Missing Midsomer Murders? Read The Hanging Tree
The Hanging Tree
by Rodney Hobson
Endeavour Press
General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 13 Apr 2017
Review
How long would you wait for revenge? The Hanging Tree asks just that.
A man is brutally murdered, then hung upon a tree. A quiet man who made considerable money as an estate agent, Duncan appears without enemy - at least until his role in the failed attempt to preserve Wykeham Hall comes into view. Duncan Watson was one of 12 people who attempted to preserve the hall by blocking developers. All were removed from the premises, but one fell down the stairs and tragically lost his sight.
After meeting the failed eco-warriors DI Paul Amos begins to suspect that Duncan Watson was not the man he pretended to be. How did he become so rich so soon after the failure at Wykeham Hall? Why was he making payments to one of his former group? Why is everyone so eager to have him believe they had no contact with Duncan Watson? And what is the link to the fall of Rawdon Grange?
The Hanging Tree reads much like an episode of Midsomer Murders. It is a very good novel and will definitely appeal to individuals who enjoy classic British police procedurals.
5 / 5
I received a copy of The Hanging Tree from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
It comes as a complete shock when exclusive, middle-aged Duncan Watson is brutally murdered – and then strung up from a tree in his garden…
Detective Inspector Paul Amos is soon on the scene and sniffing for suspects...
He’s in luck as the murder victim was the leader of a gang of Sixties eco-warriors who are about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their siege of threatened Wykeham Hall.
Amos even gets to attend the reunion and so begins an exhaustive search for skeletons from the past, axes to grind and those little white lies.
Surprise, surprise, that nothing is what it appears at first sight; that stories conflict.
Why was the charismatic Watson living alone?
How did he make a small fortune from property?
Why was he making regular payments to one of the eco-gang?
Is there a parallel in the fate of Rawdon Grange which also fell into the hands of developers?
Step by careful step, Amos retraces the path which led to the awful crime and comes to a conclusion no-one could have foreseen…
The Hanging Tree is a gritty murder mystery perfect for fans of Peter James, Peter Robinson and Ian Rankin.
