Goodreads Blurb
An unfathomable loss or an unthinkable crime? Number one New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag keeps you guessing in her most harrowing thriller yet.
A panic-stricken woman runs in the dead of night, battered and bloodied, desperate to find help. . . .
When Detective Nick Fourcade enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier outside the sleepy town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, the bloody crime scene that awaits him is both the most brutal and the most confusing he’s ever seen. Genevieve’s seven-year-old son, P.J., has been murdered by an alleged intruder, yet Genevieve is alive and well, a witness inexplicably left behind to tell the tale. There is no evidence of forced entry, not a clue that points to a motive. Meanwhile, Nick’s wife, Detective Annie Broussard, sits in the emergency room with the grieving Genevieve. A mother herself, Annie understands the emotional devastation this woman is going through, but as a detective she’s troubled by a story that makes little sense. Who would murder a child and leave the only witness behind?
When the very next day P.J.’s sometimes babysitter, thirteen-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing, the town is up in arms, fearing a maniac is preying on their children. With pressure mounting from a tough, no-nonsense new sheriff, the media, and the parents of Bayou Breaux, Nick and Annie dig deep into the dual mysteries. But sifting through Genevieve Gauthier’s tangled web of lovers and sorting through a cast of local lowlifes brings more questions than answers. Is someone from Genevieve’s past or present responsible for the death of her son? Is the missing teenager, Nora, a victim, or something worse? Then fingerprints at the scene change everything when they come back to a convicted criminal: Genevieve herself.
The spotlight falls heavily on the grieving mother who is both victim and accused. Could she have killed her own child to free herself of the burden of motherhood, or is the loss of her beloved boy pushing her to the edge of insanity? Could she have something to do with the disappearance of Nora Florette, or is the troubled teenager the key to the murder? How far will Nick and Annie have to go to uncover the dark truth of the boy?
My Review
Wow! My first read from this author and it will certainly not be the last. What a fantastic read. I could tell that this wasn’t a debut novel, the writing was expertly paced, the characters were well developed and interacted with each other smoothly. The plot was developed well; started off introducing the characters without giving too much information and becoming a dump, and progressed by adding just the right amount of intrigue and pace so as to not make me loose interest of be over whelmed. I thought that the secondary plot was nicely intertwined and pretty interesting, this was to do with the Sheriff but I won’t say anymore so that I don’t give it away. Admittedly, I got frustrated with Nick quite a bit. I did enjoy his character at times, but then sometimes he came on too strong and I found him to be overbearing. When the killer was revealed… Whhhaaaaaattttt?! I didn’t see that coming. I thought it was becoming ‘obvious’ and had picked that obvious person, but was then pretty surprised to learn it was someone I hadn’t even contemplated. Bravo, a plot twist that makes you do a double take is worthy of one whole star for sure.
After reading that, I’ll most definitely be reading more from this author in the very near future.
I rated The Boy: 5/5 stars
Happy reading,
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