The Hanged Man: A Digby Rolf Mystery #1

by Raymond M. Hall

The Reverend Digby Rolf's crusade for justice in an unfair world! 

John Moorcroft is a quiet unassuming young man who wouldn’t hurt a fly, and yet he is in Pentonville prison, waiting to be hanged for the murder of Sally Rowland!

Digby Rolf, the prison chaplain, escorts John to the hangman’s noose and witnesses his fall to oblivion. Digby’s Bible takes on a life of its own, falling open at a passage which Digby knows only too well, convincing him of John’s innocence.

After resigning from the prison, Digby begins his own investigations into John’s case, uncovering a multitude of conspiracies, which takes him through London's dark underbelly of the 1950's and into dangerous life threatening situations for which he is ill-equipped but ultimately leading to Sally’s murderer.

He is assisted by Summer, a young lady who arrives to stay at Mrs Pentley’s boarding house. Digby is so focussed on the case he almost misses the romance which is staring him in the face.

John Moorcroft may have been hanged and his body interred, but he cannot be at peace until the real killer is brought to justice. The Reverend Digby Rolf relies on his faith for guidance and protection, unaware that a guardian angel is always by his side.

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Praise for ‘The Hanged Man’ from Verified Amazon readers.

Skilful—Another book I found hard to put down, very well written. Better than a ‘Who Done It’ A perfect combination of mystery elements and engaging story. Another great ghost story from Raymond M Hall.

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 21, 2018

About the author

Raymond M Hall's books have been described by reviewers in glowing terms as a mixture of Thriller, Mystery, and Romance; indicating that readers find their individual tastes in his writing.
As one reviewer commented on his novel, "The Haunting":
Tremendously satisfying writing and character/time interplay make this a book to treasure. Think Poe, Doyle, King….......

The comedic side of the author is displayed in "The Importance of Being Roger". The subject of the book, Roger Sidebottom, can be seen either as a downright villain or a modern day anti-hero. However, within his character, you are bound to recognise somebody you know!

Reviews

[Shanell Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty enjoyable read

The Hanged Man: A Digby Rolf Mystery by Raymond M. Hall follows Digby Rolf who is a prison chaplain as he morphs into a crusader to find the truth regarding John Moorcroft. Moorcroft was convicted of murdering Sally Rowland and Digby Rolf was the chaplain who oversaw the hanging. However, Digbys Bible opened up a verse which convinced Digby that Moorcroft was innocent. Thus begins Digbys mission to prove Moorcrofts innocence. Digby finds himself dealing with a series of dangerous situations that lead him to Sally Rowland’s murderer.
The story was bad. It seemed a bit trying at times but other than that I feel like it was worth the time it took to read. I enjoyed Raymond Halls writing style and his portrayal of his characters. This was actually this first Digby Rolf story I have read and I’m really not sure if it’s the first or the last in the series but I’d be game to read more from the series.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian, strange but interesting plot with all-too-human characters. A lesson in judgment and justice both are necessary and required for Christians and other human beings as are compassion and mercy. Recommended.

[D.L. Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into reading “The Hanged Man,” thinking this would be a paranormal mystery. When the killer was revealed a third of the way through, it left me pondering — where can this go next? It became a journey of the Prison Pastor, Digby Rolf trying to prove the innocence of John Moorland set in England in the 1950s. Digby is an untrained investigator and appears to be very lucky in his survival or the paranormal part of the story. His relationship with his landlord’s niece, Summer, was nicely mixed into the story. This was told through many POVs, and a few times I found myself lost in that. But I liked knowing what everyone was thinking and doing. Digby’s past still haunted him, which added to his depth, but the story only touched on that part. There were a few gruesome scenes mixed in that made complete sense given the situations. This was an interesting story that took a twist I didn’t expect at the end. I enjoyed this book and was engaged until the last page.

[Charlie Latham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly gripping and sad tale about a man who is falsely accused of a rape murder offence and sentenced to death.

The writer spins the tale in a way that makes you fully sympathise with the accused and really place yourself in his shoes. How utterly awful it is that injustices like this do occur and all too frequently. Incredibly sad, reading this, although it’s fictional, made me question and think a lot about the death penalty and how we treat who we judge as ‘criminals’.

The main story of the book is based around one of the chaplains and his search for the true killer. His determination to find the true killer and his trust in God is truly inspiring.

Written so that you just want to keep on reading more and more, it didn’t take me long to finish.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raymond M. Hall is the author of The Hanged Man: A Digby Rolf Mystery, a title which leads me to believe this is one of a series. I am not sure if this is the first or tenth in the series because I can't find the others at all. It doesn't really matter but the search for that information took from my precious reading time.

I assumed the time period was early 1900's simply because of the method of execution being hanging and executions in Great Britain stopped in 1965 but I'm still not certain when this takes place. It bothers me. Also, I assumed Digby would be a police officer or private investigator but alas, he's a chaplain and I find Joe Schmo ameature sleuths unrealistic. Despite those details weighing down my opinion, The Hanged Man is rather good. I bought John's ghost appearing throughout more eagerly than I did the investigative skills of a prison chaplain.

[Norma J. Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

Easy to follow and enjoy storyline. My only problem is how lightly the rapes were portrayed. I hope the author doesn’t believe that people who are victims of multiple rapes and beating instantly spring back happily.

[Rox Burkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Raymond Hall creates a captivating story of a man, John Moorcroft, put to death for the rape and murder of a young girl. Until his last breath, he vowed innocence. The prison chaplain, Digby Rolf, is opposed to killing any soul. He has no choice other than to be with the prisoner in his last minutes.

Focused on his duty, Rolf accompanies the man at his hanging. After John is dead, the bible, in his hands at the end, falls to earth. The flurry of pages turning, from an invisible wind, stops on a page that convinces Rolf that John was unjustly put to death. His Bishop ignores Rolf's attempt to explain the strange occurrence, which results in Rolf quitting.

Rolf is committed to proving John's innocence and finding the murderer. His investigation places him and those around him in mortal danger. He discovers the Free Masons, complete with their codes and edicts, that clash with groups within the underworld. The character and situation development build from page one, making this a hard book to close when your eyes need to rest. Aid from his father with his strange connections with Masons was unexpected by Digby. The section below perfectly represents this reconciliation in imagery-based detail and an unpredictable manner.

"The Very Reverend Rolf answered the door to his son, the corners of his mouth turned down as usual. Digby wondered if he would ever get to see that grim mouth smile, perhaps when he made the request he had been rehearsing on the train. He stood before his father in the rectory office, in front of the familiar solid wood desk, with the green leather inlay, now showing the patina of many years of service.
'Father, I want to make a new start,' began Digby attempting to look contrite, 'I was wondering if you would introduce me to your lodge. It may well be the grounding I need.'
He stood still in the 'at ease' position, hands behind his back, awaiting the verdict. Digby saw for the first time in years the dour look on his father's face suddenly crease into a smile, to Digby it looked like a different person, 'Son, I have been waiting in the hope that one day you would ask me that question; I would be delighted to see you enter the lodge, it would make me proud.'"

There are three books in the series – Part of A Digby Rolf Cozy Mystery. The subtle twists guide the reader through this original tale of the unlikely investigator driven by his quest for justice. I look forward to the other books in this series, especially if they are as riveting as this one. Definitely recommended!

[Balroop Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hanged Man by Raymond M Hall reminds me of many movies I saw as a youngster – where good guys challenge the bad guys and despite the power and the clout the latter hold, good guys win in the end. Digby Rolf, a prison chaplain walks into murky waters willingly, eager to unravel the real culprit behind the rape and murder of Sally, a young girl. The plot gets darker, as it proceeds and takes you through the criminal activities of the gangs of East End of London in a filmy style. The story crawls forward and backward in the hands of amateur investigators who don’t have any firm plan. The information they gather is unorganised and sloppy. It couldn’t hold my attention.

You would meet unrealistic characters akin to movies otherwise who endangers one’s own life to get justice for others, especially the dead? And how would this crusader for justice explain the murders that occur due to his so-called investigation? This novel drags on through the sleazy and slimy world of clubs and gang bosses, their ruthless and boring tricks of luring, intimidating and killing others. The only saving grace is the faith and the hope that mentors Summer and Digby to accomplish their mission. I heaved a sigh of relief after I finished this slow-paced book but I must confess that I felt like dropping it too many times.

[TMDGReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book began slowly with the accused awaiting execution. Digby entered, and the unexplainable bible incident happened. Snap! It captured my interest. For the most part, I became invested in his character. Some issues arose further into the story. He entered a seedy club, sat in a room, put money into a box, and engaged in a peep show? That contradicted his morals, in my eyes, even though he'd removed his collar and resigned. Summer's character seemed superficial, and I didn't connect to her. She endured sexual attacks with virtually no reaction or response. Although they confess an affection for each other near the end, I didn't feel any chemistry between them. The real murderer became known earlier in the book than I'd expected. I liked that John Moorcroft, wrongly convicted and executed, continued to be a character and played a role in the development. There was a moment in the final steps where the exposed villain held onto hope that he would avoid the noose, and it led to a satisfying ending.

[Yvette Calleiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The main characters were well developed, and I became invested in their investigation and their plight. The author did a great job showing the depths to which the antagonists went to bury his crime(s). I loved how the author used the ghost of Moorcroft throughout the story.

I gave this story three stars for a couple of reasons. As much as I loved the story, there were a few moments where it felt like the author was head-hopping. I believe he was going for third-person omniscient, but it didn't always feel that way. There were a couple of times where he retold the event in another person's point of view within the same scene. There was some repetitiveness that I felt could have been condensed. There were also some capitalization issues with the word said or asked being capitalized after a quote. Other than that, it was a great story! :-)

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many twists and turns it kept it interesting. You know who the bad guy is but whether they can prove it is questionable. All the characters, good or bad, have characteristics that you like and hate. The author also brings ghosts into the story line and I love ghost stories. What a great read.

[Julia Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crime novel with a bit of a supernatural feel. A real page turner. The story is gripping and the characters realistic and relatable. see https://simplyhonestreviews.webador.c...
for more

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anglican Priest as Detective

Early 60's London is a mod & violent setting for a young priest affected by violence and police corruption. A great read