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Detective Jan Talantire #5
The Hanging Place: A gripping crime fiction book from the million-copy bestseller
The savage murder of one of their own shocks the force.Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington is shot dead at his farm, alongside one of his employees. His wife is found suspended upside down in an ancient well in the cellar.
DI Jan Talantire is at a loss. There's no clear motive the farm was ransacked but nothing has been taken. There are bloody footprints, but no obvious perpetrator. And the farm's CCTV has been disabled. The only clue they have is a bizarre Victorian-style doll from the wife's collection which was hung on the door to the cellar.
The trail leads Talantire across the country and even further afield. Can she look past her first assumptions and unravel this complicated case?
A dark, page-turning crime thriller from the million-copy bestseller. Perfect for fans of Kate Ellis, Sally Rigby and Elly Griffiths.
DI Jan Talantire is at a loss. There's no clear motive the farm was ransacked but nothing has been taken. There are bloody footprints, but no obvious perpetrator. And the farm's CCTV has been disabled. The only clue they have is a bizarre Victorian-style doll from the wife's collection which was hung on the door to the cellar.
The trail leads Talantire across the country and even further afield. Can she look past her first assumptions and unravel this complicated case?
A dark, page-turning crime thriller from the million-copy bestseller. Perfect for fans of Kate Ellis, Sally Rigby and Elly Griffiths.
- GenresCrime
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2026
About the author
Nick Louth
44 books303 followersNick Louth is a freelance journalist and author, based in Lincolnshire UK.
Before beginning writing fiction, he was a foreign correspondent for Reuters news agency, and a regular contributor to the Financial Times, MSN, and many financial magazines.
Before beginning writing fiction, he was a foreign correspondent for Reuters news agency, and a regular contributor to the Financial Times, MSN, and many financial magazines.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 7, 2026
Number 5 in the Police series. Good stories, good fun with clever twists and turns. Same Police character reoccur which is comforting. Worth a read.
May 31, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed this one
May 25, 2026
I'm a fan of Louth. I think I've read everything he ever published. However I found this one kind of turgid. I found myself putting it down to do other things over the course of the novel. So not a page turner for me. Also it became fairly obvious about halfway through whodunit.
Maybe he had a bad few months or wasn't really engaged in this one. No idea. I'll read the next titles he brings out, but others of his books are better in my opinion.
Maybe he had a bad few months or wasn't really engaged in this one. No idea. I'll read the next titles he brings out, but others of his books are better in my opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Hanging Place by Nick Louth is a very highly recommended procedural and the 5th book in the series featuring Detective Jan Talantire. This continues to be an excellent series with interesting investigations. Previous books in the series include: The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle, The Last Ride, The Dark Edge, and The Deep End.
First there was a theft on his farm and then, at a later date, Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington (Bagpuss) and the employee in charge of security are both shot dead at his farm, Bychecomb Manor. All CCTV footage from security is down. Lionel's disabled wife, Helena de Courchevel, Mrs. Hall-Harrington, is found injured and suspended upside down in an ancient well in the cellar, her wheelchair left upstairs. On the door to the well is a creepy Victorian-style doll and a knife on the floor. There are bloody footprints, but no real clear perpetrator or suspect is in sight. Most employees were at an engagement party at the pub. It appears the house has been ransacked, but no clear robbery has taken place.
Jan Talantire and her team have their work cut out for them trying to determine exactly what happened with the clues available. The number of potential suspects at the manor is limited because almost everyone was at the party, making this akin to a locked room mystery. Helena is hospitalized the team has to wait to question her more about any clues she may recall.
This is another well-written, intricate, and expertly investigation that includes twists and surprising discoveries. Nothing is as it seems and every piece of evidence and lead has to be carefully examined and considered while trying to figure out what the clues left behind may mean. The case was very compelling this time out and held my complete attention.
Talantire's is portrayed as a tough, intelligent and compelling character with strengths and flaws. Her character's personality is well established by this addition to the series and most of the team members should be recognizable to those following the series. I think it could be enjoyed as a standalone novel but you would miss the previous character development
The Hanging Place is a great choice for readers who enjoy complicated procedurals and especially those following the series. Thanks to Canelo Crime for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
First there was a theft on his farm and then, at a later date, Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington (Bagpuss) and the employee in charge of security are both shot dead at his farm, Bychecomb Manor. All CCTV footage from security is down. Lionel's disabled wife, Helena de Courchevel, Mrs. Hall-Harrington, is found injured and suspended upside down in an ancient well in the cellar, her wheelchair left upstairs. On the door to the well is a creepy Victorian-style doll and a knife on the floor. There are bloody footprints, but no real clear perpetrator or suspect is in sight. Most employees were at an engagement party at the pub. It appears the house has been ransacked, but no clear robbery has taken place.
Jan Talantire and her team have their work cut out for them trying to determine exactly what happened with the clues available. The number of potential suspects at the manor is limited because almost everyone was at the party, making this akin to a locked room mystery. Helena is hospitalized the team has to wait to question her more about any clues she may recall.
This is another well-written, intricate, and expertly investigation that includes twists and surprising discoveries. Nothing is as it seems and every piece of evidence and lead has to be carefully examined and considered while trying to figure out what the clues left behind may mean. The case was very compelling this time out and held my complete attention.
Talantire's is portrayed as a tough, intelligent and compelling character with strengths and flaws. Her character's personality is well established by this addition to the series and most of the team members should be recognizable to those following the series. I think it could be enjoyed as a standalone novel but you would miss the previous character development
The Hanging Place is a great choice for readers who enjoy complicated procedurals and especially those following the series. Thanks to Canelo Crime for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Hanging Place is the fifth book in the DI Jan Talantire series by Nick Louth. I really enjoy this police procedural series that continues to come up with intriguing plots that make excellent reading. An high-profile assassination quickly spirals into a gothic nightmare involving ancient architecture and bizarre Victorian symbolism, making it a difficult case for DI Jan Talantire.
Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington, has been found shot dead at his rural farm. The scene is one of senseless carnage, an employee lies dead alongside him, but it is the discovery in the cellar that truly haunts the investigators. Lionel’s wife is found suspended upside down in an ancient well, a theatrical and “savage” display of violence that suggests a deeply personal vendetta.
DI Jan Talantire is immediately faced with a professional paradox. The farm has been “ransacked,” a classic sign of a robbery, yet absolutely nothing of value has been taken. The CCTV has been surgically disabled, and while “bloody footprints” mark the path of the killer, they lead to a frustrating dead end.
The only breadcrumb left behind is a “bizarre Victorian-style doll” from the wife’s own collection, found hanging on the cellar door. It’s a calling card that feels less like a clue and more like a taunt, rooted in a history Talantire has yet to uncover.
What begins as a local tragedy soon forces Talantire to look “further afield.” The investigation stretches across the country and beyond, suggesting that the Commissioner’s past or his wife’s collections hold secrets that transcend the boundaries of their quiet farm. There is an atmospheric feel to this novel with the “ancient well” and the “Victorian doll” to inject a sense of historical dread into a modern-day police investigation. Jan Talantire has to fight against her own “first assumptions.” Every time she thinks she has a motive, robbery, political assassination, domestic dispute, the evidence pivots. The claustrophobic crime scene at the farm to a sprawling international manhunt that keeps the narrative energy high.
The Hanging Place is a taut mystery that is told at a brisk pace and kept my attention throughout.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Canelo for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington, has been found shot dead at his rural farm. The scene is one of senseless carnage, an employee lies dead alongside him, but it is the discovery in the cellar that truly haunts the investigators. Lionel’s wife is found suspended upside down in an ancient well, a theatrical and “savage” display of violence that suggests a deeply personal vendetta.
DI Jan Talantire is immediately faced with a professional paradox. The farm has been “ransacked,” a classic sign of a robbery, yet absolutely nothing of value has been taken. The CCTV has been surgically disabled, and while “bloody footprints” mark the path of the killer, they lead to a frustrating dead end.
The only breadcrumb left behind is a “bizarre Victorian-style doll” from the wife’s own collection, found hanging on the cellar door. It’s a calling card that feels less like a clue and more like a taunt, rooted in a history Talantire has yet to uncover.
What begins as a local tragedy soon forces Talantire to look “further afield.” The investigation stretches across the country and beyond, suggesting that the Commissioner’s past or his wife’s collections hold secrets that transcend the boundaries of their quiet farm. There is an atmospheric feel to this novel with the “ancient well” and the “Victorian doll” to inject a sense of historical dread into a modern-day police investigation. Jan Talantire has to fight against her own “first assumptions.” Every time she thinks she has a motive, robbery, political assassination, domestic dispute, the evidence pivots. The claustrophobic crime scene at the farm to a sprawling international manhunt that keeps the narrative energy high.
The Hanging Place is a taut mystery that is told at a brisk pace and kept my attention throughout.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Canelo for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
THE HANGING PLACE is #5 in the Jan Talantire series by Nick Louth. I had previously read books #3 and #4, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Consequently, I was looking forward to continuing the series.
In "The Hanging Place", the emphasis shifts away from the storyline's previous background scenario of sexual harassment in the police force. The harassment thread had started earlier, before book #3, but was finally concluded at the end of #4 ("The Deep End") when Commander Brent West was convicted.
THE HANDING PLACE has a complex plotline, but I felt that ultimately it was the author's intent to produce a unique take on the "locked room" mystery subgenre.
Two men are murdered within a short period of time. The Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington is shot a few minutes after his employee met the same fate; because that murdered employee was in charge of security, the CCTV system has been disabled. Jan enters the commissioner's mansion soon after the shots are heard and discovers his disabled wife suspended upside down in an ancient well, alive but injured. She said that she was kidnapped from her wheelchair by a man wearing a ski-mask who was dressed all in black, a man who tried to get her to open the safe in her husband's office. She was unable to open the safe because she didn't know the combination, but the masked man didn't believe her and had hung her in the well to torture her into revealing it.
There should have been many people at the commissioner's mansion, but nearly all were attending an engagement party at a nearby pub; CCTV footage taken within the pub when the shots were heard to show that most of the possible suspects were at the pub at that time. Thus, Jan is required to go over and over the limited clues left by the culprit to finally discover whodunnit. It is an intriguing mystery with a unique solution.
Thanks to Canelo for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My review for earlier books in this series:
The Deep End (Detective Jan Talantire Book 4)
The Dark Edge (Detective Jan Talantire Book 3)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In "The Hanging Place", the emphasis shifts away from the storyline's previous background scenario of sexual harassment in the police force. The harassment thread had started earlier, before book #3, but was finally concluded at the end of #4 ("The Deep End") when Commander Brent West was convicted.
THE HANDING PLACE has a complex plotline, but I felt that ultimately it was the author's intent to produce a unique take on the "locked room" mystery subgenre.
Two men are murdered within a short period of time. The Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington is shot a few minutes after his employee met the same fate; because that murdered employee was in charge of security, the CCTV system has been disabled. Jan enters the commissioner's mansion soon after the shots are heard and discovers his disabled wife suspended upside down in an ancient well, alive but injured. She said that she was kidnapped from her wheelchair by a man wearing a ski-mask who was dressed all in black, a man who tried to get her to open the safe in her husband's office. She was unable to open the safe because she didn't know the combination, but the masked man didn't believe her and had hung her in the well to torture her into revealing it.
There should have been many people at the commissioner's mansion, but nearly all were attending an engagement party at a nearby pub; CCTV footage taken within the pub when the shots were heard to show that most of the possible suspects were at the pub at that time. Thus, Jan is required to go over and over the limited clues left by the culprit to finally discover whodunnit. It is an intriguing mystery with a unique solution.
Thanks to Canelo for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My review for earlier books in this series:
The Deep End (Detective Jan Talantire Book 4)
The Dark Edge (Detective Jan Talantire Book 3)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Hanging Place opens with a jolt and settles quickly into that deliciously dark, investigative rhythm that keeps you reading long after you meant to stop. The murder of Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall‑Hartington is shocking enough, but it’s the tableau left behind — a ransacked farm, a second body, and a wife suspended upside down in an ancient well — that gives the book its eerie, unforgettable edge.
DI Jan Talantire is a compelling lead, grounded and quietly determined, the kind of detective who feels the weight of every unanswered question. From the outset, she’s confronted with a case that refuses to behave: nothing stolen, CCTV disabled, footprints that lead nowhere, and a Victorian doll hanging on the cellar door like a taunt. The strangeness of it all creates a wonderfully unsettling atmosphere, as though the crime scene itself is trying to mislead her.
What I loved is how the investigation widens rather than rushes. Talantire follows the threads across the country and beyond, and each new location adds another layer of intrigue. The author captures that sense of chasing shadows — of being just one step behind something clever, cruel, and deeply intentional. The case is complex without ever feeling convoluted, and the pacing strikes that perfect balance between slow‑burn tension and sharp, satisfying reveals.
The Victorian‑style doll is a particularly haunting touch, a small detail that lingers in the mind and hints at a motive far stranger than the usual power plays and grudges. As Talantire digs deeper, the story becomes less about what happened on that farm and more about the secrets that have been festering beneath the surface for far too long.
Dark, atmospheric, and quietly relentless, The Hanging Place is a gripping crime thriller that rewards your attention and keeps you guessing until the final pages. A strong, unsettling read from a writer who knows exactly how to build tension and let it breathe.
With thanks to Nick Louth, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
DI Jan Talantire is a compelling lead, grounded and quietly determined, the kind of detective who feels the weight of every unanswered question. From the outset, she’s confronted with a case that refuses to behave: nothing stolen, CCTV disabled, footprints that lead nowhere, and a Victorian doll hanging on the cellar door like a taunt. The strangeness of it all creates a wonderfully unsettling atmosphere, as though the crime scene itself is trying to mislead her.
What I loved is how the investigation widens rather than rushes. Talantire follows the threads across the country and beyond, and each new location adds another layer of intrigue. The author captures that sense of chasing shadows — of being just one step behind something clever, cruel, and deeply intentional. The case is complex without ever feeling convoluted, and the pacing strikes that perfect balance between slow‑burn tension and sharp, satisfying reveals.
The Victorian‑style doll is a particularly haunting touch, a small detail that lingers in the mind and hints at a motive far stranger than the usual power plays and grudges. As Talantire digs deeper, the story becomes less about what happened on that farm and more about the secrets that have been festering beneath the surface for far too long.
Dark, atmospheric, and quietly relentless, The Hanging Place is a gripping crime thriller that rewards your attention and keeps you guessing until the final pages. A strong, unsettling read from a writer who knows exactly how to build tension and let it breathe.
With thanks to Nick Louth, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
April 20, 2026
Crime comes close to home when the Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington is shot dead along with one of his employees. The case takes an even more macabre turn when his disabled wife is found suspended upside down in a well, alive but injured. With a lack of witnesses, no CCTV and several potential suspects, DI Jan Talantire knows that a quick result is needed in order to placate her bosses.
This is the fifth book in the Jan Talantire series and the detective really has her work cut out for her in this one! The crime commissioner is not exactly her favourite person but she was not expecting to be investigating his untimely death. We get a real sense of Lionel and his wife before the crime, their air of superiority providing a sharp contrast with what is about to come.
I was immediately drawn into the book by the description of the where the deaths occurred. Nick Louth has painted a vivid picture of what is a gruesome crime scene, the well in particular providing a very claustrophobic image. I found myself totally immersed as a tried to figure out exactly how the crime could be committed without anybody seeing what had happened.
The plot moves on at a good pace and you could really feel Jan’s frustration as her efforts to find the killer were thwarted at every turn. I really enjoyed how the plot played out and loved the ending – it could be something out of an episode of Jonathan Creek!
I am really enjoying the Jan Talantire series and look forward to book six.
This is the fifth book in the Jan Talantire series and the detective really has her work cut out for her in this one! The crime commissioner is not exactly her favourite person but she was not expecting to be investigating his untimely death. We get a real sense of Lionel and his wife before the crime, their air of superiority providing a sharp contrast with what is about to come.
I was immediately drawn into the book by the description of the where the deaths occurred. Nick Louth has painted a vivid picture of what is a gruesome crime scene, the well in particular providing a very claustrophobic image. I found myself totally immersed as a tried to figure out exactly how the crime could be committed without anybody seeing what had happened.
The plot moves on at a good pace and you could really feel Jan’s frustration as her efforts to find the killer were thwarted at every turn. I really enjoyed how the plot played out and loved the ending – it could be something out of an episode of Jonathan Creek!
I am really enjoying the Jan Talantire series and look forward to book six.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fans of police procedurals will enjoy The Hanging Place, the fifth in the Jan Talantire series. The story begins with the murder of two men on an estate, one of whom is the Police and Crime Commissioner, with his wife left hanging upside down in a medieval well.
The book moves at a steady pace and there are plenty of red herrings. I had a few quibbles with the supposed execution of the crime but not enough to reduce my enjoyment of the story. I appreciate that the actual investigation seemed realistic. There are glimmers of humor here, especially involving middle management or the “middle morons” as Jan thinks of them.
Jan is a no-nonsense DI without serious character flaws. Unlike the prior books, here Louth focuses almost solely on the crime and its investigation. There isn’t much in the way of personal life for Talantire or her team here.
The book could easily be read as a stand-alone.
My thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of this book.
The book moves at a steady pace and there are plenty of red herrings. I had a few quibbles with the supposed execution of the crime but not enough to reduce my enjoyment of the story. I appreciate that the actual investigation seemed realistic. There are glimmers of humor here, especially involving middle management or the “middle morons” as Jan thinks of them.
Jan is a no-nonsense DI without serious character flaws. Unlike the prior books, here Louth focuses almost solely on the crime and its investigation. There isn’t much in the way of personal life for Talantire or her team here.
The book could easily be read as a stand-alone.
My thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of this book.
May 8, 2026
Book five in this excellent series and this one was very much more focused on the investigation with only small references to the personal lives of DI Jan Talantire and her team.
The plot was fast paced and intense with plenty going on and huge pressure on Jan as the team struggled to find the killer of Lionel Hall - Hartington, the Police and Crime Commissioner. One of his staff was also murdered and Lionel's wife was found suspended upside down in a well.
The investigation was meticulously detailed and the characters were superbly well written and believable.
This time, I did work out who the killer was fairly early on, although I didn't know how it was all executed.
Brilliant!
4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Nick Louth and Canelo for an ARC of this book.
The plot was fast paced and intense with plenty going on and huge pressure on Jan as the team struggled to find the killer of Lionel Hall - Hartington, the Police and Crime Commissioner. One of his staff was also murdered and Lionel's wife was found suspended upside down in a well.
The investigation was meticulously detailed and the characters were superbly well written and believable.
This time, I did work out who the killer was fairly early on, although I didn't know how it was all executed.
Brilliant!
4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Nick Louth and Canelo for an ARC of this book.
May 14, 2026
This book is set in the lovely Exmoor National Park, Devon! I found the location's descriptions really vivid. DI Jan Talantire and her team are called to Police and Crime Commissioner Lionel Hall-Hartington is shot dead at his farm along with one of his employees and his wife found in the well upside down. Jan is unsure why the crimes happened and why nothing seems to be out of place. All she knows is that whomever did this had planned the crime, prior knowledge of the farm and is violent. It was dark, entertaining, full of unexpected plot twists, gripping, a few nail biting moments, taut plot, and unputdownable.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What another excellent read from Nick Louth this was. I've read a few of the Talantire books before, so quite familiar with the main character and most of the other regular ones. I cannot say I will miss Bagpuss though following what happened to him and what this book is based on. The storyline to find out who killed Bagpuss was very enjoyable and a few good twists and turns as you read waiting for it all to unwrap itself. Definitely a book to read, and go read others in the series too!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another exciting read from Nick Louth. This is the fifth book in the series featuring DI Jan Talantire and probably the best one so far. The plot is wonderfully constructed, full of twists. I particularly enjoyed the details of the investigative process carried out by Jan and her team. I'd definitely recommend this series.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Hanging Place is such a cool murder mystery filled with many twists and turns and ups and downs (literally). Be prepared to be engrossed from the very first page. This book will absolutely before a motion picture, so read it now so you can say, "The book was better." There was wonderful character development and some much appreciated humor throughout with quirky characters that jump to life. No doubt this is a 5 star book.
May 14, 2026
Jan Talantire and her team have to investigate the murder of then Police and Crime Commissioner. This story ia full of twists and turns and many red herrings. The team are a well oiled machine, working well together. Most of the characters are relatable and we all know someone like them. It was hard to work out who the perpetrator was. An enjoyable read which also exercises the brain cells. With thanks to the author, and Canelo for the opportunity to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was so good twisty with plenty of dead ends. A new author for me which is always exciting especially when the book turns out to be a winner. Will definitely be reading more of his in the future. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
May 23, 2026
intriguing story
A very intriguing story that is excellently told by the brilliant Nick Louth whose books I have now been reading for several years. A really different type of tale to the normal crime genre. I am really getting to like Jan Talantire and her crew. Look forward to number 6.
A very intriguing story that is excellently told by the brilliant Nick Louth whose books I have now been reading for several years. A really different type of tale to the normal crime genre. I am really getting to like Jan Talantire and her crew. Look forward to number 6.
April 16, 2026
I really enjoyed the latest in this series. A well constructed story to keep the reader guessing with a number of twists as you would expect from Nick Louth. One of those books which you don.t want to put down until you reach the last page. Highly recommended ,
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews