Unfortunately this was not one of my favourites by John Nicholl. There was obviously a real hatred for this character throughout and some “on the edge of your seat” moments but it didn’t feel very realistic to me. I do love a great punchy ending too which i thought this lacked. I wanted to enjoy it more but sadly not a winner for me.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

I liked this book. It was different from how I imagined it was going to be in that some was written from the 'boyfriend' point of view and some was from the girl, but most of it was from the detective's point of view which surprised me. However, it was still really good, dark and enjoyable to read. At some parts of the book, you ended up feeling tension in your belly, and wondering what was going to happen next, or 'are they going to be ok', so definitely some suspense in there too. I liked that you got to see and understand what she the victim was feeling, and the author did a good job of portraying the emotions felt in a realistic way. The ending was fantastic, loved how the detective was portrayed in a kind, gentle manner throughout, and also showing his frustration at the situation. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy crime thrillers. 5 stars!

2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Expected publication date - April 4, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Anna thinks she has the perfect boyfriend in Mark until he does unthinkable things to her. Mark is familiar to Inspector Ray Lewis, who has arrested him before on similar charges. Without enough evidence, he wasn't sent to prison before or this time. Now, the race is on. Can Ray send him to prison before more women are hurt or worse?

This story didn't really do it for me. Some parts were very descriptive for no reason, while other parts lacked description. I really had to force myself to finish.

Let's dive into The Boyfriend. This isn't your typical romance. Forget happily ever after, this is a descent into something truly dark and disturbing.
Anna thinks she's found the perfect guy in Mark. Wealthy, charming, everything she's ever wanted. But behind that facade is a monster. He's possessive, controlling, and downright dangerous. When Anna finally escapes, she learns there's no running from him. He's relentless. And she's not the only one in danger.
This book is not for the faint of heart. It's emotionally draining and horrifying. It tackles themes of abuse and obsession in a way that's raw and unsettling. I found myself invested in Ray's character, which was a small bright spot in a very dark story.
Consider this your trigger warning. This book deals with heavy topics. If you're looking for something light and fluffy, this is not it. But even though it's dark and horrifying, it's very well written and I couldn't put it down. If you're ready for a chilling and thought-provoking read, The Boyfriend will definitely leave a mark.

"The Boyfriend" by John Nicholl was a fast paced story that had many twists and turns. This book kept you on the edge of your seat and made you want to see what happened.
Ray Lewis has a case against Mark, a man that hurts women. When the bad guy wins in court, Ray is ready to stop him at any all and costs. As more women are getting hurt Ray is confident that Mark is the one that is guilty. As Ray is trying to make a case against Mark, Mark is making Ray look stupid. When the cops daughter becomes involved it's a whole new game for Ray.
Highly recommend.

I've really enjoyed John Nicholl's previous books.This is a dark, disturbing read, but in the authors usual style, he allows us to get deep inside the mind of a true psychopath.
You really do find yourself going through all emotions, and at times, it is a very uncomfortable read, but such is the writing that you are compelled to carry on to what was a great ending to a gripping page turner.
Recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the Arc

Mark seems to be perfect boyfriend material, charming, attentive, good looking and wealthy with his own business, But you would'nt want to take him home to your parents. Mark harbours a dark secret.
Mark has a dark side , one that the police know all about however time and time again Mark is able to walk away without a blemish on his character.
After walking from court yet again a free man who or what can stop him from committing the same crime again.
This book is wonderfully written with a great storyline and you will be gripped from cover to cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Boyfriend is everything I wish other books with its title in this genre may be, and while it seems on the surface like it may be a cookie cutter thriller, it definitely isn’t.

The characters are incredibly well written if a bit extreme in their roles, from career cop Ray Lewis to Mark Shady, the villain you’ll love to hate. When Shady once again acts despicably with his latest girlfriend she goes to court - only to see him walk free. What follows is vigilante justice and Shady fully embracing his dark side. What makes the book shine, however, is its representation of trauma and the tense build up to whether Shady will ever see justice and whether Ray Lewis will be able to bring it to him. I feel like this book could have been longer to really take advantage of the sequence of events that occur after Shady’s ‘awakening’ but I enjoyed the book even without the extra pages.

That was an amazing thriller. it grips me from the start and i couldn't put it down.

Thanks netgalley for this ARC

Oh wow! A book once started I didn't want to put down. DS Ray Lewis is disappointed. Mark Shady accused of rape has got off scott free, not for the first time. He has a reputation of wining and dining and impressing women and getting them under his control to do whatever he wants. Anna is the latest victim and is dreadfully upset. Lewis goes to see her and finds out more than was revealed in court. He later finds out that the daughter of his friend, also in the police, is currently dating Shady. Lewis would like to put Shady in his place but knows he can't. He's an old school dependable copper not in the best of health and not doing much about it despite his DI Laura doing her best to tell him. Will Shady ever be brought to justice?

OMG. I was hooked and gripped and every other adjective. This is superbly written and takes the reader right into the heart of the story. I really liked Ray, the sort of chap you want on your side and could picture him well- excellent descriptions (reminded me of Sgt Wolfe on “Call the Midwife” ). It's a gritty read, with lots of suspense and twists. One of the best from John. A stunning thrilling read.


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What a great boyfriend.
Not.
Time for someone to teach him a lesson.
What a worthless man.
Great book. First chapter infuriated me to no end. That man. Ugh. Five star read.

The Boyfriend by John Nicholl is part chilling psychological thriller and part cautionary tale, and it will pray upon all of your darkest fears.

Mark appears to have it all and has no trouble attracting the attentions of the opposite sex. In short, he is the perfect boyfriend. That is, until he isn't. Mark has a terrible secret, and it is up to DS Ray Lewis to put him away before another woman falls under his truly evil spell.

This was an unsettling read that really gives you pause as you consider just how safe you ever really are from a potentially dangerous person. I loved the flawed DS Lewis and would be happy to see him reappear in a future novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Mark Shady, a local businessman is not what he seems on the surface. He has escaped jail for several rapes, being found not guilty by the jury.
He has terrible fantasies which he intends to carry out as soon as possible.

A chilling, spine tingling book that won't easily be forgotten. Evil exists, and sadly, the only retribution might be the one you carry out yourself.

Emotional, dark and horrifying, you won't be able to put this book down until after you have read the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Boyfriend by John Nicholl due to be published April 4, 2025.
When Anna first meets Mark, she thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend. Wealthy and charming, he showers her with gifts, compliments, everything she has ever desired. But Mark has another side to him – one that is evil. Nowhere is safe for Anna because Mark will do anything to find her and hurt her and all his other girlfriends.
Oh, how I hated Mark, but what a great thriller this was! It had me hooked from the beginning, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened and if Mark got what he deserved. This was my first by this author – I will definitely look for more of his books!
#NetGalley #JohnNicholl #BoldwoodBooks #TheBoyfriend

When Anna first meets Mark, she thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend. Wealthy and charming, he showers her with gifts, compliments, everything she has ever desired. But Mark is less a prince than a man with a dangerous secret, and as their love life becomes ever darker, Anna flees him. There is nowhere safe from him, though. Not for Anna. Nor for the girlfriends who follow her. Because this is a boyfriend who would kill to make sure he can continue to kiss sleeping princesses…. Wow wow wow!! What a boyfriend?! Geez definitely a chilling thriller! A bit creepy but a fabulous read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! It had great suspense, gaslighting, gruesome murders, mystery, necrophilia, And some wild twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Really loved this book, a very interesting read. The storyline was well constructed with adequate descriptions to understand the mentality of the perpetrator, without going into the explicit details. I was hooked from the first few pages and devoured it in almost couple of sittings. I loved the characters, and there is certainly scope for future encounters.

This book was dark and disturbing! Ideally it should have trigger warnings at the start given some of the subject matter.

It was only an ok read

If you like Kiersten Modglin, Daniel Hurst and Frieda McFaddeb style books BUT a more serious and darker version then this is it. Expertly written but rather unsettling. Check your triggers before embarking on this book and if all is okay then I would recommend. Thanks for early access!

This book is not for the faint hearted. I have to give multiple Trigger Warnings for any reader.

A malicious and narcissistic man leaves a trail of ex girlfriends in his path, ready for revenge. A detective near retirement vows to have him go down for his crimes before his time at the force ends. It’s a battle of wits and keeping one step ahead of the other in a twisty dark thriller.

Unfortunately, this was a little too dark and realistic for me but it is definitely a well written thriller.

Thank you Boldwood Books, John Nicholl and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions here are my own.

Mystery thriller readers, listen up! I just finished an amazing book that is out soon! The Boyfriend by John Nicholl was great!