Hangman - Jack Heath

Hangman
Jack Heath
Hanover Square Press
ISBN 9781335062918
ASIN B0783PRD7W
Allen & Unwin
ISBN 9781760297473
ASIN B075ZKRFC5


I have encountered many Australian authors who became instant favorites. My first expectations were exceeded, and I tracked down all they had available in North America to read. Authors such as Sally Murphy, Scot Gardner, Marianne de Pierres, to name nut a few. But that was not the case this time. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe the hype and waiting for the book to be available in North America inflated what I was expecting. As a huge fan of both the TV series Dexter, and the I Hunt Killers books by Barry Lyga, I was expecting something exceptional from this book. What it feels like is some Chuck Palahniuk, Tom Clancy, and Irvine Welsh tossed in a blended and slopped together.

The premise of the story is that the FBI have a n ace up their sleeve. Consultant Timothy Blake, codename Hangman. Blake is a genius, with perfect memory and recall. He solves impossible cases. But he is also a sociopath and a cannibal. His payment for every life he saves he gets to take one.

Some books you read, and you need to suspend disbelief. Some you need to toss it out the window. This one you need to jettison it into the sun or a black whole. The characters feel at times week in the writing. The story and premise if intriguing it just really fell flat on the execution. This book likely would have ended up on my 'not finished' pile but I kept expecting it to turn that corner from ok into good or even great. It just never quite made it. I do not regret finishing the read, but only just. It takes a lot to turn my stomach, not even the once chip challenge managed it, but this book came very close.

The story was good enough that I would be willing to try others by the author. But I can only think of one or two friends or acquaintances who would actually appreciate this read. But this book is going to be very acquired taste. It will definitely leave you with some thoughts to chew on. Chew right down to the bone.

Books by Jack Heath:
Deadly Heist
Flesh
Method Living
The Caretakers
Crossover
500 Minutes of Danger
400 Minutes of Danger
300 Minutes of Danger
Replica
Ink, inc.

Timothy Blake Series:
Hangman
Just One Bite
...

Agent Six of hearts Series:
The Lab
Remote Control
Third Transmission
Dead Man Running

Ashley Arthur Series:
Money Run
The Hit Lits

Countdown to Danger:
Shockwave
Bullet Train Disaster

The Fero Files:
The Cut Out
The Fail Safe

The Mysterious World of Cosentino:
The Missing Ace

Scream Series:
The Human Flytrap
The Spider Army
The Haunted Book
The Squid Slayer

Short Stories:
In Case Of Emergency
Rats



Liars Series:
The Truth App
No Survivors 
The Set-Up 
Lockdown 
Armageddon
…