‘Richer than Reacher … an accomplished and compulsive thriller that kept my appetite to return to its banquet of kidnapping and bloody murder. Hangman literally tingles with tension, and Heath injects a healthy dose of dark humour.’—Sydney Arts Guide

‘Hangman is cheerful in its gore, with a knack for unexpected violence that’ll leave even the most jaded crime readers at least a little bit impressed … It’s all the best parts of noir fiction, all the spatter pattern ghoulishness of forensics-focused dramas, and so much fun it might just concern you a little bit.’—Hush Hush Biz (blog)

PRAISE FOR HUNTER

‘Gloriously f****d up.’—Gabriel Bergmoser, award-winning author of The Hunted

‘… nimbly written, sinister and suspenseful.’—Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

‘Blake remains the likeable bad guy protagonist, and Jack Heath does an astonishing job of continuing to make the reader root for the cannibal detective. Hunter is a solid follow-up to the first in the series, with no perceivable drop off in writing, tension, action or body count. Highly recommended!’—Carpe Librum (blog)

‘… funny, chilling and thought-provoking, with a killer ending (so to speak).’—Sun-Herald

‘Another compulsive page-turner. Heath seems determined to upend every rock he can find to expose the dark side of humanity to the point where hanging out with a cannibal seems like the best option.’—PS News

‘… compelling, enjoyable and disturbing.’—Canberra Weekly

‘A delicious delight … Heath throws everything at the reader in this brilliantly written crime caper. Don’t let all the chomping put you off—Blake’s still guided by a moral compass pointing in the right direction, and hopefully Heath will craft more adventures for our unlikely hero.’—Herald Sun

‘A rich, detailed thriller that keeps you turning pages, wanting to know what’s going to happen next.’—Noveltea Corner (blog)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jack Heath is the award-winning author of more than thirty novels for adults and children. His books have been translated into several languages, adapted for film and optioned for television. He lives on the land of the Ngunnawal people in Canberra, Australia.

Warning: Hunter is unsuitable for children and some adults. It includes descriptions of sexual violence and suicide.

EPIGRAPH

Standing on the corner with a dollar in my hand, honey

Standing on the corner with a dollar in my hand, babe

Standing on the corner with a dollar in my hand

Standing here waiting for the Crawdad Man

Honey

Baby

Mine

—Civil War-era folk song

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

What has a neck but no head?

If Charlie Warner wants you dead, first she steals your shoes.

Not in person. She has people all over Houston.