The Butcher's Boy - Paperback

by Thomas Perry (Author), Michael Connelly (Foreword by)

EDGAR AWARD WINNER - After a high-level assassination, a professional hitman becomes a target himself and must fight to survive--while evading the government analyst who's suddenly on his trail--in this "brilliantly plotted thriller" (The Washington Post) from New York Times bestselling author Thomas Perry.

With an Introduction by Michael Connelly

"Shrewdly planned and executed."--The New York Times Book Review
"Totally enthralling."--The New Yorker
"Thomas Perry has hit the mark."--Houston Chronicle

Murder has always been easy for the Butcher's Boy--it's what he was raised to do. But when he kills the senior senator from Colorado and arrives in Las Vegas to pick up his fee, he learns that he has become a liability to his shadowy employers. His actions attract the attention of police specialists who watch the world of organized crime, but though everyone knows that something big is going on, only Elizabeth Waring, a bright young analyst in the Justice Department, works her way closer to the truth, and to the frightening man behind it.

Front Jacket

The Edgar Award-winning novel by the "master of nail-biting suspense"("Los Angeles Times)
Thomas Perry exploded onto the literary scene with "The Butcher's Boy. Back in print by popular demand, this spectacular debut, from a writer of "infernal ingenuity" ("The New York Times Book Review), includes a new Introduction by bestselling author Michael Connelly.
Murder has always been easy for the Butcher's Boy--it's what he was raised to do. But when he kills the senior senator from Colorado and arrives in Las Vegas to pick up his fee, he learns that he has become a liability to his shadowy employers. His actions attract the attention of police specialists who watch the world of organized crime, but though everyone knows that something big is going on, only Elizabeth Waring, a bright young analyst in the Justice Department, works her way closer to the truth, and to the frightening man behind it.

Author Biography

New York Times bestselling author Thomas Perry won an Edgar Award for The Butcher's Boy, and Metzger's Dog was one of the New York Times's Notable Books of the Year. His other books include The Face-Changers, Shadow Woman, Dance for the Dead, and Vanishing Act. Thomas Perry died in 2025.

Michael Connelly was a journalist and crime reporter for several newspapers before writing his first novel in 1992. He is the author of numerous books, including those in the bestselling Harry Bosch series. His other books include The Lincoln Lawyer, his first legal thriller; Crime Beat: A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers; and The Late Show. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Edgar, the Anthony, and the Macavity. Mr. Connelly lives in Florida.