The Tangled Boy

by Caro Soles

The murder of Jordan King shocks the small town. Cory was there. Now he is terrified?

252 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Caro Soles Bio


My novels include mysteries, erotica, gay lit, the occasional bit of dark fantasy, and science fiction. I received the Derrick Murdoch Award from the Crime Writers of Canada for my work in the mystery field, was short listed for the Lambda Literary Award, the Aurora, and the Stoker Award. I live in Toronto with my long suffering husband, ,and love dachshunds, books, opera and ballet, not necessarily in that order.

And yes, I love to read!

Reviews

[alexander shay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be more of a mystery/thriller around who killed Jordan King and what that means for Cory, who witnessed it. Instead, the murder serves more as a catalyst for Cory's coming out and self-acceptance. Much of the dialogue feels written by a beginning writer, using full sentences and repeating what the other character said. While we get thoughts from both Cory and Len, it wasn't enough for me to bond with either of them, and while it explained motivations decently enough, it wasn't enough to connect the scenes together throughout the chapters. Characters would end up places with no explanation as to why until later, and often how it related to something earlier in the story wasn't revealed until much later. Most of the book felt like filler, focusing on Cory's introduction into the queer community with his harassing stalker merely background, making it's dramatic inclusion at the end very awkward and sudden. I guessed the identity of the killer from a particular detail far earlier in the book, but even so the ending felt very forced, and I think much of that comes from the lack of building up relationships between certain characters on the page.

[Costi Gurgu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling story written with the sense of drama and the depth of a literary novel as only Caro Soles knows to write. The story of a boy on his road to self-discovery set in the middle of a mystery. Angst, sexual tension, social anxiety, fear and tension. A must read for any age or time.