Book 2 in The Bone Field series - and I'd say it will help you to read the first but what happens is covered (multiple times) so that you can hit the ground running if, like me, this is your first entry into the series.

Lots of women have been killed (of course, women fit the bill of plot fodder so neatly...) and a male witness is on the run in a desperate attempt to save his own life. Because he knows too much (of course).

There's rule-breaking copper who will do anything to fill his promise to avenge a dead girl, and (of course) he's dating a tough-cookie PI who's unafraid to take risks.

It's not a bad book, but for my tastes it revels in the death and torture of young women too much, without being clever enough to elevate it above that.

I have loved all his books,and this one is great as well,a must read.

Engaging writing and story telling made this a page turner. Had to force myself to put it down at night as wanted to know what was going to happen and how the story would end.

Will read more from this author.

Brilliant. This is a an edge of the seat, fast paced thriller. Simon Kernick really knows how to write a thriller. There is a lot of action and a shocking gruesome storyline which comes together as an addictive read from the first page.

Couldn't read on time due to a broken e reader. My sincere apologies to the author and publisher for this.

This is the second in the latest series of novels by the acclaimed British thriller writer, Simon Kernick. While you can read this easily enough as a standalone, I quickly bought the first in the series, The Bone Field, and read that which undoubtedly added to my enjoyment. While this is a new series of novels, it does feature recurring characters from previous books, namely Ray Mason, a former Met detective now with the National Crime Agency, and Tina Boyd, also a former Met detective but now a private detective.

In The Bone Field our two protagonists had uncovered a crime ring abducting young women and sacrificing them in a devil worshipping ceremony. The plot of The Hanged Man follows the events of the previous book with Mason and Boyd trying to bring the criminals to justice. The gang includes a major organised crime figure and his chief enforcer and a sinister brother and sister linked to the establishment, so this proves incredibly difficult. There are also hints that a wider network of connected, establishment figures is involved and that they are being shielded by powerful people.

While primarily a crime thriller, there are hints of a supernatural element to this latest series of novels. This is an interesting development because until recently this genre blend was not popular amongst mainstream publishers. In fact, one of my favourite authors, James Oswald, initially self published his Inspector McClean series because no publisher would touch a supernatural/crime thriller mash up (Oswald has since been snatched up by Penguin). Kernick’s latest series isn’t as much of a genre blend as Oswald’s work, the devil-worshipping element is very light indeed, and there are other influences, namely the recent spate of allegations concerning organised child abuse amongst the establishment. That said, this is somewhat of a departure from his usual work which tends to focus on either ordinary people who stumble upon gangsters or cops investigating organised crime.

Some of the characters in The Bone Field and The Hanged Man are very well drawn indeed. The villains in particular. Mr Bone, the chief henchman of the organised crime boss is as sinister as they come and a great villain, while the sister, Anthea Delbarto, is malevolent and menacing in the extreme. The heroes, Ray Mason and Tina Boyd, are also well drawn, but the problem with using recurring characters in such high-octane thrillers as Simon Kernick writes is that it starts to stretch credulity that so much could occur to them. There are points in both novels where the author has to quickly recap what has happened to them in their lives - for example Tina Boyd has been shot twice, kidnapped once, been held hostage and been involved in at least three killings. I doubt any Met police officer has ever had all that happen to them in their careers and when typed out on the page it’s obviously ludicrous. That said, Kernick isn’t the only author to use recurring characters in action packed series and the same criticism could be levelled at numerous others, Lee Childs’ Jack Reacher for example, so this isn’t a major concern. Perhaps the secret is not to spell it out and draw too much attention to the fact that so much has happened to one person.

All in all The Hanged Man (and it’s forerunner, The Bone Field) is a pretty good novel and is well worth a read. It ends on a cliffhanger, a third instalment is on the way, and I will definitely be reading it.

This is the second book in a series.... and it is even better than the first!

A fast paced thriller which builds on the gripping thriller of book 1. I much preferred this second book especially as the characters feel more rounded and the plot refined. Its as if Kernick was really excited in book 1 and rushed a little whereas book 2 feels more developed. However this is only evident if you read both books and shouldnt put you off reading book 1... in fact although the storylines in both books can be read independently I would highly recommend you read both in order.

Im hoping there will be more in this series!

Great book. This the second in the bone field series, really enjoyed reading it

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher (and Author) Simon Kernick is one of my favourite authors and this is no exception to the other books that I have read. Really good read.

In this book of incredible contrasts, Simon Kernick manages to maintain an exhilarating pace; generate excitement and tension; and make his book hard to put down. At the same time it leaves a mild disappointment in that the fluency of the writing does not fully match the pace or the excitement, whilst the plot and character development stretch the credulity of the reader with events of such implausibility that the book would have been discarded less than half-read, were it not for the very powerful pace that builds to a shattering crescendo of excitement. I may be in a minority with this opinion, having looked at other reviews, but I’m sure there is an even better book to come from Simon Kernick if these issues could be addressed. Make no mistake, however; notwithstanding these personal gripes, this is a book that repays the time spent reading. I can’t give four and a half stars, which would be my personal judgement, but it is better than four stars, so it’s a five from me.

This is a continuation of the Bone Field where Boyd and Mason get themselves closer to the criminal underworld. Can’t wait for the next installment!

Ray Mason is back and back on the trail of the killers from The Bone Fields. This time he has a new job and a new partner, Dan Watts; nothing is going to stop Ray and Dan from getting to Cem Kalaman, not even the law.

This is another Simon Kernick thriller full of action, bloodshed and policemen bending the rules to stop the bad guys. There isn't a great deal more to it than that - a little love interest for Ray and Tina Boyd and some other minor new characters along the way - but honestly this is just a book to enjoy if you don't want to think too much and enjoy the chase of a well constructed thriller.

Simon Kernick's novels are pretty predictable but none the less enjoyable for that and this one does not disappoint.

I should start by saying I am a fan of Simon Kernick Kernick and have read all of his previous titles. This is the second book of the Bome Field series with DI Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd.
Seven unidentified women’s bodies have been found in a house in the country. Hugh Manning knows what happened to the women and the people involved will kill to stop him talking. The story is fast paced and I was on the edge of my seat to discover who would catch up with Hugh first Ray Mason or those responsible for the killings.
You can read this without reading the previous Bone Field novel but it will add to the story if you have.
I was gripped on every page and read this book in one sitting. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I have read quite a few Simon Kernick books in the past. I like them, they tend to be fast paced and action packed while still focusing on the crime aspects. And that is somewhat still true with The Hanged Man. However, this book just did very little for me. An enjoyable enough read I suppose, but it felt very male led. I get it. Crime books are supposed to be sexy. You can do that without it being so male view dominated. Nearly all the women were objectified in some way, and even Tina who is a good detective and the main character loves, gets objectified by him. Though she does at least get her own agenda and she is pretty awesome at times. I mean honestly, I maybe wouldn’t have noticed without the crime being so sexually focused, so that may be swaying opinion, but it felt just off somehow. And the same goes for Dan, and his characterisation, and comments on his religion/faith. They felt jarring and didn’t really add to the story.

I will say that I hadn’t read the first one, so there were times were I felt that would have helped, but that it isn’t totally necessary. And that the action / crime bits are pretty well done and relatively enjoyable. There was just something about the book in total that didn’t work for me.

Explosive action. Good standalone read but felt I would have benefited from reading The Bone Field first

This is a must read for Simon Kernick fans. Book 2 in The Bone Field series and every bit as thrilling as book 1. great characters in Tina Boyd and Roy Mason, thrills, murder, bad guys and an awesome ending. read it. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

A real page-turner, with a cliffhanger ending. Would thoroughly recommend.

I had to re-read the opening of the book to recall the story for this review. The plot is a compelling one and the threads tie logically together. It has an air of being American in style...just a bit too "large" in its sadism and the protagonist just a bit too unconvincingly bold. It is an easy read but is unlikely to haunt my mind as I search for my next text!

Oh, just Superb! Discovering that Simon Kernick has brought a new book out is like popping into the supermarket for some really boring groceries and discovering your favourite wine is back on the shelves. It's indulgent, utterly immersing and highly unlikely that you will get anything else done until you've finished it.
Absolutely loved the Bone field right to the last page so couldn't wait to read this one, the sequel.
It certainly didn't disappoint with such likable, quirky, maverick characters who push barriers and leave you rooting for them all the way through.
Some scenes are brutal (but not gratuitous) and I found myself exhaling sharply towards the end with the sheer tension of it all.
Once again it does end on a sort of cliffhanger, making me wonder if there will be a third in the series.
If so, I shall wait for that, clear the weekend, get the corkscrew out and no doubt thoroughly enjoy again.
Many thanks for the opportunity and the escapism. Much appreciated.

I absolutely loved it.

It was thrilling, gripping, shocking and a complete page turner. I literally couldn’t put it down. I finished it in record time and was left wanting more. The familiar feeling of loss after it ended came, something I only get from books that I really love.

The central character is fascinating, rogue and real. A complex, well-written guy, this character is what makes the book so very interesting. Other characters are equally complex and well-written, you really feel like you are in this story.

The case that is central to the story is intense, shocking and totally gripping. It at times had me recoiling in fear/disgust/horror but kept me turning the pages needing to know more. There has to be a follow up!

I will certainly be seeking out Simon Kernick’s work again after reading this book.

Note - I hadn't read the first book (The Bone Fields) prior to this one and didn't feel to be at a disadvantage. Will be reading it now though!

This book was kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.