Description

Book Synopsis

***SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES***

Read the deeply atmospheric and masterfully crafted tale of love and loss that will chill you to the bone.

''Stunning''
Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book Club

''A twist-filled page-turner'' Closer

---

Three-year-old Dillon vanished in the middle of the night. His father Harry can''t forgive himself for not protecting his only child. Yet Harry isn''t blamed by his wife Robin: she bares her own secret guilt.
Five years later, thousands of miles away, Harry spots an eight-year-old boy in a crowd - a boy he is convinced is Dillon.

Desperate to find his missing son, Harry''s obsession tears apart his marriage, exposing shameful secrets and shattering the one thing he and Robin had left - trust.

Why won''t Robin believe Harry?

What is she hiding?

Can the boy really be Dillon?

And how far will Harry go to find their lost son?

---

''The Boy

Trade Review
Genuinely surprising * Guardian *
Stunning -- Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book Club
I shot through this in one sitting. Like Gone Girl, it's told alternately by a husband and his wife. At the very beginning, something very shocking happens . . . It's the most gripping thing I've read for ages * Evening Standard *
A twist-filled page-turner * Closer *
A truly remarkable novel. The Boy That Never Was is a pitch-perfect balance of driving plot and honest, complex human emotion. Written in a captivating, lyrical style and brilliantly structured, the story grips your heart from the first pages and simply never lets go -- Jeffrey Deaver
Beautifully written, tense and twisty tale * Sunday Mirror *
Gripping from its dramatic opening chapter, this tense, unpredictable novel blends a thriller with an intimate family story to produce a most compelling read -- John Boyne
The Boy That Never Was is that powerful thing, a beautifully written mystery driven by its exploration of the characters' innermost hearts - of the inexorable ripples that loss sends out, and the terrible damage people can do to those they love most. Both as a crime novel and as an emotional journey, it's gripping stuff -- Tana French
This assured debut is equal parts thriller, mystery and fascinating psychological study * Irish Times *
Taut, smartly written, empathetic and at times unbearably tense . . . The Boy That Never Was hits the bullseye * Irish Independent *
A debut novel that will catch fire -- Nelson DeMille
A tense domestic thriller that is full of surprises * Irish Mail on Sunday *
One of those unique books that grips you from the start . . . climaxing in an unexpected and explosive twist that we simply didn't see coming. This isn't a relaxed read, but it is dramatic and thrilling * Irish Country Living *

The Boy That Never Was

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    RRP £10.99 – you save £0.55 (5%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Mon 13 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Karen Perry

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry

      Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 04/12/2014
      ISBN13: 9781405914048, 978-1405914048
      ISBN10: 1405914041

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      ***SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES***

      Read the deeply atmospheric and masterfully crafted tale of love and loss that will chill you to the bone.

      ''Stunning''
      Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book Club

      ''A twist-filled page-turner'' Closer

      ---

      Three-year-old Dillon vanished in the middle of the night. His father Harry can''t forgive himself for not protecting his only child. Yet Harry isn''t blamed by his wife Robin: she bares her own secret guilt.
      Five years later, thousands of miles away, Harry spots an eight-year-old boy in a crowd - a boy he is convinced is Dillon.

      Desperate to find his missing son, Harry''s obsession tears apart his marriage, exposing shameful secrets and shattering the one thing he and Robin had left - trust.

      Why won''t Robin believe Harry?

      What is she hiding?

      Can the boy really be Dillon?

      And how far will Harry go to find their lost son?

      ---

      ''The Boy

      Trade Review
      Genuinely surprising * Guardian *
      Stunning -- Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book Club
      I shot through this in one sitting. Like Gone Girl, it's told alternately by a husband and his wife. At the very beginning, something very shocking happens . . . It's the most gripping thing I've read for ages * Evening Standard *
      A twist-filled page-turner * Closer *
      A truly remarkable novel. The Boy That Never Was is a pitch-perfect balance of driving plot and honest, complex human emotion. Written in a captivating, lyrical style and brilliantly structured, the story grips your heart from the first pages and simply never lets go -- Jeffrey Deaver
      Beautifully written, tense and twisty tale * Sunday Mirror *
      Gripping from its dramatic opening chapter, this tense, unpredictable novel blends a thriller with an intimate family story to produce a most compelling read -- John Boyne
      The Boy That Never Was is that powerful thing, a beautifully written mystery driven by its exploration of the characters' innermost hearts - of the inexorable ripples that loss sends out, and the terrible damage people can do to those they love most. Both as a crime novel and as an emotional journey, it's gripping stuff -- Tana French
      This assured debut is equal parts thriller, mystery and fascinating psychological study * Irish Times *
      Taut, smartly written, empathetic and at times unbearably tense . . . The Boy That Never Was hits the bullseye * Irish Independent *
      A debut novel that will catch fire -- Nelson DeMille
      A tense domestic thriller that is full of surprises * Irish Mail on Sunday *
      One of those unique books that grips you from the start . . . climaxing in an unexpected and explosive twist that we simply didn't see coming. This isn't a relaxed read, but it is dramatic and thrilling * Irish Country Living *

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