THE BOY by Tami Hoag
It has been a while since Tami Hoag released a new book but her novel THE BOY is so good it is worth the wait. The characters, the plot and most of all the setting combine all the right elements to present a story that chills and thrills. Hoag knows her way around a mystery and giving husband and wife detective team Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard the murder of a seven year old boy to solve grabs your attention fast.
The story takes place in Bayou Breaux, Louisiana and that locale is as much a character in the story as are the two detectives. The heat, the water, the language, the insects all add to the atmosphere of the story and immerse the reader in the distinctiveness of it all. From the first page to the last page everything just seems muggy and murky.
Then there is the murder itself. A boy and his mother are alone in their run down house. Later that night the mother makes it to a neighbor’s door and pounds on it for help. When the police arrive at the scene of the crime they find seven year old KJ Gautier has been stabbed to death. The first question that arises is why would someone stab a seven year old boy and let the mother escape?
It takes a while to get the answer to this question but all that is involved in solving it makes for the dramatic entertainment of the book. It is a long story but Hoag lets it all play out in its on time. She also sweetens the plot by bringing in a large number of side characters who live in the community and who are fascinating in the lives they live and in the way they are involved with this mother and child.
It is hard to write a story about the murder of a child but Hoag never sensationalizes the act or deals in gory content. In short she handles the murder delicately by focusing more on the reactions to the murder than to the murder itself. This way of handling it will make the story more available to readers who otherwise would not read a book with this type of plot.
If you are looking for a book to start your new year off with a bang, and you are a fan of mysteries, then this is a book you should consider. Tami Hoag is a consistently good writer and she does not disappoint her fans with this one.
THE BOY is published by Dutton. It contains 496 pages and sells for $28.00.
Jackie K Cooper
www.jackiekcooper.com
