The Baltimore Boys

By: Joël Dicker, Alison Anderson - translator

Narrated by: Robert Slade

Fresh from the staggering success of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, Marcus Goldman is struggling to write his third novel. A chance encounter in Florida throws him some inspiration from a surprising source: Alexandra Neville, the beautiful, phenomenally successful singer and Marcus' first love.

All at once memories of his childhood come flooding back. Memories of a family torn apart by tragedy and a once glorious legacy reduced to shame and ruin. The Baltimore Boys. The Goldman Gang. That was what they called Marcus and his cousins, Hillel and Woody. Three brilliant young men with their whole lives ahead of them, before their kingdom crumbled beneath the weight of lies, jealousy and betrayal. For years Marcus has struggled with the burdens of his past, but now he must attempt to banish his demons and tell the real story of the Baltimore Boys.

Translated from the French by Alison Anderson.

©2015 Editions Fallois (P)2017 Quercus Editions Limited

A great nostalgic read

Such fun characters and such a fabulous story, the world is hyper-real but so engaging and the Baltimore gang are everything we all remember about being young and fearless and ready to consume life and challenge the status quo. It’s a dark comedy, and a wonderful reminder of how life throws curveballs at even the most seemingly blessed families.

Transcending through it all

Sometimes you need to stop, chase your ghosts and atone them to move on instead of carrying the heavy burden. Although I love Dicker for his plots and twists, this family saga felt incredibly genuine and with worthy, credible characters. Performance is great!

A chain of unnecessary cliffhangers into boredom

Childish characters with a silly plot.
Shakespeare managed to write one of the most moving tragedies based on a single miscommunication. In this story, every character has a secret with at least one person. The plot wouldn't be possible without all the continuous deception and the main people breaking character along the way.