“Hangman Island” is book seven in Kate Rhodes’ DI Ben Kitto series, set on the Isles of Scilly and having read every single one to date, I can confirm that yet again this is another engaging, atmospheric crime novel that can be read (as all of them can) as a standalone or enjoyed in order as intended. 

 

In this story the scenes are set predominantly at sea rather than the normal settings on the islands. Focusing wholly on the heroic work of the RNLI, we learn first hand how incidents at sea are handled in such a small community and sadly how murder can strike literally anywhere. 

 

I liked Sam Austell and the intermittent chapters featuring his thoughts and emotions at being an ex-con, returning to small island life and its islanders bigoted views. DI Ben Kitto and his faithful adopted dog Shadow, once again have their work cut out, with another race against time to stop further murders. Ben and his unofficial canine partner, together with his police sergeant Eddie Nickell, whose cousin is missing at sea, work all hours to eliminate suspects and solve the mysterious messages sent to many of the RNLI volunteers. With a nail biting second half to the book, it made for an exciting denouement that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

 

These books have always reminded me of Ann Cleaves’ ‘Shetland’ series with its tight knit communities and limited policing.  I’ve learnt so much about the Isles of Scilly through reading Kate Rhodes’ books, from not knowing they even existed to learning about the prehistoric burial mounds, Bronze Age standing stones and Iron Age stone houses to mythology and maritime heritage. This equally brings pleasure as it combines historical knowledge of the setting with how the modern day crimes connected to his history. 

 

#HangmanIsland - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️