Book Review: The Hancock Boys

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Hancock Boys     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Thomas William Simpson
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Psychological Suspense   Thriller
Bantam, Mar 2000, $6.50, 528 pp.

As children, twin brothers John and Will Hancock learned how easy it is to fool everyone and switch places. In 1982, Will died in a skin diving accident off the coast of Belize. However, in truth the siblings pulled off a fresh scam. Over the next seventeen years, one brother would remain home in Boston writing novels while the other would travel the world. Each month Will and John switched places. They are so good at this John’s wife and sons do not realize what is happening.

In 1999, problems surface. The person who helped pull off the Belize ploy wants hush money. Babe Overton believes the Hancocks killed her fiancé, slimy attorney Frank Hagstrom. Psychopath Dicky Cosgrove knows that Hancock killed his sister. As this motley crew converge, John and Will stop trusting one another, leaving both to believe that one of the siblings must actually disappear permanently.

Is the main theme of THE HANCOCK BOYS a major stretch? Yes, but so what since the tale is a one sitting thriller in spite of its length. The fabulous story line is complex with multiple subplots that all tie together into an exciting climax. The narration changes from the past to the present and back depending on the subplot, but Thomas William Simpson smoothly expedites the tale so that the story line never slows down for a nanosecond. The pivotal support cast forces the twins into a final showdown. This book belongs to the siblings, whose clever deception and growing desperation will hook the audience from start to finish.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner