‘An absolute master of pace, plotting and character’ ELLY GRIFFITHS

Book blurb

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 . . .

My thoughts

Ben is on leave. He’s getting married in a few days and Janet, a local seamstress, is measuring him for a wedding suit when a call comes in! Jez, an RNLI volunteer and hero, is missing at sea. He’s an experienced and very good seaman so Ben and the other RNLI volunteers and crew know that something is very amiss.

Strange notes, quoting Shakespeare, have been received by the RNLI folk along with medals from the RNLI festival taking place. When a hand is recovered from a long and difficult search these items are linked to Jez and a murder investigation is underway.

Why are they being targeted?

Eddie is Jez’s cousin and might be too close to the investigation but he and Ben investigate. Ben believes it must be someone very close to the volunteers and crew. There are plenty of potential culprits but something, whether evidence or simply Ben’s gut feeling, doesn’t add up. It’s niggling on his mind – but what is it?

Then another volunteer goes missing!

Eddie thinks that a new volunteer, Sam, is the most likely but Ben, who introduced him to the RNLI, just can’t believe it.

Then Sam goes missing, too!

With Ben leading the investigation will they find out what is happening and catch the culprit in time for the wedding?

There is pace to Hangman Island right from the start which rarely lets up and propels you through the story at a ‘rate of knots’. Which is quite appropriate considering it is so strongly connected to the sea. Even with this Kate Rhodes is able to bring both fascinating facts of life in the RNLI and at sea along with beautiful descriptions of the Isles with a deftness that makes them feel so real. Add to this the wonderful characters both new and old, the search, the investigation and the story has great depth and richness to it along with a lyrical quality that makes Hangman Island so compelling and engaging.

With wonderful characters, not least one special character Janet the seamstress – with thanks to Kate Rhodes who has named her after me – all of whom feel right, feel real. The scenes that take place at sea are just amazing, with just the right pace and a great storyline all together makes for another excellent chapter in this fabulous series.

Book: Purchased

#20BooksOfSummer24

I read Hangman Island for my #20BooksOfSummer24 challenge. I am almost caught up on sharing my thoughts on all twenty books.

Information

Published: Simon & Schuster UK | April 25, 2024 | 400 pages | ISBN13: 9781398510364

Buy: Hive UK | Waterstones | Bookshop.org (affiliate link) | AmazonSmileUK | Your local bookshop | Your local library

RNLI

As a charity the RNLI is ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to save lives. Powered by courage, determination and the support of generous people. Find out more via the links below.

St Mary’s Lifeboat Station | What the RNLI does | Support

Kate Rhodes – © John Goddard, 2014

Author

Kate Rhodes was born in Greenwich, South London, but now lives in Cambridge. She is a member of the crime writing group Killer Women and an award-winning writer of crime fiction and poetry. 

She began her writing career as a poet, winning a Bridport Prize, and twice being shortlisted for the Forward Prize. In 2014 she won the Ruth Rendell Short Story prize. She has written 6 crime novels in the acclaimed Alice Quentin series, set in London. Her Hell Bay series is set on the Isles of Scilly and has been optioned for TV.

She visited the Scilly Isles every year as a child which gave her the idea for this new series.

Kate worked in a wide variety of jobs before becoming a writer. Her first job was as an usherette at Greenwich Theatre, followed by years as a sales assistant in a record shop, waitressing, then finally going to university. Kate completed a PhD, then spent two years travelling and teaching in Florida and Texas, before returning to the UK, where she has taught in sixth form colleges and universities.

She often gives creative writing workshops in schools, colleges, libraries and prisons. Kate also contributes regularly to panels at literary festivals.

Simon and Schuster author page | RLF page |@K_RhodesWriter| Kate Rhodes on Facebook | Kate Rhodes Website

News

A new standalone book by Kate Rhodes was published on 26th September 2024 from Simon & Schuster Ltd called The Stalker and it’s available for order now from Bookshop.org (affiliate link) or your usual stockist | or try requesting it at your local library. I have my copy and will be sharing my thoughts in the not too distant future.

The Stalker : A nail-bitingly tense thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder until the final shocking twist

Description

She thinks she understands stalkers. Until she becomes a target . . .

Elly is an expert in stalking – an academic at Cambridge University and a popular media pundit. She knows the subject intimately: what motivates a stalker, how they behave, how to rehabilitate them.

But now it’s personal. Someone is following her, making silent phone calls and sending her ominous notes. The message is always the same – me or you.

Elly can’t trust anyone – not her family, her friends or her colleagues. She knows that her stalker must be someone close to her. And when they suddenly turn violent, she realizes she’s running out of time to find out who it is.

Because it looks like only one of them will survive.

A terrifying cat-and-mouse thriller, told from the perspective of the stalker and the stalked – a roller-coaster ride with an ending you won’t see coming. 

The Isles of Scilly Mysteries – optioned by Two Cities

I’m looking forward to seeing my Isles of Scilly Mysteries on TV before too long. They have been optioned by Two Cities, the production company behind brilliant crime and drama series, including The Fall, and Patrick Melrose.

Kate Rhodes (website)

Books

Poetry: Reversal – Enitharmon Press (2 Mar. 2005) | The Alice Trap – Enitharmon Press (15 Sept. 2008)

Dr Alice Quentin Series

The Isles of Scilly Mysteries