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House of the Hanged
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Review
‘Mills has once again delivered an evocatively well-written and researched mystery which ticks all the suspense boxes’ Daily Mail
‘[A] mesmerising new novel … his best work in an already accomplished career’ Barry Forshaw, Independent
‘Mark Mills writes beautifully … very enjoyable’ Literary Review
‘An absorbing thriller and atmospheric plot twister’ Woman & Home
‘A sumptuously stylish mystery’ Easy Living
‘A riveting, creepy tale’ City A.M
'Outstandingly good … beautifully written, cleverly plotted and highly recommended' Literary Review on The Information Officer
'A forgotten corner of World War II rediscovered and expertly revealed to us. Fascinating and shrewdly compelling – Mark Mills does it again' William Boyd on The Information Officer
'A compelling, vividly rendered slow burn of a book which culminates in an electrifying climax' Guardian on The Information Officer
'An intriguing puzzle, elegantly written…a pleasure to read…beautifully captured' Sunday Telegraph on The Savage Garden
Product Description
From the No. 1 bestseller and author of Richard & Judy pick The Savage Garden: a riveting tale of passion and murder set on the French Riviera in the 1930s for fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Jed Rubenfeld
France, 1935: At the poor man’s end of the Riviera sits Le Rayol, a haven for artists, expatriates and refugees. Here, a world away from the rumblings of a continent heading towards war, Tom Nash has rebuilt his life after a turbulent career in the Secret Intelligence Service.
His past, though, is less willing to leave him behind. When a midnight intruder tries to kill him, Tom knows it is just a matter of time before another assassination attempt is made.
Gathered at Le Rayol for the summer months are all those he holds most dear, including his beloved goddaughter Lucy. Reluctantly, Tom comes to believe that one of them must have betrayed him. If he is to live, Tom must draw his enemy out, but at what cost to himself and the people he loves…?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was lucky enough to get a review copy of House of the Hanged. I hadn't read any other books by Mark Mills at the time, although I have now, and I wasn't sure what to expect.
On the surface, this is a gentle novel, set during a hot Riviera summer, with cocktail parties, dinners, tennis and dips in the sea. But this is the mid 1930s and almost everyone in the novel is in exile. Their host, Tom Nash, is in danger. As the second world war approaches, his past has caught up with him and everything is about to fall apart. But whom among his friends has tried to kill him and will try again?
The story mixes past and present as we learn clues to Tom's past as a British spy in Russia during the Revolution. Gradually we discover how he met his friends and their role in his life of secrets. Having escaped to the Riviera and a writer's life, he is entertained there by a community of British, American, Russian and German refugees. At the centre of the group is the delightful Lucy, possibly the love of Tom's life.
To say anything more would give away too much but the suspense of what might happen to Tom builds throughout the book and it is a page turner. On the surface all is calm and gentle but that is very much on the surface and it is an act.
Mark Mills writes beautifully, and the characters each have a life of their own. Tom and Lucy are particularly likeable. Since I read this, I have read Savage Garden, which I also enjoyed, although not as much as this.
On the surface, this is a gentle novel, set during a hot Riviera summer, with cocktail parties, dinners, tennis and dips in the sea. But this is the mid 1930s and almost everyone in the novel is in exile. Their host, Tom Nash, is in danger. As the second world war approaches, his past has caught up with him and everything is about to fall apart. But whom among his friends has tried to kill him and will try again?
The story mixes past and present as we learn clues to Tom's past as a British spy in Russia during the Revolution. Gradually we discover how he met his friends and their role in his life of secrets. Having escaped to the Riviera and a writer's life, he is entertained there by a community of British, American, Russian and German refugees. At the centre of the group is the delightful Lucy, possibly the love of Tom's life.
To say anything more would give away too much but the suspense of what might happen to Tom builds throughout the book and it is a page turner. On the surface all is calm and gentle but that is very much on the surface and it is an act.
Mark Mills writes beautifully, and the characters each have a life of their own. Tom and Lucy are particularly likeable. Since I read this, I have read Savage Garden, which I also enjoyed, although not as much as this.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ending was absurd, and obvious from very early on.
I read it with my holiday half-brain on, glad I didn't expend too much energy.
Page turner though, so a perfect holiday read.
I read it with my holiday half-brain on, glad I didn't expend too much energy.
Page turner though, so a perfect holiday read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Tom Nash has a past and for the last sixteen years he has managed to avoid it but suddenly one summer in 1935 in a small village on the French coast whilst his friends and the only person he is close to, his goddaughter Lucy are visiting it comes back to haunt him in a rather dramatic and life changing way.
Someone tries to kill Tom. Every instinct that Tom thought he had buried suddenly comes screaming to the front and the book continues apace filling in the gaps of how Tom comes to be where he is now. We know from the beginning of the book that we are dealing with the secret intelligence service of more than one country at the end of The Great War. However, disruption and revolution seem to brewing in Europe and suddenly a 16 year old grudge needs to be settled.
Tom suspects everyone and no one and as the book continues we see him analyse all those around him as he tries to come to the right conclusion before it is too late. His life is now in someone else's hands and he does not like it. Who has let slip about his past and now wants to threaten everything in his present?
This book very much reminded me of James Bond novels. Probably more the films than the actual novels, as I could visualise how it could all be played out on screen. Mark Mills leaves nothing to chance and gives us full descriptions of the assassins and all those possible suspects. The little tricks, nuances and skill are there whether it comes from Tom or from one of his associates. The reader is given all the facts and then has to come to a conclusion. I was slightly confused by the beginning of the story and did reread a couple of times, to get the characters in place in my mind but once I had done this the book flew along as I wanted to get to the outcome. I guessed one part correctly but admit to being slightly confused by the plot, this I am sure was the intention because by the end I had it all organised in my mind.
I have read all previous Mark Mills' books and I have to confess I rank this up there with The Savage Garden and is one of his stronger novels. If you like a historical setting and background, a mystery, some spies and intrigue and a sprinkling of 1930s Europe society then this is an ideal book.
Someone tries to kill Tom. Every instinct that Tom thought he had buried suddenly comes screaming to the front and the book continues apace filling in the gaps of how Tom comes to be where he is now. We know from the beginning of the book that we are dealing with the secret intelligence service of more than one country at the end of The Great War. However, disruption and revolution seem to brewing in Europe and suddenly a 16 year old grudge needs to be settled.
Tom suspects everyone and no one and as the book continues we see him analyse all those around him as he tries to come to the right conclusion before it is too late. His life is now in someone else's hands and he does not like it. Who has let slip about his past and now wants to threaten everything in his present?
This book very much reminded me of James Bond novels. Probably more the films than the actual novels, as I could visualise how it could all be played out on screen. Mark Mills leaves nothing to chance and gives us full descriptions of the assassins and all those possible suspects. The little tricks, nuances and skill are there whether it comes from Tom or from one of his associates. The reader is given all the facts and then has to come to a conclusion. I was slightly confused by the beginning of the story and did reread a couple of times, to get the characters in place in my mind but once I had done this the book flew along as I wanted to get to the outcome. I guessed one part correctly but admit to being slightly confused by the plot, this I am sure was the intention because by the end I had it all organised in my mind.
I have read all previous Mark Mills' books and I have to confess I rank this up there with The Savage Garden and is one of his stronger novels. If you like a historical setting and background, a mystery, some spies and intrigue and a sprinkling of 1930s Europe society then this is an ideal book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Uninvolving
For a novel set in such an evocative time and place, this is a strangely uninvolving and uninspired novel containing one-dimensional characters and a comic-book level of mystery. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Telboy
House of the hanged
I have only read the first 80 pages, but I have crinched several times already.
While I like Tom and the story developing I just can not understand why the author makes... Read more
While I like Tom and the story developing I just can not understand why the author makes... Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. K. Brewster
Read it, Loved it
Having read The Savage Garden, The Whaleboat House and now House of the Hanged I will put myself in the category of a Mark Mills fan. Read more
Published 2 months ago by The Honey Monster
Very standard thriller
I really expected great things of the author after his last novel. And whilst this book is well written, at the end of the day it is only a very average spy thriller story, with an... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. T. Heald
explain the title plese
I must admit I struggled to get into this book, but kept going and overall enjoyed it.
a couple of things that did not work for me:
1. what was the house of the hanged? Read more
a couple of things that did not work for me:
1. what was the house of the hanged? Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ruth
Implausible but engaging page turner
I really enjoyed the Savage Garden but found this book less convincing. Mark Mills has created a racy thriller with overtones of Alistair MacLean and Ian Fleming. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Paul Sloane
Lyrical prose, slight better than average plotting.
I was a HUGE fan of The Whaleboat House and have like his other books, so looked forward to reading Mark Mills' latest. As a novel, I think it's admirable. Read more
Published 7 months ago by B. Roche
a good evenings read.
House of the hanged was a great summers read. Its plot although subtle contained characters that were lovable from the get go and kept me looking for more. Read more
Published 7 months ago by K. D. Squire
A GOOD READ!
I could not wait to get my hands on this novel.Mr Mills has the capacity to make one care very much about his characters and so one is easily drawn into their world. Read more
Published 7 months ago by LYNNILOO
Great plot, great twist
Transport yourself to the south of France during a hot summer in 1935 with this latest offering from Mark Mills, author of bestselling debut The Savage Garden. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Reader, I Read It
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