Last year I reviewed a first novel by established non-fiction writer Stephan Talty. I liked it very much and thought it was a great introduction to a new series about Detective Absalom Kearney.

The second book in the series came out a few months ago and just read it. I thought Hangman by Stephan Talty was a great followup and if anything I found it even more compelling than the first.

The book starts with what seems a very unlikely escape of a serial murderer known as the Hangman. He had recently terrified the residents of Buffalo, NY with a series of murders of teenage girls (involving hanging). The manhunt begins and soon after the murders and the terror begins again.

Homicide Detective Absalom (Abbie) Kearney, who was not around during the Hangman’s first reign of terror, is trying to stop the second murder spree. There are many twist and turns along the way and the story is well-told. Abbie faces a major moral dilemma related to this investigation. How she handles this is like to have its effect on stopping the killer and her future.

Although this book could be read as a stand-alone thriller, reading the first book gives you much more on the back story of both Abbie and Buffalo which makes the reading all the more enjoyable.

The first book was Black Irish. I’d suggest reading my review of Black Irish if are thinking of reading this book first.