Jack Heath's "Hangman"

 

You can find this book here.

'Hangman' is a thriller where Timothy 'Tim' Blake looks for a kidnapped adolescent. One of the twists is that as a consultant to the FBI; whilst he is a genius, he is also a dangerous criminal that shouldn't be trusted. But, if need be, you call the genius in to solve the hardest puzzles and cases there are. And to the protagonist, this one turns out to be one he can't solve so easily. 

As a protagonist; you may not like Tim Blake. Or maybe he will grow on you. He is an anti-hero. But he is engaging and a fresh perspective on a genre you may have read a lot of. The background, education, life and choices of the character are also interesting and add more depth to Blake. I think it is helped that the setting for the novel is Texas somehow; like all the bad things anybody has ever mentioned about Texas has been included, and so the characters seem to fit into their setting. Of course, this could make it more unrealistic and believable to other readers. The choice is yours.

The pace is quick and easy; you will finish it quickly. It is a darker novel, with a lot of gritty elements; so it might not be for you if you prefer a lighter crime or thriller fiction novel. Heath is also an Australian author; if this matters to you, but may also then turn you off reading it if you think he can't possibly hold the setting truly. 

From the acknowledgements, Heath seems to have done some serious research to make the novel, and especially the characters, believable. Give it a go and see if you like it. 

And then you can read the rest we have in the series:

Hunter

Hideout  (this book is not out yet; but you can reserve it)

Links for you

Heath in the Library:

Shockave

(a Junior Fiction choose-your-own adventure story)

Cut out

(a Young Adult novel - part of a series)

Read-a-likes in the Library:

Silent wife

Karin Slaughter

In this novel, a lot of the themes are the same in terms of death row and kidnapping. The genre is also the same, as well as the level of violence.

Dexter: an omnibus

Jeffry P. Lindsay

Whilst the characters are different in background; the way they work to stop crime and the level of violence is similar. However; Dexter, as a character, is probably not as flawed.

Hannibal rising

Thomas Harris

The characters are similarly twisted and dark within this novel and Heath's.

Essie Fox's "Somnambulist"

 

You can find this book here.

First, let's learn some things!

A somnambulist is a sleepwalker; or, someone who walks in their sleep. 

If you want to know a little bit about the actual painting in the story (and shown next to the title page); here is the auction page that shows a catalogue of the item and hands it has been through. There is also a rough guide on the painter here at a general art history site. Both sites I would use for interest only (just in case). 

Now, for the novel ...

The novel is set in the late 1800s (which matches the time of the painting by Millais). It centres around Phoebe Turner a young girl who lives with her strictly religious mother Maud and her aunt Cissy who lives for performing on stage. One night, Phoebe is able to sneak out of her house to watch her aunt perform. There, she is drawn to a strange man, Nathaniel Samuels, who impacts all their lives when he hires her to be the companion to his reclusive wife.

This plot seems straightforward. But I have missed a lot of what is happening within this novel: the main theme of secrets. This is a big deal. And, obviously, if the members of these families communicated at all properly with anyone, there wouldn't be such haunting horrors and tensions between characters. 

Horrors, though, might be too strong a word. It is a gothic novel, which leads to the idea of horror elements; but don't expect gore or monsters. It is more a slow with tensions you possibly see coming. Maybe this is where the horror lies, because characters cannot see what their choices, or lack thereof, have led to. 

I found the settings to be strong and the feel of places in England for the time to be fitting. The atmosphere also was very full. The characters may go either way for you: you may find Phoebe more passive and frustrating, you may not. This could be how youth related historically, it may not. Perhaps read it and decide for yourself. Probably more for an historical fiction reader than a horror reader though. 

Links for you

Author read-a-likes:

Wuthering heights

Emily Bronte

The gothic elements and characters' emotional pulls are stronger here; but the setting, time period, genre are similar.

Picture book

Jo Baker

The time period is different; but the focus on historical fiction and secrets is similar.