Cheat the Hangman

by Gloria Ferris

After inheriting Hammersleigh House from her eccentric great-uncle Patrick, Lyris Pembrooke makes a grisly discovery in the tower room of the Georgian-style mansion―the mummified remains of a child.

To uncover the mystery, Lyris is aided by family psychic Aunt Clematis and Leander, a spirit guide with an attitude, who prefers hanging out with Winston Churchill and John Lennon. While nurturing a new relationship with Blackshore’s Chief of Police, avoiding her controlling ex-husband’s demands, hosting this year’s family reunion and engaging in a psychological battle with the mansion's butler, Lyris is taxed to her limits.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural, Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2011

About the author

Gloria Ferris is a former procedure writer at a nuclear power plant, an exciting job to be sure, but it afforded little opportunity for plot and character development. So, she turned to fiction writing and is now the award-winning author of the humorous Cornwall & Redfern mysteries and the Blood YA urban fantasy series. She co-authored the Blair & Piermont suspense series, and occasionally will write a short story just for the heck of it. Her newest project is a “Mechanic Falls Gem Caper”, titled Worlds May Change, co-written with author Jamie Tremain, and penned under Ferris Tremain (catchy, eh?).
Gloria loves old cemeteries, and all things “skull”, managing to work one or both of these elements into her books. She once tried to write a serious book but it didn’t go well, so she abandoned that writing style and now lets her snarky humour prevail.
She lives in southwestern Ontario and is a member of the International Alliance of Independent Authors.

Reviews

[Colleen Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Cheat the Hangman - so much so that I didn't want it to end. Lyris Pembroke inherits her great uncle Patrick's Hammersleigh house, but not without some baggage. Jacqueline the hell-poodle, a taxidermy menangerie, and a decades old mystery set the stage for an intruiging and fun mystery. Also along for the ride are an octogenerian butler, various Pembroke relations and a troublesome ex-husband. There's no shortage of intrigue as Lyris prepares for the annual Pembroke reunion, and the ending completely surprised me. I can't wait for Glora Ferris's next book!

[Lesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half really dragged, and I almost abandoned it. But the action really picked up around 60%, and it got better after that. I took me several days to get through the first 60%, but I finished the last 40% in one sitting. I didn't really like the main character. I thought she was kind of annoying, self-centered, and immature at times. I didn't think it was cute how she kept walking around in her skimpy underwear! I thought the family mystery was kind of interesting, but the "who is stealing things/domestic abuse" story line was pretty boring. I also didn't care for the whole psychic thing. That was pretty lame.

[Veronica Fitch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't know that I have ever just stopped reading a book because the character was just horrible. It's one thing when it's supposed to be that way such as a villain, but another when she's just an awful person not supposed to be just the main character. She's was nasty, entitled, spoiled, rude, destructive, spiteful and completely self centered. Though I don't think the writer was going for that. The last straw was about pg 55 when she was nasty and abusive to both an elderly man and a dog....... Though it was written like the author was trying to be funny. Deleted the book right then, not worth another page even though the plot was interesting.

[David Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent story that makes me want to buy an old mansion, no doubt paranormal activities will ensue! Well deserving of the awards nominations, well done Gloria!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle version published by Imajin Books

I completely immersed myself in this well-written book enjoying every minute. It was definitely deserving of being short-listed for the Crime Writers of Canada "Unhanged Arthur". Gloria Ferris' writing reminded me somewhat of one of my favourite authors, Donna Andrews, especially with the very large quirky extended family interaction and antics. She brings "skeletons in the closet" to a whole new level. Take a decades-old cold case of a missing child, a sudden unexpected inheritance of a huge fabulous and museum-like home to divorced grand-niece Lyris Pembroke, who must then quickly plan and host the annual Pembroke family reunion comprised of about 400 extended family members all too soon after moving into her new home. Throw in a good helping of the paranormal and hidden secrets, a headstone with no name, a fire, attacks on Lyris and you have a pretty good perception of what fun this book is going to be. Lyris definitely has her work cut out for her. Fortunately she has also inherited Conklin the butler, and is able to hire Caroline, an excellent cook and housekeeper. For the reunion, Lyris shows admirable organizational ability as she works her way through what must be done prior to the reunion.

Not all is fun and games, though. There are also some dangerous intruders lurking about, not all of them necessarily human. Or perhaps otherworldly would be a better way to put it. Toss in a small dog with sharp teeth, soon joined by an oversized black cat, and the house begins to fill with more rooms occupied than the residents realize. Spanning so many decades, it would be strange if there were not romances, both current and decades old. Reignited passions, and reawakened love and trust with those who have suffered at the hands of their exes in the past and discover there is still a chance for happiness, even if it comes almost too late. The book is loaded with many different types of chaos and stress and yet it doesn't confuse the reader, it is just all a part of the whole. I loved the balance of the book, I laughed at the shenanigans, shed a few tears as the cold case is dealt with, worried with our heroine, relived the past with the few remaining WWII veterans even enjoying the singing of Vera Lynn in my mind, went through terror, thrills and chills, and loved the ending. This book certainly ran through a gamut of emotions, old and new. I am really looking forward to the further adventures to come.

[Ann Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyris Pembrooke inherits Hammersleigh House, a big old Victorian mansion, and immediately sets to making it a bit more palatable by removing some of the animal trophy heads adorning the place. While relocating one of the heads to the tower room, she makes a grisly discovery: the body of a long missing child. So begins her quest to solve a decades old mystery.

This is a great whodunit, laced with a healthy dose of humor, a bit of the occult, a little romance and a lot of good writing. From her travails with Conklin, the butler who insists on addressing her as Madame, to dealing with an ex-husband who has a penchant for being unreasonable, to putting together a family reunion for hundreds of people, to her conflicted feelings about hunky police chief Marc Allaire, Lyris manages to deal with every situation, if not with aplomb, then at least with self deprecating wit.

There is never a lag in the action, making this hard to put down. If you like your mysteries served up with a bit of cheekiness, then this is the book for you!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good read. It flowed nicely together and had enough humor added in for some chuckles. Lyris Pembrooke is a woman with a big problem. Her great uncle just left her his massive estate to live in and take care of, at least for the next 25 years. She is trying to hide a collection of stuffed and mounted animal head up in the estate's tower room. After stabbing her toe with a moose antler, she falls on her bum only to spot a hidden room in the tower. Of course, curiosity takes ahold and she pries the nails from it to open the thing. What she finds in there is jaw dropping and heart stopping.

With a mystery decades old to solve, Lyris goes through a hill of additional queries and dramatic situations, with a little bit of supernatural fluff to boot.

This book was captivating with it's plot line, keeping you guessing in some ways up til the very end. It's quirky characters help make this a very good story. I definitely recommend it.

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheat the Hangman by Gloria Ferris was an interesting story about a woman named Lyris who inherits a historic house that comes along with its own mystery. 68 years ago during a family reunion a toddler disappeared without a trace only to be found in a box in a tower room. How did he get there and who killed him. Along with a paranormal essence that comes into play as the story unfolds. This was a great story and introduction to Gloria Ferris' books, she was added to my list of to be read authors for sure.

I read this as part of the Deadly Dozen: 12 Mystery/Thrillers by Bestselling Imajin Authors and although the anthology is long each story has unique and enjoyable qualities that make this a great buy!

[Newbee (JoAnn) Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the charater in this story, shes a cross between currious george, nancey drew and calamity jane! If it could be be stepped in, she did, if your foot could be inserted in to mouth, she did! She was also hilariously funny! 

I thought I had the mystery solved several times... Only to change my mind again later on in the book. Tho I did guess some of it there where a whole lot of surprises at the end of the book!

Well written and very entertaining. This was an easy fun read and I enjoyed it very much and I'm looking forward to more books about this family.

[Janell Barney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give this a 3 star rating but them realized I thought about the characters when I wasn't reading the book, was anxious to get back to them and would like to read more about them so I bumped it up to a 4 star. Very entertaining read.

[Michelle Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was amazing.... I really really enjoyed this book the story was fantastic but what I loved most was the wittiness it mad ma chuckle in so many places.... I'm praying there is more to.come in this series......

[Hsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading it!

[A]

I received a free copy of this eBook from Imajin Books.

[aks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow starter, but well worth reading. I am looking forward to the sequel to this book.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this it flowed beautifully

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

slow starting, but very interesting book. more of a family saga than a mystery but I really enjoyed this read.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual read but a local author about a local area and the book was in a cottage I was at. Predictable but good read with a nice twist at the end. Family stories are never quite what they seem.

[Leah Polcar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun (and somewhat supernatural) myserty. A love story (that they didn't focus too heavily, thanks Jeebus). Fun characters.