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.