The Boyfriend

This highly original and clever thriller from Edgar-winner Perry (Strip) focuses on Jack Till, a retired LAPD homicide detective turned PI, who prefers routine cases that keep him close to his grown daughter with Down syndrome. Reluctantly, Till agrees to investigate the recent murder of a high-class prostitute for her distraught parents. Toiling through the myriad sex market Web sites, Till sees a pattern across the country—attractive escorts who resemble each other, quietly killed in their homes. Till suspects the women were killed by a hit man, 28-year-old Joey Moreland, who insinuates himself into their lives as a boyfriend, then moves on after murdering them. Perry again proves himself a master stylist and plotter, as he effortlessly builds suspense and delves deeply into his characters, showing Till’s cunning and how Moreland grew up to be a soulless killer. Agent: Robert Lescher, Lescher & Lescher, Ltd. (Mar.)