Nearly forty years after his first appearance in The Butcher’s Boy (1982), the amoral hit man Michael Schaeffer, previously known only as the Butcher’s Boy, is back in his fourth adventure.

Perry’s The Butcher’s Boy won the 1983 Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel and launched his successful career, which has resulted in some 28 novels to date. Following The Butcher’s Boy Perry has brought his hit man back on two other occasions at roughly the ten year mark: Sleeping Dogs (1992) and The Informant (2011). And now at the tail end of 2020, he returns for a fourth action-packed, but reflective, adventure.

Michael Schaeffer (not his real name) used to be a skillful contract killer working for the Mafia. He was trained by his guardian and mentor Eddie Mastrewski, a Pittsburgh butcher and renown hit man, and quickly developed the skills that had him in high demand as a killer. Now after a bloody and somewhat fraught career, Michael, who is in his 60s, is retired and living in England with his wealthy English wife Meg. Although always vigilante, Michael has been enjoying a peaceful life until four armed intruders show up at their estate. Michael dispatches them with his usual efficiency and then sets off on a blood soaked journey from England to Australia and finally the United States in search of the person responsible for sending the killers after him.

As he moves through his quest, Michael is guided by the wise words of Eddie:
“If you learn there’s a contract out on you, don’t hesitate. Find out who it is and go after him. Don’t bother wasting bodyguards or underlings. Go right to the one who pays them. Find him and stop his heart any way you can.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the first three books in the Butcher’s Boy series and was not disappointed with this latest entry. The pacing and the body count is probably a little higher this time around, but it is also balanced by interesting reflections on Michael’s early life. As his hunt for the man responsible for the disruption to his life progresses, Michael reminisces about his childhood with Eddie Mastrewski and how he came to be the butcher’s boy. These reminiscences in effect form a second storyline and Perry alternates between the two, bringing both to a satisfactory conclusion.

As in the earlier books, Michael’s nemesis, Department of Justice agent Elizabeth Waring, also makes a welcomed appearance. Elizabeth, who is now the head of a unit that hunts mob killers, has mixed feelings about Michael and owes him a big debt from the past when he saved her from rape. Despite her feelings, Elizabeth is a professional and sets out to take advantage of this rare appearance by Michael to catch him.

This is a very good, simple thriller. There is not a lot of complexity to it, but it moves very well and keeps you happily entertained. Regular readers of the series, will also enjoy the insights into Michael’s early life and the making of the Butcher’s Boy, although he largely remains an interesting enigma.

Thomas Perry has the most interesting characters. This one is the Butcher Boy a man adopted by a butcher and trained to be a hit man. He has been living a calm life until ,he is attacked at his home and has to stop those that want to kill him. The narrative goes back and forth between his upbringing and current day.. Lots of mobsters and some feds to round out the story. A quick read.

I was given a copy by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

EDDIE’S BOY
Thomas Perry
Mysterious Press
ISBN 978-0802157775
Hardcover
Thriller

The “Eddie” of the title of Thomas Perry’s newly published thriller is none other than (a now deceased) Pittsburgh butcher named Eddie Mastrewski, who long ago adopted a suddenly orphaned boy named Michael Schaeffer. Mastrewski schooled Michael in the butchering trade, from the cutting and the weighing and the keeping of accounts to the delivery for special customers. He also initiated Michael in the art of his second, down-low job, that being a hitman-for-hire for La Costa Nostra. EDDIE’S BOY is the fourth of Perry’s books to feature Schaeffer, and while it does not contain a lot of surprises, there are revelations, action, and munitions galore, with enough of all three to satisfy even the most jaded thriller reader.

One does not have to be familiar with what has gone before in the Butcher Boy series to fully appreciate EDDIE’S BOY. Perry does an exemplary job of bringing readers who are new to the series --- which started in 1982 --- into the fold and up to date. Perry has been aging Schaeffer naturally so that he is in his sixties in EDDIE’S BOY’s present while in his mid- to late-teens in the flashbacks, which are important as opposed to gratuitous. Shaeffer in the present is retired, happily married to an extremely wealthy woman, and living quietly in England. His past life seems to be quietly behind him until he suddenly finds himself to be the unsuccessful target of an assassination attempt. Shaeffer goes into hiding but quickly discovers that the people after him seem to know where he is going almost before he does. It becomes clear to Schaeffer that if he is to successfully repel and ultimately stop the attacks, he must find out who is behind them. The problem is that there is no short list of suspects. Schaeffer and Eddie made a great number of enemies over the years. Schaeffer, in order to answer the question of “who” is behind the attacks on him, must find out “why” and its associated question “why now.” Schaeffer turns to an unexpected source for assistance in doing this and discovers that the attempts on his life are motivated by practicality as well as revenge. Schaeffer, age notwithstanding, is not old but seasoned. He begins taking the fight to his pursuers, acting instead of reacting, all the time worrying about whether his wife is a target too as well as whether he still possesses the sharpened skill set which has permitted him to live as long as he has. The only certainty is that Schaeffer, as demonstrated in EDDIE’S BOY, should never be underestimated.

EDDIE’S BOY in spots reminded me of the John Wick movie franchise, in that Schaeffer seems to jump into and out of lethal trouble with the adroitness of a younger (but not much younger) Keanu Reeves in the instantly iconic films. That is not a complaint, by any means. The idea of a thriller is to present how a protagonist gets out of a situation, and EDDIE’S BOY does not lack for situations. The narrative only drags a tiny bit when it goes into detail about the different players in the LCN empire and their ever-changing alliances. That is a decidedly minor quibble, particularly in a novel loaded with action scenes with a quietly charismatic hero pulling the trigger. Perry through Schaeffer also provides the reader with a number of life lessons that can be kept in good stead by anyone, even if one doesn’t constantly have a target on their back. Should you decide to read EDDIE’S BOY --- and you should --- you will want to leave yourself time to read the three books in the series which precede it, as well as the other books in Perry’s considerable backlist. There isn’t a bad one in the lot. Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2020, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thomas Perry's "The Butcher's Boy" was a breathtaking, ingenious, and original thriller, but the latest and final installment in this series breaks little new ground. Sixty-year-old Michael Schaeffer has been living for thirty years in Bath, England, with his wife, Meg Holroyd, a moneyed and glamorous woman whom he adores. Once again, Michael is being pursued by old enemies with whom he clashed back in the days when he was a hit man, trained by the only father he ever knew, Eddie Mastrewski. Now deceased, Eddie was a popular butcher in Pittsburgh who had a lucrative sideline as a murderer-for-hire. After taking in Michael, a toddler whose parents died in a car crash, Eddie took excellent care of the little boy. When Michael was old enough, he worked behind the counter in Eddie's butcher shop. In addition, he learned other skills from Eddie: how to conduct surveillance, break into a locked building, use weapons effectively, and employ patience and brainpower to outwit and outlast his adversaries.

In "Eddie's Boy," Michael travels to Australia and across America, fleeing his hunters and trying to turn the tables on them. Aside from an account of Michael's poignant reminiscences about his treasured bond with Eddie and pleasant interactions he had with two of Eddie's attractive female customers, this novel is a reprise of old themes that Perry has covered before. There are numerous would-be killers out to get Michael, but he has so much acumen when it comes to self-preservation, that we never get the feeling that he is in imminent peril. Schaeffer's Superman-like invincibility robs this book of the excitement and suspense that we expect from this veteran writer.

When he is not engaged in combat, Michael has conversations with an old acquaintance, Elizabeth Waring, from the U. S. Department of Justice's Organized Crime Section. Alas, she is wary of trading information with a man who has committed so many crimes himself. Too many characters in "Eddie's Boy" are dimwitted thugs, and once Perry establishes that Michael is the equal of almost any assailant, there is little to hold our interest except more bloodshed. Scene after scene of slaughter, even when the victims are themselves villainous, does not make for a scintillating work of fiction.

It takes a rare and awesome talent to be able to invert the forces of good and evil—to make a stone cold serial killer into a good guy—but that’s exactly what master wordsmith and Edgar Award-winning author Thomas Perry has done in his newest, and best in our opinion, of the four installments of his Butcher’s Boy series, which began in 1982. Eddie's Boy opens in the present, in Yorkshire, England where retired American hit man Michael Schaeffer has been living in quiet and peaceful anonymity with his British wife for the past twenty years. But everything changes in an instant when a trio of unknown assassins strike without warning, and Michael, now in his sixties, must defend himself . . . as well as his wife, Meg.
The first pages of the novel begin with an angry Michael Schaeffer speeding away from his home in a stolen automobile with the three corpses of the inept hit men who’ve been sent to murder him. Knowing that his past could come back to haunt him at any time, the old hit man has always kept himself in top physical condition and had contingency plans in place to ensure the safety of his wife Meg—who is fully aware of her husband’s past. She’s now in hiding, while Michael heads out for Australia, hoping to find peace and safety.
He doesn’t. No sooner than he’s on the ground down under, than new attempts are made on his life, the body count rises, and Schaeffer realizes that his best hope of survival is to return to the United States and confront whatever demon from his past has returned to try and kill him. And as each new attempt is made on his life, Michael recalls an episode from his childhood and the lessons he learned from his substitute father, Eddie the butcher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, fifty years earlier.
Once he’s back in America, Schaeffer reaches out for help to a Justice Department Official named Elizabeth Waring—for whom he was once a confidential informant. By trading information with her, Schaeffer is able to determine who . . . and why . . . someone from his past has re-entered his life, and the action never stops as the old assassin uses all of his wiles and experience, plus every trick he’s ever learned, to stay alive.
Eddie’s Boy is wickedly twisted, dynamic and super well-plotted, leaving no doubt that Mr. Perry is not only at the top of his game . . . he’s outdone everything he’s written before. It’s impossible to put down once you start reading!

This was a well-written, entertaining book. Michael is retired, enjoying his peaceful life with his wife in England. Then someone tries to kill him, and he has to venture back into his past as a hit man in America to figure out who and why. The action was constant and the book was impossible to put down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Thomas Perry has been writing for years, but keeps being discovered by new fans. Although his latest, Eddie’s Boy, is fine as a standalone, it is part of the “Butcher’s Boy” series, and The Informant, the most recent in that series, is referenced throughout, so it might be best to at least read that one first. But not totally necessary.

Years ago, a mob hitman named Eddie took in Michael Shaeffer, whose parents had been killed in an automobile accident. Eddie taught Michael everything he knew, including how to kill, and Michael went on to become a hitman himself. After he and his aristocratic wife retire to a secluded estate in England, his enemies track them down and try to kill him. He becomes involved in a chase that takes him to America, with lots of insights into how “Eddie’s Boy” became who he is, and how he might survive the assault on his peaceful retirement.

Mysterious Press and NetGalley provided an ARC of Eddie’s Boy in exchange for my honest review. Kind of fun to root for the “bad guy” — four stars.

First and foremost, my thanks to Mysterious Press, author Thomas Perry and Netgalley for a digital ARC of Eddie’s Boy in exchange for an honest review.

Former hitman,Michael Shaeffer is now retired and living peacefully in England with his aristocratic wife. He has kept a low profile for the past 30 years living in the secluded and guarded estate in Bath. Although he makes very few social appearances, he has been tracked by his enemies to his wife’s home and assassins have made an attempt on his life. Thus starts the setting of the newest installment in this series. Although he has been inactive in his former profession, the muscle memory of killing and surviving is still alive and well tuned. He is thrust into action, and high octane action it is! The cat and mouse pursuit is in full throttle, as his pursuers are plentiful and global. The story line propels him to America to discover why he is on the mafia’s radar after all these years. Present day explosive scenes are played out with ingenious schemes- enthralling!

One of the most interesting aspects of Eddie’s Boy, is that the story jumps between Michael’s aforementioned situation and his past, as an apprentice to Eddie, the man who “adopted “him and became his family after his own parents had been killed in a car crash. Eddie, a highly skilled mob hitman, took care of Michael and taught him life skills - and how to kill. The reader gets a glimpse into his past training with Eddie which gave him the ruthless and successful skillset he now possesses.

It is remarkable to root for the bad guy, but that is indeed what this reader does. It is a testament to the author to develop such a dynamic character, albeit an amoral one, that is so endearing to readers. I believe that is what distinguishes Thomas Perry and his writing from other scripts of assassins for hire: the depth of character development. That, of course, and Mr. Perry’s exquisitely splendid author’s craft. He is indeed an incredible story teller, using a full range of imagery and details that submerge the reader into a thrilling and electric adventure.

A word of recommendation: The Butcher’s Boy series began close to FOUR DECADES ago! Thrilling then, and thrilling now. Although this is a stand alone, do yourself the favor of reading the previous ones in the series. If you don’t want to go back to the beginning, you’d definitely benefit from the most recent one, The Informant, as the story in it is referenced throughout Eddie’s Boy.

Thank you, Mr. Perry, for treating us to another exciting installment in the Butcher Boy’s saga. Now, may we get another Jane Whitefield adventure?

“If you learn there’s a contract out on you don’t hesitate. Find out who it is and go after him. Don’t bother wasting bodyguards or underlings. Go right to the one who pays them all find him and stop his heart anyway you can. You don’t get anything for giving his people an extra hour of open season on you.”

Michael Schaeffer used to be known as the Butcher ‘s Boy. That was 30 years ago when he was a skillful contract killer working for the Mafia. He was trained by his guardian Eddie Mastrewski, a Pittsburgh butcher. Michael is now 60 and retired in England with his wealthy English wife Meg. Things have been peaceful until 4 armed intruders show up at their estate and Michael kills them. Fortunately Meg is a very understanding wife who is unfazed by body disposal. The rest of the book consists of Michael trying to discover and kill the person who has ordered his assassination. There is a steady stream of hit men tracking Michael from England to Australia and ultimately to the United States.

This is the fourth book of the series. I haven’t read the earlier books, but there is copious backstory in this book so it works as a standalone. The one thing I might have missed by not reading the previous books is a reason to root for Michael. He was every bit as scummy as the people who were trying to kill him and I really didn’t care whether he survived. The book is very fast paced and the backstory involving Michael’s life with Eddie did not slow it down. It was woven into the present day story very well. The book has a lot of action (mostly shooting) and there is a very high body count. This entertained me and I would read another book in the series. The narration by Michael Kramer of the audiobook was just ok. He definitely did a better job with the male voices.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

I am a huge fan of The Butcher's Boy, so when I saw this book I was excited. And I'm pleased to say Thomas Perry didn't let me down. No longer a boy, our hero looks back on his life as he responds, as only he can, to an attempt on his life in his present. The suspense is ramped up, as usual, and the writing is exquisite. Fans of this series will not be disappointed, and newcomers will be delighted.

Thomas Perry is one of my favorite authors. When I requested an ARC of this book, I had no idea it was a "butchers boy" story, which I love. If you follow my reviews, you know I have a thing for books with hitmen.

I went into this book with high expectations and wasn't disappointed. It was a great mix of action and story. You don't need to read the prior books in the series to enjoy this one, but I recommend it. It helps give you more of a feel for the main character.

The only downside was that I was so into this book that I read it in a day..... and now it's over..

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the advance copy. This did not impact my review.

This is part four of a continuing story began so very long ago in Perry's The Butcher's Boy, and it's just as good as the award winning original. About once a decade Thomas Perry looks in on one of the most fascinating characters ever created, whom even after all this time, we only know by his first name and his assumed alias. As always the butcher's boy finds himself the target of hitmen, who find him as he's living the life he carved out in England after decimating the Mafia in the US. He's in his sixth decade of life, feeling his age and wondering how many people could possibly be left with knowledge of him and enough hatred to wish him dead. He takes the fight directly to his many enemies, the way his mentor taught him, and utilises his best contact from over the years, who's fondest wish is to see the butcher's boy arrested for the many murders he's responsible for over the years. Thomas Perry does a remarkable job mixing the past with the present and creating a protagonist which even if you don't root for him, you are pleased that he manages to outsmart his opponents, while trying to determine exactly who wants him dead and keep from being arrested. For me these books flow very smoothly, if you aren't careful, a little light reading before bed causes you to miss an entire night of sleep in what seems like the blink of an eye. I've always enjoyed Perry's novels, and the two continuing characters he's created especially, Jane Whitefield and the butcher's boy, have real depth, they struggle to overcome impossible odds and in the telling make a wonderful story that we get to enjoy. If you haven't read the previous novels about Eddie's boy, do yourself the favor of correcting that oversight before starting this one, the previous three books are readily available and you won't have to wait 30+ years to find out how it turns out.

I read everything by this fine author and find each book a suspenseful well crafted mystery that is engaging and fun to read. This is book four in the series and my first of the series. Somehow I missed this series by the author. I was able to quickly pick up the charcters and story so this can be read as a stand alone. I will go back and read the entire series as this was a very exciting book.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

This is non stop action that kept me turning pages into the night. Michael Schaeffer was trained young as a top contract killer. Michael has been out of the business for years, living quietly in England with his wife and enjoying his normal life that he hoped for. When a contract is put out on his life he knows he must go back to the business to eliminate the source. Each chapter was Thomas Perry classic action and a great build up of suspense. This was a engaging fun read from beginning to end.

C/W: Violence, implied underage sex, death, mentions of infidelity

I think that while this book reads ok as a stand-alone I can see how the experience may be enhanced by reading the whole series before picking up this book. It is a solid three-star read, probably more if contemporary thrillers are something you are interested in picking up.

Eddie's Boy runs between the past, present, Michael and Elizabeth's perspectives without much pomp. The story definitely reminded me a lot of the Alex Cross series, so if you are a fan of that, you may be a fan of this,

While there isn't anything as a whole that put me off this book, it definitely is action-heavy, realistically so. I definitely think the action scenes appeal to a specific kind of audience solely because of how well thought they are. I also loved the play between the relationships that Michael has with those he interacts with.

Although I must admit that if I were not reading this book for review I would have dnf'd it after the implied underage sex. I can see why that may appeal some but infidelity, especially when one of the characters is underaged, is a trope that doesn't sit well with me.

Also, the lack of diversity in characters gave me pause, A lot of this book takes place in pretty diverse cities and while a case can be made for the lack of visibility I was less invested in the characters because Michael's interactions with people (apart from his partner) read as relationships of need, and seemed very isolating.

Personally, it wasn't a fun read, but I am also not the target audience for this book. If a white, cis-male, criminal underground attached, contract-killer with a magnet for action and thriller moments appeals to you; this is your book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me an e-arc of "Eddie's Boy" in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own.

Awesome addition to the Butcher's Boy series.
Michael Schaeffer, aka the Butcher's Boy, is a retired killer for hire. He has left his past behind him many years ago and lives a quiet life in Bath with his wife, Meg. During their annual party weekend, Michael's past catches up with him. He realizes that after all these years a contract has been put out on him, and his only chance of surviving is to find the person responsible. Michael must travel many miles, revisit past "associates", and cause a lot of chaos to find his ultimate target. But can he pull the trigger first, or has his luck finally run out?
Great plot as always, filled with plenty of action and storyline. Love the glimpses into the past to fill in some of Michael's history.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Very happy to see the Butcher's Boy return! One does wonder how our hero avoids an international dragnet after leaving so many bodies about.

Very satisfying entry in the Butcher’s Boy series. Fills in a lot of background, develops more of the characters in a way that ties well with the stories we already know. Style is consistent with the rest of the series. Adds the element of current technology and finds ways for the character to work through it. Well worth reading!!

Eddie"s Boy by Thomas Berry is a superb read! An engrossing read and page turner well worth the time spent.

Michael Schaeffer was trained as a young boy by a top contract killer. Michael has been out of the business for years, living quietly in England with his wife. When a contract is put out on his life he decides he has to eliminate the source. From that point on no one is safe, Michael is the best. There was plenty of action in the book and in spite of the fact he wasn’t a good guy I liked the main character. This is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thomas Perry is a prolific writer with a variety of series & stand-alones to his credit. But it all began in 1982 with The Butcher’s Boy. A big hit with readers, it went on to win the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Every ten years or so, he adds a book to the series which sets up an interesting dynamic between the reader & MC. Both are a decade older & (fingers crossed) wiser. So, Michael Shaeffer…whatcha been up to?

As it turns out, not much. Michael is a rarity…a retired hitman. After some particularly hairy jobs, he packed up his money & moved across the pond to assume a new identity. There he met Meg, a charming British aristocrat, & settled into his new role as husband. Living in the UK has made it easier to avoid bumping into anyone associated with his old life. So naturally it’s quite a shock when several men break into their house one night & try to kill him. What the hell…

Michael has been out of the game for a long time. He doesn’t even know who the players are let alone who would want him dead after all this time. Priority one is keeping Meg safe so he goes on the run only to discover the plot to make him dead has gone international. The answer has to lie somewhere in the past & Michael has no choice but to return to his old stomping grounds in the States.

What follows is a tense, fast paced read built to hold your attention. It doesn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on characters’ motivation or what makes them tick. Instead, you’ll often feel the urge to duck & cover as you try to keep track of the body count.

The story alternates between the present & the past. We travel with Michael back to America where he begins to hunt for the person who put a price on his head & why. In alternate chapters, he reminisces about his childhood with Eddie Mastrewski and how he came to be the butcher’s boy. Old friends & enemies cross his path as he gradually thins out the local mobster population.

For all the time we spend with him, Michael (if that is his real name) remains an enigma. He’s a suave, intelligent man who’s gone from orphan to hitman to country squire. You get the sense he doesn’t spend too much time navel gazing….more of just-get-on-with-it type of guy. This is reflected in the pared down, straightforward style of prose that effectively propels the story & keeps you slightly breathless.

For me, this was the right book at the right time. I wasn’t looking for subtlety or thought provoking exposition. I needed something fast paced & entertaining to distract me from the new reality of sitting on a plane for a couple of hours (no pretzels….*sigh*). Mission accomplished.