What Boys Learn

Summary

Over one terrible weekend, two teenage girls are found dead in a wealthy Chicago suburb. As the community mourns, Abby Rosso, the girls’ high school counselor, begins to suspect that her son was secretly involved in their lives—and possibly, their deaths.

Abby doesn’t want to believe Benjamin hurt anyone. But she’s seen the warning signs before. Two decades ago, her brother was imprisoned for a disturbing crime—he was only a little older than Benjamin is now. And Abby has more troubling memories from her own adolescence that confirm what boys and men are capable of.

As Abby searches for the truth about what happened to her students, she’s forced to face the question: Has she been making excuses for Benjamin for years?

Swirling with sharp questions about family and masculinity, What Boys Learn is a twisty thriller that unravels a mother’s worst fears.

“What Boys Learn is wholly original, addictively suspenseful, and beautifully written. Both an exploration of a mother’s unconditional love for her only son and a blazing critique of toxic masculinity, this thriller is nothing short of spellbinding from beginning to end.”—Caitlin Mullen, author of the Edgar Award–winning novel Please See Us