danchrist's review against another edition
4.0
A good read with believable characters and some nice descriptions of places and situations. Really well done and paced with a refreshing intensity.
Looking forward to more Thomas Perry works.
Looking forward to more Thomas Perry works.
mojoshivers's review against another edition
4.0
I like when books are about two different individuals approaching a mystery from two different directions and they DON’T eventually meet up to put their resources together to figure it out. Two sides of the same coin—it makes for a better story when the solution to the mystery can be had from different angles.
That’s what this story is, two different trying to understand who is bumping off mob bosses and what it has to do with a low-level investment firm. On one hand, you have an analyst from the Department of Justice who’s figuring out the plot from all the usual investigative angles of the government. And, on the other hand, you have the Butcher’s Boy, a hitman for hire who wanders into the mob war brewing when they see him and his ruthless reputation in town when the war kicks off. Figuring he’s involved, the hit man is forced to figure out the plot on his own and take care of business in his own criminal manner, namely killing off key players and gift-wrapping the evidence of the shady dealings for the police and government agencies to find.
And never the twain shall meet. Well, that’s not true. In a bit of irony the two people who figure out just happen to end up on a flight to London on vacation, not realizing they are two people who survived the same ordeal and surmised what was going on in the process.
That’s what this story is, two different trying to understand who is bumping off mob bosses and what it has to do with a low-level investment firm. On one hand, you have an analyst from the Department of Justice who’s figuring out the plot from all the usual investigative angles of the government. And, on the other hand, you have the Butcher’s Boy, a hitman for hire who wanders into the mob war brewing when they see him and his ruthless reputation in town when the war kicks off. Figuring he’s involved, the hit man is forced to figure out the plot on his own and take care of business in his own criminal manner, namely killing off key players and gift-wrapping the evidence of the shady dealings for the police and government agencies to find.
And never the twain shall meet. Well, that’s not true. In a bit of irony the two people who figure out just happen to end up on a flight to London on vacation, not realizing they are two people who survived the same ordeal and surmised what was going on in the process.
americajane's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
paulataua's review against another edition
3.0
There were so many positives about 'The Butcher’s Boy’. The story-line was interesting with a hit-man being chased by the organization that had originally hired him to do the hit, and a young female working for the Department of Justice who was tracking down that organization. Not just that, but the story had good pace throughout. And yet, it never really did it for me. Neither of the main characters was ever given enough depth to make me root for them, and the were no ups and downs, no moments of tension, excitement and release. It just remained at the same level from beginning to end. I liked it, but not too much.
annap5519's review against another edition
5.0
What a grand surprise this was! I'm always leery of glowing reviews as I'm so often disappointed but this was an exception. What an excellent read.
usbsticky's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 as per my 7th grade math class. My first Thomas Perry book was Eddie's Boy, #4 in this series. I liked it a lot and decided to read #1. Unfortunately I didn't like #1 as much.
Spoiler's below:
Mainly I did not like the changing POV. There are basically 2 POVs: the one with Elizabeth Waring from the Dept of Justice and the one from the killer. I understand that this is the first book and the killer's POV isn't that well developed, I never really got into it. And I found the Waring POV boring and a bit too bogged down in words. Neither one was really well developed, maybe due to the short length of the book. As a result, both POVs feel like something is missing. And definitely the ending seems cut short. After reading what I just wrote, I decided to downgrade the rating to 3 stars. I'm going to read #2 now and hope it's better.
Spoiler's below:
Mainly I did not like the changing POV. There are basically 2 POVs: the one with Elizabeth Waring from the Dept of Justice and the one from the killer. I understand that this is the first book and the killer's POV isn't that well developed, I never really got into it. And I found the Waring POV boring and a bit too bogged down in words. Neither one was really well developed, maybe due to the short length of the book. As a result, both POVs feel like something is missing. And definitely the ending seems cut short. After reading what I just wrote, I decided to downgrade the rating to 3 stars. I'm going to read #2 now and hope it's better.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ecari's review against another edition
3.0
Good, solid thriller. This was Perry's first, I'm told, and it's easy to understand why it received rave reviews at the time. His details for both the villain and the authorities as they plan and solve make for fascinating and quick reading.