#42 The Hanged Man by P.N. Elrod

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I read the first four chapters on NetGalley not knowing it was a sample and was a bit miffed that it was only a sample when I got to the end since the setup was very good. The publisher then set me the complete book and I have to say I really liked it. This is set in Victorian London with a few historical differences to who Victoria married.  Alex is a forensic psychic reader in employ of the government. She assists the police in criminal investigations.  The story starts with her on a call on Christmas Eve to read the scene of a suicide. Things go into overdrive when she finds out the man in question is her father that she hasn’t spoken to in ten years and she and the head of the Her Majesty’s Psychic  Service are attacked by men using air rifles.  The entire plot is moves very quickly with almost no time to breath and Alex running down a clue she has without notifying her superiors.  They quickly catch up with her and compare notes and then continue to dash along until the conclusion of the story.  Even with the fast pace the final chapter is the most heartbreaking for the heroine and not in the usual sense of these types of stories.

I really enjoyed this one and will certainly be on the lookout for the next book in the series.

Review copy of the book was provided by the publisher.