Detective Nick Fourcade is in for a shock when he enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier in Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, and finds the mutilated body of seven-year-old KJ. The boy had been stabbed multiple times, and the scene is one of blood and gore. Not even Nick, a veteran law enforcement official, is immune to the immensity of such a brutal crime.

Genevieve claims that her son was killed in the house, and she was awakened by his screams. When she tried to help him, she was attacked with a knife. She went fleeing from the home, crying for help, covered in her own blood and that of KJ. But it was too late. The boy is dead, and she is wounded. Nick and his team now must solve this disturbing case: Who ended KJ’s life, and why? Something about the mother’s story just doesn’t add up. Was she responsible for the murder? Or did someone else do the unthinkable? If it’s the latter, then who?

"Tami Hoag has penned an interesting tale of murder and mystery, tossing in enough red herrings to throw even veteran sleuths off the trail."

The mystery only deepens when KJ's part-time babysitter, 12-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing. Panic sets in among the residents of Bayou Breaux, convinced that a predator is on the loose and targeting its youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Nick and his wife, Detective Annie Broussard, will have to do a serious amount of digging into Genevieve's sordid past, as well as determine whether Nora is indeed a victim, or may have been involved somehow in KJ's slaying.

THE BOY is well written, with great characters (some you will love, others you will hate), wonderful dialogue and plenty of plot twists. Author Tami Hoag has penned an intriguing tale of murder and mystery, tossing in enough red herrings to throw even veteran sleuths off the trail. You probably will be surprised by the ending as I was.

It is worth noting that Nick is of French heritage and thus sprinkles his speech with numerous French phrases. Fortunately, Hoag includes a glossary of Cajun French at the end of the book that defines the various words and expressions used throughout the text.

All in all, THE BOY is a harrowing thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the final pages.