3.5 stars, actually.

In all honesty, I enjoyed this book overall, just as I have several other of this prolific author's works. Also in all honesty, though, I can't say it's his best.

The story centers around Jodie Parker, whose father, a much-revered community leader, recently and unexpectedly passed away. He and Jodie's mother aren't together anymore, and in his will he left his house to Jodie, totally shutting out her older brother Mike (who, understandably, isn't pleased about it). But as she goes through the house to get rid of unwanted "stuff," she finds an article of clothing connected to a long-ago boyfriend who is assumed to have been murdered. That makes her question everything she believed about her father; why on earth would he have it at all, much less stored in an attic where she was always forbidden to go?

Answering that question forms the basis of the plot, but it also was a source of frustration for me; it seemed like half the book was taken up with her questioning, musing, wondering, suspicions and indecision about whether or not to involve the police (read: over-the-top repetition). The other details, though, kept things interesting - including her relationship with old friend Fiona, her teenage son Owen, her ex-husband Darren (whose current wife is very pregnant) and her brother, whose wife Samantha is intent on making sure he gets his fair share of the inheritance pie. Complicating the whole mess is Paul McIntosh, who was convicted of murdering Jodie's boyfriend Ben all those years ago but swears he's innocent, decides to return home upon his release from prison.

Jodie waffles back and forth for the rest of the book, and I won't say I'm happy with the ending, which brings a tragedy that complicates that decision even more (if that's possible). But even though there was never any question about what I would do if all this happened to me, the ending does provide food for thought and, for those who might think otherwise, underscores the fact that nothing is written in black and white. In short, it's a more-than-decent choice for reading at the beach or next to a cozy fireplace in winter, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

I was absolutely gripped from the description but found the execution a little too slow and a bit dull.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!


I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

I really enjoyed this new one by Kerry Wilkinson. Very well done and grabbed me from page one. I loved the characters and all of their personal details. Most were easy to relate to and love, others made me a little crazy! The story flowed well and kept on packing punches.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Excellent book as usual from Kerry. I read it in two days. Gripping story. A lot of twists and turns along the way..

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Boyfriend’ written by Kerry Wilkinson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Jodie’s father, ex-mayor Martin Parker whom people have only kind words for, has died of a heart attack and the more she talks to those at his wake the more she learns about him. She starts clearing out the childhood home she’s been left in Martin’s Will and in the loft comes across a green tee-shirt with a distinctive clover design on the front. The last time she saw this tee-shirt her boyfriend Ben was wearing it on their last date before he disappeared. It was presumed Ben died at the hands of Paul McIntosh who’s spent the last twenty years in prison, and if this is the case what’s the tee-shirt doing in her father’s attic?

I always look forward to reading anything by Kerry Wilkinson as no two of his standalone novels are the same and I never know what to expect. As soon as I started ‘The Boyfriend’ I knew I was going to enjoy it as it’s a very addictive thriller that’s so easy to read I couldn’t put it down and read it in less than twenty-four hours. There’s no great drama or suspense, just a strong story that caught my attention from page one with its well-written plot and relatable characters and a conclusion that could have been resolved in any number of ways. I can recommend this thriller that’s well-deserving of five stars.

I'm a huge fan of Kerry Wilkinson and never pass up an opportunity to read his standalone thrillers, with each of them suitably different from the previous. I guess what I love most about Wilkinson's books is his witty humour. It is a little dark at times but there are those throwaway lines that just make me chuckle whenever I see them nestled within the pages of an otherwise serious matter.

Jodie Parker is a divorced single mum to the despairingly monosyllabic Owen living in the town in which she was born and grew up in. Everyone knows each other, everyone has dated almost everyone else or known those who have dated them, has grown up with the same people and the same neighbours for decades in a town where not much anything changes. Except if you go to prison for twenty years and come out to find everything has changed.

And now Jodie's life as she knows it is about to come crumbling down...if it hasn't started to already. Her father has passed away after a sudden heart attack and she is left to pick up the pieces, organise his funeral, wake and the clearing out of the house that she and her brother grew up in and of which she is now the sole beneficiary. Much to the annoyance of her sister-in-law Samantha who is now threatening a lawsuit to see her hubby and Jodie's brother Mike share the inheritance. But Jodie's father had a reason for making her the sole beneficiary and she needed to respect that.

Then one day she is in the attic, that she was never allowed into as a child, clearing out some long-forgotten boxes up there when she comes across one labelled in her father's hand "KEEP". She opens it up expecting to find treasures from his public life as town mayor and a pillar of the community, but nothing can prepare her for seeing the green fabric of her long missing boyfriend's t-shirt. The same one he had been wearing the last time she saw him...the night he disappeared.

Jodie was sixteen when Ben disappeared after waving goodbye to her to walk home through "Bramble Alley", as it was locally known. He was her first boyfriend and the love of her life. Part of her has never gotten over the loss of him and everyone, their parents mainly, expected the two to marry and raise a family of their own. But that all ended one night when Ben walked into the alley and was never seen again. No body was found, no trace of him was left behind...except in the van of a local man Paul McIntosh, the same van Jodie had seen near the churchyard on the night Ben disappeared. McIntosh arrested, tried and found guilty of murdering Ben and sentenced to prison. Case closed.

Except now Paul McIntosh had been released from prison and Jodie now held the last piece of clothing Ben had been wearing. So why did her dad have it? And why was it hidden away stashed in his attic? Jodie had so many questions she didn't know who to ask or where to look for answers.

And then things began to happen. Someone broke into her father's house - now her house - one night, although nothing was taken, and then tried to burn the same house down by pouring accelerant through the letterbox along with a match, resulting in only damaging the door beyond repair. Someone knows there is something in her father's house and they want it...but what? And who? And has her father's life all these years been a lie?

Added to her worries is her monosyllabic son Owen, who spends an inordinate amount of time playing violent video games online when he's home and bullying younger kids when he's not. Jodie barely recognises her son anymore and when she tries to speak to him she only gets grunts in reply. His father is useless, cosying up to him and playing video games with him rather than parenting him.

But nothing will prepare Jodie for the truth of what happened to Ben twenty years ago or the wheels that have already been set in motion of what is to come. Is she strong enough to speak up or will she hide the truth forever?

THE BOYFRIEND is a very different thriller in which it does begin rather slowly where Jodie goes through the motions of her life in the wake of her father's death and generally feeling sorry for herself. She doesn't even excel at parenting either, leaving a troubled Owen to his own devices most of the time. When she does try to confront him, I'm not surprised he barely takes any notice of her as I doubt she has taken a lot of notice of him in general before. Her life has been a series of unfortunate choices and bad decisions, Owen the result of one, her life as a single mum another. She isn't actually all that likeable but by the end I did really feel for her.

With its slow start, it is easy to see why THE BOYFRIEND fails to go anywhere in the beginning and it is easy to become frustrated with the irritating characters and the lack of suspense. But it does pick up and while it doesn't really become a fast paced ride the tension throughout is palpable as you try to unravel the complexities Jodie is faced with. There are many clues peppered throughout but you have to keep your wits about you to pick up on them. Wilkinson did not, however, hoodwink me this time.

Unlike other thrillers, THE BOYFRIEND elicits a range of emotions from anger to disbelief to heartwrenching sorrow. It is more emotional than most and extremely devastating as Jodie is left to question everything she thought she knew and we, as the reader, witness her unravelling.

While it is not the thrill-ride some fans are looking for or expecting, it is most certainly a thought-provoking and emotional read all the same. It also is an example of Wilkinson's diversity in his skillful plotting and writing.

A good solid read, THE BOYFRIEND is out 16th June and perfect for fans of dark domestic thrillers.

I would like to thank #KerryWilkinson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBoyfriend in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson was well written. There's a lot going on in this story, and most of the action seems to take place in the past. Fire is the main theme and is executed well. I totally got involved in figuring this book out and really enjoyed the story. Recommend.

This book had me hooked into the story from the very first chapter I felt it was very well written and I kept wanting to read and read to find out what would happen next!!!! I had hoped there would be some more twists and/or thrilling or creepy things to happen but overall I enjoyed this book alot!

Talk about family secrets and lies! Jodie's boyfriend Ben disappeared when she was 16. Now, years later, she's found his t-shirt in her father's attic. Why did her father have it? He never gave her a clue that he knew anything. That's the question she sets out to answer, even as someone tries to stop her from learning the truth. It's appropriately twisty (don't trust anyone!). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson
Published: June 16, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 334
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Kerry Wilkinson is originally from the county of Somerset; Kerry spent way too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel.' When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike, hikes up something, or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.

“In one way, nothing had changed. Except… everything had.”

Jodie has known tragedy since she was a teenager. Her boyfriend, Ben, disappeared when she was 16, and his body was never found. When Jodie’s dad dies suddenly, she is stuck in a whirlwind. When she discovers something hidden in the attic, the past comes flooding to the present, and Jodie is caught between the truth and the love she had for the ab she thought her father was.

HOLY BUCKETS. The last sentence of the first chapter was enough to give me whiplash. I was immediately hooked. I could not put this book down.

The plot was a rollercoaster. A lot of back and forth, should I or shouldn’t I, and as things take a turn- they suddenly plummet to the ground at breakneck speed.

I enjoyed the characters. I also appreciated the difficult position Jodie was in. It was represented well, and the emotional turmoil was palpable.

There were so many moments in this book that I wanted to scream… it was the ultimate choice that would leave no winners. This novel will leave you questioning whether karma was delivered or tragedy befell Jodie Parker yet again.

Extremely emotional, intricately twisted, and devastating, this novel is classic Kerry at his best. If you are looking for a writer that will leave you speechless, look no further.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book

jodies boyfriend had been missing for years....but after her dads funeral and going through his attic jodie found her boyfriends t-shirt all washed and ironed and folded neatly in a box, but why....this very distinctive t shirt was being worn by her boyfriend the night he vanished....

not only that also his house was broken into and though nothing was missing it really didnt add up

as things start to escalate with her son and her other family its not long before boiling point is reached and it comes to ahead

Trembling with shock, Jodie picks up the old t-shirt. She hasn't seen it for twenty years. Her boyfriend had been wearing it - her Ben - the day he went missing. The last time anyone saw him alive. After her dad's funeral, all Jodie wants is to clear out her childhood home as quickly as possible and get back to her life with her son. But a terrifying discovery changes everything she know about her kind loving father.

Kerry Wilkinson is one of my favourite authors. His books are filled with suspense, twists and they're easy to read. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. I did feel the middle of the book could have been a bit shorter. It was a bit repetitive and dragged out a bit. This would have been a 5 star read if the middle had been a bit different. But it didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the story. I liked the main characters, they were realistic and believable. I quickly devoured the pages, The clues are revealed slowly. You need to keep your wits about you to find them though.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #Bookouture and the author #KerryWilkinson for my ARC of #TheBoyfriend in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good one, twisty and very readable. I had so many characters down to have done the deed that it was impossible to really know who the culprit was until the closing chapters. A good twisty thriller. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Jodie's boyfriend Ben went missing when Jodie was sixteen years old. But while cleaning out her father's attic, Jodie finds the old T-shirt that belonged to Ben. Did her father do something to Ben?

This book was a bit slow burn but soon it got interested by the middle of the book. There were some twists and turns along the well that will leave the reader intrigued and put the reader at the edge of the seat. The quest to find the truth with Jodie discovering more about her father's secrets was a nail biting twist. The plot was interesting and by the middle of the book, it became unputdownable. The ending was what was unexpected but at the same time it was a bit sad as well. The characters in this book seemed to be secretive and mysterious which actually made this book more interesting and intriguing as well. Nonetheless, this was the first book I have read from this author and I will look forward to read more books from this author.

If you like a slow burn thriller, then this one is for you--worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

A fast-paced book that I finished quickly. I did predict some of the twists and also found some of the parts of the writing repetitive, with the same information given multiple times with no impact to the story.

After reading the synopsis of this book I knew it was something I would be interested in. It was a fast paced thriller with numerous plot lines that all intersected in a shocking twist.

While cleaning out the attic of her recently deceased father, Jodie finds an old T-shirt that should never be in her old childhood home. This T-shirt belonged to her high school boyfriend Ben who disappeared years ago while wearing this very shirt. Jodie begins an investigation to find answers about her family that leads to shocking twist and turns.

I enjoyed the plot of this story even if it wasn’t the most original story line. The chapters were short so you can really speed though the book.

However, I didn’t like a single character in this book and felt zero connection to anyone. I also felt frustrated by the repetition of parts of this book, so much that I cringed each time I had to reread the same information. Overall I enjoyed my time reading this book, but in a week from now I won’t be able to recall much from the story.

The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson

With her fathers passing, Jodie was left with the task of clearing out the house he had left her solely and not to her brother. In the attic she finds a box, a box containing a green t-shirt. The same t-shirt her boyfriend had been wearing the day he disappeared 20 years ago.

Why did her father, a man who adored the town and took good care of the people in it, have the very shirt her boyfriend disappeared in.. Could he have been responsible for Ben going missing and not the man accused of his murder? The more questions Jodie asks, the more danger she puts her son in. The break in at her father’s house and then the fire…. Could someone be trying to stop Jodie finding the truth? Or is it all unrelated? Why did her dad leave the house to just her and not her brother too? So many questions and no way of knowing which one might end her life.

I was already a little biased. I am a bit of a fan of this author already and I was not disappointed in the least. I loved the build up of the story. It was well paced and quick that it never once got boring.
The character building was so well done that I could feel Jodie’s anxiety rippling off the pages. Jodie was so far from perfect that you could visibly see the cracks in her soul. It was a fascinating read that kept me really engaged and entertained. I loved all the twists and turns and how you never could be too sure who had done what or why! I love those kinds of reads. The kind of read that follows a sinuous trail of deception and lies so deep that it will leave you feeling shook to your very core.

5 stars! If you like a really twisty and slightly dark thriller then this definitely needs to be on your radar!

When evidence from an old crime turns up in her deceased father's attic, Jodie isn't sure what to make of it. The more she digs, the more concerning things become.

This one was a pretty slow burn, and the back half was definitely stronger than the front, and there were a couple of good twists. The final twist was surprising, but it felt a little sudden and very harsh. I waited a day to write this review because I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I'm honestly still not sure.

Overall, this was a pretty good book, but I did like 'The Party at No. 12" better, and I could see this one being a disappointment if over hyped for other "Party at No. 12" fans.

I have read several of Kerry’s books and enjoyed them all and this was no exception. Not a fast paced thriller like so many of his books but a good solid read nonetheless. The storyline kept me intrigued, the characters were well developed, and enough twists and turns to keep me wondering what would happen next, and oh what came next. I did not see that coming.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher Bookouture for the ARC copy.