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Broussard and Fourcade #2
The Boy
An unfathomable loss or an unthinkable crime?ÌýNumber oneÌý
New York Times
Ìýbestselling author Tami Hoag keeps you guessing in her most harrowing thriller yet.
Ìý
A panic-stricken woman runs in the dead of night, battered and bloodied, desperate to find help. . . .Ìý
Ìý
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?
Ìý
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.ÌýWith 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.
Ìý
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?Ìý 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?
Ìý
A panic-stricken woman runs in the dead of night, battered and bloodied, desperate to find help. . . .Ìý
Ìý
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?
Ìý
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.ÌýWith 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.
Ìý
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?Ìý 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?
493 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2018
4,325 people are currently reading
12k people want to read
About the author
Tami Hoag
118Ìýbooks5,946ÌýfollowersTami Hoag is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillersâ€�BITTER SEASON, COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller.
She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting.
Visit her at , and on Twitter @TamiHoag
She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting.
Visit her at , and on Twitter @TamiHoag
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,739 reviews
February 16, 2019
The Boy by Tami Hoag is a 2018 Dutton publication.
Wow! This is one of Hoag’s best and I’ve read many of her books over the years!!
When a young single mother is the victim of a late night home invasion which leaves her hospitalized, and her young son dead, Broussard and Fourcade must tiptoe through the murky waters of law enforcement politics and worrisome circumstantial evidence to find the truth.
The hot and steamy Louisiana humidity is almost palpable as the restless tension between the married detectives, Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade, ebbs and flows. But it is nothing like the tension between Nick and his new boss, who is keeping Nick on a tight leash, threatening to cut him loose at any moment.
However, it is this puzzling case that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. The murder of a child sets the emotional tone right from the start. The child’s mother, Genevieve Gauthier, seems to have a sordid past, and has made a few questionable parenting decisions, including the selection of an unreliable teenage girl to babysit her son.
Seeking answers from the babysitter, the detectives become concerned when the girl hasn’t been seen in a few days. The investigation is also stymied by a lot of political wrangling and jockeying for position within the law enforcement arena. This combination of events kept me riveted to the pages, watching in horror as events spiraled completely out of control.
I love this detective team. Annie is more even tempered, but she’s also more emotional. However, her powers of observation are amazing. Nick, on the other hand, with his French vernacular and Cajun slang has a bit of a temper and he has a very hard time keeping it under control.
Although the couple is experiencing some tension in their relationship, they are a sexy couple, and I enjoy watching them interact. They also make a good detective team, even though they often clash and have a vastly different approach to their jobs.
There is another storyline in the book which is very heart wrenching, making this not only a great crime thriller, but also a very thought- provoking piece of fiction. The shades of gray, and the high pitch emotions had my heart up in my throat.
I’ve been a fan of this author for many years. Hoag writes very solid, atmospheric stories and really knows how to ramp up the suspense. She outdid herself with this one, I must say. I’d been waiting to read this one for a long time as the publication date kept getting pushed back and my review schedule prevented me from getting to it as quickly as I’d hoped. However, the wait was well worth it.
If you like tense, atmospheric thrillers, with complex characters and personalities, and mysteries that will keep you guessing to the bitter end, this one is for you. Plus, despite being ‘Team Annie� for most of this story, that audacious, but very principled, Frenchman- Nick Fourcade, really grows on you.
Wow! This is one of Hoag’s best and I’ve read many of her books over the years!!
When a young single mother is the victim of a late night home invasion which leaves her hospitalized, and her young son dead, Broussard and Fourcade must tiptoe through the murky waters of law enforcement politics and worrisome circumstantial evidence to find the truth.
The hot and steamy Louisiana humidity is almost palpable as the restless tension between the married detectives, Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade, ebbs and flows. But it is nothing like the tension between Nick and his new boss, who is keeping Nick on a tight leash, threatening to cut him loose at any moment.
However, it is this puzzling case that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. The murder of a child sets the emotional tone right from the start. The child’s mother, Genevieve Gauthier, seems to have a sordid past, and has made a few questionable parenting decisions, including the selection of an unreliable teenage girl to babysit her son.
Seeking answers from the babysitter, the detectives become concerned when the girl hasn’t been seen in a few days. The investigation is also stymied by a lot of political wrangling and jockeying for position within the law enforcement arena. This combination of events kept me riveted to the pages, watching in horror as events spiraled completely out of control.
I love this detective team. Annie is more even tempered, but she’s also more emotional. However, her powers of observation are amazing. Nick, on the other hand, with his French vernacular and Cajun slang has a bit of a temper and he has a very hard time keeping it under control.
Although the couple is experiencing some tension in their relationship, they are a sexy couple, and I enjoy watching them interact. They also make a good detective team, even though they often clash and have a vastly different approach to their jobs.
There is another storyline in the book which is very heart wrenching, making this not only a great crime thriller, but also a very thought- provoking piece of fiction. The shades of gray, and the high pitch emotions had my heart up in my throat.
I’ve been a fan of this author for many years. Hoag writes very solid, atmospheric stories and really knows how to ramp up the suspense. She outdid herself with this one, I must say. I’d been waiting to read this one for a long time as the publication date kept getting pushed back and my review schedule prevented me from getting to it as quickly as I’d hoped. However, the wait was well worth it.
If you like tense, atmospheric thrillers, with complex characters and personalities, and mysteries that will keep you guessing to the bitter end, this one is for you. Plus, despite being ‘Team Annie� for most of this story, that audacious, but very principled, Frenchman- Nick Fourcade, really grows on you.
February 28, 2019
3.5 stars
A panic-stricken woman runs in the dead of night, battered and bloodied, desperate to find help. . .
The Boy is the second book in the Brousssard and Fourcade series but worked very well as a stand-alone novel for me. Nick Fourcade and his wife, Annie Broussard are both detectives working in the Cajun town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana. One night, Nick is called to a bloody crime scene which left a seven-year-old boy dead and his mother hospitalized. There is nothing at the crime scene which points to a forced entry, nothing has been taken and Genevieve Gauthier, the battered and bloody mother describes their attacker as looking like "the devil." What happened in their home that night? How did the Mother survive? What was the reason for the attack?
Complicating matters further, the murdered boy's thirteen-year-old babysitter has been reported missing. Now, with two cases to solve, the husband and wife team must decide if these cases are related or if something else is going on. The boy's mother, Genevieve has a dark past. Her past and current relationships fall under scrutiny. The search for the truth is underway even as Nick and the new sheriff, Kelvin Dutrow, have many conflicts about how to solve the case. Dutrow is concerned with his image and how he is viewed by the public and that takes a priority to solving this case.
Most readers are going to come up with their theories while reading this book. Just who is the killer? Is it the Mother? Is it a stranger? Could it be a neighbor? Someone from the Mother's past? You get the picture. What I enjoyed is that there could be multiple killers and as more is revealed, the readers theories may change. Toward the end of the book, I had my *aha* it must be this person moment but was still left wondering why??? What was the motive?
The plot is intricate and has themes of bullying, infidelity, abuse, and power. The book is also full of unlikable characters. Some of the themes may be difficult for some and at the heart of this southern mystery is the murder of a child. His life and death are surrounded by secrets. An enjoyable book which did have its slow parts and at times I found myself rolling my eyes at the amount of times, Nick had conflict with another character.
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
A panic-stricken woman runs in the dead of night, battered and bloodied, desperate to find help. . .
The Boy is the second book in the Brousssard and Fourcade series but worked very well as a stand-alone novel for me. Nick Fourcade and his wife, Annie Broussard are both detectives working in the Cajun town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana. One night, Nick is called to a bloody crime scene which left a seven-year-old boy dead and his mother hospitalized. There is nothing at the crime scene which points to a forced entry, nothing has been taken and Genevieve Gauthier, the battered and bloody mother describes their attacker as looking like "the devil." What happened in their home that night? How did the Mother survive? What was the reason for the attack?
Complicating matters further, the murdered boy's thirteen-year-old babysitter has been reported missing. Now, with two cases to solve, the husband and wife team must decide if these cases are related or if something else is going on. The boy's mother, Genevieve has a dark past. Her past and current relationships fall under scrutiny. The search for the truth is underway even as Nick and the new sheriff, Kelvin Dutrow, have many conflicts about how to solve the case. Dutrow is concerned with his image and how he is viewed by the public and that takes a priority to solving this case.
Most readers are going to come up with their theories while reading this book. Just who is the killer? Is it the Mother? Is it a stranger? Could it be a neighbor? Someone from the Mother's past? You get the picture. What I enjoyed is that there could be multiple killers and as more is revealed, the readers theories may change. Toward the end of the book, I had my *aha* it must be this person moment but was still left wondering why??? What was the motive?
The plot is intricate and has themes of bullying, infidelity, abuse, and power. The book is also full of unlikable characters. Some of the themes may be difficult for some and at the heart of this southern mystery is the murder of a child. His life and death are surrounded by secrets. An enjoyable book which did have its slow parts and at times I found myself rolling my eyes at the amount of times, Nick had conflict with another character.
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 2, 2019
It's been a long while since I have read a Tami Hoag thriller, and this one is as good as the ones I remember. Set in Louisiana's swampy bayou country, the volatile Detective Sergeant Nick Fourcade is a man with a temper he can barely control, married to Detective Annie Broussard, a woman who has never come to terms with her traumatic family history, both based at the Partout Parish Sheriff's Office. They get a call in the middle of the night that no law enforcement officer wants, a young 7 year old boy, KJ, has been stabbed multiple times at home, the dead boy's mother, 24 year old Genevieve Gauthier, has been seriously attacked too, and in a bloody state ran to seek help from neighbours. The stage is set for a complex and twisted case, made harder to bear as Nick and Annie have a 5 year old son, Justin, and could not imagine how they could ever cope if anything happened to him.
The distraught Genevieve describes the killer as a demon, but her troubled past and sexual history, have the detectives viewing her both as a victim and potential suspect, whilst appreciating how her impoverished background and the challenges of being a single mother on her own placed considerable pressures on her. There are portrayals of families and children growing up in chaotic, neglected, and abused households, such as the babysitter, 13 year old Nora Florette and the shunned, confused and bullied Cameron, a recent newcomer to the area with his mother, Sharon Spicer. As children go missing and die, the pressure on the detectives grow with an intense media scrutiny that doesn't help. The new boss at the Sheriff's office projects a carefully constructed tough guy image through traditional and social media, making him popular in the community. Kelvin Dutrow is a hands on, controlling man, markedly different from the old boss, Gus, and he struggles to handle Nick with his fiery temperament and determination to do things his way. Nick cares only to solve the case, and has no fears of the fact that he might be fired.
This is a intense and well plotted atmospheric novel, dark and disturbing, portraying the complex nature of abuse and how victims will go to considerable lengths to deny their predicament and protect the abuser. The interior lives of the children, such as Cameron, make for an unsettling and heartbreaking reading experience. The characters of Nick and Annie are well constructed and developed, especially that of Annie, who finds the strains of the case particularly difficult with its echoes of her own personal history. This is a brilliant and gripping read, with a richly described location that serves as a character in its own right. Recommended to those who love well written crime thrillers. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
The distraught Genevieve describes the killer as a demon, but her troubled past and sexual history, have the detectives viewing her both as a victim and potential suspect, whilst appreciating how her impoverished background and the challenges of being a single mother on her own placed considerable pressures on her. There are portrayals of families and children growing up in chaotic, neglected, and abused households, such as the babysitter, 13 year old Nora Florette and the shunned, confused and bullied Cameron, a recent newcomer to the area with his mother, Sharon Spicer. As children go missing and die, the pressure on the detectives grow with an intense media scrutiny that doesn't help. The new boss at the Sheriff's office projects a carefully constructed tough guy image through traditional and social media, making him popular in the community. Kelvin Dutrow is a hands on, controlling man, markedly different from the old boss, Gus, and he struggles to handle Nick with his fiery temperament and determination to do things his way. Nick cares only to solve the case, and has no fears of the fact that he might be fired.
This is a intense and well plotted atmospheric novel, dark and disturbing, portraying the complex nature of abuse and how victims will go to considerable lengths to deny their predicament and protect the abuser. The interior lives of the children, such as Cameron, make for an unsettling and heartbreaking reading experience. The characters of Nick and Annie are well constructed and developed, especially that of Annie, who finds the strains of the case particularly difficult with its echoes of her own personal history. This is a brilliant and gripping read, with a richly described location that serves as a character in its own right. Recommended to those who love well written crime thrillers. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
April 3, 2019
I loved this book. It was so good. Tami Hoag is a hit or miss with me and this one was a big hit. It was a very unpredictable read. So many different suspects and never guessed the killer.
Review soon!
August 28, 2021
This is my first book, loaned to me by one of my daughters, a diehard fan of this author. Let's see what made this mystery such an appealing read for me:
1. strong three-dimensional characters! Whether likable or not, I could see right into their souls;
2. the plot moved along at an acceptable pace, building to a high-intensity climax with a satisfying ending;
3. whether taking place at a crime scene, a Grade 2 classroom or a dysfunctional family's home, I felt that I was right in the middle of all the descriptive settings; and,
4. dialogue between colleagues, juveniles or potential suspects was incredibly realistic!
Although I figured out who the suspect was within 13% of the story (Can you believe it?!?), I was still intrigued as to the motive and how the other characters fit into the overall story.
A few minor glitches with the storyline that left me somewhat confused lost a star for me, but otherwise an exciting murder mystery!
1. strong three-dimensional characters! Whether likable or not, I could see right into their souls;
2. the plot moved along at an acceptable pace, building to a high-intensity climax with a satisfying ending;
3. whether taking place at a crime scene, a Grade 2 classroom or a dysfunctional family's home, I felt that I was right in the middle of all the descriptive settings; and,
4. dialogue between colleagues, juveniles or potential suspects was incredibly realistic!
Although I figured out who the suspect was within 13% of the story (Can you believe it?!?), I was still intrigued as to the motive and how the other characters fit into the overall story.
A few minor glitches with the storyline that left me somewhat confused lost a star for me, but otherwise an exciting murder mystery!
January 23, 2019
" If one of the people in this night's story had turned left instead of right at some point in time, their paths might never have crossed, and KJ and Genevieve Gauthier would be home, asleep, and in safe beds."
Ain't that the almighty truth? When we are at the receiving end of someone else's decisions or we find ourselves in the headlights of an on-coming disaster in the making. It's not always going to play out right.
Tami Hoag has dipped back into her literary vault and resurrected two outstanding characters from the past. Detectives Nick Fourcade and his wife, Annie Broussard, are on the force in Partout Parish in the French Triangle of south Louisiana. Hoag sweetens the dialogue with bits of Cajun French and rounds out the atmosphere with deep descriptors of the swamp and the heat. Please note: The crimes within may be brutal to some, but sadly reflect the inhumanity that exists out there. But Hoag's characters of Nick and Annie reflect the tireless efforts made 24/7 to solve such heinous crimes. The Boy hits home for this couple whose hearts are intermixed in the investigating process. The image of their own five year old son, Justin, flashes constantly before them.
Hoag sets the staccato tempo right from the get-go. Genevieve and her young son, KJ, have been attacked in their home during the night. Genevieve, seriously injured, pounds on doors for help. But it's too late for KJ. Nick Fourcade promises the mother that everything in his power will be done to find out who did this......and we certainly believe him.
It's here that Hoag adds more intertwining threads to her storyline. We have a new sheriff in town, literally, with a bad attitude and a snarling dislike for Nick. There's also the peeling away of the layers of Genevieve's former life in a different parish. Could drugs and alcohol make her forget what happened that night? Then there's the Florette family lined with obnoxious teenagers with bad attitudes and no alibis. Hoag splays out the possibilities like a poker hand on the table.
To my shock, I have never read Tami Hoag before. The stellar writing grabbed me from page one. There are no heavy lulls in this one. It hits the road running from chapter to chapter. Hoag holds nothing back in the evil that visits one's soul, but she counteracts it with compassion for the misunderstood who never got off to a good footing from the early years on. And she, painfully, reminds us of how society continues to look the other way until it's too late. Humanity that falls between the cracks.
I've already ordered A Thin Dark Line which is the first in this series. Sure hope that Hoag has plans for book #3. Tami Hoag can't write fast enough for me now.
Ain't that the almighty truth? When we are at the receiving end of someone else's decisions or we find ourselves in the headlights of an on-coming disaster in the making. It's not always going to play out right.
Tami Hoag has dipped back into her literary vault and resurrected two outstanding characters from the past. Detectives Nick Fourcade and his wife, Annie Broussard, are on the force in Partout Parish in the French Triangle of south Louisiana. Hoag sweetens the dialogue with bits of Cajun French and rounds out the atmosphere with deep descriptors of the swamp and the heat. Please note: The crimes within may be brutal to some, but sadly reflect the inhumanity that exists out there. But Hoag's characters of Nick and Annie reflect the tireless efforts made 24/7 to solve such heinous crimes. The Boy hits home for this couple whose hearts are intermixed in the investigating process. The image of their own five year old son, Justin, flashes constantly before them.
Hoag sets the staccato tempo right from the get-go. Genevieve and her young son, KJ, have been attacked in their home during the night. Genevieve, seriously injured, pounds on doors for help. But it's too late for KJ. Nick Fourcade promises the mother that everything in his power will be done to find out who did this......and we certainly believe him.
It's here that Hoag adds more intertwining threads to her storyline. We have a new sheriff in town, literally, with a bad attitude and a snarling dislike for Nick. There's also the peeling away of the layers of Genevieve's former life in a different parish. Could drugs and alcohol make her forget what happened that night? Then there's the Florette family lined with obnoxious teenagers with bad attitudes and no alibis. Hoag splays out the possibilities like a poker hand on the table.
To my shock, I have never read Tami Hoag before. The stellar writing grabbed me from page one. There are no heavy lulls in this one. It hits the road running from chapter to chapter. Hoag holds nothing back in the evil that visits one's soul, but she counteracts it with compassion for the misunderstood who never got off to a good footing from the early years on. And she, painfully, reminds us of how society continues to look the other way until it's too late. Humanity that falls between the cracks.
I've already ordered A Thin Dark Line which is the first in this series. Sure hope that Hoag has plans for book #3. Tami Hoag can't write fast enough for me now.
May 21, 2019
Awesome read!!! Back to the bayou with Nick fourcade and toniette! I love when authors revisit great characters from past books,we first met Nick and toniette in A Thin Dark Line. In this new book husband and wife are called in the middle of the night to a murder of a little boy and his mother who was seriously hurt and fighting for her life in the hospital. This was a tale full of many secrets and as many suspects too! Hoag is a excellent storyteller and knows how to keep you guessing til the very end. So many twist's and turns keeping you hooked and on the edge of your seat action. Her characters are flawed and all too human . Nick and Toniette make a great team. I have always loved stories that take place in the Louisiana bayou country from the unique wording to the setting and it's people.So much history!!! 💖💋
March 13, 2021
Wow, this is one surprising good crime mystery. I love the chemistry between the two main characters husband and wife detective of Cajun country. The audio was superb with accent and French cajun swearing by the husband. LOVED IT!
The main plot is gloomy and some might say full of depressing lives but the way it's written it was so hard to put down. It was not graphic nor gory. The setting was beautiful, and the story was suspenseful.
After waiting since 2017 for this book (I don't even know why since I didn't read the first one) it was excellent and well worth the wait.
The main plot is gloomy and some might say full of depressing lives but the way it's written it was so hard to put down. It was not graphic nor gory. The setting was beautiful, and the story was suspenseful.
After waiting since 2017 for this book (I don't even know why since I didn't read the first one) it was excellent and well worth the wait.
January 4, 2019
A seven-year-old boy is brutally murdered, while his mother escapes injured and bloodied. As disturbing and puzzling facts come to light it’s up to Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard sort them out, find the killer and bring him to justice. Solving the case is made more difficult by the new sheriff of Partout Parish who loves to make a show for the press all the while butting in and trying to control investigative procedure.
I first met Nick in Annie in A Thin Dark Line published back in 1997. Not exactly sure when I read it, because it was before Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, but Annie was a new cop to the Partout Parish who became embroiled in a sick and twisted murder. There’s an immediate spark between Annie and Nick; their romance felt dangerous and passionate, and at the time ill-advised, but it was thrilling! I was so excited to find they had a new story coming, now married for six years with a five-year-old son. Neither are perfect, but they’re perfect for each other, and I loved their dynamic, whether working together or trying to get by as a married couple while dealing with a high-profile case. There’s electricity in the air every time they’re together!
Oh, there are so many twisted and tangled webs to unravel! One of the things I love about Tami’s mysteries is that she can make you feel for her characters, see things from their side, even when their actions are questionable or even when they’re downright wrong. There are so many disturbing facets here that are, unfortunately, common in real life.
The Boy was a gift to Ms. Hoag’s long-time fans! I loved getting back to Annie and Nick, but even if you haven’t read the first book, it’s a mystery that’ll keep you glued to the pages! It’s a story that’ll have you thinking about it long after you’ve read the final page! I hope we get more Annie and Nick in the future!
A copy was kindly provided by Dutton via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I first met Nick in Annie in A Thin Dark Line published back in 1997. Not exactly sure when I read it, because it was before Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, but Annie was a new cop to the Partout Parish who became embroiled in a sick and twisted murder. There’s an immediate spark between Annie and Nick; their romance felt dangerous and passionate, and at the time ill-advised, but it was thrilling! I was so excited to find they had a new story coming, now married for six years with a five-year-old son. Neither are perfect, but they’re perfect for each other, and I loved their dynamic, whether working together or trying to get by as a married couple while dealing with a high-profile case. There’s electricity in the air every time they’re together!
Oh, there are so many twisted and tangled webs to unravel! One of the things I love about Tami’s mysteries is that she can make you feel for her characters, see things from their side, even when their actions are questionable or even when they’re downright wrong. There are so many disturbing facets here that are, unfortunately, common in real life.
The Boy was a gift to Ms. Hoag’s long-time fans! I loved getting back to Annie and Nick, but even if you haven’t read the first book, it’s a mystery that’ll keep you glued to the pages! It’s a story that’ll have you thinking about it long after you’ve read the final page! I hope we get more Annie and Nick in the future!
A copy was kindly provided by Dutton via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2019
There wasn’t any part of this story that wasn’t monstrous.
This Southerm style thriller starts off with a flash of a bloodied young woman fleeing her home in the swamplands of Louisiana.
She’s left her young son behind in the house off an isolated road after a surprise home attack. It’s storming, humid, heavy rain falling, dark as night, she is not in her right mind as she’s running for help. She also is not sure if her young son is dead or alive or exactly what has happened. Well, that beginning sure sucked me in and held me hostage until the bloody end. And I do mean bloody.
What a twisted, psychological story! Missing kids, murder, abuse - sexual and domestic and child, abuse of police power, affairs, past secrets.
I loved the partnership of Detective Annie Broussard and Detective Sargeant Nick Fourcade! Their personal life and love life and their intertwining at work. It’s very difficult to achieve a balance in each part of their lives without the other casting interference into it as well. They do manage and look out for each other at home and on the job.
Nick is a former bad ass troublemaker, turned bad ass Detective. Annie has a more personable and emotional personality and they do work well and live well together pretty much of the time. But you can imagine when the pressure is on, or when someone’s pissed off Nick, there are those few who can deflect him and others who come close to heavy intimidation and a close call of an altercation. He was accused of beating a murder suspect senseless several years back. He does, however, have a good moral compass. I did like his strong though overbearing character as someone who wants right over wrong, who wants to serve and protect and achieve justice. This man reeks of might and testosterone through the book pages.
Let’s also throw in a new Sheriff, whom is narcisstic in nature and doesn’t like Nick at all. The new Sheriff really is a big ass. Absolutely full of himself and preens for the media and YouTube videos. These two rub each other the wrong way each and every time they meet. And this crime, as well as all the others that build up in this small town in a short time are like casually smoking next to a keg of dynamite. 🔥😮
I liked this book so much that every time I was interrupted with something from daily life, I was getting crabby! I just wanted to sit and consume this book; I enjoyed it and the playout of the characters and the mystery of the story very much. Well done!
This Southerm style thriller starts off with a flash of a bloodied young woman fleeing her home in the swamplands of Louisiana.
She’s left her young son behind in the house off an isolated road after a surprise home attack. It’s storming, humid, heavy rain falling, dark as night, she is not in her right mind as she’s running for help. She also is not sure if her young son is dead or alive or exactly what has happened. Well, that beginning sure sucked me in and held me hostage until the bloody end. And I do mean bloody.
What a twisted, psychological story! Missing kids, murder, abuse - sexual and domestic and child, abuse of police power, affairs, past secrets.
I loved the partnership of Detective Annie Broussard and Detective Sargeant Nick Fourcade! Their personal life and love life and their intertwining at work. It’s very difficult to achieve a balance in each part of their lives without the other casting interference into it as well. They do manage and look out for each other at home and on the job.
Nick is a former bad ass troublemaker, turned bad ass Detective. Annie has a more personable and emotional personality and they do work well and live well together pretty much of the time. But you can imagine when the pressure is on, or when someone’s pissed off Nick, there are those few who can deflect him and others who come close to heavy intimidation and a close call of an altercation. He was accused of beating a murder suspect senseless several years back. He does, however, have a good moral compass. I did like his strong though overbearing character as someone who wants right over wrong, who wants to serve and protect and achieve justice. This man reeks of might and testosterone through the book pages.
Let’s also throw in a new Sheriff, whom is narcisstic in nature and doesn’t like Nick at all. The new Sheriff really is a big ass. Absolutely full of himself and preens for the media and YouTube videos. These two rub each other the wrong way each and every time they meet. And this crime, as well as all the others that build up in this small town in a short time are like casually smoking next to a keg of dynamite. 🔥😮
I liked this book so much that every time I was interrupted with something from daily life, I was getting crabby! I just wanted to sit and consume this book; I enjoyed it and the playout of the characters and the mystery of the story very much. Well done!
July 7, 2019
Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard are married and become involved in the murder of young 7 year old KJ Gauthier, who has been viciously stabbed to death. His mother Genevieve is somewhat of an enigma, as various stories emerge about her past. Nick is also dealing with a new boss, Kelvin Dutrow, who he doesn't get along with. Things only get messier for Nick, who already has an unsolved sexual assault on an autistic teenager on his hands, and then he's hit with the disappearance of the 12 year old girl who used to babysit for KJ.
"The Boy" had a bit of a long road to publication. The publication date got pushed back multiple times, and Tami Hoag's own Facebook page indicated that she was battling several personal problems, and was still putting the finishing touches on this mere weeks before the final publication date. To her credit, she's put out a professional product, certainly better than some of her other works (e.g. Cold Cold Heart) and not without interest. But I could certainly feel the padding here.
"The Boy" does have a compelling mystery/mysteries at its core, and everything ties up really well, and the final 100 pages or so are highly gripping. But it feels a bit buried beneath what I felt were endless antagonistic confrontations between all the players. All of them. Nick with his suspects. Nick with his boss. Nick with crime scene analyst Kempt. Dutrow with his wife. Dutrow with his son. Dutrow with others. Annie with the Florette family members. Annie with Dutrow. Annie with Dutrow's wife.
All of them! Every single chapter would have some sort of the confrontation between different characters, and it grew very wearying. The book's blurb really pushes Genevieve as the unreliable narrator so favoured by thriller writers these days, but she's almost forgotten for long stretches of time as we launch into another antagonistic confrontation between two (or sometimes more) of the characters. Nick in particular. I would have preferred some more plot complications. This mystery was very much a slow burn because everybody was bloody arguing all of the time! Sometimes violently!
A couple of other things bothered me.
It was a decent crime thriller, but it was far too long. All those pages spent on constant confrontations between the various characters, chapter after chapter, could have been used to speed the narrative along further. It also didn't help that, apart from Nick and Annie, nobody was particularly likable. Hoag paints a very depressing, downbeat picture of life with little glimmer for hope. It's far from Hoag's worst, and quite good considering the obvious hurdles she faced in completing it, but overlong and, well, depressing.
"The Boy" had a bit of a long road to publication. The publication date got pushed back multiple times, and Tami Hoag's own Facebook page indicated that she was battling several personal problems, and was still putting the finishing touches on this mere weeks before the final publication date. To her credit, she's put out a professional product, certainly better than some of her other works (e.g. Cold Cold Heart) and not without interest. But I could certainly feel the padding here.
"The Boy" does have a compelling mystery/mysteries at its core, and everything ties up really well, and the final 100 pages or so are highly gripping. But it feels a bit buried beneath what I felt were endless antagonistic confrontations between all the players. All of them. Nick with his suspects. Nick with his boss. Nick with crime scene analyst Kempt. Dutrow with his wife. Dutrow with his son. Dutrow with others. Annie with the Florette family members. Annie with Dutrow. Annie with Dutrow's wife.
All of them! Every single chapter would have some sort of the confrontation between different characters, and it grew very wearying. The book's blurb really pushes Genevieve as the unreliable narrator so favoured by thriller writers these days, but she's almost forgotten for long stretches of time as we launch into another antagonistic confrontation between two (or sometimes more) of the characters. Nick in particular. I would have preferred some more plot complications. This mystery was very much a slow burn because everybody was bloody arguing all of the time! Sometimes violently!
A couple of other things bothered me.
It was a decent crime thriller, but it was far too long. All those pages spent on constant confrontations between the various characters, chapter after chapter, could have been used to speed the narrative along further. It also didn't help that, apart from Nick and Annie, nobody was particularly likable. Hoag paints a very depressing, downbeat picture of life with little glimmer for hope. It's far from Hoag's worst, and quite good considering the obvious hurdles she faced in completing it, but overlong and, well, depressing.
January 5, 2019
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
I can hardly wait! I love a good bayou mystery and Tami Hoag is really good at making the essence of that area come alive. The first Broussard and Fourcade book was years ago and I loved it. Her Doucet Series is one of my favorites, romance with a great mystery, just wonderful. Broussard and Fourcade Series, book one at least, is more mystery, but doesn't skimp on the romance. This book is all mystery. Like the slow moving current of the nearby bayou, this book is slow to give up it's secrets. The mystery ebbs and flows on the way to the inevitable end. So many suspects and so many theories, like getting lost in the byways of the never ending murky waters.
A child is murdered, his young mother attacked and traumatized. Who would do something like that? But a dead child isn't the only crime in Partout Parish. A new sheriff, Kelvin Dudrow, is in town and it's his way or the highway. His abrasive personality and just plain egotism have Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade battling more than the criminals in this case. As the story unfolds there are hidden secrets and selfish agendas at work here, but as Nick says, "the truth will out."
I can hardly wait! I love a good bayou mystery and Tami Hoag is really good at making the essence of that area come alive. The first Broussard and Fourcade book was years ago and I loved it. Her Doucet Series is one of my favorites, romance with a great mystery, just wonderful. Broussard and Fourcade Series, book one at least, is more mystery, but doesn't skimp on the romance. This book is all mystery. Like the slow moving current of the nearby bayou, this book is slow to give up it's secrets. The mystery ebbs and flows on the way to the inevitable end. So many suspects and so many theories, like getting lost in the byways of the never ending murky waters.
A child is murdered, his young mother attacked and traumatized. Who would do something like that? But a dead child isn't the only crime in Partout Parish. A new sheriff, Kelvin Dudrow, is in town and it's his way or the highway. His abrasive personality and just plain egotism have Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade battling more than the criminals in this case. As the story unfolds there are hidden secrets and selfish agendas at work here, but as Nick says, "the truth will out."
August 31, 2019
Where has Tami Hoag been all my life and why have I never read her before? This is my first by this author and it was so good, a lovely dark, intense, disturbing, and at times heartbreaking, bit of crime fiction. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters and the humid, sweaty setting of the Louisiana bayou. I also loved how well plotted and unpredictable it was, it kept me guessing all the way. 5 big ol' shiny stars and I'll definitely be reading more by this author.
August 22, 2023
Great book in the series of Detective Nick Forcade. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one in this series.
Well written as all her other Novels.
Who killed this young boy? Suspects mount up until the very end, a surprising one at that. I had an extremely difficult time putting this down. This read contains everything anyone could want that like mystery books.
Well written as all her other Novels.
Who killed this young boy? Suspects mount up until the very end, a surprising one at that. I had an extremely difficult time putting this down. This read contains everything anyone could want that like mystery books.
December 30, 2018
The Boy by Tami Hoag was an exciting ride. From the first page I was thrown into a mystery so dark and related to the unthinkable brutal death of an innocent child. Who would do such a thing?
The first thing that impressed me was the setting. French Cajun has always been of interest to me and now I was introduced and immersed into this exclusive group and community. The French throughout was educational and added an authenticity.
The plot was believable and true to life. The pace of the novel was fast and I read this book in one sitting. It was that good.
The characters were well developed and dynamic. Nick Fourcade epitomized the alpha, rogue cop that is willing to do whatever to get to the truth and you are rooting for him and his team of detectives to solve this crime.
The writing style was easy to follow. The story is told from multiple POV in the third person.
I highly recommend this book. It is a police procedural packed with twists and turns. It will keep you guessing until the end. I will definitely add Tami Hoag to my TBR list. I have been missing out.
The first thing that impressed me was the setting. French Cajun has always been of interest to me and now I was introduced and immersed into this exclusive group and community. The French throughout was educational and added an authenticity.
The plot was believable and true to life. The pace of the novel was fast and I read this book in one sitting. It was that good.
The characters were well developed and dynamic. Nick Fourcade epitomized the alpha, rogue cop that is willing to do whatever to get to the truth and you are rooting for him and his team of detectives to solve this crime.
The writing style was easy to follow. The story is told from multiple POV in the third person.
I highly recommend this book. It is a police procedural packed with twists and turns. It will keep you guessing until the end. I will definitely add Tami Hoag to my TBR list. I have been missing out.
December 24, 2018
Tami Hoag has been a favorite author of mine for so long. Her mystery thrillers are always fast paced, engaging, and captivating and The Boy is no different. Detective Nick Fourcade is called in to the devastating crime scene where a young boy was murdered, where his mother narrowly escapes from the same fate. Det. Fourcade, a father of a young boy, takes this murder personally and makes it his personal mission to find the killer.
Meanwhile, Detective Annie Broussard (Nick's wife), discovers that the babysitter of the young murdered boy is missing. Ultimately, the quiet southern town assumes their children are under siege. The pressure to close the case is at an all time high and takes some strange, chilling turns.
The Boy is the second installment in the Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard series but can be read as a standalone. There's enough character development and background story for readers to keep up and become well acquainted with Nick's anger, and Annie's gentility. They are the perfect yin to each other's yang. The fact that this current murder hits home to them emotionally and personally, feeds a need to close the case like none other.
What Hoag does well here, as well in her other novels, is paint vivid characters with no shortage of possible suspects. Many of the characters struggle with identity and appearances. There's nothing more important to these characters than what appears to be, instead of what really is. There's the housewife that sacrifices her son for love, the single mother, who sacrifices her body for stability.
Ultimately, Tami Hoag's The Boy is quite the read. I enjoyed it very much. There's no surprise here that Hoag did it again. I highly recommend Hoag's novels, including this one.
Meanwhile, Detective Annie Broussard (Nick's wife), discovers that the babysitter of the young murdered boy is missing. Ultimately, the quiet southern town assumes their children are under siege. The pressure to close the case is at an all time high and takes some strange, chilling turns.
The Boy is the second installment in the Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard series but can be read as a standalone. There's enough character development and background story for readers to keep up and become well acquainted with Nick's anger, and Annie's gentility. They are the perfect yin to each other's yang. The fact that this current murder hits home to them emotionally and personally, feeds a need to close the case like none other.
What Hoag does well here, as well in her other novels, is paint vivid characters with no shortage of possible suspects. Many of the characters struggle with identity and appearances. There's nothing more important to these characters than what appears to be, instead of what really is. There's the housewife that sacrifices her son for love, the single mother, who sacrifices her body for stability.
Ultimately, Tami Hoag's The Boy is quite the read. I enjoyed it very much. There's no surprise here that Hoag did it again. I highly recommend Hoag's novels, including this one.
November 14, 2024
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THE BOY (Broussard and Fourcade Book #2) by Tami Hoag is a gritty, dark, and emotionally unsettling crime thriller featuring Sheriff’s Detectives Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade in the French Triangle Partout Parish of Louisiana. While this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone thriller.
Detective Nick Fourcade is called to the scene of a bloody home invasion. The mother is hospitalized, and her seven-year-old son, KJ, is dead. Nick finds it confusing that the young child is killed but the mother is still alive. Why did the killer leave a witness? Detective Annie Broussard is with the emotionally traumatized mother at the hospital and is troubled by her story.
As Annie begins to investigate the child’s movement from the previous day, she discovers his thirteen-year-old babysitter is missing. Who is preying on the children of Bayou Breaux?
This is an incredibly twisted tale that at times is difficult to read and yet I could not put it down because it takes off on page one and does not stop. The plot is packed with questions, answers, twists, and secrets and I never figured out how it would end. Annie and Nick are once again opposites in their approach to their jobs and yet balance each other perfectly. All the characters in this story are well developed and realistically flawed, some much more than others. This story does contain depictions of neglect, child abuse, spousal abuse, and sexual exploitation. There are also explicit descriptions of scenes of violent crimes and suicide. I felt these were all handled without exploitation, just realism.
I highly recommend this intense crime thriller!
THE BOY (Broussard and Fourcade Book #2) by Tami Hoag is a gritty, dark, and emotionally unsettling crime thriller featuring Sheriff’s Detectives Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade in the French Triangle Partout Parish of Louisiana. While this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone thriller.
Detective Nick Fourcade is called to the scene of a bloody home invasion. The mother is hospitalized, and her seven-year-old son, KJ, is dead. Nick finds it confusing that the young child is killed but the mother is still alive. Why did the killer leave a witness? Detective Annie Broussard is with the emotionally traumatized mother at the hospital and is troubled by her story.
As Annie begins to investigate the child’s movement from the previous day, she discovers his thirteen-year-old babysitter is missing. Who is preying on the children of Bayou Breaux?
This is an incredibly twisted tale that at times is difficult to read and yet I could not put it down because it takes off on page one and does not stop. The plot is packed with questions, answers, twists, and secrets and I never figured out how it would end. Annie and Nick are once again opposites in their approach to their jobs and yet balance each other perfectly. All the characters in this story are well developed and realistically flawed, some much more than others. This story does contain depictions of neglect, child abuse, spousal abuse, and sexual exploitation. There are also explicit descriptions of scenes of violent crimes and suicide. I felt these were all handled without exploitation, just realism.
I highly recommend this intense crime thriller!
January 12, 2019
*** 3.5 - 4 stars ***
Publication date: December 31, 2018.
This is book #2 in the Broussard and Fourcade series by Tami Hoag. This was my first read by Tami Hoag and I felt this read well as a standalone. Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard are married and detectives working in Louisiana. Genevieve Gauthier is found in the middle of the night trying to find help as her seven year old son was murdered by an intruder in their home. Overall, the mystery was impossible to figure out as the story was very complex with many different characters and relationships; you are kept guessing until the very end. The reason I didn't rate this book higher was that I really didn't bond with many of the characters. Nick Fourcade is a hot tempered man who seems to always be spouting off and fighting someone and I found him annoying at some points. Having said that, I will be looking for the next book in the series and other books by this author as Tami Hoag's descriptive and intricate story line was that good.
**Special thanks to NetGalley and Pengiun Group Dutton for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
Publication date: December 31, 2018.
This is book #2 in the Broussard and Fourcade series by Tami Hoag. This was my first read by Tami Hoag and I felt this read well as a standalone. Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard are married and detectives working in Louisiana. Genevieve Gauthier is found in the middle of the night trying to find help as her seven year old son was murdered by an intruder in their home. Overall, the mystery was impossible to figure out as the story was very complex with many different characters and relationships; you are kept guessing until the very end. The reason I didn't rate this book higher was that I really didn't bond with many of the characters. Nick Fourcade is a hot tempered man who seems to always be spouting off and fighting someone and I found him annoying at some points. Having said that, I will be looking for the next book in the series and other books by this author as Tami Hoag's descriptive and intricate story line was that good.
**Special thanks to NetGalley and Pengiun Group Dutton for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
January 14, 2019
The 2-star rating is more about how little I personally appreciated this book then the reflection on its writing or its storytelling. Honestly, this was a downer story, making me feel gloomy all through the book. What it boils down to is young teenagers being bullied and being misunderstood to the point where they do the unthinkable. Actually, it's more generations of those lost souls coming together in one place. Personally, I had so hoped for a more police procedural story, yep, give me Kovak and Liska any day!
Not that the characters of Fourcade or Broussard are not interesting; they are great cops but their surroundings, their world in the Bayou is depicted as totally horrific : Imagine the True Detective series 1 with Woody Harrelson & Matthew McConaughey in the Louisiana Bayou; those heinous murders really are depressing - that's how this book felt like to me. Not a glimpse of good news.
I don't know if this was a rehash of an old story for the author but I expected so much better. I like my stories to be balanced with the dark and the light - here, I never felt the light. It simply wasn't there for me.
Not that the characters of Fourcade or Broussard are not interesting; they are great cops but their surroundings, their world in the Bayou is depicted as totally horrific : Imagine the True Detective series 1 with Woody Harrelson & Matthew McConaughey in the Louisiana Bayou; those heinous murders really are depressing - that's how this book felt like to me. Not a glimpse of good news.
I don't know if this was a rehash of an old story for the author but I expected so much better. I like my stories to be balanced with the dark and the light - here, I never felt the light. It simply wasn't there for me.
February 9, 2019
Hoag revisits the sleepy town of Bayou Breaux in Louisiana with her second offering in the Nick Fourcade-Annie Broussard detective series. Narrator Hillary Huber does an excellent job immersing the reader in the region’s rich Louisiana accents—even including a smattering of pure French Patois. Hoag opens her latest novel with a wounded woman stumbling down the street seeking help. Her 7-year-old child is at home dead from knife wounds. Genevieve Gauthier’s account of what happened is confused and disjointed. What did happen? Nick and Annie struggle to understand why the murderer killed the child, but not the mother.
Sadly, this is not the only crime committed against children that has happened recently. There has also been an attack against an autistic girl. And before you know it, KJ Gauthier’s babysitter�12-year-old Nora Florette—goes missing. The investigation of KJ’s murder leads Nick and Annie down some pretty unsavory roads—there is bullying, infidelity, abuse of power, neglected children, and domestic abuse. Indeed, one of Hoag’s themes is the damage that results from bullying—by both children and adults. The physical and psychological ramifications spread wide and in unanticipated ways.
The plot includes plenty of action. Fourcade can be annoyingly belligerent at times, but his snarky witticisms redeem him for the most part. He and Broussard make an excellent investigative team as they pursue a child murderer. Enjoy.
Sadly, this is not the only crime committed against children that has happened recently. There has also been an attack against an autistic girl. And before you know it, KJ Gauthier’s babysitter�12-year-old Nora Florette—goes missing. The investigation of KJ’s murder leads Nick and Annie down some pretty unsavory roads—there is bullying, infidelity, abuse of power, neglected children, and domestic abuse. Indeed, one of Hoag’s themes is the damage that results from bullying—by both children and adults. The physical and psychological ramifications spread wide and in unanticipated ways.
The plot includes plenty of action. Fourcade can be annoyingly belligerent at times, but his snarky witticisms redeem him for the most part. He and Broussard make an excellent investigative team as they pursue a child murderer. Enjoy.
January 30, 2019
The Boy, a mystery/suspense novel, is the second in the Broussard and Fourcade series by author Tami Hoag. As a rule, I tend to shy away from books that are part of a same-character series, as I always feel a step behind if I pick up in the middle. Here, however, Hoag has written a haunting tale that stands alone—a harrowing story of neglected children, sexual and domestic abuse, misuse of power, and murder.
There is, first and foremost, a trigger here that needs to be reckoned with before the reader ever engages. KJ, a young child, is murdered in a most brutal way, and it is his death upon which the book hinges. In some novels of this type, that initial catalyst for the story is vague and ambiguous, an event gently couched in expository dialogue and narration. Hoag uses exposition but in that process provides numbing details about the crime that are sure to make the hairs on the back of the neck of any mother stand on end.
The remainder of the book is a web of subplots that connects four families who couldn’t possibly be more different, as the community mourns the loss of a child and authorities seek a killer. Broussard and Fourcade are both members of law enforcement, trying to raise their young son in the Cajun bayous of Louisiana. Genevieve Gauthier is a single mother trying to come to terms with the death of her own son. Sharon Spicer, a woman for whom appearances and security are key, juggles her fiancé and her son Cameron, who are like oil and water. Jojean Florette is a mother in absentia, a fist full of children growing up around her without the supervision of a responsible parent. Each character is given enough of a backstory to foster reader investment. They are complex beings who elicit a range of emotion, from sympathy to disgust, sorrow to malevolence. The collision course of their lives is complicated, but Hoag masterfully weaves their stories together in a tapestry of horrific events that forever changes them all.
At almost 500 pages, this is a read that requires some fortitude and concentration. The payoff is there at the end, though, as Hoag unravels the lies, deceit and confusion. Highly recommended, with the trigger warning caveat above. This is a series I intend to follow!
There is, first and foremost, a trigger here that needs to be reckoned with before the reader ever engages. KJ, a young child, is murdered in a most brutal way, and it is his death upon which the book hinges. In some novels of this type, that initial catalyst for the story is vague and ambiguous, an event gently couched in expository dialogue and narration. Hoag uses exposition but in that process provides numbing details about the crime that are sure to make the hairs on the back of the neck of any mother stand on end.
The remainder of the book is a web of subplots that connects four families who couldn’t possibly be more different, as the community mourns the loss of a child and authorities seek a killer. Broussard and Fourcade are both members of law enforcement, trying to raise their young son in the Cajun bayous of Louisiana. Genevieve Gauthier is a single mother trying to come to terms with the death of her own son. Sharon Spicer, a woman for whom appearances and security are key, juggles her fiancé and her son Cameron, who are like oil and water. Jojean Florette is a mother in absentia, a fist full of children growing up around her without the supervision of a responsible parent. Each character is given enough of a backstory to foster reader investment. They are complex beings who elicit a range of emotion, from sympathy to disgust, sorrow to malevolence. The collision course of their lives is complicated, but Hoag masterfully weaves their stories together in a tapestry of horrific events that forever changes them all.
At almost 500 pages, this is a read that requires some fortitude and concentration. The payoff is there at the end, though, as Hoag unravels the lies, deceit and confusion. Highly recommended, with the trigger warning caveat above. This is a series I intend to follow!
January 24, 2019
I have read Tami Hoag's work for many years and always enjoyed them. Her latest...The Boy was no exception. This author has the ability to take the reader out of their favorite armchair and place them right into the story. Her two lead characters of Nick and Annie are very strong and extremely likable as well as excellent at their careers as detectives. It was a real "whodoneit" but I was a little disappointed...not because it was a let down but because I also liked that person. Great book...wonderful, readable author.
July 20, 2022
The Boy is the very first book I've read by Tamo Hoag, but I've been wanting to read her books for a while now. I was pleased to find out that I actually own the first book in this series, A Thin Dark Line, and I hope to find to read it someday.
The Boy is a tragic story about a murdered child. Married detective Nick Fourcad and Detective Annie Broussard are tasked to find the killer and it soon turns out that not everything is as it seems. There are secrets and even the mother of the murdered child is soon a suspect.
The book is thick and engrossing to read. It's terribly tragic to read. The murder of children is always a theme that I will find hard to read. And, Nick and Annie feel the pain quite deeply now that they have a young son.
Storywise must I say that it didn't end the way I had expected. The last part of the book truly surprised me. It's hard to write about it without spoiling things. So, I will just say that the author really knew how to write an ending that connected all the loose threads.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
The Boy is a tragic story about a murdered child. Married detective Nick Fourcad and Detective Annie Broussard are tasked to find the killer and it soon turns out that not everything is as it seems. There are secrets and even the mother of the murdered child is soon a suspect.
The book is thick and engrossing to read. It's terribly tragic to read. The murder of children is always a theme that I will find hard to read. And, Nick and Annie feel the pain quite deeply now that they have a young son.
Storywise must I say that it didn't end the way I had expected. The last part of the book truly surprised me. It's hard to write about it without spoiling things. So, I will just say that the author really knew how to write an ending that connected all the loose threads.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
January 2, 2019
I credit Tami Hoag with getting my interested in the romance genre. Her romantic suspense novels got me into the genre during high school, and A Thin Dark Line was one of my favourites. I was completely surprised to see the author return to these characters so long after the first book, but obviously I was going to read the book. It was a treat to return to characters and peak into what happened after the events in the first book, and for me, those moments were certainly the highlight of The Boy. That being said, The Boy is a mystery that certainly stands on its own. The murder of young boy sparks the events of the novel and the author's twisty resolution of this murder was well done with Hoag offering readers a glimpse into every character's thought process, including the guilty party. This is a dark mystery, but I think this was well balanced with some moments from the lead detectives, Nick and Annie's, personal lives. I have no idea if the author plans to write more books with these characters, but I would love for that to happen.
For those who haven't read A Thin Dark Line, I don't think its absolutely necessary, but many of Hoag's earlier mysteries are well worth the read, especially those set in the south.
*Advance copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
For those who haven't read A Thin Dark Line, I don't think its absolutely necessary, but many of Hoag's earlier mysteries are well worth the read, especially those set in the south.
*Advance copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
July 11, 2020
I haven't read a Tami Hoag book in a long time and didn't realize this was Book 2 in a series but I didn't really feel at a loss. Since Book 1 was published over 20 years ago I don't imagine I'd remember much of it even if I had read it - who knows, maybe I did! I can't believe how many times I changed my opinion of this book while I was reading it. To be honest I didn't find it an easy read in the beginning and wondered at times if I would be able to finish. Almost from the start I didn't like Nick Fourcade. He seemed kind of mean and antagonistic with a hair-trigger temper. With all the focus right now on police misconduct and brutality I wasn't impressed by his treatment of people he was questioning or people he works with, whether they deserved it or not. The book is filled with some very strong characters and I felt so many emotions while reading about them, like Sharon and Cameron who broke my heart and then broke it again. I suppose that's a sign of a good writer when she can evoke such strong emotions. The book is very well written and in spite of my misgivings, I enjoyed it much more than I expected and I was totally blown away by the ending. I would recommend the book to a friend with a warning that they might find some of the occurrences disturbing.
August 23, 2019
I used to read everything by Tami Hoag but I’ve fallen victim to an insane to be read pile, The Boy seemed like the perfect novel to get back on track a bit. Best decision ever � within a few pages I remembered why I loved the writing entirely and the intensely absorbing plotting.
Nick Fourcade is my new bookish hero, along with partner both professional and personal Annie Broussard- these characters absolutely light up this twisty, disturbing and very emotional tale of murder and what a tale it was.
Completely unpredictable and stunningly emotive, The Boy is an intelligent thriller, the investigative strands are beautifully handled, the sense of place is pitch perfect and it is excellent and completely riveting first page to last.
Tami Hoag has a way of embedding the characters and the action into your consciousness, this is a book I talked at as I went, often clutching my head in dismay both for and at the people I was reading about. I genuinely didn’t see the solution coming and when it did I was floored by it and it’s one of those endings that will resonate with me for a long time.
Truly excellent crime fiction.
Highly Recommended.
November 19, 2022
Best if read in small bits. This book made my blood boil and not in a good way. Not sure I can review it without tearing it to pieces right now. I don't think I'll be reading anything else by this author I hated this book and wasn't that big a fan of another of her books. There were logic errors and continuity errors that were overlooked expressly to make this work...if you were going to look over them (or something previously written that is part of a characters core behavior) just so you can keep this going why the fuck did you make it such a big point earlier if you are going to ignore it later as a plot point? If you are going to ignore something that was important before just take it out or have it not be such a big deal.
There is not one single character I liked in this book, none of them are sympathetic or relatable. Usually, you want at least one character you can root for, you can like or relate too or think you know someone like such and such character. Not here. ALL the men (and even bearly yet teenaged boys) are abusers of women and half of them are abusers of children and ALL the women just take it, even those in law enforcement. None of the female characters pass the Bechdel test. They all breakdown at the drop of a hat and must be coddled, reassured, and set to rights by the men in their lives. This pissed me off in the character of the female detective who is supposed to be strong and reassured yet every time she turns around she is breaking down and the men must do the job and put her back together. 98% of any of the conversations in this book are people arguing and threatening each other. The main "hero" and I use that word dipped and dripping with sarcasm is an abusive self-righteous, narcissistic asshole who is constantly crossing the line of police brutality but thinks nothing of it because he is just so morally high and mighty and "righteous" and no one and I mean no one can live up to him and his expectations, not even his wife but that's okay he'll keep working on her and maybe someday she'll get there...gag. She is the classic of an abused woman and she sees it in others but refuses to see it in herself...and she's a police officer!?
Also, the fact that the theme is to more or less make sexuality a bad thing doesn't sit well with me. The bad guy doing everything he did because he's confused about his sexuality and everyone telling him sex is bad and being gay is bad irked me.
There is not one single character I liked in this book, none of them are sympathetic or relatable. Usually, you want at least one character you can root for, you can like or relate too or think you know someone like such and such character. Not here. ALL the men (and even bearly yet teenaged boys) are abusers of women and half of them are abusers of children and ALL the women just take it, even those in law enforcement. None of the female characters pass the Bechdel test. They all breakdown at the drop of a hat and must be coddled, reassured, and set to rights by the men in their lives. This pissed me off in the character of the female detective who is supposed to be strong and reassured yet every time she turns around she is breaking down and the men must do the job and put her back together. 98% of any of the conversations in this book are people arguing and threatening each other. The main "hero" and I use that word dipped and dripping with sarcasm is an abusive self-righteous, narcissistic asshole who is constantly crossing the line of police brutality but thinks nothing of it because he is just so morally high and mighty and "righteous" and no one and I mean no one can live up to him and his expectations, not even his wife but that's okay he'll keep working on her and maybe someday she'll get there...gag. She is the classic of an abused woman and she sees it in others but refuses to see it in herself...and she's a police officer!?
Also, the fact that the theme is to more or less make sexuality a bad thing doesn't sit well with me. The bad guy doing everything he did because he's confused about his sexuality and everyone telling him sex is bad and being gay is bad irked me.
January 28, 2020
Detective Nick Fourcade is called to a homicide in a secluded house just outside of town. There he finds seven-year-old KJ Gauthier has been brutally stabbed. His mother, Genevieve, was injured by the intruder, but got away and ran for help. Nick's wife, Detective Annie Broussard, went to the hospital to interview Genevieve. Both Annie and Nick question why someone would break into a house to kill a boy but leave the mother alive. As Annie interviews people close to KJ, she discovers that his twelve-year-old babysitter has disappeared. Is someone preying on the children in this small bayou town?
This is the second book by Tami Hoag that features Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade. They have to put up with a new boss, Sheriff Kelvin Dutrow, who likes to be the center of attention whenever cameras are rolling. He causes a lot of problems in the murder investigation. I liked the characters and I liked the setting of this mystery. I thought I had figured out the identity of the killer, but I wasn't even close. My rating: 5 Stars.
This is the second book by Tami Hoag that features Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade. They have to put up with a new boss, Sheriff Kelvin Dutrow, who likes to be the center of attention whenever cameras are rolling. He causes a lot of problems in the murder investigation. I liked the characters and I liked the setting of this mystery. I thought I had figured out the identity of the killer, but I wasn't even close. My rating: 5 Stars.
March 16, 2019
I have to be honest, this bored me to sleep each time I picked it up - I was lucky if I managed 15 mins at a timre reading it, which for me clearly signifies it's not my cup of tea.
So at 23%, I've given up.
This was my first Tami Hoag, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, not even the "victims".
I don't think I'll be bothering with another of hers - some authors you love, others you just don't get on with.
This is one my side-swerve authors for the future :)
So at 23%, I've given up.
This was my first Tami Hoag, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, not even the "victims".
I don't think I'll be bothering with another of hers - some authors you love, others you just don't get on with.
This is one my side-swerve authors for the future :)
April 6, 2019
I couldn’t finish this. I got about half way through and just couldn’t stand to read about any of these characters any longer. I’ve enjoyed some of her other books but I thought this one was a disaster.
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