When Jodie was a teenager, her boyfriend Ben mysteriously disappeared and a local man was arrested for his murder. Then one day, after the death of her father, Jodie is clearing out his attic when she finds Ben's shirt - could her father be connected to Ben's disappearance? As Jodie tries to find out the truth, someone seems to be out to get her as break ins and fires occur. Could her and her son be in danger?

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Great range of characters, and good twists and turns. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

An enjoyable read that i couldn't put down, twisty and unpredictable that kept me whizzing through the pages and on the edge of my seat.

I really wanted to love this book. The cover is brilliant, the synopsis was full of mystery and intrigue, but unfortunately I just didn't gel with the writing style.

As an avid thriller reader I really need angst and tension to get me through the opening of the book, with a steady increase throughout. This book definitely attempted that, but I just didn't quite feel it.

Whilst the premise is really clever and really great at grabbing your attention, it felt a bit blocked together for me. It wasn't as fluid as I'd like/need.

I hate mentioning how unlikeable character are in thrillers as that's the point, however I generally didn't care about any of them.

A good start for those new to thrillers, but not a book I'd recommend for avid thriller readers. Thank you Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson is a mystery with dysfunctional families and neighbors who have secrets to hide. The story has a sense of sadness that carries all the way through the book. It is intriguing and mysterious, and the main characters never overcome things from their past, which eventually ends in tragedy. What would you do if you had knowledge about a previous crime, but knew that there is no good resolution to revealing the secrets and truth? If no one would benefit from the truth being public, why destroy other people's lives?
Jodie is a divorced mom with one pre-teen son. The son has become withdrawn and is having trouble in school. Jodie's ex-husband does not actively participate in their son's life. Jodie's father has died and left the family home to Jodie in his will. This angers her brother's wife and causes problems for Jodie.
Jodie must clean out her father's home before it can be put on the market for sale. She is shocked to open a box from the attic and find an item from her high school days. The green shamrock tee shirt that her boyfriend Ben was wearing the last time she saw him alive. Why was it packed away at her father's home and what did he know about Ben's death?
Jodie has a problem trying to understand what could have happened. A man in their town had served twenty years in prison for Ben's death, even though Ben's body was never found. Jodie feels so confused about the implications of her father having been responsible for this mystery.
There are several events that happen or are revealed from the past that help the reader understand what has happened. Most of the main characters become entangled in this final event that claims another life. The story ends with the reader knowing all the secrets were not fully disclosed to law enforcement. Jodie and Fiona decide to keep their disturbing secret underground.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Boyfriend. The publication date is June 16, 2022.

Once I started I could not stop well written and filled with twists and turns to keep you reading til the very end! Thank you Netgalley and publishers!!

First off the title and cover are very eye catching. Secondly just wow, the twists in this book are *chef kiss* an excellent read.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this ARC

What an I say but Wow brilliant author this book was such a page turner loads of twists and turns

Jodie returns to her family home after her father’s funeral to discover her high school boyfriend’s shirt he was wearing when he went missing years ago.

Interesting concept, whodunnit. Slow in some parts, but an overall thrilling read.

Definitely a book to read. I was pulled into the story and it did not let go. The book is well written with a strong character driven story and many a twists and turns
Recommended 4 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jodie has just buried her dad, when she discovers a green t-shirt in his attic. She knows that t-shirt only too well… it belonged to The Boyfriend. The boyfriend who went missing almost 20 years ago.

We follow the story of Jodie trying to uncover the truth about what happened to her boyfriend, Ben, whilst trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why her Dad had Ben’s t-shirt.

I liked the pace of this book, with the story developing and unraveling nicely. I enjoyed the character of Jodie, a struggling single mum trying to spin too many plates at once to have them all come crashing down. She was relatable and likeable which made me invested in her story.

There are a couple of twists in this story which kept me hooked and I have to say I was genuinely surprised. The only reason this isn’t a 5 star for me is due to the ending not being completely resolute (which I like). Whilst for the most part questions are answered there are still some ‘what if’ and ‘what now’ moments.

I was kindly gifted this eArc in exchange for a fair and honest review. It’s out on 16th June 2022 and I would definitely recommend if you enjoy a good mystery.

After reading the synopsis of this book I was excited. I love a cold case and this sounded like a good one. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The plot was sound enough with several suspects but the book lacked the tension necessary to keep the reader's attention. I put the book down several times, which I rarely do, because to be honest I didn't really care that much about what had happened to Ben. Even the ending, which should have been a clever twist, left me underwhelmed. All in all this was an interesting enough idea but the execution of it was poor.

This book was an absolute page turner. Jodie’s boyfriend Ben disappeared when she was just 15 never to be seen or heard from again. When Jodie’s dad passes away she finds something in his house that makes her question if she ever knew him at all. Lots of twists and turns and the ending was something I never would have seen coming!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of The Boyfriend. I’m sorry this book was not for me. The story started out well with a great premise, then just kind of wandered into Jodie’s issues with her son, her ex, her brother, etc. Not a single character was likable or even admirable. I hated the ending, and the characters (no spoilers) deserved better. The writing never grabbed me and I thought there was too much description that added nothing. If you don't care about the characters and don't mind a convoluted story, you will like this book. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I'm a massive kerry Wilkinson fan and this one did not disappoint. Once again, once I got started, I coukdnt put it down. Its not a fast paced thriller or one with lost of action or gore and murders but it is eerie because its so realistically written and unfolds so naturally. The characters are so vivid and real that you can't help but care what happens next and there are still a few shocks and twists and turns thrown in! My jaw definitely hit the floor at least once. I did feel the ending was rather abrupt but I was so intended by the story up until that point and seeing how everything ties together and in all honesty, the most unnerving thing is the fact that none of us could say we'd do things that much differently......

#TheBoyfriend #NetGalley
It was FANTASTIC.
Kerry Wilkinson has done it again. This author gives me surprise with every book. Jodie has a task to clear her father's, who's dead now and who has left everything to her. Although her brother, Mike and his wife, Samantha aren't happy about it. But what isf there's a reason behind all this? A solid reason to kill for. As soon as she started clearing the house, she found her first proper boyfriend's, Ben's green tshirt which he was wearing on the day he went missing. Why's that tshirt is in her father's attic? Did her father has something to do with Ben's death? Or is she putting her son, Owen in danger taking him into that house.
Someone knows something more than they're letting on and it's clear they don't want her to find out.
It started off ok and I was thinking maybe it would be a slow thriller but it's pacey and brilliant once you have finished two chapters.
I can say only one thing about this book that close your eyes and put it in your tbr list.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy.

Kerry Wilkinson does it again!

A brilliant read, the main character Jodie is left with the task of emptying her deceased fathers home and this is where the secrets start to materialize.
We are taken on her journey to get to the truth and i lapped up every moment.
No hesitation in giving this a 5 star rating.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy to give my honest review.

This book was sent to me by.Netgalley for review…the main character tries to find answers about the secrets in her family…a disappearing boyfriend…friends…family dynamics…love…there are so many red herrings in this book that the reader comes to a new conclusion regularly…the story moves quickly…the characters are not really likable but do come alive on the pages..this Is a can’t put down book…dark at times…scary at others…finding a shirt opens up a box of questions that reads like true crime…if only…what if? Maybe…or not…

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Bookouture and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


A page turner you won’t want to put down.

From the very first sentence this book had me on the edge of my seat. From every high, she took you back down to the low. Wonderful character development and fast paced storytelling. Fantastic. Thanks for the advanced copy.

Another novel I received from Netgalley is The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson.

What would you do if you found out some things about your late father? Would you make it public and or would you keep it to yourself to protect the ones you love? Question that you will ask yourself when reading this psychological thriller.

In this thriller you follow Jodie who clears out her father's home after his passing. There, she stumbles across something that makes her question a lot about her past and about her father's past. Secrets that she can keep or make public. No matter what she chooses, it will have an impact.

This was quite an addictive thriller. I couldn't put it away and really wanted to find out what happened and who did what. There were also some major twists that I did not see coming and that is also what makes it a great book.

A brilliant psychological thriller that you must read!