Sydney Shaw is knocking hard on the door of thirty-five, her biological clock ticking loudly, counting down the days with no viable lifetime partner possibilities on the horizon. Her latest obnoxious online date is yet another disaster, and she can't wait to cut the tortuous evening short. When he refuses to accept an emphatic no to walking her home, Sydney follows her gut taking him down the wrong street to "her house" where he suddenly turns from annoying to violent. Having seen no one in the surrounding area, Sydney is surprised but relieved when a dark, handsome stranger sends her attacker scurrying, but before she can get his name, he melts back into the shadows from whence he came. In the weeks to come, Sydney becomes obsessed with finding the dark-haired stranger until finally he's there - her hero seducing her with his good looks, charming smile and hypnotic words. Sydney's convinced this man may be the one even though some of the things he's telling her doesn't add up. Has her luck finally changed? Or is his perfection a mask? Meantime, police are investigating a string of unsolved murders believed to have been committed by an unknown man the women connected with through online dating. When tragedy hits close to home, Sydney's suspicions run rampant as she begins questioning the small inconsistencies in her new boyfriend's story. Has Sydney found the perfect man . . . or the perfect killer?
THE BOYFRIEND is an intense, immersive thriller that is rendered through dual timelines and alternating points of view which are highly effective in allowing readers to learn firsthand how certain players got to the current point in the story. McFadden brilliantly maneuvers characters and readers through a complex plot line that keeps shifting and twisting at an ever-increasing pace before finally dropping a last minute, shocking bombshell that left this reader reeling. The author's ability to misdirect readers with several vexing red herrings raises the stakes, leaving them guessing. Authentic characterizations make it easy to feel empathy for some while making it difficult to discover who's being truthful and who's manipulative, carefully hidden beneath a mask. A suffocating air of malice thickens page by page, leaving little doubt danger is nigh.
Author Freida McFadden gifts readers with another gripping, page turner thriller in THE BOYFRIEND. In doing so, she shines a spotlight on the danger of online dating and the real possibility of evil lurking behind carefully constructed facades. Themes of obsession, stalking, loneliness, seduction, and the suggestive public's perception of women, especially of a certain age, are explored. Fans of this author's work are sure to love this one! Also highly recommended to fans of twisted psychological thrillers with last page shockers.
Synopsis:
Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.
Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.
Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.
Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...
