Hangman Island by Kate Rhodes
ON A REMOTE ISLAND
When Jez Cardew’s boat is found drifting empty on the Atlantic Ocean, DI Ben Kitto and his fellow lifeboat crew members immediately fear the worst. After an extensive search yields no results, the team are forced to retreat to dry land as darkness sets in.
THE OCEAN IS MERCILESS
But Kitto can’t let it go. Why would Jez – an experienced sailor – get into difficulty when the sea has been calm for weeks? Unless his disappearance was no accident.
BUT SO ARE THE PEOPLE . . .
The gruesome discovery of a hand washed ashore on the beach confirms his hunch. Because a medal is attached to the index finger, and it can only have been placed there by the killer.
This strange clue is the only lead to an agenda as cold as the ocean itself. Kitto must work fast, before the small, isolated community closes ranks. And it’s only a matter of time before the murderer among them strikes again . . .
Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths, this gripping new locked-island mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the bitter end.
About the author
Kate Rhodes is a bestselling British crime writer. Her latest books are the acclaimed ISLES OF SCILLY MYSTERIES, which have been optioned for TV. Kate has been passionate about the islands since holidaying there as a child, and still returns regularly to research her books. Kate's books have been nominated for the Crime Novel of the Year award, and the Library Dagger award.
Kate was born in south London, but now lives in Cambridge with her husband. She did a wide range of jobs including working in bars, being a theatre usherette, and teaching at a liberal arts college in Florida, before focusing on her writing. She works part-time as a Creative Writing Fellow at Cambridge University.
Review
‘Hangman Island’ is the latest instalment in the brilliant ‘Isles of Scilly Mysteries’ and was a cracking read. I was a latecomer to this series and I am now bereft that I am up to date with them as it means I am going to need more Ben Kitto in my life and have no way for this to happen! This is the seventh book in the series but it can be read as a standalone quite easily but I do thoroughly recommend reading the whole series as I have loved every minute of it.
This outing centres around the amazing work that the lifeboats do in this part of the world and it made for a very exciting and scary read! When Jez Cardew’s boat is found adrift near the Atlantic shipping lane it's a personal call out for the lifeboat crew as Jez is one of their own. With no luck finding him the longer it takes cuts down on his chance of survival. Something is nagging at the back of Ben Kitto’s mind though as he doesn't think an experienced boatman would get into trouble on such a calm night. When a hand washes up on a local beach a lifeboat medal is attached, which proves Ben’s hunch that only someone else could have been involved with it. So once again Ben has to solve a murder on the Isles…
I loved seeing the softer and more mellow side of Ben, as not only being a new father he is also preparing for his wedding to Nina! But that doesn't mean he lacks motivation as it's personal for Ben since he is also on the lifeboat crew and therefore a potential victim. A few members of the crew have received a package full of lifeboat badges and a hangman note and Ben is one of them. But why would someone target them? Overall, it was a compelling and addictive read and I flew through it in a few sittings. I think my fear of open water helped play into my tension ratings as for me it was jam-packed with it! It was also lovely to see the return of some characters from the earlier books and see how life has treated them. Thankfully, Shadow (Ben’s amazing dog) gets a much easier time of it compared to previous books!
Let me know if you pick this one up!
