The Boyfriend

The Boyfriend (2024) is a psychological thriller by American novelist Freida McFadden. The novel is told alternatingly from the perspective of Sydney Shaw, a 34-year-old woman in Manhattan looking for love on the fictional dating app Cynch, and Tom Brewer, a troubled high school student suspected of killing two classmates. The two plotlines merge when Sydney begins to suspect that her new boyfriend Tom might be lying about his past. Major themes in the novel include Navigating Misogyny and Safety Risks in the Dating World, Cycles of Violence and Neglect in Families, and The Pressure of Social Expectations. The novel contains depictions of gendered violence and familial abuse. 

This guide is based on McFadden’s self-published 2024 e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss domestic violence and abuse, and include graphic descriptions of violence and death.

Plot Summary

Sydney Shaw has a bad Cynch date with Kevin, who insists on walking her home and becomes aggressive when she won’t kiss him. When a handsome man intervenes, Kevin runs off. Sydney feels disappointed when her mysterious rescuer doesn’t ask her out. She commiserates with her single neighbor Bonnie, who hopes the cute doctor she’s been seeing will finally commit to her. Later, Kevin appears in Sydney’s friend Gretchen’s neighborhood and attempts to contact her on Cynch, unnerving her.

The next day, Bonnie is found dead in her apartment. The investigating detective, Sydney’s ex-boyfriend Jake Sousa, reveals that Bonnie’s doctor crush was texting from a burner phone. Jake privately reveals to Sydney that fingerprints in Bonnie’s apartment match those found at another murder scene and that they are actively pursuing the crush as a suspect. At Bonnie’s funeral, Sydney sees a man she believes to be Kevin.

Two months later, Sydney gets a nose bleed on a Cynch date, causing her date to faint. The mystery man who saved her from Kevin appears and offers medical aid. He introduces himself as Dr. Tom Brown and asks her out. They share a wonderful date but Sydney is unnerved to learn that he’s a medical examiner. As Sydney prepares for their next date, Jake calls with news that Bonnie’s suspected murderer is a serial killer responsible for at least three deaths.

After their third date, Sydney invites Tom home. Tom acts strange in her building, questioning her about her neighbors. After Tom and Sydney have sex, Tom reveals that he’s only been in love once: with his high school girlfriend who died when he was 16. On their sixth date, a chance meeting with a patient reveals that Tom’s real last name is Brewer. He insists that he never introduced himself as Tom Brown, but Sydney remains unnerved. Two months later, a text message mishap reveals that Tom is using a burner phone to contact Sydney.

Gretchen invites Sydney to a museum exhibit she organized, complaining about the time she dedicated to it. Sydney realizes that Gretchen was at the museum the night Bonnie died and not with her boyfriend Randy as she had claimed. Gretchen admits she lied to cover for Randy, who had no alibi. She convinces Sydney not to report the lie. Shortly afterward, Randy reveals that he plans to propose to Gretchen.

Sydney finds a black scrunchie like Bonnie used to wear at Tom’s house and realizes that he was Bonnie’s doctor crush. Sydney panics, thinking Tom killed Bonnie. She steals Tom’s open bottle of water and makes an excuse to leave. She gives the bottle to Jake, who agrees to run the fingerprints. Tom’s prints match those found in Bonnie’s apartment and in the apartment of the other suspected victim. When called in for questioning, however, Tom provides two air-tight alibis. Tom begs Sydney to talk to him but panics when Gretchen and Randy arrive. He texts Sydney that she is in danger. While debriefing in Randy and Gretchen’s apartment, Sydney finds evidence linking Randy to Bonnie’s killing. As she tries to leave the apartment, Tom appears and demands to be let in, calling Gretchen by the name Daisy.

In a parallel storyline, which takes place in the unspecified past, a high schooler named Tom Brewer finally talks to his crush of a decade, Daisy Driscoll. As he walks her home, he’s distracted by thoughts of stabbing her. The next day, Tom witnesses his drunk father abuse his mother and fantasizes about killing him. His friend Slug encourages the idea. On his third day walking Daisy home, Tom finally kisses her. He lies that it was his first time, knowing no one can contradict him.

Tom volunteers at a health fair where Daisy assigns him to draw blood. Later, Tom tries and fails to stop his father’s abuse of his mother. When the body of Brandi Healy, a missing student, is found brutally murdered, Tom worries he’ll be arrested. In an interview with the Chief of Police, Daisy’s father, Tom denies knowing Brandi, despite the fact that she had a crush on him. Daisy’s best friend Allison reveals to Tom that she saw him kissing Brandi shortly before she disappeared and insists he break up with Daisy.

When Tom’s father jokes about sexually assaulting Daisy, Tom stabs him in the stomach and slits his throat. Slug agrees to help him dispose of the body, but as they stuff it in a car, they spot Allison. She seems suspicious but accepts their explanation. As Tom and Slug bury the body, Slug warns that Allison may be a threat.

The next morning, the police arrive at the school with news that Allison is missing. Although Slug denies involvement, Tom worries that his friend is dangerous. Tom uses the past tense to describe Allison in an interview with Chief Driscoll, raising suspicions that he is responsible for her death. Shortly after, Allison’s body is found mutilated in the river where Slug suggested they dump Tom’s father’s body.

Tom’s mother returns, and Tom lies to her about his father and the missing rug. Her suspicions grow when a bartender returns Tom’s father’s phone and claims he hasn’t been by in two days. Chief Driscoll questions Tom, but his mother insists he can’t search the house without a warrant. Tom sneaks out to speak to Daisy, who reveals that Chief Driscoll believes Tom and Slug killed both Brandi and Allison. She agrees to meet him later. As Tom leaves, Slug appears and calls Daisy a threat to their safety.

When Tom arrives to meet Daisy, he finds Slug dead. Daisy admits that she killed Slug so he would be blamed for Brandi and Allison’s death. She reveals she saw Tom kill his father and killed Allison to protect him. She killed Brandi in jealousy after Brandi kissed Tom. Tom is horrified, but he vows to keep her secret.

In the present, it is revealed that Gretchen—who used the nickname Daisy as a teen—has been stalking Tom and killing the women he dates in the hopes that they can be together. Tom calls the police to report Randy’s murder before accepting Gretchen’s offer to run away together, admitting that he cannot live without her. One month later, Sydney receives a lock of hair and a note from Tom promising Kevin will never bother her again. She decides not to tell Jake about it.