Book Review: The Hangman's Song by James Oswald

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Edelweiss, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Synopsis: 

The body of a man is found hanging in an empty house. To the Edinburgh police force, this appears to be a simple suicide case. But something about the scene strikes Detective Inspector Tony McLean as off. Days later another body is found hanging from an identical rope, with a noose tied in the identical way. McLean is convinced that these people are either being murdered or somehow coerced into suicide. Then a third body is found.

While McLean attempts to solve the case - assuming he can convince his superiors that it is a case - he also must deal with the fallout from his last big investigation: A coworker is still hospitalized six months after being hurt on the job, and his relations with his superior officer don't seem to be improving. Will he be able to navigate the office politics and figure out what is going on before someone else is found hanging?

Review

This book is  sequel to The Book of Souls, which I have not read. But I love a good British police procedural, and I had heard a lot about this series, so I wanted to check one of the books out, and an opportunity came for this book  (the 3rd book if the McLean series). The book grabs you from the first chapter and offers a roller coaster read, as McLean attempted to solve a crime, while battling his own demons (from the fall out of the previous book).It is a very realistic procedural, and the characters all ring very true. Many readers will be surprised at the ending, which I happen to like- it means the author can still surprise you! I highly recommend it!

About the Author:

JAMES OSWALD is the author of the Detective Inspector McLean series of crime novels by night. During the day he runs a 350 acre livestock farm in North East Fife, Scotland where he raises Highland cattle and sheep. Check out his website for more info.