The Boyfriend

By: Thomas Perry

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

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.

©2013 Thomas Perry (P)2013 Tantor

FANTASTIC from start to finish!

Where does The Boyfriend rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the most suspenseful books I've ever listened to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the characters.

Which character – as performed by Robertson Dean – was your favorite?

Robertson Dean's performance was SUPERB!

I enjoyed this

Thomas Perry is a must listen for me. This one is a bit unusual; a view into the mind of a killer,not creepy but so practical, and the mind of a private detective. There are many logistical details some might find boring, that I found fascinating. The reader was excellent.

Better than expected!

I have read Thomas Perry before, and have long thought of him as an average writer. Someone I do enjoy reading, but not someone I get overly excited about. I did, however, really enjoy this book. I'm sure that the subject matter went quite a way towards my enjoyment, but the writing was also quite good. I felt that the premise was unique and creative enough to really intrigue me, and that is a great start!

The characters were very well developed and I found myself caring for them and becoming interested in their outcome. The protagonist is the typical super cop/Boy Scout that a lot of authors default to, but I did enjoy his character as well.

The narrator was not my favorite, but he did not detract excessively from the book. I thought he got a little too cliche with some of his voicings, and a bit lazy at times, but I would listen to him again as I have heard much worse.

Overall a great read!

Murder Without Remorse

There is a man who grew up having committed his first murder at 15. He continues to murder because it's easy, enjoyable and pays well. I believe he could defined a sociopath of the worst kind.

John goes on like this for years. The police do not investigate thoroughly because they do not see any connection or pattern to the murders. However, there are two parents who want to know who killed their daughter. They realize only after their daughter is killed that she had been lying to them about her job since she graduated from college. She's not ashamed but knows that others will not think highly of her profession. She's an independent call girl, drives a Mercedes, wears expensive clothing and is extremely good looking.

John Till, a retired detective is now a Private Investigator. He has a partner, who has to step in from time to time and bring John back to the resting state. They will meet and review their evidence and plan the next step. John Till is hired and begins a long and arduous job to find a murderer.

The characters are not difficult to define. Their personalities are provided as the story develops. The mystery is a good one. I read it in a couple of days. The narrator made listening a good experience. I was able to envision the crimes as well as the challenges that the PI's were facing in order to capture a man who possessed no value on life.

Not bad

What did you like best about The Boyfriend? What did you like least?

The wasn't all bad but it did drag on a bit. I lost interest after a while

Would you be willing to try another book from Thomas Perry? Why or why not?

Definitely.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

There wasn't a lot of difference or variety in the presentation

Typical Thomas Perry

A typical Thomas Perry novel, similar in plot and form to Pursuit (which is slightly superior) and featuring Jack Till, the detective from Silence. The writing is solid without being showy or demanding, the characters hold one's attention, and the plot is suspenseful but not twisty. This is fine, but I rate it a notch below Perry's best books (such as Strip).

Worth a listen

The story is engaging and held my interest. The ending is rather abrupt. My problem with the performance is when the reader tries to change is voice for other characters especially female ones. I don't know why they think that is necessary. Sometimes it sounds plain silly. However, it was only a minor distraction in this book.

Take An Idea. Do it, then rethink it… Interesting

The Boyfriend is derivative of Thomas Perry.

I ask artists this question, "How much of a final work is created in the process as opposed to whatever concept you brought to the project at the start". Their average answer, "A whole bunch. The inmates take over the asylum early on."

Ever played the game, "Imagine how history would have changed if…. (fill in the tiny change… like someone jostled John Wilkes Booth shooting hand). Imagine the options… the paths… And that's what happens to an artist during process… Forking pathways are discovered and one is chosen over the other.

And yet… What if the author-artist could go back to that pathway to make the other choice? The Boyfriend exists in a universe that's parallel to other Perry stories. In it he takes one of his most complex bad-guy's essence and bends his presence to a totally different world.

Perry is such a talented story teller, and Roberstson Dean a gripping audio artist, that even though you think you've been this way before… you'll notice that both the scenery and destination become way, way different.

Perry's one of the best.

Not bad

It is an interesting story but I was not a fan of the narrator. It would be interesting to listen to the book with someone who would put more energy on the narrative.

Good detective story

What made the experience of listening to The Boyfriend the most enjoyable?

Till was so likeable

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes it kept surprising the listener

Which character – as performed by Robertson Dean – was your favorite?

Till

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it kept you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what was going to happen next