Rocky runs off again and when a couple of sheriff's deputies arrive to investigate the situation, they strongly suggest that Jack is some sort of pedophile who invited Rocky into his home so that he could molest him. Jack insists that he did no such thing and that he was only trying to save the kid, first from a beating and then from freezing to death. The deputies aren't sure whether to believe him or not and then the poor kid's clearly abusive stepfather shows up, repeating the charges and threatening to kick the crap out of Jack.
At this point, almost anyone else would step aside and let the authorities handle the matter. But Jack is genuinely concerned about Rocky and fears that no one else really cares about him. It's clear by now, at least to Jack, that there's some very scary reason why Rocky is so afraid to go home to his mother and stepfather, and Jack is determined to discover what that might be. In the course of doing so, he may place his own life, and the future of his yet-unborn child on the line.
This is a very absorbing mystery that demonstrates what can sometimes be the costs of acting with good intentions. Jack McMorrow is clearly a decent guy, and that decency again gets him into deep trouble here as it has in earlier books. Another very good entry in a great regional mystery series.
May 15, 2010
This author's books are difficult to find here, so I picked up this mid-series book at a used book store. This may have received a higher rating had I started at the beginning of the series. The book features reporter Jack McMorrow, a former reporter with the New York Times who is now living in Maine and working for a much smaller paper. Both the story and the characters were perfectly fine. There was only two things that really bugged me. One was the condescending attitude Jack had toward his co-workers. It annoyed me, and I kept thinking, "If New York was that great, GO BACK THERE!" This could also be me projecting anger at a co-worker with a similar infatuation with L.A. The second annoyance is the fact that Jack kept pursuing homeless teenage Rocky, no matter the escalating trouble he both caused and encountered as a result. Small wonder several people suspected him of being a pedophile. If I encounter another book by Boyle I will be giving it a try if it is from one of his other series. This one didn't wow me.
September 5, 2007
HOME BODY (Amateur Sleuth/Reporter) – VG
Gerry Boyle – 8th in series
Berkeley Prime Crimes, 2004 – Hardcover
When reporter Jack McMorrow rescues Rocky, a young runaway boy, from been beaten by a gang of street kids, he has no idea it will lead to rescuing the boy many times, being suspected of being a pedophile, becoming involved in the secrets of the boy’s family and both Jack and his wife Roxanne having their lives at risk.
*** Boyle does a wonderful job with setting, providing a real picture of the cities and towns of Maine yet the solitude, which exists immediately outside them, and the cold of winter. You also feel Jack’s reluctance to become involved with Rocky yet his inability to walk away. There is a strong element of pathos to this story, but it’s still suspenseful and a page-turner.
Gerry Boyle – 8th in series
Berkeley Prime Crimes, 2004 – Hardcover
When reporter Jack McMorrow rescues Rocky, a young runaway boy, from been beaten by a gang of street kids, he has no idea it will lead to rescuing the boy many times, being suspected of being a pedophile, becoming involved in the secrets of the boy’s family and both Jack and his wife Roxanne having their lives at risk.
*** Boyle does a wonderful job with setting, providing a real picture of the cities and towns of Maine yet the solitude, which exists immediately outside them, and the cold of winter. You also feel Jack’s reluctance to become involved with Rocky yet his inability to walk away. There is a strong element of pathos to this story, but it’s still suspenseful and a page-turner.
February 17, 2013
It was fun to read a gritty mystery set in my neck of the woods. The pace was great; I think I read this entire book in a day and a half. I was suffering from exhaustion and getting a cold at the time, and Home Body made an excellent escape while I did some recuperating.
The ending was a little disappointing, though. The last chase scene felt like one too many chase scenes, and it seemed like the plot pushed so far that all the air went out of it before it was over. As the body count rose, the book felt less and less real. But I think the first 7/8 of the book were worth a bit of a let-down at the end.
The ending was a little disappointing, though. The last chase scene felt like one too many chase scenes, and it seemed like the plot pushed so far that all the air went out of it before it was over. As the body count rose, the book felt less and less real. But I think the first 7/8 of the book were worth a bit of a let-down at the end.
May 27, 2019
I liked it.
November 6, 2019
How many bad things can happen to Jack McMorrow? I think if I were his girl friend or neighbor I'd stay as far away from him as possible. Trouble seems to keep happening to him and those he loves. I did enjoy the Bangor setting and wonder how Jack can keep a regular job while he investigate stuff.. I can't wait until the series gets to cell phones, it will make his life a little easier! Looking forward to continuing the series.
December 17, 2020
Very, very good book!
October 31, 2023
Home Body is a real nail biter. Kept me on the edge of my seat!
September 30, 2025
One of the best series in my library, Jack is a fantastic character.
December 2, 2022
I think my favorite character in this series in Clare (sorry for the spelling; I listen to audiobooks). He’s there when Jack needs him. Semper fi!!!
Another good story but heartbreaking. And I don’t care for the narrator but I’ve come to accept him. Not to worry, the next two books aren’t available as audios. 🙁
Another good story but heartbreaking. And I don’t care for the narrator but I’ve come to accept him. Not to worry, the next two books aren’t available as audios. 🙁
March 11, 2012
Another good Gerry Boyle book. I only have one more to go in the Jack McMarrow series and I am curious as to how he wraps this all up. This one was kind of sad because it involved abused kids and one teen actually getting murdered.
January 13, 2014
This one went on tooooooo long and the ending left me cold. Maybe I'm just getting tired of the series but I didn't like this one as well as some of the others. Jack gets caught up in the life of a run away boy and then things get really messy.
March 6, 2015
This book was so far away from reality. A small teenage boy evades the police and other authorities and makes them look completely incompetent. But Jack can find him and does over and over only to loose him over and over again, while being investigated for abusing the boy.
December 30, 2015
Another intriguing Jack McMorrow mystery.
The usual taut dialogue and relentless Jack pacing.
Sad story, again of abuse and lying and horror.
Good read!
The usual taut dialogue and relentless Jack pacing.
Sad story, again of abuse and lying and horror.
Good read!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews