I have to admit up front that I'm a big Simon Kernick fan having read all of his previous books and thoroughly enjoyed every one.
I'm very grateful to have received the preview copy of this one as it was highly likely that I'd similarly lap this one up too.
Sure enough, loved it from start to finish.
I read The Bone Field (the previous book) fairly recently so if I had any criticism there was a little too much reference back to the events of the first book. However, for anybody that hadn't read this previous book this meant that this book would stand on it' s own (although I'd highly recommend you read The Bone Field too first anyway).
It wasn't quite the gripping first paragraph I've come to expect from crime thrillers either - but no worries there as I was always going to be joining the ride to the end.

Thanks very much. Anybody that's a fan of crime/police thrillers will love this book.
I look forward to the next Simon Kernick release.

Simon Kernick hits the spot again. Makes you want to keep reading to the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy of The Hanged Man, the second novel to feature Ray Mason and Tina Boyd.

After a suspension Ray Mason is drafted into the National Crime Agency to help them find Hugh Manning, a lawyer associated with the Welsh farmhouse called the Bone Field by the press where the bodies of seven young women were found, but Manning is on the run so the hunt is on.

I didn't realise when I started it that The Hanged Man is part of a serial novel so I wish that I'd read The Bone Field first to get the full detail although the highlights are recapped sufficiently to give the gist of it. I should also point out that the novel ends on a "to be continued" note. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed the read and while the cliffhanger will force me to read the next novel it is a relatively self contained part of the bigger whole.

The novel opens explosively with a couple of hitmen trying unsuccessfully to kill Manning and his escape. It is Ray and his new partner, Dan Watts, who find the scene and lead the hunt for Manning but nothing goes smoothly and Manning is far wilier than anyone would have suspected. Ray is not a standard policeman so violence and rule breaking are his standard operating procedures. The novel is full of action, tension, twists and excitement.

The style of the novel takes some getting used to with its changing perspective and voices. Ray's narrative is first person and everyone else from Manning and the bad guys to his girlfriend Tina Boyd is in the third person. It makes for a strange juxtaposition but somehow it works. I'm not normally a big fan of alternating perspectives as it often makes for a choppy read but in this case it all flows well and gives the reader additional points of view and angles, probably because the bad guys are known from the start and the narrative is more about catching them than guessing who they are.

The Hanged Man is a first rate thriller (1 star deducted for its serial nature) which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Continuing on from The Bone Field, Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd are still chasing after the murderers who killed seven women at a remote Welsh farmhouse. Ray and fellow police officer Dan Watts are after Hugo Manning who is wanted for the murder of his wife but was a business associate of the bone field murderers. The race is on to catch up with him. The murderers to silence him and the police to obtain answers. Thoroughly enjoyed the book but was disappointed when it ended with so many unanswered questions (Book 3)

Being the second book in the planned trilogy The Hanged Man is an absolute cracking read. Not only does it answer some of the questions from The Bone Field it is also very well written to remind you of those questions in the first place in a really slick way. As ever the story builds in pace forcing you to keep turning the pages to find out what happens to Ray Mason and Tina Boyd who get themselves into their usual dangerous situations.
I found this book a joy to read and think Simon Kernick has excelled in his writing with this part of the story in a way that has loads of details all being put together for the reader to enjoy without overloading to be too confusing. I didn’t want the end of the book to come finding it better than the first and am looking forward to the conclusion, even though I’ll have a year to wait!
Obviously a natural choice to read if you read the first book but if you are new to the series then I urge you to get them both because you will not be disappointed.
Special thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had not read the first book in the Bone Field Series but this didn't affect my enjoyment of this book .The Hanged Man is a tense crime drama , fast paced and full of violence .It is one of those books it is difficult to put down .The ending was surprising but very believable.

Hugh Manning is on the run in fear for his life. Erstwhile accountant for high-octane criminals, he has become a hunted man. His crime bosses are killers and Manning has seen too much. He has skimmed off enough to provide him and his wife with a wealthy future, if only they can escape and flee the country…

Ray Mason is a cop who has a history of flying by the seat of his pants. A cop with a cavalier attitude. There are many references to previous events that saw him suspended. Events that occurred in ‘The Bone Field’ (1st in the series that I was not aware of). The remains of seven unidentified women have just been discovered at a remote location and Mason and fellow officer Dan Watts are determined to hunt down the killers. I often found myself at a disadvantage not having read The Bone Field, where this all began…

Mason and Watts need to locate the witness to these murders before the killers do. And Mason is in a relationship with PI Tina Boyd, herself a former policewoman, and she adds another dimension to the investigation…

The Hanged Man just about reads as a stand alone although I am certain that reading The Bone Field first would explain a great deal and fill in much useful background information. The quest to find Manning is fraught with danger at every turn, littered with bodies and tainted with betrayal.

This is a cracking read (even if, like me, you haven’t read #1). The last 100 pages or so are breathtaking. I had to finish the book and did so in the early hours. Pulse-racing, heart-stopping action led to a nail biting finish. Wow!

Simon Kernick has written a gem of a thriller and, given that ending, there must be a Bone Field #3 in the pipeline. I cannot wait!

My thanks to Random House Uk, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved the first instalment, The Bone Field and The Hanged Man has followed up brilliantly. Ray Mason has a character not unlike that of Mark Billingham's Thorne; a hard-nosed, experienced London cop who isn't afraid to bend the rules a little and it makes for exciting reading. The Hanged Man has a fantastic plot, expertly executed by Kernick and I am looking forward to more adventures with Mr Mason.

I would like to thank Random House UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Hanged Man’ by Simon Kernick in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Ray Mason is working with Officer Dan Watts for the National Crime Agency searching for gangster Cem Kalaman, hired assassin Mr Bones, and drug dealer Ugo Amelu. Ray’s girlfriend Tina Boyd, ex-police officer and now working as a private detective, helps in the search for the killers of the women whose bodies were found buried at the farmhouse in mid-Wales.
‘The Hanged Man’, sequel to Simon Kernick’s ‘The Bone Field’, is a remarkable novel, it’s exciting, action-packed and totally absorbing. It makes compelling reading as the tension builds to a dramatic climax. What will happen to Ray Mason? Is this the end of the line for him?

The Hanged Man by Simon Kernick a four-star read that will leave you hanging. This is the second book in the Bone Field series and it goes from strength to strength. If you are after a good thriller with plenty of violence then this is the read for you. There is violence a plenty so be warned it’s not for the faint hearted but it really does start with a bang, and you won’t be able to stop reading until you know what happens with the story.

I missed reading the first book in 'The Bone Field' series. I hope this does not spoil my enjoyment of this second book in the series.

The book starts with an intriguing prologue which drew me in at once.
What does this story have?
Murder,
A phone box
Reliable police,
Un reliable police
Red herrings

As a tense crime drama this book is a success. It pushes the bounds of believability a little too far in terms of the police procedural aspects of the story.

The ending builds to a crescendo. Hence the 4 star rating.
I was left thinking what will happen next?

My thanks go to Netgalley and the publisher Random House (Century) for a copy in exchange for this review.

I struggled with this book and felt a little disappointing as I really love the author other book. I didn't warm to the character. One book by this author I have not read was the first in this series, I felt this impacted on my enjoyment as I didn't get to know some of the characters like I would if I had already read the first book. For this reason I'm not going to pass much judgment, I enjoyed the action and liked the ending that left it open for the next book.

The 2nd book in the Bone Field series The Hanged Man by Simon Kernick is once again a high octane thriller which is an excellent addition to the series.DI Ray Mason is back with his girlfriend PI Tina Boyd and looking into a series of ritual killings discovered in Wales.Hugh Manning is on the run with information about the ruthless killers and Mason must find him first,so the race is on with the help of his police partner Dan Watts.I have read all Simon Kernicks books and same as all the others you know what to expect from him,which is a page turning thriller that ends in death and destruction.Kernick is a master of this genre and has delivered as always another cracking thriller.A brilliant 5 star read.

Thank you to Century and Arrow Publishers via NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite good in the main, it had all the usual mix – anti-hero copper, bad guys doing awful stuff you wanted stopping and police unable even with all the resources they have to put the bad guys away. I was glad to see that whilst issues around insufficient resources were aired it was not overdone and indeed accepted that the police had by and large sufficient capabilities but that the criminals also had a lot of resources indeed resources even within the police force. There was more than an implication that the police have their hands tied at times because of rules/regulations/law preventing them from pursuing certain courses of action.

This book is in the crime fiction thriller genre. It built up the story pretty well and it did have action and tension especially towards the end. I don’t know if it was because I had not read the first book in the series, although other writers don’t stop this from being an issue, but I felt Ray Mason was unlovable and not in a good way, especially as he was one of the main narrators, and the anti-hero that we are supposed to love, aren’t we? Tina Boyd was easier to relate to but her role seemed relatively small; Dan, oh dear – the straight copper, by the book, marriage broken because of his own inability to control his personal proclivities – something of a cliché character in the end, although he didn’t have to be. The baddies seemed better drawn. However, all of this I could have gotten through but for the final action from Ray. I got it, I just didn’t like it.

This book had such potential and I didn’t hate it even though I had not read #1 I could engage with the storyline, just not all of the execution or all of the characters. You may enjoy this more, especially if you have read The Bone Field.

Rating: 3* Just about.

This is really,really gripping. The story seems unlikely but the author uses an impressive writing ability to create something the reader believes is happening as the pages are turned. Only start it if you have time to stay to the finish. I often wonder why detectives are always complex characters with dysfunctional backgrounds but that is used here to enormous effect. The ending is totally unexpected and dramatic. I strongly recommend this book.

The second book in The Bone Field series; the eighth book with Tina Boyd and the third one with Ray Mason. And very neatly everything comes together. Riddles are solved, criminals are apprehended or shoot dead, the relationship between Ray and Tina intensifies.
The Hanged Man is tightly packed with action but there is time for background information too; it is not necessary to have read The Bone Field #1. Mind you, if I would have time on my hands, I would read all Kernicks books the moment they are published, but sadly that is not the case.
In the first part of the book, the reader is a little overwhelmed with all the names that are mentioned. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to see which ones are important to the story and which ones are not. Gradually all characters are in play and then you can start really enjoying the book. The ending of the book makes me very curious to read the next one in this series.

Thanks NetGally for this book!

This was a great fast moving thriller with plenty of twists and turns in its storyline.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon Kernick for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

The hanged man by simon kernick.
Hugh manning and his wife diane are on the run. Can they out run who are after them or will they catch them. What will happen to them when they catch them? Dci gibson is investigating but can he be trusted.
A very good read wasn't sure on gibson. I didn't trust him. I liked Sheryl. 5*. Netgalley and penguin random house uk cornerstone.

Over the last couple of years I've been reading fewer and fewer thrillers. Mainly because they generally fail to thrill, which you might think would be a basic requirement of the genre, but no. There are only a few authors whom I still find fairly reliable: Lee Child is one, Simon Kernick is another. Although some of their books are definitely better than others, even at their worst they still deliver a fairly reliable reading experience.

One of the things I love about Kernick's writing is the way his books start - bam! - by the end of the first paragraph, the movie has begin and you're hooked. Another great thing is the way that his books aren't predictable. He's not afraid to kill off key characters, most notably in one book when he killed off the narrator halfway through - a move I most certainly did not see coming, and which startled me so much that I can still remember exactly where I was when I read it.

The Hanged Man is not my favourite Kernick book by a long shot, but it still contains many trademark elements of his writing which make it a good read. Why didn't I like it more? Partly because it relies so much on the reader having read The Bone Field (which I have read, and only 9 months ago, but let's face it, these books aren't hugely memorable). If you read the two in quick succession it wouldn't be an issue for you, but otherwise you may share my irritation. Also, the villains are truly unpleasant people. It came out in the first book that devil worship and human sacrifice are some of their hobbies. I didn't like reading about this (thankfully it's not too graphic) and I prefer other Kernick plots. And my final gripe is that it feels a little repetitive - sometimes two characters will say or think very similar things in rapid succession. Possibly this is because I read an advance review copy.

So I hope the ending means we won't see any more of DI Ray Mason (though I'm not entirely optimistic about that), and the next Simon Kernick book will take us in a slightly different direction.

Thanks to Net Galley for supplying me with an ARC.

Thats it! I'm reading no more. Dead bodies everywhere and everyone running around trying to find killers and attempting to escape them. This is a pity because I have enjoyed Simon Kernick in the past and in particular The payback and Seize but do I really want to spend my valuable reading time on something I do not enjoy? For me this is a poor review I can't even summon the strength to be critical good luck to those who appear to have enjoyed but I will not be reading anymore by this author.