The Hangman's Song

By James Oswald

“The new Ian Rankin.” —SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

The Hangman’s Song is the thrilling third novel in James Oswald’s Inspector McLean series, set in Edinburgh.

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. Something terrifying stalks the city streets, and bringing it to justice may destroy all he holds dear.

“Crime fiction’s next big thing.” —DAILY RECORD

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781443424219

James Oswald

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.

Reviews for The Hangman's Song

[icolford · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The catastrophic events that closed out The Book of Souls, James Oswald’s previous novel in the McLean series, continue to resonate throughout The Hangman’s Song, the third in the series. DI Tony McLean, never a favourite of his CO in Edinburgh CID, Detective Superintendent Charles Duguid, has been transferred to the Sexual Crime Unit (SCU), where he is busy investigating a sex trafficking case. However, this does not prevent him poking his nose into three suicides by hanging. Suicides, especially obvious ones, are not normally of concern to CID, and Duguid regards Tony’s inquiry as a waste of both time and resources. But to McLean’s sceptical eye, there’s something off about this cluster, which seem staged to look like isolated events. Sure enough, a search for linkages turns up suspiciously similar suicide notes along with evidence that the rope and knots used in each death are identical. In the meantime, McLean’s personal life has hit a snag. His girlfriend, crime scene photographer Emma Baird, grievously injured in the previous novel after her encounter with an unhinged murderer, has awakened from a coma but with no memory of Tony or herself, and has reverted to a state of childish dependency as she struggles to become reacquainted with her own identity. Feeling responsible for what happened, Tony has taken her into his home and arranged for her care and treatment. Tony McLean remains an attractive and engaging protagonist. Haunted by a tragic past (parents killed in an air accident), he was raised by his grandmother, who is recently deceased but left him with a considerable inheritance. A dogged investigator who can’t pass up an opportunity to dig deeper for truth where others are happy to settle for surface facts, Tony’s brooding and stubborn nature continue to land him in all kinds of trouble with the prickly Duguid, a narrow-minded bureaucrat and something of a bully who is incapable of deep thinking and can’t fathom why McLean pushes the envelope on suicides that should be wrapped up and filed away in short order. Oswald’s narrative is long and intricate and unfailingly entertaining from start to finish, bristling with evocative descriptions of the damp and dour Scottish landscape and lively with sardonic observations on love and other human foibles. The resolution is satisfying if somewhat open-ended. Three novels into this stellar crime series, James Oswald again has not disappointed, leaving the reader anticipating further adventures.

[janerawoof · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Completely absorbing. I was up until the wee hours; I just had to finish it. DI McLean and colleagues investigate several murders; all have same M.O.: hanging and knot exactly the same in each case, also no rope fibers under the victims' fingernails. These are anomalies; McLean suspects murder, not straightforward suicide like it would appear on the surface . He also investigates the murder of a pimp. Is it possible the death of his partner's caregiver might be a murder also, orchestrated from afar? That particular question is never answered to my satisfaction. I wish there had been a short glossary giving the full names of the various acronyms for us who do not come from the U.K.Highly recommended.

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the third book in the Tony McLean series and I have to say they just keep getting better and better...this one was excellent. In spite of his unorthodox investigative methods...Inspector McLean has a case solve rate that can't be disputed even though his superiors often try. The characters are so full of individual personality that you have no problem liking some and totally disliking others. The books have a touch of the occult, that makes them all the more intriguing. Anyone that is devoted to Ian Banks or Stuart MacBride will want to give James Oswald a try.

[elainedav · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It is sometime since I read book two in the series, but it didn't take long to re-acquaint myself with the characters. Good solid storyline in this book with clear links to the previous two and hopefully the next in series. The question of 'why are you still here' keeps cropping up and remains unanswered. Part of me really hoped Mclean would pack his bags and go off travelling with Emma and the other part wants him to stay put and continue his battles with Daguid! I felt that this episode was more emotional than the previous novels - perhaps inevitable with the ongoing bullying from the senior officer, the ties to the past through Emma and her medical (and supernatural) problems and the temporary move to a new team, whilst contstantly being pulled back to the old familiar team of Grumpy Bob and DC MacBride.Looking forward to reading the next installment. I hope Emma is not absent for the whole book and I wonder if there is still more to be unveiled in the connection between Emma and Mrs McCutcheon's cat?

[zmagic69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A well written engaging mystery, but easy to figure out who the killer was while still having over 200 pages left in the book.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Typically I have no issues jumping right into the middle of a series. I am not one of those people that refuses to read a book unless I have read the prior books in the series. Good thing or I would miss out on some good series. Sadly, this book did not draw me in enough to really want to check out more books in this series. I did not connect with the characters. Some of this might have to do with the fact that I had not read the prior books so I did not develop a relationship with Inspector McLean. Again I say "some" only because again I have jumped into series and felt connections. I thought despite my instant connection with Inspector McLean that I would like this book as the bodies started piling up. Yet after a few bodies the story stood still and went into slow motion with a lot of talking. I put the book down and walked away for a while and came back but it did not get better for me and I finally put it down after a third of the way in.

[ronrose1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't believe I haven't heard of this author before. James Oswald writes a captivating mystery touched ever so slightly by the occult. Detective Inspector Tony McLean works for the Edinburgh, Scotland, police force. In this third installment of the series, we find McLean's current girl friend, Emma, in the hospital in a coma. While McLean is frustrated that he can't do anything to help her, he buries himself in work. A suspicious suicide catches his attention at work. A young man has apparently hanged himself, yet McLean feels something is odd about it. When another body is found killed in the same way, McLean's instincts point to murder. His boss and fellow detectives can't or won't see the connection. Inspector McLean has to fight to keep the investigation open, while looking after Emma, who has come out of the coma, yet is not herself. Evil forces may be involved in both circumstances. Great fun. Book provided for review by Amazon Vine.

[lexieconyngham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Better than No.2, a more neatly managed plot and exciting denouement. I very much enjoy the politics of the police station as portrayed here, and the main character is very sympathetic. Galloped to the end of it and now looking forward to the next one. Just worried about the fate of Mrs. McCutcheon's cat!