An addictive debut thriller starring an FBI consultant with a peculiar taste for crime and punishment…A boy vanishes on his way home from school. His frantic mother receives a ransom call: pay or else. It’s only hours before the deadline, and the police have no leads. Enter Timothy Blake, an FBI consultant with a knack for solving impossible cases but whose expertise comes at a price. Every … at a price. Every time he saves a life, he takes one, trying to satisfy an urge he fears he can only control for so long.And this time Blake may have met his match. The kidnapper is more cunning and ruthless than any he’s faced before. And he’s been assigned a new partner within the Bureau: a woman linked to the past he’s so desperate to forget. Because he has a secret, one so dark he will do anything to keep it hidden.For fans of Dexter and Hannibal, Hangman introduces a darkly mesmerizing character whose skill at finding criminals comes from a knowledge that can only be learned firsthand.
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Let’s cut to the chase: Hangman is a great read! Jack Heath’s boundless imagination and singular voice have produced a truly unique thriller. By turns, psychologically insightful, wonderfully disturbed and even darkly comedic, Hangman will keep you coursing through the pages at a lightning pace. Brilliant! (Probably best read with lights on and doors locked. I’m just saying.)
Timothy Blake is NOT your average, everyday FBI consultant – and his story is NOT your average, everyday thriller… This is a helluva ride – the action is non-stop, the characterization is spot-on (in the creepiest and most darkly delightful of ways), the plot is well thought out with twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes without ever feeling overdone. Blake is a fantastic creation – but his “lifestyle” is not for the faint of heart or squeamish. The style is fast-paced without feeling like you’re being sped through the reveals; the secrets unfold with surprising delicacy, given the subject matter and genre, and the reader is fed just enough detail along the way to keep you guessing without ever actually admitting to anything until the time is just right.
There are a lot of gruesome bits, sprinkled like his omnipresent salt throughout the tale and often found, like the salt, in the unlikeliest of places. It makes for a marvelously edgy read that always leaves you just a little off-kilter, wondering where the next tidbit (teehee – you’ll laugh once you know Blake’s secret) is coming from. The ending suggests this may be a first appearance, rather than a one-and-done – I truly hope so, because this is writing that I want more of, post haste.
My review copy was provided by NetGalley.
Two well-chewed thumbs up.
Very surprising ending
Jack Heath’s writing grabs you by the throat, gnaws on your bones, and washes it all down with a hefty dose of funny. Sick, twisted, violent, and oh so good. In Timothy Blake, Heath has created a one-of-a-kind character. I hope.
Great book!
Way too weird and gory for me! Surprised I even finished it.
Grossed me out but kept me turning pages!
Easy to read. Some readers were repulsed by the cannibalism but it was mild and kind of a sideline to the story. Pretty good mystery.
Surprising plot line and twists. Excellently written. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Strewth!!! That was a juicy morsel to enjoy! A story I could sink my teeth into >:-) And if you read the book, you’ll get what I’m saying LOL.
Man, this anti-hero had me squeamish, applauding, laughing and cringing. Plus amazed at his puzzle-solving.
The twist at the end I did not see. I really thought the author had brought in the suspect too soon, and it was too obvious, and then *BOOM!* TWIST!!!
I highly recommend for those who like an anti-hero and a good mystery!
Wow – as an author of crime/suspense novels myself, I am in awe of this author’s skills in making Timothy Blake, a genius and a criminal with a stomach-curdling addiction, someone for whom the reader can feel empathy. The author balances Blake’s sadism with just the right amount of vulnerability and the unfolding relationship between him and Thistle, his female police minder, is poignantly portrayed. This book is not for the faint-hearted or squeamish, but is a thrilling and addictive read.
I didn’t like it all that buildup and it wasn’t significant
Main character not likable. Too gruesome. Did not finish the book.
Well now that was kind of different. You don’t normally see people who are that way working with the FBI. I liked following along with Blake as he tried to find out what was happening the latest case. I was really surprised with the ending and the reason why the person did it. I would read more with Blake as he is a fascinating character.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
Wow, what an amazing book! This is definitely not for anyone squeamish but is great for fans of creepy, dark, gritty, violent thrilling mysteries! The main character is an intelligent, intuitive puzzle solver who just happens to be a cannibal, that helps the FBI with cases in exchange for dead bodies. This book will take you through twists and turns you never saw coming and leave you reeling. It was really well written and developed at a fast pace that kept you on your toes. I enjoyed it immensely! Great debut!
Sometimes it takes a warped mind to solve a crime, especially one that’s steeped with other crimes, and Timothy Blake is as warped as they come. He’s also absolutely brilliant at solving puzzles, noticing the little things that add up to bigger things, and he’s used that talent to work out the perfect arrangement for himself. When Tim’s secret is revealed, I’ll admit that it was way worse than anything I was imagining. I won’t go into the details, but I will say that from that point on, this is not a book for the squeamish. The ick factor is through the roof and I almost put it down more than once on that element alone. There’s also the level of suspension of disbelief required for Timothy’s story. I get it, it’s fiction and a certain amount of leeway must be given for some stories to work, but this one requires quite a lot of that. Timothy’s secret is quite shocking and just the number of people involved is enough for doubt that it could’ve happened at all, much less for that long. Here’s the thing, though, in spite of the gory details, and there are several, and even with the highly doubtful circumstances, I kept turning those pages. Twist after crazy twist, one cringe-worthy moment after another, the complete crazy that is Timothy Blake kept me reading to see how it would all play out. Then, as if that’s not enough, the jaw-dropping conclusion kept me awake and pondering for some time. So, over the top or not, Hangman is a wonderfully written, fast-paced, and riveting bit of absolutely insane from start to finish.
Imagine Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt vampire character crossed with Dexter Morgan then turned full on Hannibal Lecter and you might have an idea the tone of Hangman.
Timothy Blake, codename “Hangman,” is a multi-faceted anti-hero who is as endearing with his self-deprecating wit as he is disturbing with his craving for eating human flesh, indulged by the FBI as a sort of payment for services rendered. In this case, for his assistance in finding a missing boy. The abduction serves as a device through which Blake’s character is slowly revealed, while secondary characters, including the charming Agent Reese Thistle, are introduced.
Hangman is almost non-stop action-packed. From the missing kid to key clues to complicated dates with someone Blake may or may not want to eat, there is barely time for a reader to breathe. I admit my sleuth sense was off when it came to the real bad guy because the book moved fast. I was so fascinated by Blake I just didn’t see the ending coming.
And his backstory… Oh boy… I don’t think I’ll get that image out of my head any time soon.
So why not five stars? Few books are flawless, though Hangman’s close. The beginning read as bumpy to me. I’d have rather started with the abduction than scenes from the death house, though I guess the information becomes relevant. I also think in a story about an abduction, there were a few too many people taken. Finally, Hangman is set in Texas, USA, involves the FBI, but is written by what I can only glean from his bio as is an Australian author. I thought I was reading British English for a bit, with spellings like “kerb” instead of “curb,” but what little I can dig up says it’s probably an Australian variety, more similar to British English than American. Is this a big issue? Not so much, but it is occasionally jarring and purely a matter of preference. I do read Australian and British authors, but this one caught me off guard. Overall, an excellent read with a captivating cast. A recommended read.
*Thank you to NetGalley, Jack Heath, and the publisher for providing an ARC of Hangman.