LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
March 2014 Book of the Month.
Part of a compelling Edinburgh-based series from James Oswald (which began with Natural Causes and continued with The Book of Souls) featuring a likeable key protagonist in Detective Inspector Tony McLean. We follow two main themes, prostitution and suicides. Tony McLean has an injured girlfriend undergoing hypnotherapy which seems not to help her but does affect McLean who has to be with her, and greatly affects his career. This side of the story is fascinating.
A 'Piece of Passion' from the Publisher...
'If you are a fan of seriously good crime fiction, then you will love James Oswald’s Inspector McLean series. The first novel of the series, Natural Causes, introduces one of the most compelling detective lead characters in contemporary crime fiction, Tony McLean. McLean is defined by his ineffable humanity – his quiet and dogged determination to seek justice for the victims of the crimes he investigates. Oswald’s writing is reminiscent of Ian Rankin or Stuart McBride’s Scottish noir, but is also tinged with a slight trace of the supernatural – which adds an intriguing nuance to the stories. I guarantee that once you start this excellent series – you will race through James’s novels, and be left hungry for more.' - Alex Clarke, Editor, Penguin Books
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion some of our Reader Review Panel were also lucky enough to read and review this title.
Sarah Broadhurst
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The Hangman's Song Synopsis
A young man is found hanging by a rope in his Edinburgh home. A simple, sad suicide, yet Detective Inspector Tony McLean is puzzled by the curious suicide note. A second hanged man and another strange note hint at a sinister pattern. Investigating a brutal prostitution and human trafficking ring, McLean struggles to find time to link the two suicides. But the discovery of a third convinces him of malicious intent. Digging deeper, McLean finds answers much closer to home than he expects. The first two titles in the series, Natural Causes and The Book of Souls, are both available as Penguin Paperbacks and ebooks.
The Inspector McLean series:
1. Natural Causes
2. The Book of Souls
3. The Hangman's Song
4. Dead Men's Bones
5. Prayer for the Dead
About This Edition
Press Reviews
James Oswald Press Reviews
'The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish The Herald Crime fiction's next big thing' - The Sunday Telegraph
'Literary sensation...James overnight success has drawn comparisons with the meteoric rise of EL James and her Fifty Shades of Grey series' - Daily Mail
'The new Ian Rankin' - Daily Record
Author
About James Oswald
James Oswald is the author of the Inspector McLean series of crime novels, respectively Natural Causes, The Book of Souls, The Hangman's Song, Dead Men's Bones and Prayer for the Dead. He has written an epic fantasy series, The Ballad of Sir Benfro, published by Penguin, as well as comic scripts and short stories.
In his spare time he runs a 350-acre livestock farm in north-east Fife, where he raises pedigree Highland Cattle and New Zealand Romney sheep.
Author photo © Bill Waters
More About James Oswald
