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Butcher's Boy #3
The Informant
In Thomas Perry’s Edgar-winning debut The Butcher’s Boy , a professional killer betrayed by the Mafia leaves countless mobsters dead and then disappears. Justice Department official Elizabeth Waring is the only one who believes he ever existed. Many years later, the Butcher’s Boy finds his peaceful life threatened when a Mafia hit team finally catches up with him. He knows they won’t stop coming and decides to take the fight to their door.
Soon Waring, now high up in the Organized Crime Division of the Justice Department, receives a surprise latenight visit from the Butcher’s Boy. Knowing she keeps track of the Mafia, he asks her whom his attackers worked for, offering information that will help her crack an unsolved murder in return. So begins a new assault on organized crime and an uneasy alliance between opposite sides of the law. As the Butcher’s Boy works his way ever closer to his quarry in an effort to protect his new way of life, Waring is in a race against time, either to convince him to become a protected informant—or to take him out of commission for good.
Soon Waring, now high up in the Organized Crime Division of the Justice Department, receives a surprise latenight visit from the Butcher’s Boy. Knowing she keeps track of the Mafia, he asks her whom his attackers worked for, offering information that will help her crack an unsolved murder in return. So begins a new assault on organized crime and an uneasy alliance between opposite sides of the law. As the Butcher’s Boy works his way ever closer to his quarry in an effort to protect his new way of life, Waring is in a race against time, either to convince him to become a protected informant—or to take him out of commission for good.
325 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2011
536 people are currently reading
1297 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Perry
91 books1,682 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 392 reviews
January 18, 2013
Thomas Perry's character, the Butcher's Boy, is one of my favorite characters in crime fiction. Sadly, the series in which he is featured encompasses only three books published over a span of thirty years.
The character, who first appeared in The Butcher's Boy in 1982, was orphaned as a tender youth and apprenticed to Eddie, a butcher who also happened to be an elite killer. Eddie trained his young ward well in both professions and as a young man, the Butcher's Boy was already making his mark as a talented assassin, best known for the gang hits he carried out.
After writing a great novel that introduced the character, Perry left him to his own devices for ten years while he (Perry) wrote a number of other books, most notably his Jane Whitefield series, which is also excellent. The Butcher's Boy then returned in 1992 in Sleeping Dogs. By then he was in retirement in England, but the mobsters he alienated before leaving the U.S. are still hunting him. A visiting mobster recognizes him and the Butcher's Boy must come out of retirement to deal with the problem.
Twenty years after that, still attempting to live a quiet retired life in England, he is spotted again. The mobsters are still after him and have raised the stakes, leading teams of hit men searching him out. The Butcher's Boy is now married and living as Michael Schaeffer. He's also not as young as he used to be, but to save himself and his wife, he must return to the U.S. and eliminate this threat at the source.
To do so, he enlists the help of Elizabeth Waring, a powerful official in the Justice Department. For thirty years, most of the analysts in the department have assumed that the Butcher's Boy was a mythical character and that the kills attributed to him were actually the work of several men. Waring has argued from the beginning that the man actually exists, but no one will listen to her.
The Butcher's Boy recruits her help by offering her a quid pro quo that she cannot refuse. Waring, in turn, sees a chance to recruit him as an informant whose testimony could virtually destroy the mob single-handedly. But she has an idiot political appointee for a boss who frustrates her at every turn and will not give her the support she needs to get the job done.
The result is a very clever novel in which The Butcher's Boy takes on the mob chieftains who want him eliminated while Waring defies her boss and attempts to bring him in. There's a lot of great action leading to the proverbial shattering climax at the end of a most satisfying read. Those who have not yet made the acquaintance of the Butcher's Boy might well want to start with the first of the three books, but those who have read the first two will almost certainly agree that the twenty-year gap between the second and third books was well worth the wait.
The character, who first appeared in The Butcher's Boy in 1982, was orphaned as a tender youth and apprenticed to Eddie, a butcher who also happened to be an elite killer. Eddie trained his young ward well in both professions and as a young man, the Butcher's Boy was already making his mark as a talented assassin, best known for the gang hits he carried out.
After writing a great novel that introduced the character, Perry left him to his own devices for ten years while he (Perry) wrote a number of other books, most notably his Jane Whitefield series, which is also excellent. The Butcher's Boy then returned in 1992 in Sleeping Dogs. By then he was in retirement in England, but the mobsters he alienated before leaving the U.S. are still hunting him. A visiting mobster recognizes him and the Butcher's Boy must come out of retirement to deal with the problem.
Twenty years after that, still attempting to live a quiet retired life in England, he is spotted again. The mobsters are still after him and have raised the stakes, leading teams of hit men searching him out. The Butcher's Boy is now married and living as Michael Schaeffer. He's also not as young as he used to be, but to save himself and his wife, he must return to the U.S. and eliminate this threat at the source.
To do so, he enlists the help of Elizabeth Waring, a powerful official in the Justice Department. For thirty years, most of the analysts in the department have assumed that the Butcher's Boy was a mythical character and that the kills attributed to him were actually the work of several men. Waring has argued from the beginning that the man actually exists, but no one will listen to her.
The Butcher's Boy recruits her help by offering her a quid pro quo that she cannot refuse. Waring, in turn, sees a chance to recruit him as an informant whose testimony could virtually destroy the mob single-handedly. But she has an idiot political appointee for a boss who frustrates her at every turn and will not give her the support she needs to get the job done.
The result is a very clever novel in which The Butcher's Boy takes on the mob chieftains who want him eliminated while Waring defies her boss and attempts to bring him in. There's a lot of great action leading to the proverbial shattering climax at the end of a most satisfying read. Those who have not yet made the acquaintance of the Butcher's Boy might well want to start with the first of the three books, but those who have read the first two will almost certainly agree that the twenty-year gap between the second and third books was well worth the wait.
November 17, 2020
Review in progress...
Nov 2020 Review: Finishing up a reread of this trilogy. Another 10 years has passed & again, they've kicked the sleeping dog. While age is catching up, it's still a really bad move. Fantastic ending, too. What a super reread!
July 2017 Review:The Butcher's Boy is possibly my favorite character that Perry has created. In many ways, he reminds me of Richard Stark's Parker character (One of my favorites!) save that he's a hitman, not a thief. There is a similarity in they type of story, too. They're not cookie-cutter nor predictable, but there isn't a lot of wiggle room for the character. He does one thing exceedingly well & the stories are always thrilling within that range. Sadly, there are only a few books, this being the last. They definitely should be read in order.
If you like Parker, Matt Helm, James Bond, or anything like them, try reading The Butcher's Boy first. Then read Sleeping Dogs & this book. You're in for a real treat.
Nov 2020 Review: Finishing up a reread of this trilogy. Another 10 years has passed & again, they've kicked the sleeping dog. While age is catching up, it's still a really bad move. Fantastic ending, too. What a super reread!
July 2017 Review:The Butcher's Boy is possibly my favorite character that Perry has created. In many ways, he reminds me of Richard Stark's Parker character (One of my favorites!) save that he's a hitman, not a thief. There is a similarity in they type of story, too. They're not cookie-cutter nor predictable, but there isn't a lot of wiggle room for the character. He does one thing exceedingly well & the stories are always thrilling within that range. Sadly, there are only a few books, this being the last. They definitely should be read in order.
If you like Parker, Matt Helm, James Bond, or anything like them, try reading The Butcher's Boy first. Then read Sleeping Dogs & this book. You're in for a real treat.
January 14, 2017
This is a mesmerizing approach to the type of thriller which makes you identify and root for a hitman. It’s a return to the life of a freelance contract killer known as the Butcher’s Boy due to his origins in the trade under a childhood tutelage by a master killer whose front was working as a butcher. Most of his jobs were enforcement and retribution killings within the sphere of organized crime, i.e. people who deserved to die one way or another. Then came a day when he didn’t get paid and mobsters sought to rub him out, and he killed a lot of high placed mafia in response before disappearing. He has been living quietly under the name of Michael Shaeffer in Bath England with a loving wife for about 20 years. Then someone from the old days recognizes him and enemies from the past are on his trail. His only choice for a future is to go after the big fish who is pulling the strings on the search. It’s fun to see him operate with all his tradecraft and boldness to go up against mafia bosses. They soon band together in a widespread vendetta spurred by one with ambition to become the capo di tutti capo, so Shaeffer’s killing spree moves from city to city. It seems an endless, hopeless task to get them to leave him alone.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Waring, a Justice Department official in the organized crime division who was the only one to suss out the Butcher Boy’s role in the old line of murders of mafia chiefs, is the first to recognize that her quarry is back. Her boss, a political appointee, doesn’t believe her and tries to rein her in. Risking her job, she gets a jump on Schaeffer’s efforts by working with the FBI, which tends to have an adversarial relationship with her department. She lures him into communication with her with the hope that she can put a stop to the slaughter by offering him protection as a state’s witness against the major crime dons. The interplay and seeds of alliance between these old foes was fun to experience, especially in light of the risks both were taking. This was a satisfying read, though not quite as good as the original “Butcher’s Boy” (1982) and sequel “Sleeping Dogs” (1992). I also recommend his series featuring Jane Whitefield, a Seneca Indian who helps people “disappear”, of which I have enjoyed 5 of the 8 produced so far.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Waring, a Justice Department official in the organized crime division who was the only one to suss out the Butcher Boy’s role in the old line of murders of mafia chiefs, is the first to recognize that her quarry is back. Her boss, a political appointee, doesn’t believe her and tries to rein her in. Risking her job, she gets a jump on Schaeffer’s efforts by working with the FBI, which tends to have an adversarial relationship with her department. She lures him into communication with her with the hope that she can put a stop to the slaughter by offering him protection as a state’s witness against the major crime dons. The interplay and seeds of alliance between these old foes was fun to experience, especially in light of the risks both were taking. This was a satisfying read, though not quite as good as the original “Butcher’s Boy” (1982) and sequel “Sleeping Dogs” (1992). I also recommend his series featuring Jane Whitefield, a Seneca Indian who helps people “disappear”, of which I have enjoyed 5 of the 8 produced so far.
September 11, 2017
The last book in the Butcher's Boy trilogy, and my favorite. Drawn out of a laconic retirement in the last book by a chance encounter, the Butcher's Boy decides it's time to finish things one way or the other. He returns to America, reconnects with the Justice Department's Mafioso expert, Elizabeth Waring, to find out who's running things now. Then he goes off to kill some of the leaders, enough to force them to meet and discuss cooperating to eliminate their pest problem (i.e., him.) Perry does a nice job of weaving in backstory, such as learning the assassin trade and the unorthodox nature of his marriage to a British aristocrat. I especially liked the book's ending, which happened in a most unexpected way.
October 27, 2022
New to this series, will continue on, yes! Similar to the "Gray Man" series...good narration as well.
July 1, 2016
Perry set and published the same characters at ten year intervals and the reader can see development in both the Butcher's Boy and Elizabeth Waring. The hit man (BB) risks himself in this book to spare innocents, and the DoJ lawyer (EW) takes chances trying to make him an informant because she's fed up with politics.....both to their peril. Excellent trilogy with a satisfying conclusion.
September 3, 2018
As I started this last book in the series about a professional killer, I was regretting that it was the last. I really can’t understand why this series is so intriguing to a person who abhors the thought of person deliberately seeking out individuals to kill. It is the writing of course. As painstakingly the Butchers Boy plans his movements and makes use of his intelligence and his training, I am able to put aside that persons are being killed. Now that I have finished this book with it’s very appropriate ending, I feel, that I’ve read enough on this theme. I will enjoy Thomas Perry’s other books because he is a good writer.
April 12, 2016
This is a good series. It's another where I'm a little freaked out that I like it as it's (again) about a killer...a hit-man...a torpedo...in other words a murderer.
But in his defense he's been trying to settle down and simply be a happily married man, in England. But like the snake that ends up taking the hiker down, he can't seem to get them to leave him alone. And another underworld thug finds our hero and he has to go into "bud-nipping mode".
Is this the last novel? Will there be more? I don't know but if there are I plan to pick them up.
Recommended, enjoy.
But in his defense he's been trying to settle down and simply be a happily married man, in England. But like the snake that ends up taking the hiker down, he can't seem to get them to leave him alone. And another underworld thug finds our hero and he has to go into "bud-nipping mode".
Is this the last novel? Will there be more? I don't know but if there are I plan to pick them up.
Recommended, enjoy.
November 7, 2021
This was written in 2011 and unfortunately was the end of the series. Thomas Perry goes into tremendous detail and I wonder how he knows so much about being an assassin. Are you keeping something from us Mr.Perry? This was one of my favourite series. I'll miss Butcher's Boy.
May 7, 2011
Pathology or just business?
A hired killer comes out of retirement when his former mob employers hunt him down and try and kill him to cover up their crimes and avenge his. He sneaks into Justice Department Agent Waring’s house to speak with her in an attempt to get information as to wear he can find his old enemies. Warring though scared is excited and hopeful that the killer, Schaeffer, might be able to help her convict the mobsters she’s spent most of her life trying to track down and convict. Thus begins a twisted cat and mouse game between these two and their common prey. Perry always tells a great story with lots of excitement. I especially like his Jane Whitefield series but this protagonist is excellent too and Perry does a great job of juxtaposing Waring’s squeaky clean outlook to Schaeffer’s near sociopathic one. In fact this is one place I felt a little put off by the storyline. Though Schaeffer doesn’t have consistent sociopathic traits, he loves and wants to return home to his wife, he isn’t compelled by inner forces to kill just the logical need to finish what he started and protect himself, yet how could he spend so much of his past and current life killing if he wasn’t compelled by an illness? Wouldn’t guilt, remorse or plain old distaste make him stop? If you’re looking for a book with excitement and intrigue this one is worth your time.
This review was based on an egalley supplied by the publisher.
4.25/5
A hired killer comes out of retirement when his former mob employers hunt him down and try and kill him to cover up their crimes and avenge his. He sneaks into Justice Department Agent Waring’s house to speak with her in an attempt to get information as to wear he can find his old enemies. Warring though scared is excited and hopeful that the killer, Schaeffer, might be able to help her convict the mobsters she’s spent most of her life trying to track down and convict. Thus begins a twisted cat and mouse game between these two and their common prey. Perry always tells a great story with lots of excitement. I especially like his Jane Whitefield series but this protagonist is excellent too and Perry does a great job of juxtaposing Waring’s squeaky clean outlook to Schaeffer’s near sociopathic one. In fact this is one place I felt a little put off by the storyline. Though Schaeffer doesn’t have consistent sociopathic traits, he loves and wants to return home to his wife, he isn’t compelled by inner forces to kill just the logical need to finish what he started and protect himself, yet how could he spend so much of his past and current life killing if he wasn’t compelled by an illness? Wouldn’t guilt, remorse or plain old distaste make him stop? If you’re looking for a book with excitement and intrigue this one is worth your time.
This review was based on an egalley supplied by the publisher.
4.25/5
November 28, 2020
Wow, second reading just as thrilling as the first time around! Suspenseful and intriguing! The storyline stalled a bit: it’s a long narrative about a hit man being hunted by his former employer and, therefore, is compelled to hunt the hunters himself. The old mafia crime stories got a bit tedious but I was still captivated by this book. I couldn’t put it down! The climax is chilling and thrilling! The denouements, per this author’s style, is surprising and stunning! Totally spectacular ending!
February 9, 2018
Very satisfactory ending to the Butcher's Boy trilogy. Probably, my opinion anyway, the best of the three novels.
April 14, 2012
PROTAGONIST: The Butcher's Boy, hitman; Elizabeth Waring, Dept. of Justice
SERIES: #3 of 3
RATING: 4.0
Way back in 1982, one of my all-time favorite books, THE BUTCHER’S BOY by Thomas Perry, was published. I had never read a book featuring a hit man as the protagonist before and found it utterly fascinating. It took ten years for Perry to continue the tale, when SLEEPING DOGS was released. I didn’t think we’d ever see the Butcher’s Boy again—I was elated to find that nine years later, the third book in the series, THE INFORMANT, is being published.
The Butcher’s Boy, under the alias Michael Schaeffer, has been living in England for the last twenty years. He is happily married and has left his profession as a hit man behind him. He’s been very careful to keep a low profile. There are many mobsters who have him on their hit list based on the numerous killings he did in the past. Unfortunately, he is recognized at a local event; and there are attempts on his life. Reluctantly, he has to resume his former career again. If he’s ever going to live a halfway normal life, he has to take steps to eliminate those who are trying to eliminate him. It’s off to the United States where he goes on an all-out war against the Mob and their leaders.
In an effort to get a handle on exactly who authorized the hit, he turns up at the home of Elizabeth Waring. Waring is a high-ranking member of the Organized Crime Divison of the Justice Department. One of her very first cases was to find the Butcher’s Boy. Schaeffer respects her and offers her information if she will reveal who ordered the attack on him. Once she does so, he goes on a vendetta to kill the mobster. When he finds that the leaders of most of the Mob families have put out a contract on his life, he goes on a killing rampage, knowing full well that it is highly likely that he will not survive.
What I have found intriguing about all of the Butcher Boy books is how he prepares to conduct a hit. He is a meticulous planner, and I relish the creativity that he exhibits when he goes after a target. Even though he has gotten older and weaker physically, his mental acuity has not declined in the least. Suspense mounts every time that he goes out on a job. Against incredible odds, he prevails time and again; certainly, his luck can’t hold out for much longer. Should he consider Waring’s offer to become a protected informant and start a new life?
The one downside in this book for me was the pacing. Throughout the book, Schaeffer or Waring recounts the details of previous hits. These passages just lengthened the narrative and slowed down the action, as did Butcher Boy’s reminiscences of his mentor. It all seemed rather redundant. Fortunately, Perry did a great job of pulling everything together and creating a very satisfying resolution.
Although THE INFORMANT can be read on its own, the reading experience is much enhanced by having read the previous two books in the series. The relationship between Waring and the Butcher’s Boy develops in very interesting ways over the course of the three books. You’ll appreciate THE INFORMANT much more if you understand the past and how each of the characters has come to the place they are now.
SERIES: #3 of 3
RATING: 4.0
Way back in 1982, one of my all-time favorite books, THE BUTCHER’S BOY by Thomas Perry, was published. I had never read a book featuring a hit man as the protagonist before and found it utterly fascinating. It took ten years for Perry to continue the tale, when SLEEPING DOGS was released. I didn’t think we’d ever see the Butcher’s Boy again—I was elated to find that nine years later, the third book in the series, THE INFORMANT, is being published.
The Butcher’s Boy, under the alias Michael Schaeffer, has been living in England for the last twenty years. He is happily married and has left his profession as a hit man behind him. He’s been very careful to keep a low profile. There are many mobsters who have him on their hit list based on the numerous killings he did in the past. Unfortunately, he is recognized at a local event; and there are attempts on his life. Reluctantly, he has to resume his former career again. If he’s ever going to live a halfway normal life, he has to take steps to eliminate those who are trying to eliminate him. It’s off to the United States where he goes on an all-out war against the Mob and their leaders.
In an effort to get a handle on exactly who authorized the hit, he turns up at the home of Elizabeth Waring. Waring is a high-ranking member of the Organized Crime Divison of the Justice Department. One of her very first cases was to find the Butcher’s Boy. Schaeffer respects her and offers her information if she will reveal who ordered the attack on him. Once she does so, he goes on a vendetta to kill the mobster. When he finds that the leaders of most of the Mob families have put out a contract on his life, he goes on a killing rampage, knowing full well that it is highly likely that he will not survive.
What I have found intriguing about all of the Butcher Boy books is how he prepares to conduct a hit. He is a meticulous planner, and I relish the creativity that he exhibits when he goes after a target. Even though he has gotten older and weaker physically, his mental acuity has not declined in the least. Suspense mounts every time that he goes out on a job. Against incredible odds, he prevails time and again; certainly, his luck can’t hold out for much longer. Should he consider Waring’s offer to become a protected informant and start a new life?
The one downside in this book for me was the pacing. Throughout the book, Schaeffer or Waring recounts the details of previous hits. These passages just lengthened the narrative and slowed down the action, as did Butcher Boy’s reminiscences of his mentor. It all seemed rather redundant. Fortunately, Perry did a great job of pulling everything together and creating a very satisfying resolution.
Although THE INFORMANT can be read on its own, the reading experience is much enhanced by having read the previous two books in the series. The relationship between Waring and the Butcher’s Boy develops in very interesting ways over the course of the three books. You’ll appreciate THE INFORMANT much more if you understand the past and how each of the characters has come to the place they are now.
January 10, 2011
Advanced reader copy.
The Butcher’s Boy, retired assassin, wants nothing more than to be left alone. Having found a woman he loves, in a country removed from his former territory, he has no other aspirations than to leave things be. I understand that. He’s getting older, slower, and has everything he needs; until an up-and-coming Mafia chief thinks that by killing the Butcher’s Boy he can claim more power.
The adopted son of a hitman/butcher, the acolyte, now calling himself Schaeffer, embarks on a campaign to eliminate the mafia boss who has put out a major contract on him. It’s virtually the entire crime world against him for having set up and destroyed Belacontana, a major crime figure, mostly as a way to protect himself. Now everyone seeks to ingratiate himself with Frank Tosca, the new Belacontana wanna-be. Schaeffer needs to make searching for him too expensive. (Parker does something similar in The Outfit by Richard Stark, if less violently.)
I have read several of the Butcher’s Boy series. This, while the latest, could stand alone, although I recommend reading them in order for a better historical sense of the characters, particularly that of Elizabeth Waring, the Justice Department investigator who is beginning to have the best sense of just who the Butcher’s Boy is. Some of the scenes might strain credibility, e.g., his running up the hill (he’s fifty) to get away from the lodge. Then again, there’s something to be said for staying in shape. (Personally, my idea of staying in shape is conforming to the contours of my reading chair.) Waring wants to get Schaeffer in a corner where his only protection will be to turn informant against those who formerly hired him.
I’ve also read several of Perry’s Jane Whitefield series and the similarities are obvious: the lone, competent, anti-hero competing successfully against large odds. It’s an appealing scenario, especially with Perry’s love of the outdoors and use of natural resources in the denouement.
I must admit to having become quite a fan of Thomas Perry and am reading my way through all his titles. Not Crime and Punishment, but very enjoyable. The order of the Butcher series is Butcher’s Boy, Sleeping Dogs, and The Informant. Read them all.
The Butcher’s Boy, retired assassin, wants nothing more than to be left alone. Having found a woman he loves, in a country removed from his former territory, he has no other aspirations than to leave things be. I understand that. He’s getting older, slower, and has everything he needs; until an up-and-coming Mafia chief thinks that by killing the Butcher’s Boy he can claim more power.
The adopted son of a hitman/butcher, the acolyte, now calling himself Schaeffer, embarks on a campaign to eliminate the mafia boss who has put out a major contract on him. It’s virtually the entire crime world against him for having set up and destroyed Belacontana, a major crime figure, mostly as a way to protect himself. Now everyone seeks to ingratiate himself with Frank Tosca, the new Belacontana wanna-be. Schaeffer needs to make searching for him too expensive. (Parker does something similar in The Outfit by Richard Stark, if less violently.)
I have read several of the Butcher’s Boy series. This, while the latest, could stand alone, although I recommend reading them in order for a better historical sense of the characters, particularly that of Elizabeth Waring, the Justice Department investigator who is beginning to have the best sense of just who the Butcher’s Boy is. Some of the scenes might strain credibility, e.g., his running up the hill (he’s fifty) to get away from the lodge. Then again, there’s something to be said for staying in shape. (Personally, my idea of staying in shape is conforming to the contours of my reading chair.) Waring wants to get Schaeffer in a corner where his only protection will be to turn informant against those who formerly hired him.
I’ve also read several of Perry’s Jane Whitefield series and the similarities are obvious: the lone, competent, anti-hero competing successfully against large odds. It’s an appealing scenario, especially with Perry’s love of the outdoors and use of natural resources in the denouement.
I must admit to having become quite a fan of Thomas Perry and am reading my way through all his titles. Not Crime and Punishment, but very enjoyable. The order of the Butcher series is Butcher’s Boy, Sleeping Dogs, and The Informant. Read them all.
April 28, 2018
3.5 stars-- this book is a mixed bag for me. At times, I'm loving it and would readily rate it at four stars. But then, just when I least expect it, the story lags. It's as if the author wanted to pad things just ever so slightly, but against the backdrop of an otherwise cracking good story, it becomes annoyingly noticeable.
Once again we are treated to The Butcher’s Boy, a professional killer betrayed by the Mafia bosses that formerly employed him as a hit man. He was, and still is, the best. In retribution for their decision to kill him, the Butcher's Boy leaves countless mobsters dead and good old Justice Dept. analyst Elizabeth Waring, trying to convince her idiot of a boss to act in the info she culls that would result in arrests an possibly the capture of our killer protagonist.
Waring continues to be a character for whom I have little fondness. She's better in this book than the first of the series, but that's faint praise. The down time when the Butcher's Boy is in between killing his enemies seems to sag and often loses the story's momentum.
Oh, and I've a particular bone to pick about the author's description of a pine forest near Phoenix. Perry sets this scene with great detail, using the pine trees and density of the foliage for strategic purposes. Unfortunately, in reality, the closest such forest to Phoenix is about two hours away by car, and as an Arizonan, this seemingly obvious error stood out like a sore thumb. That Perry failed to do better research in a book with such attention to detail everywhere else seemed like a lazy bit of oversight.
All else aside, this is still a very enjoyable book. I just couldn't wholeheartedly give it a full four stars. Still, I'd recommend it to Perry's fans and anyone who enjoys the genre.
Once again we are treated to The Butcher’s Boy, a professional killer betrayed by the Mafia bosses that formerly employed him as a hit man. He was, and still is, the best. In retribution for their decision to kill him, the Butcher's Boy leaves countless mobsters dead and good old Justice Dept. analyst Elizabeth Waring, trying to convince her idiot of a boss to act in the info she culls that would result in arrests an possibly the capture of our killer protagonist.
Waring continues to be a character for whom I have little fondness. She's better in this book than the first of the series, but that's faint praise. The down time when the Butcher's Boy is in between killing his enemies seems to sag and often loses the story's momentum.
Oh, and I've a particular bone to pick about the author's description of a pine forest near Phoenix. Perry sets this scene with great detail, using the pine trees and density of the foliage for strategic purposes. Unfortunately, in reality, the closest such forest to Phoenix is about two hours away by car, and as an Arizonan, this seemingly obvious error stood out like a sore thumb. That Perry failed to do better research in a book with such attention to detail everywhere else seemed like a lazy bit of oversight.
All else aside, this is still a very enjoyable book. I just couldn't wholeheartedly give it a full four stars. Still, I'd recommend it to Perry's fans and anyone who enjoys the genre.
July 27, 2011
I am just crazy about Thomas Perry and his books. He does not waste words, he just gets on with the meat of the story. You will never hear him tell that "the airy floral and lace curtain softly fluttered from the delicate evening breeze passing through the slightly opened bay window". Nope, there will be none of that. This book is a follow up of one of his earlier award winning books, The Butcher's Boy. How Perry can make a hit man on a revenge killing spree seem even slightly likeable and to have the reader kind of rooting for him is a credit to Perry's skill as a writer. I suppose it doesn't hurt that most of those being killed are really bad guys themselves. Then you have to admit the Butcher's Boy is really good at killing people. I enjoyed reading of the conflict between Hunsacker, the Assistant DA, and Elizabeth Waring, from the Justice Department, a woman who had been on the Butcher's Boys trail years ago, before he retired from the killer for hire business and virtually disappeared for about 20 years. So what if the events in the story are highly improbable and the ending is really unbeliveable, I liked it - a lot!
August 28, 2018
I have read quite a number of books by Thomas Perry including The Butcher's Boy and several of the Jane Whitfield series as well as some standalone novels. He regularly delivers clever plots, nearly believable characters ("nearly" because they seem to have skills, senses and luck that are quite far into the extreme.
The Butcher's Boy is such a character but he is much more. He has a certain charm that is not often found in characters who are primarily knowable through their thoughts and to a lesser extent through their actions and to almost no extent through their relationships with others. He also has just a touch of loyalty and, as it turned out, if he had had a shred more, the would likely have been the late butcher's boy. THE NEXT SENTENCE IS A SPOILER BUT FEEL FREE TO SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH TO AVOID IT. Perhaps that is his not quite yet fatal flaw but it was, I suspect, designed to make him more likeable to readers.
Over the three book series, of which I have oddly managed to skip the middle book, but plan to read later, he has had an arm's length relationship with an investigator working for the Department of Justice. They have never met until this book but have inferred the other's presence as a result of bits and pieces picked up here and there. Just your typical girl tracks boy over two decades situation. The ongoing development of this relationship is, perhaps, the most compelling element of the story.
The Butcher's Boy has worked for the mafia throughout his career but as they say, all good things must come to an end. Now they are simultaneously after each other. Since he's a long term contract killer and they are primarily pimps, thugs, extortionists and tax cheats, they just don't have the requisite skills to win this contest so they are forced to outsource. Intrigue ensues.
Even being a little slow at times, the book maintained my interest quite nicely and further ensconced Perry into my list of reliably good authors. The finale was somewhat predictable but portrayed in such a manner that it was still very satisfying. This is probably the last of the series but, I for one would love to see another.
The Butcher's Boy is such a character but he is much more. He has a certain charm that is not often found in characters who are primarily knowable through their thoughts and to a lesser extent through their actions and to almost no extent through their relationships with others. He also has just a touch of loyalty and, as it turned out, if he had had a shred more, the would likely have been the late butcher's boy. THE NEXT SENTENCE IS A SPOILER BUT FEEL FREE TO SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH TO AVOID IT. Perhaps that is his not quite yet fatal flaw but it was, I suspect, designed to make him more likeable to readers.
Over the three book series, of which I have oddly managed to skip the middle book, but plan to read later, he has had an arm's length relationship with an investigator working for the Department of Justice. They have never met until this book but have inferred the other's presence as a result of bits and pieces picked up here and there. Just your typical girl tracks boy over two decades situation. The ongoing development of this relationship is, perhaps, the most compelling element of the story.
The Butcher's Boy has worked for the mafia throughout his career but as they say, all good things must come to an end. Now they are simultaneously after each other. Since he's a long term contract killer and they are primarily pimps, thugs, extortionists and tax cheats, they just don't have the requisite skills to win this contest so they are forced to outsource. Intrigue ensues.
Even being a little slow at times, the book maintained my interest quite nicely and further ensconced Perry into my list of reliably good authors. The finale was somewhat predictable but portrayed in such a manner that it was still very satisfying. This is probably the last of the series but, I for one would love to see another.
September 25, 2022
Travel, shop, reflect on advancing age, kill, repeat.
Meanwhile, a DOJ bureaucrat deals with her incompetent boss. Somehow, this formula remains entertaining.
Meanwhile, a DOJ bureaucrat deals with her incompetent boss. Somehow, this formula remains entertaining.
January 16, 2023
My Rating: 4 Old Toyota Camrys
Another good book in Thomas Perry's Butcher Boy Series.
Great narration of the audiobook.
Another good book in Thomas Perry's Butcher Boy Series.
Great narration of the audiobook.
October 18, 2016
In retrospect, we wish Thomas Perry had billed this three-book “Butcher’s Boy” set as a trilogy. We would have then expected the unresolved ending of book one, “Butcher’s Boy”, and the even more abrupt ending of book two, “Sleeping Dogs.” That the books span a publishing period of 30 years is also odd, but at least the characters similarly age throughout their fictional time. {Thankfully we read the set over just a three-month window...}
Justice Department desk analyst Elizabeth Waring mostly labors in obscurity in a job that involves examining unusual deaths for patterns while tracking well-known principals in Mafia-run operations all over the country. In the first book, she begins to suspect that an assassin is at work, and begins to track the guy we come to know as the Butcher’s Boy, so-named as son of a part-time butcher, part-time assassin. The Boy learns his craft extremely well and cleverly not only kills for hire but also dispatches virtually any and every foe who tries to cheat him.
After spending roughly ten years abroad, he is recognized, and thus must slay those that came after him and those who hired them. He finally meets Waring and exchanges some minor information he requires for some detailed facts about past mob boss crimes. Waring thinks he would be an excellent confidential informant, but that’s an awkward stance when of course she knows he’s a cold-blooded killer himself.
Finally, in this concluding novel, “Informant”, after the passing of another quiet ten years or so, a now higher-up official Waring continues to try to convince the Boy to be a protected witness, but to no avail. He is on another rampage to extinguish a bunch of men who put out a contract on him, as he and Waring meet several times and even occasionally pose as a couple to extricate from dicey situations. Many more killings proceed a kidnapping attempt on Waring and her two children – and naturally enough our “hero” (of sorts) will try to save the day. Will he then do Waring’s bidding? Will he finally pay the ultimate price for his lifestyle? Or will he ride off into the sunset?!
We could argue that the Boy is one of the most ruthless villains we’ve ever found ourselves almost rooting for, shades of Sandford’s great villainous character Clara Rinker. That the Boy concentrates on offing bad guys might be the saving grace.
Lastly, we were happy with the final outcome – but it did not necessarily take three books to get there. One could almost read this last epistle stand-alone, as Perry provides a fair degree of back story. Or one could read just books 1 and 3 or books 2 and 3. All three get a little long, but as a whole, as long as one can stomach all the killing, provide a lot of thrilling entertainment .
Justice Department desk analyst Elizabeth Waring mostly labors in obscurity in a job that involves examining unusual deaths for patterns while tracking well-known principals in Mafia-run operations all over the country. In the first book, she begins to suspect that an assassin is at work, and begins to track the guy we come to know as the Butcher’s Boy, so-named as son of a part-time butcher, part-time assassin. The Boy learns his craft extremely well and cleverly not only kills for hire but also dispatches virtually any and every foe who tries to cheat him.
After spending roughly ten years abroad, he is recognized, and thus must slay those that came after him and those who hired them. He finally meets Waring and exchanges some minor information he requires for some detailed facts about past mob boss crimes. Waring thinks he would be an excellent confidential informant, but that’s an awkward stance when of course she knows he’s a cold-blooded killer himself.
Finally, in this concluding novel, “Informant”, after the passing of another quiet ten years or so, a now higher-up official Waring continues to try to convince the Boy to be a protected witness, but to no avail. He is on another rampage to extinguish a bunch of men who put out a contract on him, as he and Waring meet several times and even occasionally pose as a couple to extricate from dicey situations. Many more killings proceed a kidnapping attempt on Waring and her two children – and naturally enough our “hero” (of sorts) will try to save the day. Will he then do Waring’s bidding? Will he finally pay the ultimate price for his lifestyle? Or will he ride off into the sunset?!
We could argue that the Boy is one of the most ruthless villains we’ve ever found ourselves almost rooting for, shades of Sandford’s great villainous character Clara Rinker. That the Boy concentrates on offing bad guys might be the saving grace.
Lastly, we were happy with the final outcome – but it did not necessarily take three books to get there. One could almost read this last epistle stand-alone, as Perry provides a fair degree of back story. Or one could read just books 1 and 3 or books 2 and 3. All three get a little long, but as a whole, as long as one can stomach all the killing, provide a lot of thrilling entertainment .
February 17, 2021
Has it's moments and when he is in action things move swiftly. The Waring side is a little more robust but still drags as I've said before. An enjoyable quick read.
February 17, 2016
This is a good series. It's another where I'm a little freaked out that I like it as it's (again) about a killer...a hit-man...a torpedo...in other words a murderer.
But in his defense he's been trying to settle down and simply be a happily married man, in England. But like the snake that ends up taking the hiker down, he can't seem to get them to leave him alone. And another underworld thug finds our hero and he has to go into "bud-nipping mode".
Is this the last novel? Will there be more? I don't know but it there are I plan to pick them up.
Recommended, enjoy.
But in his defense he's been trying to settle down and simply be a happily married man, in England. But like the snake that ends up taking the hiker down, he can't seem to get them to leave him alone. And another underworld thug finds our hero and he has to go into "bud-nipping mode".
Is this the last novel? Will there be more? I don't know but it there are I plan to pick them up.
Recommended, enjoy.
March 19, 2017
Great series! I only wish there were more. True, the hitman hero is one of those magical creatures who always gets his man and escapes, but the books are cleverly written and engrossing.
My favorite is Sleeping Dogs, in which dozens of mafiosi end up dead because of a single misunderstanding, which is then compounded ad infinitum. I know, it sounds grizzly, but it is oddly hilarious. Enjoy!
My favorite is Sleeping Dogs, in which dozens of mafiosi end up dead because of a single misunderstanding, which is then compounded ad infinitum. I know, it sounds grizzly, but it is oddly hilarious. Enjoy!
February 7, 2013
Exciting adventure involving the mafia, a hit man and the Justice department. Great pace. 10 of 10 stars
September 7, 2023
Rating: 4 stars
This is the third of four books in the Butcher's Boy series. I read the first two books during 2022. It isn't necessary to read the previous books to understand the plot or to enjoy the story. The book contains a great deal of violence and death. Remember, this is a series about an assassin and the Mafia. I especially appreciate the MC's practicality and chameleon-like ability to blend in and hide.
The Butcher’s Boy, a professional killer betrayed by the Mafia leaves countless mobsters dead and then disappears. Justice Department official Elizabeth Waring is the only one who believes he ever existed. Many years later, the Butcher’s Boy finds his peaceful life threatened when a Mafia hit team finally catches up with him. He knows they won’t stop coming and decides to take the fight to their door.
Soon Waring, now high up in the Organized Crime Division of the Justice Department, receives a surprise late night visit from the Butcher’s Boy. Knowing she keeps track of the Mafia, he asks her whom his attackers worked for, offering information that will help her crack an unsolved murder in return. So begins a new assault on organized crime and an uneasy alliance between opposite sides of the law. As the Butcher’s Boy works his way ever closer to his quarry in an effort to protect his new way of life, Waring is in a race against time, either to convince him to become a protected informant—or to take him out of commission for good.
This is the third of four books in the Butcher's Boy series. I read the first two books during 2022. It isn't necessary to read the previous books to understand the plot or to enjoy the story. The book contains a great deal of violence and death. Remember, this is a series about an assassin and the Mafia. I especially appreciate the MC's practicality and chameleon-like ability to blend in and hide.
The Butcher’s Boy, a professional killer betrayed by the Mafia leaves countless mobsters dead and then disappears. Justice Department official Elizabeth Waring is the only one who believes he ever existed. Many years later, the Butcher’s Boy finds his peaceful life threatened when a Mafia hit team finally catches up with him. He knows they won’t stop coming and decides to take the fight to their door.
Soon Waring, now high up in the Organized Crime Division of the Justice Department, receives a surprise late night visit from the Butcher’s Boy. Knowing she keeps track of the Mafia, he asks her whom his attackers worked for, offering information that will help her crack an unsolved murder in return. So begins a new assault on organized crime and an uneasy alliance between opposite sides of the law. As the Butcher’s Boy works his way ever closer to his quarry in an effort to protect his new way of life, Waring is in a race against time, either to convince him to become a protected informant—or to take him out of commission for good.
April 3, 2018
"Not his name. He's been retired for about twenty years, but he used to be a high-end hit man. People knew of him as the Butcher's Boy. He was involved in the confusion in the Carlo Balacontano murder case. In the years since then, the old man has always wanted him dead." "How can you tell it's him?" "That Arizona retreat that Frank Tosca called last week was to get the families to help him find this man. He thought Carl Bala would reward him from prison by making him boss of the family. The killer found Tosca first." "If he got Tosca, why would he come here and do this to the Castigliones?" "I think that the other bosses didn't like it that he killed Tosca, so they're hunting him. He seems to be making his death as costly for them as possible. It's hard to know exactly what a man like him feels—what portions of his mental life haven't been permanently turned off, or what he wasn't born with. He seems to feel that once they'd agreed to come after him, they were all fair game."
November 19, 2021
The third installment of Perry's The Butcher's Boy trilogy is a repetitive, by-the-numbers action thriller without any real surprises. It's one action scene after another. The death toll is absurd, like a John Wick movie but without the delightful weirdness. I was hoping for more, but was disappointed. A subpar book for Perry.
Laconic hitman Michael Schaeffer isn't stupid, but sometimes he's incapable of sound logic. For instance, U.S. mobsters recognize him in exile in England and try to kill him. If you were Schaeffer and had just neutralized the mobsters, what would you do next? I asked my husband. He paused to think a moment, and then said, "I'd probably just move to another British town." Exactly. Instead, Schaeffer flies to the U.S. intent on killing every mobster in the mob hierarchy, forgetting that that's pretty much what he did in his previous outing from a decade earlier. This book is Sleeping Dogs Redux.
At the end of 2020, Perry brought retired hitman Michael Schaeffer and DOJ bureaucrat Elizabeth Waring back for a fourth book called Eddie's Boy, but I'll pass. I'm done with this series. Diminishing returns.
Laconic hitman Michael Schaeffer isn't stupid, but sometimes he's incapable of sound logic. For instance, U.S. mobsters recognize him in exile in England and try to kill him. If you were Schaeffer and had just neutralized the mobsters, what would you do next? I asked my husband. He paused to think a moment, and then said, "I'd probably just move to another British town." Exactly. Instead, Schaeffer flies to the U.S. intent on killing every mobster in the mob hierarchy, forgetting that that's pretty much what he did in his previous outing from a decade earlier. This book is Sleeping Dogs Redux.
At the end of 2020, Perry brought retired hitman Michael Schaeffer and DOJ bureaucrat Elizabeth Waring back for a fourth book called Eddie's Boy, but I'll pass. I'm done with this series. Diminishing returns.
November 18, 2023
Another very solid entry in the Butcher's Boy saga, but the weakest thus far. Don't get me wrong, the Boy's war stories, as well as the glimpses of his youth, are fantastic. But the plot and action are a little samey when compared to the first two (but I have read all three in quick succession). A lot of fun for fans of the series, but not essential.
September 11, 2024
"A human being was a small, pink, weak creature that trained itself from its first discovery of death to keep changing the subject."
Book 3 of the Butcher Boy Series and my favorite so far! If you're a fan of Thomas Perry's work you know how this goes, the Butcher Boy is back to settle some scores with those who want him dead with a little unexpected help from Elizabeth Waring of the Justice Dept., and the action never stops.
Book 3 of the Butcher Boy Series and my favorite so far! If you're a fan of Thomas Perry's work you know how this goes, the Butcher Boy is back to settle some scores with those who want him dead with a little unexpected help from Elizabeth Waring of the Justice Dept., and the action never stops.
September 23, 2020
Thomas Perry writes a book that gets you engrossed, involved and keeps you at the edge of your seat. I have read all of Perry's books, but somehow missed the Butcher Boy series. So I started them and i was not disappointed. The book is vivid and you will root for our protagonist - is the butcher boy a bad guy or a good guy? You will decide, but either way, this was a great follow up to Sleeping Dogs.
5 stars - RECOMMEND.
5 stars - RECOMMEND.
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