The Boyfriend

Author Freida McFadden explores the potentially dangerous pitfalls of online dating through the eyes of women of a certain age who have suffered one too many disastrous dates while looking for Mr. Perfect in her latest book, The Boyfriend. Wasting no time, McFadden sets a chilling, ominous tone in the prologue—a clear forewarning of the danger lurking at every turn, on every page, in her latest psychological thriller.

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 torturous 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 is convinced this man may be the one, even though some of the things he’s telling her don’t add up. Has her luck finally changed? Or is his perfection a mask? In the 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 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 plotline 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