I read last year A ROOM FULL OF KILLERS, book three in the DCI Matilda Darke Series. And I loved it and I have since then been looking forward to reading the next book. So, I was thrilled when I finally got a copy of THE HANGMAN'S HOLD. I have yet read the first two books, but I hope to remedy that one day.

THE HANGMAN'S HOLD is a thrilling new book, where Matilda and her team has to catch a murderer that is going after people that have previously done something criminal. The case will become very personal for Matilda when she discovers that a close friend knows one of the victims. Matilda has to face the fact that the killer is out to set a score, but who is this person? How do you catch a killer that does seem to be one step ahead all the time and doesn't leave a trace? It will be a hard case to solve.

I'm a latecomer to this series, but one thing I like about the books (that I have read) is how easy it is to get to know the characters. It's been a while since I read A ROOM FULL OF KILLERS and it's not always easy to remember all the characters and past events when you read a lot of books. However, I did feel that the more I read in this book, the more I started to remember. It helps a lot that the characters are so fleshed out and likable.

As for the case. It's a tricky one. Sometimes you have a lot of suspects, but in this case, did it feel like the police had a hard time finding out the identity of the killer. It was a bit of an "oh" moment for me when I started to realize where the story was going when it came to the identity of the killer. I love moments like that.

THE HANGMAN'S HOLD can be read as a stand-alone, however, the risk is that you will feel the need to get the previous books and marathon read them... ( )

This started off strongly, but seemed to lose its way in the second half (what was that secret meeting at the bowling club there for? - it achieved nothing). The body count was ridiculously high, Matilda kept having to take time off work due to trauma, and I really think the whole missing James/the press having an extremely personal grudge against Matilda angle has gone on as long as it should. The very ending was intriguing, but I hope it leads to resolution in the next instalment, because I am tired of the Carl Meaghan story having to be rehashed every time for new readers. ( )

This is the first book in this series that I have read. I do feel like this time the fact that I had not read the prior novels did affect some of my reading experience; primarily with the characters. There was a lot of conversation happening in the first third of the book. It seemed like there was no real big hurry to solve the case and the character's carrying on conversations worked well for them. Personally for me, the characters didn't work for me including main lead, Matilda. She was not the strong female type that I enjoy.

Plus, the presence of the killer and the killer's motives went unseen and quiet within the first third of the story. You could say that I was bummed and grew bored to the point that I did skip ahead. The story does pick up the further you get into it but still nothing that could keep me reading for hours. Sadly, for me this book didn't vibe with me. ( )