This book was intense and interesting. The story centers around Timothy Blake (not your normal "good" guy, and he really isn't) and the killer, a cannibal. There are some intense and gross scenes in this book, so be forewarned, but they fit in with the storyline. I found the book to be written well. The characters are complex and intense. The storyline was very interesting and not easy to guess the twists. I liked the book and am looking forward to the sequel.

This book is not for the faint of heart.  It is pretty gruesome and distasteful to most.. and I really enjoyed it!  The book description listed a mixture of Dexter and Hannibal Lecter and that's a pretty close description.  

Timothy Blake has grown up the in foster child system and has the scars to prove it. He is the last resort for the FBI, helping out in high stakes kidnapping cases and if he is instrumental in finding the kidnapped, he is rewarded... with a body. 

Despite the gruesome nature of Blake's compulsion, I was drawn to the story and kept trying to figure out the convoluted case. Who is the kid they kidnapped, why is there another kidnapped kid that looks the same and why has no one reported HIM missing? Like most detectives who leave a mark on the world, Blake has a pretty twisted way of finding out the things he wants to know - but detective he is not. Throw in the crime boss and crooked cops and I just couldn't pull myself away from this story.  

Despite my love of horror, suspense and mystery - not all will enjoy this, so read at your own risk!

Timothy Blake was a very interesting character. This book was twisted but in a good way for me. The author did a great job with detail in this book. I was on the edge of my seat with this book and would love to see what this author comes up with in his next book. I very much enjoyed this book and will be back for more in the next book from Jack Heath. *This book was given to me for free at my request from Netgalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Hangman by Jack Heath is a rather creepy book, and if you can't stomach gory detail, you would do well to move on. However, if you like fast paced writing and interesting characters, this is a fantastic book. Good read, though a little hard to stomach in spot. Thanks to Netgalley.com for a review copy.

Hangman is certainly different from the usual murder mystery/police procedural. One thing that stands out is the fact that the protagonist is also a cannibal. He solves crimes to get a body from death row in payment to eat. If that doesn't make this one standout from what we've all inevitably read over and over again, I don't know what could. This one certainly gets dark and gruesome, but if you liked the show Dexter you might have found you're next obsession.

WICKEDLY entertaining~ Sherlock Holmes meets Hannibal Lecter!!! I really enjoyed this one. It is so bizarre in theory but somehow it just works. Let me break this down: our main character is a cannibal (you read that right...a cannibal) who ends up making a deal with an FBI Agent that he will help with investigations in exchange for free bodies from death row inmates. Why? Why would an FBI Agent want this man working with him you ask? Well, the guy is a freaking genius of course! A modern day Sherlock Holmes with a photographic memory who obviously can see into the minds of criminals because, well, he IS one...oh, and of course, the cannibal knows about the Agent's coke habit... Intrigued yet?

I would recommend this book to ANYONE who loves a new twist on the thriller genre. Obviously, you need to be a open-minded with the whole concept behind this but I tell you, that Timothy Blake (our MC) is pretty lovable. Honestly the first cannibal I have ever rooted for in a novel. But in addition to the weirdness of it all, this is actually a really taut crime thriller. There were a few times that I was convinced I knew what the answer was to the string of kidnappings that Blake was trying to unravel, but in the end, I turned out wrong every time and was surprised by the reveal. The writing style was fast paced and the mystery well developed. It's definitely dark and gruesome, so if that is something you aren't into, best to stay clear of this one!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review! I really hope that this becomes a series. I would hate to think that this is the last I am ever going to see of Timothy Blake. There's more to his story, I can just feel it! I look forward to hearing other opinions on this book as well. If you have read it, what did you think??

*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

What a wild ride this book was.

Honestly, I never thought I would be able to say I had read a book about a cannibal solving crimes before, but here we are. Yeah, that isn't in the summary, but it comes up really quick in the book and I feel like it is something that should be mentioned, because he literally eats people in the book and that might be too much for some people to handle. I had to take a step back from the book once in a while.

The main character really brings a lot to this story since he is written so well. There is a lot going on with him and his backstory, making me want to know more. Although, once I learned more, sometimes I wish I hadn't haha.
But, the main character isn't the only draw to this book. I found the mystery to be super interesting. Like many thrillers, I didn't see the ending coming at all, I felt a bit blindsided, but there were hints at it being a possibility.

Will I read the sequel? YES. I gotta know what is going to happen to Timothy. One bridge is burned, what will he do now? How will he survive? I gotta know.
If you can handle reading about a cannibal who wishes he wasn't and is pretty morally gray pushing bad, but is intrigued by puzzles -- you should totally read this. This is one I'll be recommending to people who like that blend of mystery/thriller that is more on the gritty side.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley.

Timothy Blake is very good at puzzles. He has a phenomenal memory, an eye for detail, and a great sense of when things are just not right.

He's also a cannibal.

Tim can't control his compulsion to eat people, so he channels it. He works as a consultant for the FBI, and whenever he solves a case, his boss gives him a death row inmate to eat. So he's doing a good thing, really. Until a certain kidnapping case. Something's just not right. Why are all the missing boy's pictures taken from his house? Is his mother hiding something? And is it just a coincidence that another boy that looks remarkably like the first appears to have gone missing as well?

The pressure of the case is showing Tim that he doesn't have quite the handle on his appetite as he thought. Things get even more complicated when Tim's new FBI handler begins pursuing a relationship with him, and a local gangster's upcoming trial stretches FBI resources thin.

This is a compelling, seriously creepy thriller. It scratches the same itch as Dexter, and I'm looking forward to whatever Heath writes next.

I have to say, Hangman was the 99th book I've read so far this year, and is right up there with some of my favorites of the year. It was dark, twisted, and I loved every second of it! I'm a huge fan of thrillers that have really macabre elements to them, and this was definitely fit the bill. 

I don't want to give away much, because I think this book is best gone into pretty blind, but I want to say that I was so conflicted about my feelings about Blake! On one hand, he's a sociopath with a horrible secret, but yet, I couldn't help but find myself rooting for him! 

Hangman was really smartly written. There were a lot of moving parts and clues that popped up as the case went on, and I was scrambling to put all of the pieces together, and honestly? I didn't figure it out, which I loved. Each chapter also started with a riddle, which I also enjoyed, since I think riddles are fun to solve! Some I'd heard before, but some were new to me. I thought riddles did a great job of tying in the theme of Blake being a puzzle-solver to the book. 

I really enjoyed the ending of the book, and thought it was very fitting. I know that Hangman is a standalone book, but I'd love a sequel in the future to read more about Blake and what he's up to now! All in all, this was a 5 star read for me. I imagine this book won't be for everyone because of the secret our main character carries (I think it will turn some readers off), but if you're a fan of books with dark themes and flawed protagonists, you'll devour this one!

Thirty years ago, Thomas Harris ushered in what would become a popular segment of the crime fiction genre with The Silence of the Lambs, an anti-hero novel par excellence. The popularity of the novel, and Oscar-winning movie adaptation, has led to countless copycat knockoffs lacking in the originality and creativity of the mentor text. With Hangman, Jack Heath has managed to create a worthy addition to the canon with his lead, Timothy Blake, an FBI consultant with unusual crime solving abilities and “tastes.” The setup is the abduction of a young boy on his way home from school. The resulting ride is roller coaster full of twists, darkly comedic turns, and boundless imagination. This one is a winner!

Books about crime and mystery are tough to write. It's hard to capture the audience and can often come across as unbelievable. This is unfortunately the case with "Hangman". I was excited to read the book but it fell flat for me. I also had a hard time getting through some of the scenes considering what exactly was going on. The book was all over the place and sadly not for me.

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I have to confess I had to finish it and it was more than just the fact that I had to know who kidnapped this kid. It was a good story. The book jacket describes the main character as a sociopath. I was thinking along the line of Dexter, the serial killer who only kills criminals that he has proven are guilty and that the police won't be able to convict. Buuuut not so much. I was very disturbed by the fact that the main character is a cannibal. Although you do learn interesting facts like what parts of a human body you shouldn't eat, and you never know when that could come in handy. But sleep-eating is very disturbing when your favorite finger-foods are...um, fingers.

Timothy Blake is what you get if Sherlock Holmes and Hannibal Lecter had a baby. Blake notices the most innocuous things, psychoanalyze the parties involved and usually draws the correct conclusion. That is why the FBI director calls Blake in to assist on difficult cases. And if he can solve the case before the FBI, the director pays him in death row inmates. Since the story takes place in Texas, the U.S. leader in the death penalty, there are always plenty of choices for dinner. Tim is like the death row boogeyman. The inmates discuss the man who comes to the prison looking to pick out his next meal. It's like a cannibal lobster tank. Ooo...that one looks tasty.

Tim is called in to assist in a kidnapping case. A teenaged boy is abducted and his mother calls in the FBI for their help. Because the Director doesn't completely trust Tim, he gives him an agent babysitter to make sure Blake doesn't do anything illegal or cross lines that would affect the FBI's ability to prosecute the guilty parties.

Agent Thistle is brought in to watch over Blake. They have a good balance of good cop/cannibal consultant and Thistle actually comes to admire Blake since he seems to be working very hard to find the missing boy (and since she has no idea how he gets paid). And, yes, part of that hard work is because if the doesn't find the kid alive, he doesn't get his death row snack. But Blake does seem to have a moral compass, a very weak one, but it is there and it includes protecting Thistle from himself when mutual admiration causes Thistle to lose some of the fear the other agents have around Tim.

The name Hangman comes from the only financial income that Timothy Blake has since the FBI pays in body parts. He advertises under the name Hangman to solve any puzzle and people forward him money and puzzles to solve. Since that is the only money that he brings in, well, except for selling credit card numbers on the dark web, Tim lives on the poverty line. An orphan and former group home kid, Tim still only has two outfits to wear and his roommate is a drug dealer. He is sickly looking and has all the usual health issues of someone who is poor...really, really poor.

I have many, mixed feelings about this story. It was a really good crime drama. It kept me absorbed in the story. I am highly recommend this to anyone who can get past the whole cannibal thing because I don't think this is a story I am going to forget any time soon.

On thing which will make you want to punch author Jack Heath if you ever met him in person is the fact that he starts each chapter with a riddle...AND NO ANSWERS..

THE BOOK
A 14-year-old boy vanishes on his way home from school. His frantic mother receives a disturbing ransom call. It's only hours before the deadline, and the police have no leads.

Enter Timothy Blake, codename Hangman. Blake is a genius, known for solving impossible cases. He's also a sociopath - the FBI's last resort.

But this time Blake might have met his match. The kidnapper is more cunning and ruthless than anyone he's faced before. And Blake has been assigned a new partner, a woman linked to the past he's so desperate to forget.

Timothy Blake has a secret, one so dark he will do anything to keep it hidden.

And he also has a price. Every time he saves a life, he takes one…

MY THOUGHTS
Wow! What a fantastic and new take on a crime thriller. I feel there are so few stories like this out there. Let's just say, if you enjoyed DEXTER (television show with Michael C. Hall), you'll enjoy this one. It's dark and twisty with the perfect amount of psychological lure. A must read!

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.

I almost put this book down when I found out what Blake was eating. However, the writing had been so good and I loved the narration so I kept on reading. Then, I became curious as to why Blake has this need.

A strangely different book with an edge that may make you cringe. Weak stomachs may want to skip this one.

However, I did enjoy reading this book no matter what the darkness was about.

Thanks to Harlequin, Hanover Square Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I want thank Netgalley HARLEQUIN - Hanover Square Press (U.S. & Canada)
Hanover Square Press and Jack Heath for my advanced copy of Hangman, I also want to apologize for my delayed review I finished this book in a day and was not able to write my review till today. Hangman is one of those books that you finish in one sitting add can’t wait to get more. The FBI consultant in this book is a combination of Hannibal Lecter and Dexter put together and it’s fantastic! Bears yes that means there are some awesome details that are so gruesome you’ll either love it or hate it. So, if your idea of a great lunch isn’t somebody’s foot, then I would say skip it, but if your idea of great thriller is gore, guts and a thrill ride then this is the book for you. 5 Stars all the way. I just hope there’s much more from this author to come.

Holy mother of all things twisted, gruesome, macabre, crazy and AWESOME. I haven't read a book this good in a while. Why is it so good? Well, it brings us a unique and sociopathic lead character that for all purposes you should hate but I LOVE. LOVE! I shouldn't, but I'm dark and twisted so I can't help myself.

All the surprises that the author brings - I didn't see a single damn thing. At the end of Chapter Four, the last line... I had to do a double take and then flip back to pages to see if what I read was really what I read. Then I smiled and settled in, knowing this is my type of read. I don't even care about whether or not it was even remotely realistic or not. WHO CARES with this one?! I even made a note about getting rid of bodies with acid in bath tubs - c'mon, Breaking Bad taught us this isn't a good idea. 🤣 Still, I was so engrossed with the story line, but mostly fascinated with one Mr. Timothy Blake. He makes the story, he IS the story and I want more of him. Hey Heath, you need to bring him back in another book please.. k, thanks!

I don't think this is going to be a book for everyone. However, if you like dark, twisted reads that have a dark comedic flair to it, this is absolutely for you. I highly recommend this and give it all the stars (and thumbs) in the world.

Well now that was kind of different. You don't normally see people who are that way working with the FBI. I liked following along with Blake as he tried to find out what was happening the latest case. I was really surprised with the ending and the reason why the person did it. I would read more with Blake as he is a fascinating character.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Thank you to NetGalley, Hanover Square Press and the author for a free advanced copy.

I was just not feeling this book at all.. The story really had an unbelievable premise and to enjoy the story one would need to suspend your disbelief. Our protagonist is definitely on the bizarre side, who is a consultant for the FBI and paid in the most outlandish way imaginable. So, not any easy or enjoyable read for me, others of this genre might enjoy more than I did.

Holy carnivore, Batman - this book's a killer!

FBI "consultant" Timothy Blake is Dexter and Hannibal Lecter melded together and on speed. In case you're wondering, yes, that makes for some pretty gory details, so if your idea of a tasty lunch isn't somebody's left arm, you might want to skip this one. For everybody else, though, it's a bone-ified winner.

After surviving what is easily an horrific childhood, Blake runs afoul of the law. But he gets a reprieve of sorts when he's offered a deal too good to pass up: Put his unique on-target insights to use by helping with tough FBI cases and - when he's successful - earn an even more unique "reward": a freshly dead human perfectly fit for consumption courtesy of the Death House at Huntsville Prison.

It's an arrangement that's served Blake well, so to speak; he's able to earn money in other ways, including winning $20 bets that he won't be able to solve puzzles sent by the bettors. To underscore his talent in this regard, each chapter begins with a content-related riddle, such as "What belongs to you but is used mostly by others?"

The story begins as Blake's handler, FBI Director Peter Luzhin, pulls him in to help when a 14-year-old boy is kidnapped. Despite Blake's concerns, he's paired with Special Agent Reese Thistle. Neither is thrilled with the arrangement, but the more they work together, the more they begin to respect and trust each other (well, to a point, of course; Blake isn't exactly chomping at the bit to admit his eating preferences to anyone except his FBI boss).

The plot itself is filled with twists, turns and surprises mixed in with some pretty grisly stuff - but hey, what did you expect when the "hero" is a cannibal? In between, though, is an intricately woven tale of a complex and tragic life that makes an otherwise unlovable character, well, palatable.

For the record, this is the first adult novel by the author, a successful writer for the young adult market. I've also read that ABC has a TV rights option, so I'll be keeping an eye out for developments on that front if for no other reason than I'd love to run into Blake again. And those riddles? I'll give you a freebie: The answer to the one above, if you haven't already guessed, is "your name." Here's another hint: If you read the book and want answers to the others, just go to jackheath.com.au/riddles.

In short, this is without question one of the best and most clever books I've read so far this year and I recommend it highly (except to the really squeamish). Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.