A bit predictable.  More than a bit actually.  I read this after reading Montreal Noir, so the historical reference on which this story turns was nice.  But the Inspector seems a bit too forgiving of everything.

Jack Heath introduces readers to a very disturbing anti-hero who works for the FBI when they need the best and his payment is taken in Flesh:

When a 14 year old boy is kidnapped and there is a ransom call with a deadline the FBI have called in expert consultant Timothy Blake aka Hangman. Blake is not only a genius known for solving the impossible cases but he is also a sociopath. But Blake may have met his match on this case. The kidnapper is cunning and foils Blake at every turn. Along with his newly assigned partner (Blake doesn't work well with other), he has to be on his toes not only to find the kidnapper but to keep his dark secrets. You see every time Blake saves a life be gets to take one in return, and Blake needs his pounds of flesh in order to survive. Clock is ticking and who knows who will come out of this alive
 
Unfortunately with book has been moved to my DNF shelf and I am extremely bummed about it. I always hate when I cannot finish a book, I think every reader and reviewer hates the feeling where a book sounded promising but just couldn’t grab a hold of you. This is the problem I had with Hangman. I’m not sure where this book went wrong for me. It has an interesting and down right disturbing anti-hero, has a cat and mouse type “game”, a different type of premise and yet there I was having read 50% of the book and it felt like work to pick up the book to read it. And trust me I have so little time to read these days, I don’t want to have something I love feel like work, when I need it to be enjoyable.

I’m sure many people will love this book and I’m truly shocked I could not get in to this book or characters. Maybe I’ll revisit it later but right now not for me. Those  of you who would like to check it out, be warned it is not for the faint of heart. As mentioned above the main character is an anti-hero and let’s just say he has some Hannibal Lector qualities about him (and by that I mean the eating kind) as well as some Dexter qualities and truest me Heath is not sparse on the details for this and other aspects in this book. Timothy Blake is really like a marriage between Lector and Dexter but with even more socially awkward qualities and none of either of their charisma. See what I mean I should have loved this book....

Oh well you cannot win them all I suppose. On to my next read, I'm truly disappointed that I was unable to finish this book.

Cheers!!!!

   

Series: Flavia de Luce #2

This was a solid installment of the Flavia de Luce series. I like Flavia, but I sometimes find her chemistry digressions a bit dull. The narrator managed to capture Flavia's enthusiasm for poisons quite well and overall I thought was a good choice. Honestly, Flavia can be quite a beastly child at times though, like when she pulled the stunt with the chocolates.

I read this audiobook for the Terror in a Small Town square (since Flavia investigates a suspicious death in her small village) for the 2018 Halloween Bingo.

Previous updates:

19 %

I didn't really read the description of this before starting (it's the second book in the series), but assuming something happens that Flavia decides to investigate, would this book count toward the Terror in a Small Town square? Flavia does live in a village out in the country, after all.

ISBN: 978-0008311629

Published by: Killer Reads (24th August 2018)

Rating: 5*

Synopsis:

There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness of your living room. As soon as you get home, he will kill you – hang you by the neck – and make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.

He knows your darkest secrets.
The police are running out of time. DCI Matilda Darke is facing her worst nightmare: a serial killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice, whose campaign of violence is spreading fear throughout the city.

And he is closer than you think.
As the body count rises, Matilda is personally targeted and even her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?

Review:

DCI Matilda Darke is such a beautifully written character. She's strong - capable of barking out orders with a ferocity that demands results, yet has a beguiling fragility as a result of the most unimaginable emotional trauma. In The Hangman's Hold, Matilda faces losing her very sanity as she and her team hunt down a vigilante serial killer who has decided to take matters into their own hands. 

This is an intriguing book that grabbed my attention from the outset. The Hangman character is utterly creepy and made me feel uneasy enough to look over my shoulder as I read, but at the same time I felt compelled to keep reading to find out what they would do next! There are many personal and professional relationships within the police team that get tested to the max when the elusive killer seems to be out of their grasp. With more twists and turns than a hangman's noose, this novel also really made me think. When is a crime paid for? 

Michael Wood has managed to squeeze all the elements needed for a brilliant crime novel into a truly engrossing read. DCI Matilda Darke is fast becoming one of my favourite characters because she is just so real. I'd like to thank the author, Harper Impulse, Killer Reads and Netgalley for providing an ARC. This is my unbiased review. 

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