Thomas Perry’s debut novel, The Butcher’s Boy, follows the ruthless exploits of a professional killer when he’s double-crossed by the mob after a high-profile hit. The novel is a race back and forth across America as the nameless protagonist methodically creates a war between the Italian families.

Perry has written the perfect anti-hero: a level-headed, intelligent, resourceful hitman whose vulnerabilities and fears make him all too human and sympathetic. His foil is the promising young data analyst for the Justice Department, Elizabeth Waring, but the strong female role in the story is a brief one in that of Maureen, a woman who “makes people disappear.” She’s a feminine counterpart to the protagonist, equally self-possessed and enterprising.

 

The pace builds over the first half of the book with the last half of the story a taut, high-octane thriller. Perry’s writing is precise and succinct with unexpected lyricism and striking imagery: “slabs of beef were being expertly shaved into pink pages,” “clothes on hangers suspended from a conveyer track on the ceiling whisked past…like frantic ghosts,” “a tiny lawn protected by a frail cordon of thirsty geraniums,” and “above them a row of pegs where thick, damp coats hung like effigies.”

 

The Butcher’s Boy is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a unique story and a fascinating protagonist.