I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I've read several books by Tami Hoag and have enjoyed them all. Her books are easy to follow and very fast paced. Many times I had to stop reading and didn't want to. I highly recommend this book and anything else that she's written.

Really glad Hoag made the switch from romance to suspense many years ago. She’s one of my favorites!

I wasn't sure how I would like this book, since it's about the murder of a 7 year old boy., but once I got past that, it was a great read, as all her books are. I enjoy the main characters in this story, Broussard and Fourcade, and hope to see more of them.

The boy by Tami Hoag is a fast paced book that keeps surprising with it's twists. So many suspects, never saw the end coming

Tami Hoag's The Boy is the second in a series featuring Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard. I honestly didn't know it was the second of the series, and this is my first time reading Tami Hoag's novel.

The premise is really interesting, and I really love reading mystery novels. Plotwise, this is intricately written and very intriguing. The characters are captivating, the build-up of the climax is one of a kind. The revelations are surprising, and I want to read more kinds of this book!

4/5 stars!

3.5 Stars

I was so excited to get an ARC of this thanks to NetGalley. Tami Hoag is one of my favorite authors.

Overall, it was a great story. The major drawback to me was that I realize who did it about 15% into the book. Hoag has a way with detail and it is something I have always admired about her writing. Figuring things out so early was really disappointing to me, which is why it took me so long to finish it...

I will have more over on my blog soon.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The Boy by Tami Hoag is the 2nd novel in her series about Broussard and Fourcade, a husband and wife team who are detectives in Bayou Breaux, a little town in Louisiana. I often read detective fiction and enjoyed the pairing of Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard. The novel focuses mostly on their police pairing but does have some sections about their home life. The dynamics of the relationships of the people surrounding the investigative team are well formed but not the main focus of the story. The boy is. Well, the murder of the boy is.

Hoag shows her characters' flaws but she does not make them the focus of the characters. Broussard and Fourcade are like every married couple and have difficult days. Again, Hoag does not make those days the focus of the story. The boy is. The story has twists and turns. Some of the reveals were expected but not all of them. Hoag surprised me with several details.

I have had Tami Hoag on my "want to read" list for years but never got around to reading any of her work. After reading The Boy, I am disappointed I have not read her sooner.


Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/27/19.

Once again Tami Hoag shows me why she is one of my favorite writers. She hooked me from the very first sentence and never let me go.

The book opens with a woman running down the street. She is covered in blood. So much blood, she can even taste it in her mouth. She tries to flag down a car, but the terrified woman driver sends her sprawling off the hood of her car. Finally the woman sees a house and begins banging on the door, when the door opens, she pleads for help saying that someone killed her boy.

With that we are pulled into the mystery surrounding the murder of an innocent little boy. Detectives, Nick Fourcade and his wife Annie Broussard are brought in to work on the case. There are many suspects, even the mother herself. Then a twelve year old girl disappears adding even more threads to the mystery.

Really solid mystery. I had no clue who did what. Every time the book lead me towards one suspect, I willingly followed. In addition to the tension of the murder, there is the tension between Nick Fourcade and his current boss.

I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. One of the things I enjoy about Tami Hoag books is her attention to detail and the fact that she always presents a variety of suspects.

I received an ARC of the book.

Having never read a book by Tami Hoag before, I went into this book not knowing what to expect. I was very surprised. This was my kind of book. Even though child murder is never a pleasant subject, this story really held my interest and at almost 500 pages I was really surprised at how quickly I read it. Genevieve Gauthier is attacked in a horrible crime that claims the life of her 7 year old son KJ. Husband and wife team of Nick Fourcade and Annie Brousard. are in charge of investigating the crime. Nick is also in the middle of investigating another crime, that of a young autistic girl who was sexually assaulted but doesn't speak.There is also the disappearance of young KJ's baby sitter who disappears the day after he is murdered. Nick also had to deal with the new sheriff Kelvin Dutrow, whom Nick has a disliking to and the feeling is mutual. This story kept me guessing until the end. I thought I knew who the killer was several times but I was wrong..I recommend this book, though the subject matter is not for every body.

Tami Hoag's The Boy is the second in a series featuring Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard. I am not sure if having not read the first in the series hampered my ability to engage with the characters or not because I never really connected. I have read other Tami Hoag books and became instantly intrigued with the characters and the story.

It is always difficult to read about a murdered child and this book was no exception especially in the hands of the very talented Ms. Hoag; she excels in making the novel’s surroundings come alive.

Nick and Annie attempt to resolve the conflicting stories surrounding the murder but are thwarted in their attempts.

When all is said and done we are given the results of the effects of a controlling personality as Hoag brings the story to its somewhat surprising outcome.

At the heart of the case, when all is said and done, is the damage, psychological and physic

Though the characters did not resonate with me as in previous Tami Hoag novels, as always the plot is intricate and well written.

The Boy by Tami Hoag is a 2018 Dutton publication.

Wow! This is one of Hoag’s best and I’ve read many of her books over the years!!

When a young single mother is the victim of a late night home invasion which leaves her hospitalized, and her young son dead, Broussard and Fourcade must tiptoe through the murky waters of law enforcement politics and worrisome circumstantial evidence to find the truth.

The hot and steamy Louisiana humidity is almost palpable as the restless tension between the married detectives, Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade, ebbs and flows. But it is nothing like the tension between Nick and his new boss, who is keeping Nick on a tight leash, threatening to cut him loose at any moment.

However, it is this puzzling case that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. The murder of a child sets the emotional tone right from the start. The child’s mother, Genevieve Gauthier, seems to have a sordid past, and has made a few questionable parenting decisions, including the selection of an unreliable teenage girl to babysit her son.

Seeking answers from the babysitter, the detectives become concerned when the girl hasn’t been seen in a few days. The investigation is also stymied by a lot of political wrangling and jockeying for position within the law enforcement arena. This combination of events kept me riveted to the pages, watching in horror as events spiraled completely out of control.

I love this detective team. Annie is more even tempered, but she’s also more emotional. However, her powers of observation are amazing. Nick, on the other hand, with his French vernacular and Cajun slang has a bit of a temper and he has a very hard time keeping it under control.

Although the couple is experiencing some tension in their relationship, they are a sexy couple, and I enjoy watching them interact. They also make a good detective team, even though they often clash and have a vastly different approach to their jobs.

There is another storyline in the book which is very heart wrenching, making this not only a great crime thriller, but also a very thought- provoking piece of fiction. The shades of gray, and the high pitch emotions had my heart up in my throat.

I’ve been a fan of this author for many years. Hoag writes very solid, atmospheric stories and really knows how to ramp up the suspense. She outdid herself with this one, I must say. I’d been waiting to read this one for a long time as the publication date kept getting pushed back and my review schedule prevented me from getting to it as quickly as I’d hoped. However, the wait was well worth it.

If you like tense, atmospheric thrillers, with complex characters and personalities, and mysteries that will keep you guessing to the bitter end, this one is for you. Plus, despite being ‘Team Annie’ for most of this story, that audacious, but very principled, Frenchman- Nick Fourcade, really grows on you.

A thriller that leaves a lasting mark. The story is everything you want in a standard police procedural. The characters are well developed and lived in. They come into the story with baggage and that makes you root for them (or against them) more vigorously. I was guessing until the end and it left me thinking about the story for weeks after I finished it.

This is actually the first Tami Hoag book I've ever read, and I didn't initially realize it was part of a series. Luckily, I didn't need to read the others to understand everything going on in this one, although it might have helped. I read a lot, so mystery books that can keep me surprised and guessing are always a rare treat! Just the right amount of suspense and drama, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out her other titles.

Nick and Annie are married detectives in a small Louisiana town. Nick is working a case that is going nowhere when a horrific crime takes place. A young boy is killed while sleeping in his home and his mother is found wandering the streets. The mom is new to town that has Nick and Annie wondering why she came to town. As the clues unfold, connections are drawn and a young teenager goes missing. Are the cases connected? How is the new sheriff and the victim's mother connected? Quite a few twists and turns keep you guessing until the end.

The Boy by Tami Noah is an outstanding suspense book. The unexpected twists and turns lead to an ending that you won't see coming!

I fell in love with Tami Hoag's writing many, many years years ago. I've followed tragedy and crime from Minnesota blizzards to Louisiana bayous. She's returned to the swamps with "The Boy," which features another Broussard-Fourcade pairing. As a southerner, I easy can compose a mental picture of the setting - small towns with little to offer surrounded by unforgiving swampland. When a mother runs screaming from the home where her 7-year-old son has been stabbed to death, the pair of married detectives have little to go on. Who kills a boy, yet leaves the only witness alive?

As with most of Hoag's novels, there are stories within stories. As Detective Annie Broussard tries to track down leads. The dead boy's 12-year-old after-school babysitter is missing. No one seems alarmed, especially the girl's bullying brother.

As for Detective Nick Fourcade, he finds the grieving mother has a past - a long, sordid past with married men. Some of those men are still actively involved with the woman, who refuses to tell detectives anything about the dead boy's dead.

I read alot. Usually I can script out the novel's ending midway through the book. All the twists and turns in "The Boy" kept me questioning. I accurately guessed some of the names on the suspect list, but others threw me for a loop. And the ending - I didn't see that one coming!

Hoag has a way, a very intriguing, yet entertaining way, to hold readers' attention. She's refined that craft with more than 30 titles under her belts. "The Boy" is proof that she earns all the accolades that come her way.

ARC provided by NetGalley

The Boy – Tami Hoag

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

Detective’s Nick Fourcade and Antoinette ‘Annie” Broussard are back in this newest installment from Tami Hoag.

In sleepy Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, a young boy is found brutally murdered in his own bedroom, while his mother somehow witnesses the assault, yet survives, and is able to flee the home and summon help. Detective Nick Fourcade is called to investigate the scene, while Annie Broussard heads to the hospital to connect with the surviving and grieving mother.

As the investigation begins and the team dives into the lives of Genevieve Gauthier and her now deceased son KJ, startling facts come to light. KJ’s father is in absentia, and KJ was often left with a 12-year-old daughter of a schoolmate, who is now missing, as Detectives look to interview her. With the town up in arms over the present events, the team must consider the mother as a suspect in the crime, as well as search for an elusive killer.

Meanwhile the new regimented police chief, Kelvin Dutrow knocks heads with Nick every chance he gets, threatening to fire not only Nick, but Annie from the team. And a grieving father lashes out at Fourcade and the department, convinced that his disabled daughter’s sexual assault investigation is being neglected for the murder.

Did Genevieve kill her son out of frustration and despair over single motherhood? Or is a far more sinister explanation awaiting discovery???

I have been reading books Ms. Hoag for the last 25 years, and I have to say this was one of her best yet!! She just keeps getting better!! With rich, dynamic characters, intriguing settings, and complex storylines, this book, like her others, kept me up far into the night! Un-put-downable! Whether you’re a long-standing fan, or new to Tami Hoag, this book is an absolute MUST READ!!!

Tami Hoag is one of my favorite authors, and having read almost all her books, I was thrilled to receive an (ARC) Advanced Reader Copy from Penguin Group Dutton via Net Galley..

Others have written detailed synopses of plot and characters and the book jacket description is adequate so I will not bore you with the same details of plot and characters or any spoilers.

Suffice it to say if you like a well written mystery, suspense,
thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the end you will love this book. It is easy to see why she said this one was like birthing an elephant.

Ms.Hoag' s other books are equally entertaining, I hope you will check them out too!

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Boy by Tami Hoang is a captivating thriller. There are plenty of twists and turns. This is my first book to read by Hoag. I liked her writing style and the character development of The Boy. I will definitely be reading more books written by Hoag.