a favourite shade of blue

a favourite shade of blue

Friday, March 19, 2010

The Butcher's Boy/ a review

By Thomas Perry who is a writer who can make you feel sympathy for a contract killer. Who do you love to hate, not in this book you don't. You seem to be rooting for the killer as he is the least of the evils in the book and they are the Mafia dons. They betray their contract with him, oh I am getting way ahead of myself. I am not quite finished but before I complete this review I'll get the book and read the last chapter. I am pretty sure I have it figrued out though.
The book was written in 1982 and reissued in 2007, it is as timely now as it was then and right in keeping with today's reading interests. I have not read another book by Perry before but will definitely look for more books by him in the library tomorrow.
The book begins with a seemingly uselss murder when a car blows up and people think it is an accident. A young member of the Justice Department begins to take a look at the accident and starts to think it is not a fortuitous incident, so begins to look further into the clues when she is called away to another city where a US senator is also murdered. That begins a long spiral into the causes and linkages of both murders. One thing follows after the other until many have been killed.
We see the hitman who is never named in the story only as a chapter in which his thoughts, musings and actions are on display. It is an interesting literary device and one that makes you feel at one with him. Clever and strange at the same time.
The young investigator from the Justice Department has her own set of problems while on the job.
This is a great read once you get into it. I read into the night last night and finished it this afternoon , well a few minutes ago. And the ending? Well I do believe we will meet the anonymous one again.
Definitley worth your time.
'Til we meet again ;>)

No comments: