2020 IPPY GOLD winner for Best Mystery/Thriller e-bookWINNER 2020 Book Excellence Awards. ”…an especially poignant, compelling, and beautifully written update on the tale of the troubled child who witnesses a shocking event.” – David Corbett. Cabbage Night, 1991. The traditional night of pranks takes a disturbing turn when a violent crime rocks a small Adirondack town. Even more … rocks a small Adirondack town. Even more so when the only witness is a seven-year-old boy. Hen Trout, who had hoped to catch a pet hedgehog that night, instead sees his beloved Miss Sally become a victim.
Single mom Marcella Trout is blindsided when Tyler, her seventeen-year-old, is arrested for the very crime Hen witnessed. Now Tyler’s eerie mood swings seem dark and frightening and rooted in a family history Marcella has desperately tried to bury. As the criminal investigation churns on, the tenuous fabric of the Trout family begins to unravel…and even Hen begins to question the truth.
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Hen and Tyler are brothers. This book darws you into the life of a small town. This is a lovely mystery story with a by twist and unexpected turns. It has done a great portrayal of mental health illness and not left and stone unturned.
Boy On Hold by J.D. Spero a very detailed and compelling five-star read. This was my first by this author and won’t be my last as I flew through this one, I adored getting to know Hen. This is a compelling story filled with family drama with Mum Marcella struggling to get everything done, working hard, then we have Tyler older brother and struggling with his own fate, then there is young Henry or Hen as he is more commonly called, he is an enigma all of his own. This tale has a wonderful way of unfolding before your eyes, you don’t get any detail before you are ready and that shows us the talent of the author. I am becoming a fast fan of this author and was very sad when this story ended as it was such an emotional rollercoaster I didn’t want it to end.
Boy on Hold
By JD Spero
5 out of 5 stars
The story Boy on Hold by JD Spero is a suspenseful mystery book. It is a story that pulled me in from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the final page. The book is written in such a way that I felt like I was right there with the characters. The story is about a violent crime that takes place in a small Adirondack town. Hen Trout is a young boy who sees the crime take plan. Tyler is the 17-year-old that is arrested for the crime and Marcella Trout is Tyler’s mother. What exactly did Hen see on that fateful night? Is Tyler guilty of the crime? Will the whole truth be revealed? Read this book to find out. This is a story that had me turning pages wondering what was going to happen next. With each chapter that I read, I found myself trying to put together the clues to what happened that night in 1991. You can’t help but feel for the Trout family as they are going through an investigation that brings forth emotions that each member of the family deeply feels. There are also heartbreaking moments as well. There are additional characters that interact with Hen, Marcella, and Tyler who are helpful, and then there are those whose motives I questioned. This is a story that will keep you guessing. I highly recommend reading it.
I enjoyed this book. It is my first book by this author and I will be looking for more from them. This is a well developed mystery-thriller that I had a hard time putting it down. I was pulled right into the story from the beginning. The twists and turns had me turning pages fast just waiting to see what would happen next. This is a story about a young boy named Hen, who seen the murder of Miss Sally. A prank turns into a violent crime and a family starts to fall apart. What will happen when Hen starts questioning the truth? Is there family secrets that could be this family’s undoing? I had no problem connecting to the characters. They kept the story moving easily and engaging. I highly recommend reading this book to find out what happens to the boy who witnesses a violent crime.