Synopses & Reviews
“Perry’s novels—the best ones—are a master class in thriller writing. The Informant should be the newest addition to that syllabus, read for devouring first, and analysis thereafter.”—
Los Angeles Times The Butcher’s Boy is back. Thomas Perry’s vengeful assassin has returned to play a deadly psychological game with Elizabeth Waring, the only Justice Department official who ever believed he existed.
The Butcher’s Boy knows Waring can help him hunt down the Mafia boss who sent a team of hit men to kill him—and in return he offers her key information that will help her crack an unsolved murder. So begins a new assault on organized crime and an uneasy alliance between opposite sides of the law. As the Butcher’s Boy works his way ever closer to his deadly enemy in an effort to kill him first, Waring is in a desperate struggle, either to force her unlikely ally to become a protected informant, or to take him out of commission for good.
“Excellent . . . Perry offers a compelling, rapid-fire plot, credible Mafia and FBI secondary characters, an indictment of self-serving officialdom, and the old soul-shattering moral dilemma: what is truth?”—Publishers Weekly
Review
PRAISE FOR
SILENCE"Irresistible . . . Silence entertains until the very last page."New York Daily News "Perry is the grand poobah of the running-away narrative . . . and hes at the top of his cat-and-mouse game in Silence."Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
Review
PRAISE FOR
SILENCE
"Thomas Perry is one hell of a writer. Silence is an ingeniously plotted and tightly written novel of taut psychological suspense. This is catnip for true fans of the mystery/suspense genre."Nelson DeMille
"Mr. Perry spins an elaborate web of cat-and-mouse machinations . . . driven as much by the characters fears and neuroses as by ordinary motives . . . Expertly wrought."Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Review
"Thomas Perry is, quite simply, brilliant. And as each book comes out he becomes more so.
Silence is a case in point. Dont miss it."
Review
"[Perrys] appeal lies in his intricate plotting and original, often irresistible characters. In
Silence, he is at the top of his game . . . Paul and Sylvie Turner [are] two of the most interesting villains you never want to meet . . . Clear prose and page-turning suspense make [
Silence] a quick and enjoyable summer read."
Review
"A book-length war of nerves that accentuates the best of Mr. Perrys gift for using pure logic and gamesmanship to generate breathless nonstop suspense...
The Informant is a marvel of tight, thoughtful construction."
—Janet Maslin, New York Times
"Maybe youve heard of him. Named after the foster father (Eddie the Butcher) who taught him his trade, and introduced almost 30 years ago by Thomas Perry in "The Butchers Boy," this cold-blooded professional killer is one of the immortals of the genre. Michael Schaeffer, to give his antihero his current alias, seemed a bit mechanical when he briefly came out of retirement two decades ago in "Sleeping Dogs," but he makes a great comeback in The Informant (Otto Penzler/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27) - older wiser and deadlier. Perry has to exert himself to engineer a reunion between Schaeffer, who has surfaced from anonymity to defend himself from the mafia good squads that have taken a sudden interest in him, and Elizabeth Waring, a hyper-vigilant honcho with the Department of Justice whose fondest desire is to turn Schaeffer into a government informant. But once these uneasy civilities are attended to, the Butchers Boy is free to kill again, in his own distinctly cruel and inventive way. The fun thing about his professional methods is how low-tech they are. Thats poetic justice for a target like Frank Tosca, an old-school underboss who has called an extraordinary meeting in Arizona to convince the fractious leaders of the big crime families that he can revitalize the mafia and lead it into a new golden age. While everyone is on high alert for marauders brandishing advanced weapons of war, the Butchers Boy quietly sneaks into Toscas cabin and slits his throat with a hunting knife he picked up at a sporting-goods store. Perrys immaculate style - clean, polished, uncluttered by messy emotions - suits the Butchers Boy, who executes his kills with the same cool, dispassionate skill. But this time theres something almost human about his awareness of the limitations imposed by his aging body. Luckily, one of the lessons he learned from Eddie is that "killing was mostly a mental business. It required thinking clearly, not quickly." And his mind is still sharp enough to devise the kind of ingenious logistical traps a young computer gamer could only dream of."
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"Edgar-winner Perry's excellent third Butcher's Boy novel (after Sleeping Dogs) pits the Butcher's Boy (aka Michael Schaeffer), an impeccably effective hit man, against his old nemesis, Elizabeth Waring, an impeccably honest Justice Department official. Though Waring's boss, arrogant political appointee Dale Hunsecker, tries to hamstring her, Waring wants to bolster her 20-year pursuit of Mafia bosses by turning the Butcher's Boy into America's most important informant. Waring soon enters into an intricate pas de deux with a man who considers death a buy-sell commodity. Meanwhile, this icy yet strangely appealing killer, who reads Waring as well as she reads him, methodically murders capo after capo and their "made men" across the country, the only way he can safely return to his quiet retirement in England with his beloved wife, Meg. Perry offers a compelling, rapid-fire plot, credible Mafia and FBI secondary characters, an indictment of self-serving officialdom, and the old soul-shattering moral dilemma: what is truth?"
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review "Twenty years after a trio of lowlifes forced him out of retirement (Sleeping Dogs, 1992, etc.), the Butchers Boy is back.
When youre a professional killer who works freelance, your employers are likely to include a large number of nasty guys. So its not clear to Perrys nameless hero, who started calling himself Michael Schaeffer when he moved to England and settled in Bath as the husband of Lady Margaret Holroyd, which of his former associates sent the three men who inadvertently flushed him out of hiding and then tried to kill him. He has no trouble tracing the three to midlevel New York capo Michael Delamina, whom he kills on page two. In order to identify Delaminas boss, however, he has to consult his old nemesis, Elizabeth Waring of the Justice Department. Taking a leaf from Hannibal Lecters playbook, he urges her, 'Tell me, and Ill tell you something.' When Elizabeth fingers rising under-boss Frank Tosca as Schaeffers next target, he gives her some juicy information on an old Tosca murder in return. But although "he had never failed to accomplish his goal when all it entailed was killing someone," her news comes too late to help. By the time Schaeffer kills Tosca, the ambitious under-boss has convened a sit-down in which his counterparts from across the country have agreed to join his vendetta against the Butchers Boy—a goal Toscas death only makes them more eager to pursue. For her part, Elizabeth is so determined to bring Schaeffer into the Witness Protection Program as the ultimate informant that shes willing offer him a series of unauthorized deals, which of course he spurns. Schaeffer is squeezed between two collective adversaries with virtually unlimited personnel and resources. On the other hand, only Schaeffer is the Butchers Boy. Beneath the sky-high body count, the twisty plot is powered by Perrys relentless focus on the question of where the next threat is coming from and how to survive it."
—Kirkus, STARRED review "I've said elsewhere that Thomas Perry's novels —the best ones — are a master class in thriller writing. The Informant should be the newest addition to that syllabus, read for devouring first, and analysis thereafter."
—Sarah Weinman, Los Angeles Times
Review
PRAISE FOR NIGHTLIFE"Terrific . . . tight, transfixing . . . Extraordinary . . . A lot of care and ingenuity have gone into the suspenseful chessboard plotting of this story." THE NEW YORK TIMES"Diabolical . . . Chilling . . . Perry keeps [his characters] in a state of high anxiety with some infernally tricky plot maneuvers, but the conflict that really matters is a psychological one, the battle for identity." THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Review
"Silence is ingenious, a runaway train-paced thriller from the devilish Thomas Perry."
Review
"Mr. Perry is known for good reason as a careful, incisive writer of psychological crime stories. And
Silence is another prime example. As Mr. Perry spins an elaborate web of cat-and-mouse machinations, his story is driven as much by the characters fears and neuroses as by ordinary motives . . . Expertly wrought . . .
Silence cross-cuts between Tills search for Wendy and scenes of the Turners in sinister pursuit. Mr. Perry renders these dynamics in his typically lean, perceptive style, to the point where none of the principals make a false move . . . Steadily surprising."
Review
"An ingeniously plotted and tightly written novel of taut psychological suspense . . . Catnip for true fans of the mystery/suspense genre."
Review
Praise for Thomas Perry
Thomas Perry is, quite simply, brilliant. And as each book comes out he becomes more so.”Robert B. Parker
Nobody writes thrillers like Thomas Perry . . . His books are unpredictable, action-packed, and fueled by a cynical wit and observant eye for detail.”San Francisco Chronicle
Perry is so skillful with the old chase-and-pursuit routine, creates such interesting characters, and writes about them so tellingly, one wants more immediately, not next yearright now.”Boston Globe
Synopsis
Six years ago, Jack Till helped Wendy Harper disappear. But now her ex-boyfriend and former business partner, Eric Fuller, is being framed for her presumed murder in an effort to smoke her out, and Till must find her before tango-dancing assassins Paul and Sylvie Turner do.
The Turners are merely hired to do a job, though, and prefer to remain anonymous. When they find that a middleman has let the true employer know their identities, finishing the job is no longer enough. Their fee just went up.
Full of masterful plotting and unnerving psychological insight, Silence is a mesmerizing thrill ride.
Synopsis
Jane WhitefieldNew York Times best-selling writer Thomas Perrys most popular characterreturns from retirement to the world of the runner, guiding fugitives out of danger.
After a nine-year absence, the fiercely resourceful Native American guide JaneWhitefield is back, in the latest superb thriller by award-winning author Thomas Perry.
For more than a decade, Jane pursued her unusual profession: Im a guide . . . I show people how to go from places where somebody is trying to kill them to other places where nobody is.”Then she promised her husband she would never work again, and settled in to live a happy, quiet life as Jane McKinnon, the wife of a surgeon in Amherst, New York. But when a bomb goes off in the middle of a hospital fundraiser, Jane finds herself face to face with the cause of the explosion: a young pregnant girl who has been tracked across the country by a team of hired hunters.That night, regardless of what she wants or the vow shes made to her husband, Jane must come back to transform one more victim into a runner. And her quest for safety sets in motion a mission that will be a rescue operationor a chance for revenge.
Runner is Thomas Perry at the top of his form.
Synopsis
Married and living in England under the name Michael Schaeffer, the assassin known as the Butcher's Boy is the target of a Mafia hit team sent to exact revenge for his deadly campaign against the Balacontano family years earlier. Schaeffer kills all three attackers, but knows more will come, and needs to find whoever sent them to end it once and for all.
Soon Elizabeth Waring, now high up in the Organized Crime Division of the Justice Department, receives a surprise late-night visit from the Butchers Boy. Knowing she keeps track of the Mafia, he asks her who the three men work for. Not knowing they have been murdered, she gives him a name: Frank Tosca, an aspirant to the Balacontano throne. In exchange, he tells her about a murder Tosca committed over twenty years ago. So begins a new assault on organized crime, and the uneasy alliance between The Butchers Boy and Waring, who trade current information for old secrets.
As the Butcher's Boy works his way ever closer to his quarry in an effort to protect his new way of life, Waring finds herself in a race against time, either to convince him to become a protected informant--or to take him out of commission for good.
Synopsis
In Thomas Perrys Edgar-winning debut
The Butchers Boy, a professional killer betrayed by the Mafia leaves countless mobsters dead and then disappears. Justice Department official Elizabeth Waring is the only one who believes he ever existed. Many years later, the Butchers Boy finds his peaceful life threatened when a Mafia hit team finally catches up with him. He knows they wont stop coming and decides to take the fight to their door.
Soon Waring, now high up in the Organized Crime Division of the Justice Department, receives a surprise latenight visit from the Butchers Boy. Knowing she keeps track of the Mafia, he asks her whom his attackers worked for, offering information that will help her crack an unsolved murder in return. So begins a new assault on organized crime and an uneasy alliance between opposite sides of the law. As the Butchers Boy works his way ever closer to his quarry in an effort to protect his new way of life, Waring is in a race against time, either to convince him to become a protected informant—or to take him out of commission for good.
Synopsis
Bestselling author Thomas Perry returns to the stomping ground of his Edgar-winning debut, The Butcher Boy (1982), for a new novel pitting a rogue contract killer against the mob.
Synopsis
The Butcher's Boy is back! Thomas Perry's vengeful assassin has returned to play a deadly psychological game with Elizabeth Waring, the only Justice Department official who ever believed he existed. Can these two from opposite sides of the law come together to take on the mafia?
Synopsis
The Butchers Boy is back for another one‑man war against the Mafia. Praise for Strip "Thomas Perry, that smiling sadist who gets his kicks from outfoxing readers, is at his wicked best in Strip." — Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review Praise for Runner "Perry is a master of suspense, knowing just when to switch viewpoints and how to pace the action to keep the tension high throughout." — Associated Press Praise for Fidelity "A coolly cerebral Perry puzzle . . . [Fidelity] rivets attention, races fast and displays distinctive Perry hallmarks, especially in its standoffs." — Janet Maslin, New York Times Praise for Silence "Intriguing . . . Filled with the same dark humor that has been the authors trademark since his Edgar‑winning debut, The Butchers Boy." — Denver Post
Synopsis
The latest mystery from the author of RUNNER
Synopsis
A bracing and ingeniously cast L.A. crime novel from Edgar Award-winner Thomas Perry
An aging but formidable strip club owner, Claudiu “Manco” Kapak, is robbed by a masked gunman as he places his cash receipts in a banks night-deposit box. Enraged, he sends out half a dozen security men to find the witless culprit. Their search leads them to Joe Carver, an innocent but hardly defenseless newcomer who evades capture and sets out to make Kapak wish hed targeted someone else. Meanwhile, the real burglar, Jefferson Davis Falkins, and his new girlfriend Carrie seem to believe theyve found a whole new profession: robbing Manco Kapak. Lieutenant Nick Slosser, the police detective in charge of the puzzling and increasingly violent case, has his own troubles, including worries about how hes going to afford to send the oldest child of each of his two bigamous marriages to college without making their mothers suspicious. As this strange series of events explodes into a triple killing, Carver finds himself in the middle of a brewing gang war over Kapaks little empire, while Falkins and Carrie journey into territory more dangerous than they could have ever imagined.
Synopsis
Murder, money, and marriage pack a triple treat in this absorbing, character-driven crime novel from Thomas Perry.
When Los Angeles P.I. Phil Kramer is shot dead on a deserted suburban street in the middle of the night, his wife, Emily, is left with an emptied bank account and a lot of questions. How could Phil leave her penniless? What was he going to do with the money? And, most of all, who was the man she thought she married? Meanwhile, Jerry Hobart has some questions of his own. Its none of his business why he was hired to kill Phil Kramer. But now that hes been ordered to take out Kramers widow, he senses a deeper secret at work—and maybe a bigger payoff from Ted Forrest, the mysterious wealthy man behind the hit.
Synopsis
When Phil Kramer is shot dead on a deserted suburban street in the middle of the night, his wife, Emily, is left with an emptied bank account and a lot of questions. How could Phil leave her penniless? What was he going to do with the money? And,most of all, who was he if he wasnt the man she thought she married?
Jerry Hobart has some questions of his own. Its none of his business why he was hired to kill Phil Kramer. But now that hes been ordered to take out Kramers widow, he figures theres a bigger secret at workand maybe a bigger payoff.
As they race to find the secret that Phil Kramer so masterfully hid, both Hobart and Emily must question where their true loyalties lie and how much they owe those who have been unfaithful to them. In Fidelity, Thomas Perry delivers another riveting thriller.
About the Author
THOMAS PERRY is the author of the Jane Whitefield series as well as the bestselling novels Nightlife , Death Benefits , and Pursuit , the first recipient of the Gumshoe Award for Best Novel. He won an Edgar Award for The Butchers Boy , and Metzgers Dog was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He lives in Southern California.