Thank you Head of Zeus and NetGalley .
My first book by JS Monroe and I didn't realise there were others before this. But I really enjoyed this book.
Different to what I'm used to, but recommend

An usual mystery, Wiltshire DI Silas Hart is called to investigate when a body is found in a crop circle, then two more bodies are found. Also, a chance meeting puts budding journalist Bella and government scientist Jim on a dangerous and potentially deadly journey. Are dark forces at play? Profound, moving and intriguing stuff.

Detective Silas was called in to investigate crop circle but this one indicated murder probably involving a chemical compound. The story was intriguing, but the delivery with many POV required my intense concentration. Silas was great, rest was okay. An enjoyable read

What a cracking good read!

DI Silas Hart promised his wife that he would pay more attention to their marriage. He’s in a yoga class with his wife when his mobile rings. It’s his colleague DC Strover, reporting that a naked body has been found in the middle of a crop circle and needs him to return to Gablecross police station in Swindon where he is head of the CID.

Two further crop circles appear – again with bodies in their centres and again the circles seem to hold mathematical equations for highly dangerous drugs. What Hart and Strover can’t ascertain is whether the drugs are stored at Porton Down or could there be something more sinister at play.

Bella is very excited when her mother fetches her from her Oxford college after graduation. She is even more excited when she manages to get an internship at a leading newspaper. Bella’s father had been a famous journalist and she wants to follow in his footsteps. When a note arrives suggesting that there is a big story for her to “crack” Bella can’t resist the challenge and sets off to meet her contact.

Jim who claims he works at Porton Down is the contact. He is soon caught up in the crop circle case, making Bella also part of the investigation. He sees the formulas written in the circle.

I’m a crop circle follower. I wait with bated breath each year as the season starts to see what is going to appear and if not too far from where I live, get to the circle to inspect it. JS Monroe ticked every box to ensure that I would not put the novel down until I finished. Crop Circles, murders, math formulas and conspiracy theories. I couldn’t have asked for a more tailored novel for my interest. To add to the enjoyment, were characters who were all extremely well drawn so that you the reader, could get to know them well. The twist in the storyline is also brilliant.

Thank you, JS Monroe, – The Man on Hackpen Hill was one of my best reads in 2021. Whether I’ll ever look at a crop circle through rosy coloured glasses again remains to be seen.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

Brilliant storyline with outstanding characters.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and the author, J.S Monroe, for the opportunity to read The Man on Hackpen Hill in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I really enjoy reading this author and this book was no exception.
The storyline was well thought out and written with interesting characters. I was hooked from the opening pages.
Worth a read.

My feelings on this book are a bit mixed; I really enjoyed the ending and the plot direction Monroe takes this on. However the process of getting there felt cumbersome and a bit dull. I was not particularly engaged in reading this and found it largely forgettable. I enjoyed the characters and that Monroe writes this from multiple perspectives. This had interesting parts and the overall ending was good but I was bored reading this and did not find it very enjoyable.

It isn't unusual for crop circles to appear overnight on Hackpen Hill. In this part of Wiltshire, where golden wheat fields stretch for miles, the locals have got used to discovering strange mathematical patterns stamped into the earth.
But this time, it's different. Not only because this particular design of dramatic spiralling hexagons has never been seen before. But because of the dead body positioned precisely in the centre of the circle. DI Silas Hart, of Swindon Police, is at a loss.
Only Jim, a scientist at secretive government laboratory Porton Down, knows the chilling truth about the man on Hackpen Hill. And he wants Bella, a trainee journalist on her first ever story, to tell the world. But Silas has other ideas - and a boss intent on a cover up.
As Bella and Jim race against time, dark forces conspire against them, leading them to confront the reality of their own past and a world in which nothing is as it seems.

I have read and loved j s monroe novels and was so excited to be invited onto the book tour for this novel

This book was a bit different from his usual psychological thrillers, but this was still an absolutely phenomenal book and I loved it
There are so many twists and turns delivered in this book.
It really is an edge of your seat gripping thriller
This book can be very dark in places
If you have read this author before, you will love his latest instalment
Thank you for the advanced review copy

Have you ever seen crop circles in real life? I’ll have to admit that I haven’t, so possibly that’s why they are so mysterious and have an intriguing thing for me. Who makes them? Why they are making them? And, of course, how they are making them?
If crop circles are not mysterious enough, imagine a new one with a dead body in the middle! It starts getting scary, don’t you think?
This had been a very intriguing and mysterious book; with some scientific details to explain the details of how the crop circles are made and some possible answers to them.
But, this is not really the main point of the story but the three main characters that will explain the story; the detective, DI Silas Hart, the scientist that is behind the mysterious circles, Jim and then Bella, the journalist that has to reveal to the world the truth.
If you are guessing what makes this book so addictive is that you don’t know what or who to trust; we try to believe that DI Silas is telling the reader the truth, but the other two? Not so sure! But this is what makes the book so attractive, trying to make your own plots in your head and never know what it will happen next.
I think this had been an amazing read, with a very tenacious and intelligent man that is not ready to stop investigating till he doesn’t know all the facts.
This is a book I would recommend to any reader that is looking for a good case, it’s worth the read, believe me!
Are you ready for “The Man on Hackpen Hill”?

The Man of Hackpen Hill by JS Monroe

Cunningly complicated and complex, this story was convoluted in twisty surprising ways. D.I. Silas Hart and D.C. Strover have a curious crime to figure out in this tale of evil I fear may be all too true in real life. This is the third book Hart & Strover appear in but reading it without the previous books is easily done. That said, I did wonder about the two and wish I could remember them from the previous book though I do remember enjoying the story and wonder if they had lesser roles than the woman who lost her ability to remember faces.

What I liked:
* The crop circle messages that needed to be figured out
* Looking at the role of big pharmaceutical companies on patients through the drugs they create, the need to test them and the impact the drugs may have in the long and short run.
* Thinking about what it would have been like to be Jim, Bella, Erin, Conor or some of the others
* Thinking about what is “real” and what is not…and the realization that what might be real for me might not be real for someone else
* Being reminded that the mind is not the same in every person
* The aspects of family that Hart, Jim, and Bella had to deal with
* Wondering who might be in the big black cars and what they were up to
* Finding out who was in the big black menacing cars
* Not realizing the full truth and all of the story till it was concluded and all threads were tied up at the end
* That it stretched me and made me think

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly what I was meant not to like…people events, and all the rest
* Thinking about some of the issues in this book and wondering if they might be occurring in real time right now

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Note: This story has a significant amount of scientific information that will appeal to some while having other skim for the “meat” of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I had a lot of fun in reading this thriller, it's gripping and fast paced. I was attracted by the crop circles and I appreciated the story that mixes thriller, sinister plots and a lot of science.
It's a well researched book and i learned something new about crop circles and maths :)
The plot is well developed and kept me guessing and hooked till the end.
I loved Silas, a down to earth detective, and appreciated Bella and James.
Bella is a bit to sanctimonious at times and sometimes grated on my nerves.
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.5 Stars

J S Monroe is on top form with his latest taut, tense and twisted psychological thriller, The Man on Hackpen Hill.

Crop circles tend to be a regular occurrence on Hackpen Hill in Wiltshire. With golden wheat fields stretching for miles on end, the locals have got used to finding strange mathematical patterns stamped onto the earth. However, the latest pattern is different – and very unsettling. There is something very eerie about this specific design and the dramatic spiraling hexagons – not to mention the dead body positioned precisely at the centre of the circle! DI Silas Hart is used to his fair share of complex and unusual cases, but even he has to admit that he has never come across a crime scene quite like this one!

Silas is completely stumped and he doesn’t know where to start or which way to turn. Jim, a scientist at a government laboratory, could be the one to help him in his quest to untangle the twisted strands of this particular case for he is the only man who knows the chilling truth about the man on Hackpen Hill. Meanwhile, trainee journalist Bella is thrilled with the scoop she has uncovered which could make her name, but Silas is not about to let her tell the world about the strange goings-on in Wiltshire.

In a desperate race against time, dark forces are at play that threaten to jeopardise everything Bella and Jim have worked towards. With nothing as it initially seems, can Bella and Jim get to the truth before more damage is done? Or is it already far too late?

J S Monroe breaks new ground with his latest thriller, The Man on Hackpen Hill. A writer who is at the height of his storytelling powers, in The Man on Hackpen Hill, J S Monroe keeps his readers hanging onto his every word as they find themselves drawn into a strange and sinister world full of dark shadows, chilling secrets and dangerous deceptions.

With the twists coming so fast readers will barely be able to catch their breath, buckle up for an exhilarating rollercoaster ride with J S Monroe’s latest thriller, The Man on Hackpen Hill.

I've always been hugely intrigued by crop circles so I had to request this on as soon as I saw it available. I'm a HUGE fan of The X-Files and reading this felt like watching one of their best episodes with cryptic crime scenes, spooks & conspiracies. Loved it.

PLEASE NOTE: My apologies for this review being posted a day late, but the graphics were not supplied in time.

Here’s a novel which will give your brain a work-out!

DI Silas Hart mood plummets when his latest case involves crop circles; they are the bane of his life when a body turns up in the middle of one. Using everything at his disposal, it’s still a puzzling investigation. Jim, a scientist an Porton Down, the secret government facility, knows the truth and reaches out to Bella, trainee journalist, to help him reveal it. But Jim has to go into hiding and Bella is scared. Silas just wants to get to the truth and solve the murder, but his superiors seem keen on stopping his quest.

What a read! By the time I was three quarters way through this book, I was beginning to wonder if I was losing my mind! Twisting this way and turning the other, this is an enigmatic read which will have you questioning everything. I was completely sucked in and not just surprised but shocked as it all unravelled to reveal the truth. Absolutely riveting! Very cleverly written and skilfully plotted. 4.5* from me.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Unpredictable, Unique Tale…
A dead body, a crop circle, a coded message. Unpredictable, unique tale, Wiltshire set and combining a huge dollop of suspense with investigation and mystery but with a genuine puzzle at its heart. With differing points of view, snappy narrative and a colourful cast of characters, an enjoyable and engaging read.

The Man on Hackpen Hill is the captivating and compulsive second instalment in the DI Silas Hart series set against the backdrop of bucolic Wiltshire. When intricately patterned crop circles come into existence almost overnight in and around the plentiful wheat fields of Wiltshire, they appear to spell out the names of complex chemical compounds or perhaps something more esoteric. But that isn't the only reason they have been noticed over and above the rest; the body of a young male has been discovered dead in the centre of the maze of wheat and Detective Inspector Hart and his faithful colleague, Strover, are the ones called to the unusual crime scene to look for answers. They soon realise that this is much more serious than the usual harmless abstract artwork and that perhaps someone is sending an obscure message.

As the investigation deepens it moves into possible multilayered conspiracies and accusations probing the type of clandestine work carried out at the British-based military research facility known as Porton Down near Salisbury. Meanwhile, the second strand of the plot starts as divergent and begins to merge with the crop circle conspiracy case. It features Bella, a trainee journalist who recently graduated from a tiny Oxford-based college after studying there for the past 3 years. She is looking for her first big scoop to help her rise to prominence, so she is fascinated when she receives an enigmatic letter instructing her to go to The Slaughtered Lamb pub in Wiltshire. There she meets idiosyncratic scientist Jim Matthews who works at Porton Down and is investigating the murder, but when more bodies are discovered with the exact same modus operandi, the rumours surrounding human experimentation at the facility begin to gain traction.

What nefarious things, if any, are happening at Porton Down, and what does it have to do with the strategically planned killings? This is an enthralling, engrossing and thoroughly original contemporary thriller with plenty of action, intrigue and danger, and you can tell it has been extensively researched as it feels authentic to its core. It's easy to become immersed in all of the hi-jinx despite the switching of the perspectives between Jim, Silas and Bella, and the short, snappy chapters keep you reading long into the night. There is an intense underlying feeling of dread that emanates from the pages throughout this sinister and wickedly twisty read. It evokes memories of the Skripals' attempted assassination and features elements of conspiracy, ruthless rumour, fake news, espionage and chemical weaponry. Chilling, cleverly woven and entertaining through to the very last line. Highly recommended.

The Man on Hackpen Hill is the fifth book by J S Monroe and has the strangest beginning, with a woman thinking she can fly. Then we meet the two main characters, Detective Inspector Silas Hart and Bella a trainee journalist, recently graduated from university. As each of their backstory unfolds, the central mystery of bodies found in the centre of crop circles is revealed. Finally, a third protagonist Jim, a scientist at a secretive government laboratory, Porton Down is introduced. As the investigation unfolds, progress is made but the potential leads are only more confusing. There are several references to actual English crimes, which adds a strong layer of credibility to the tale. A most enjoyable read of an enticing police procedural with an intriguing crime and a remarkable conclusion that warrants a four-and- a-half-star rating. With thanks to Head of Zeus Publishers and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes. Hopefully there will be more Silas Hart cases to come.

This story has an intrinsic sense of authenticity, which is in itself chilling given the disturbing elements it explores. It features the detective team of Silas and Strover, a familiar combination if you've read the authors other psychological thrillers. It begins with a disquieting prologue that sets the scene for what follows. Bella leaves Oxford for a fledgling career in journalism. Her complex past unfolds as the story progresses. Silas and Strover are investigating a death in a crop circle which leads them into the fields of secret laboratories and mental health issues. Jim meets Bella in a Wiltshire pub, accidentally he believes at first.

The story is told from these points of view. The police investigation is absorbing and allows the reader to make their deductions. Bella and Jim are both unreliable protagonists, but they are easy to empathise with. The plot is fast-paced with its short chapters. The use of sensory imagery makes the events easy to imagine. The plot twists are impactful. The story changes perspective dramatically but realistically and is addictive reading. The climactic ending is satisfying, delivering action, poignancy and positivity for the main protagonists.

I received a copy of this book from 'Head of Zeus' in return for an honest review.

This was a cleverly written and completely original thriller. DI Silas Hart finds himself investigating the discovery of bodies found in the centres of newly found crop circles. The book switches between Hart's perspective and the story of Bella, a wannabe journalist, who has lined up an unusual story with Jim, a scientist from military laboratory, Porton Down. The book is set in a lovely area of the country that I know well, around Swindon, Salisbury, Oxford and the surrounding areas.

You are thrown straight into the storyline with the discovery of the first body, and from that you are taken on a gripping, conspiracy filled ride right through to the end. Hart's and Bella's storylines run alongside each other, with no clues given as to how these storylines will inevitably merge together. I liked Silas's character and found him to be a good, clear, level headed detective. His constable, Stroker, formed a great partnership with him and I loved her knowledge of facts and figures! Bella, and later Jim's, characters are a little more troubled, with both having issues in their lives. We aren't given many clues as to how all the stories link together until much further into the book, and try as I might, I had no idea where it was all going!

This was a chilling, dark and twisted thriller which will keep you hooked till the last page. I loved the conspiracy theories, the old folklores of crop circles, the mysterious Porton Down and even the infamously named 'Slaughtered Lamb' pub. I also loved how the story twisted and turned throughout. Would recommend!

J S Monroe started out writing very good spy thrillers in the 2010s under the name Jon Stock, but more recently he has moved into broader crime novels, in the style of Harlan Coben, with clever ‘what if’ scenarios at their core.

In The Man On Hackpen Hill he skillfully develops the idea of a killer using crop circles to to send obscure messages. Crop circles are a common occurrence in the golden wheat fields of rural Wiltshire, but when the police find a body in the middle of a circle designed around a complex chemical formula they realise that there is something more sinister at play than the usual ‘crop circle looney’. DI Silas Hart, who has appeared in supporting roles in Monroe’s earlier books, is given the sensitive task of solving the mystery and finds himself caught up in a complex web of nutty conspiracies and allegations about the secret work at the nearby Porton Down military research facility. When further bodies appear, pressure grows to solve the case without offending the authorities at Porton Down.

Monroe skilfully moves the viewpoint between Hart and two young people, Jim, a scientist at Porton Down and Bella, a very inexperienced trainee at a newspaper. Gradually the roles of Jim and Bella in the gruesome discovery becomes clearer as the sinuous plot smoothly glides its way to an unexpected conclusion, and both of them play an important role in the final denouement.

This is an enjoyable crime thriller with interesting background material on crop circles, drugs, the radical treatment of mental health issues and the experimental work being undertaken at Porton Down. Hart is an engaging character who has steadily developed over the course of the books, and really comes into his own this time around. The supporting characters of Bella and Jim are also interesting, and poignant, and their potentially unreliable viewpoints add a good deal of suspense to the story.

In all, The Man On Hackpen Hill, is a very original and highly contemporary thriller that raises some important issues while entertaining the reader with surprises and suspense. The ending is a little abrupt, but overall it is a very enjoyable read.

My thanks to NetGalley And Head Of Zeus for a copy of “The Man On Hackpin Hill “ for an honest review .

This book was thrilling and suspenseful and kept me guessing right up to the end.
It was well written and I liked the short chapters , which really built up the tension..
I have read books by Monroe before , but I don’t think that’s necessary to enjoy this one.
Recommended for a fast paced thought provoking read.