The Butcher's Boy
Encyclopedia
The Butcher’s Boy is American novelist Thomas Perry
's first novel, published in 1982. The suspense novel won the 1983 Edgar Award
for Best First Mystery Novel (American). The work has been reprinted several times, and was followed by a second novel, Sleeping Dogs (1992).
as primary protagonist
. Murder is a craft for the "Butcher’s Boy", a reference to the man's foster father "Eddie the Butcher" who raised him in the trade. After the contract killer successfully completes a series of hits in the American west, he arrives in Las Vegas, Nevada
to pick up his fee. Once there, however, he learns that he has become a liability to his shadowy Mafia
employers, faces an attempt on his own life, and begins to violently improvise as he seeks to escape the criminal organization.
The initial hits completed by "The Butcher's Boy" attract the attention of U.S. government specialists on organized crime. Elizabeth Waring, a bright young analyst in the Justice Department
, begins to see a pattern in the killings, and as the violence escalates around the United States, works her way closer to the identity of the murder "specialist." The book features sections from the viewpoint of both major characters and draws the reader into the minds of the killer and investigator. Most critics reported that readers hope the "Butcher's Boy" will succeed in evading both his Mafia pursuers and the government agents.
Thomas Perry (author)
Thomas Perry is an American mystery and thriller novelist, who received a 1983 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel.-Writings:...
's first novel, published in 1982. The suspense novel won the 1983 Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for Best First Mystery Novel (American). The work has been reprinted several times, and was followed by a second novel, Sleeping Dogs (1992).
Plot
The Butchers Boy features an unnamed hitmanHitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
as primary protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. Murder is a craft for the "Butcher’s Boy", a reference to the man's foster father "Eddie the Butcher" who raised him in the trade. After the contract killer successfully completes a series of hits in the American west, he arrives in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to pick up his fee. Once there, however, he learns that he has become a liability to his shadowy Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
employers, faces an attempt on his own life, and begins to violently improvise as he seeks to escape the criminal organization.
The initial hits completed by "The Butcher's Boy" attract the attention of U.S. government specialists on organized crime. Elizabeth Waring, a bright young analyst in the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, begins to see a pattern in the killings, and as the violence escalates around the United States, works her way closer to the identity of the murder "specialist." The book features sections from the viewpoint of both major characters and draws the reader into the minds of the killer and investigator. Most critics reported that readers hope the "Butcher's Boy" will succeed in evading both his Mafia pursuers and the government agents.
Publication information
- Perry, Thomas. The Butcher's Boy. Scribner, 1982. ISBN 0-684-17455-3 (USA edition)