There Was A Crooked Man

Scott Carluccio Randall #2

by Cat Hogan

Scott makes enemies everywhere. Powerful people want him dead. He’s coming back to Ireland to finish what he started. But first, he must make it out of Marrakech alive.

Jen knows Scott will come back. Every day, she waits. He almost killed her last time and, fuelled by hate and arrogance, he’s not a man to ever just move on. He will kill her and he will kill her young son. But her husband and friends believe she has spiralled into paranoia.

So she knows, when he returns, she’ll face the psychopath alone.

In this powerful thriller, Hogan plunges us into the world and mind of her psychopathic killer from the first line and relentlessly tightens the tension until the very last page.

Genres: Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Cat Hogan was born into a home of bookworms and within spitting distance of the sea. Her father, Pat, a lightship man, instilled in her a love of the sea and the stars. Her mother, Mag, taught her how to read before she could walk.
Writing, storytelling and a wild imagination is part of her DNA.

The beautiful County Wexford, Ireland is home to Cat, her musician partner Dave, two beautiful sons Joey and Arthur, and her tomcat Jim Hawkins. There they live a life of storytelling, song and adventure. The other love of Cat’s life is food. A self-professed foodie, there is nothing she loves more than feeding a houseful of friends round her kitchen table.

When she is not conjuring up imaginary friends, she can be found supporting local musicians and writers of which there is an abundance in her home town. One of her first endorsements for her novel is also her favourite and comes from fellow Wexfordian of Artemis Fowl fame.

'If the Gone Girl met the Girl on the Train, they would have come up with They All Fall Down' -Eoin Colfer.

They All Fall Down is Cat’s debut novel.

Join her on Twitter @kittycathogan

Reviews

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Randall, A Detestable Man, Returns To Finish What He Started...

An excellent follow-up to 'They All Fall Down' as the author shows us the complete darkness left in the wake of Scott's actions on a small fishing town...No one was ready for the friends, families and lives ripped apart by this monster...
Jen still lives in fear, believing his promise to come back and finish both her and her son Danny...Her life is not happy...Husband Andy does his best, but cannot bring his wife back into the world around her...Scott continues his evil and self-proclaimed 'money-making' ways...To the detriment of all he comes in contact with...Killing any in his way with ease and no look back...
Tension surrounds everybody in this story...Everyone has their own secrets...And the horror each person goes through is their own...Until Scott arrives back in town...And what happens next will give you nightmares....

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed They All Fall Down earlier this year, I was thrilled to be asked to review There Was A Crooked Man as part of the blog tour. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading it, but I was quickly hooked and ended up having it read in 24 hours!

TWACM (Yep, I’m doing that, because its a long title to keep typing, haha!) begins with a bang and the pace genuinely doesn’t let up for the rest of the book. Scott is most definitely back, and he is badder and more arsey than before, if that is even possible! The author has chosen to have chapters from Scott’s POV at the beginning and they make for tense reading. Going into the mind of a psychopath is no easy feat but these chapters are gripping.

Its a little way into TWACM before we meet the rest of the characters, but it is plain to see how the events of They All Fall Down have impacted their lives. I really like how the author tries to capture the various issues that Jen, her friends and family are all dealing with. There is more than enough drama going on within the pages to keep the reader more than a little intrigued.

TWACM is quite a different book to They All Fall Down. It is much darker, and much more of a departure for Cat Hogan than her debut. I think it was a risk worth taking though, because the reader gets a gripping and completely enthralling story with plenty of red herrings thrown around the place.

There Was A Crooked Man weaves a tangled narrative that leaves the reader questioning the characters and their motives. It is dark, compelling and thoroughly riveting.

Highly recommended!

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting patiently for There Was A Crooked Man ever since I found out that there was going to be a sequel to All Fall Down. There just had to be a follow up to find out what happened next to the despicable Scott Carluccio Randall and how Jen, Andy, Danny and the rest of the characters were coping in the aftermath of the dramatic events in the previous book.

And I am happy to report that There Was A Crooked Man was well worth that expectation. But this is a much darker thriller, raising the tension and hatred of Scott from the very first few pages. Set in Marrakech, Berlin and Ireland the storyline builds up slowly to the showdown that we know is imminent. Scott may be using his nasty psychopathic tendencies to further himself abroad but he is making some very powerful enemies who won’t hesitate to try to bring him down. Meanwhile Jen seems to be coping well but she is a shadow of her former self and her relationships are suffering. She can’t relax as she knows that somehow, someday, Scott will return.

Cat Hogan has written a dark and unnerving thriller full of intriguing, troubled characters -none of whom seem to have any pleasure in the lives that they are living. I felt a sick anxiety as I waited for the inevitable confrontation between Scott and Jen and anticipating what the results of that clash would be and how it would affect everyone closely connected to them. There were a few shocks along the way that kept me on the edge of my seat, not trusting which way the author would decide to direct her protagonists.

I would definitely recommend you read All Fall Down first as, although There Was A Crooked Man could be read as a standalone, I do think you would get far more enjoyment from this gritty thriller if you are aware of the background to the original conflict. I became thoroughly engrossed here and if I had nails then they would have been chewed off by the time I got to that final dramatic denouement! A worthy follow up!

[Clair · Rating 4 out of 5]

After enjoying They All Fall Down last year, I was thrilled to find out that there was a sequel therefore jumped at the chance to be a part of this blog tour.

There Was A Crooked Man opens with chapters from Scott’s point of view and it’s clear that he is still as dangerous and sadistic as we remember. Cat Hogan literally takes us into the mind of a psychopath and it’s a dark place to be…..but awesome reading! Following the events at the end of They All Fall Down, Scott and Fran have fled to Marrakech but Scott is clearly still making lots of enemies. Alongside the narrative about the criminal underworld that Scott has infiltrated within Morocco, Cat Hogan also provides fabulous descriptions of the hustle and bustle of Marrakech – the reader is practically transported to the riads and souks!

It is clear from the start that we are spiralling to a confrontation between Scott and Jen as there is lots of unfinished business from book one and Scott is still very bitter than Jen has gotten one over him. This apparent showdown actually builds the tension from the start as it makes the read fear what’s to come without knowing when or how it would happen considering Scott’s location.

The author keeps the reader in suspense regarding Jen, Andy and Danny as it’s a good few chapters before we learn about Jen from her perspective rather than Scott’s bitterness! Jen and those around her are still suffering the after effects of They All Fall Down; friendships have been broken, confidence and trust shattered. Cat Hogan takes her reader on an emotional rollercoaster, demonstrating the varying emotions of the main characters.

I think that There Was A Crooked Man could be read as a standalone as the author shares enough of the past events so that any new readers could keep up with the plot however I think it’s best to start with book one to really understand what a nasty piece of work Scott is, the depths that his manipulation goes to.  There Was A Crooked Man is darker than it’s predecessor which is a fabulous move from Cat Hogan – she really gets us into the mind of Scott and the terror that Jen feels on a daily basis. The tension and anxiety it creates is high!

There Was A Crooked Man is the perfect follow-up to the brilliant They All Fall Down – I highly recommend both books!

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of Cat Hogan's first novel, They All Fall Down, my heart was in my throat as we knew that this was not the end of Scott, so when I heard that Cat had a new book coming out, I couldn't contain my excitement - Scott was back and I needed to read this book now!!!
As always with a sequel, there was a small part of me that was worried that it would not be as gripping or compelling as the first book but my fears were certainly groundless. THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN made my skin crawl, my heart race, and my housework fall into disarray as I couldn't do anything but read this mesmeric story of twisted hate, revenge, and terror.

Scott has landed on his feet as usual and is living it large in Marrakech, running many horrific illegal operations and revelling in his plans for domination and revenge. But his arrogance is always his downfall and when he finds himself needing a quick getaway, Scott moves up his plans to revisit his homeland of Ireland, and finally finish what he started ...

Ever since Jen discovered that Scott was still alive her life has stopped. Strong and independent Jen has morphed into a bundle of anxiety, afraid to step outside her door, panicking at every turn, and trusting nobody, least of all herself. She knows that Scott will never give up and will return someday to destroy her family, and as her husband begs her to move on, Jen knows that she cannot. Scott is coming back and this time someone will die.

The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up throughout this entire story and I bow down to the exquisite writing of Cat Hogan which will make you feel every heightened emotion possible from beginning to end. This series is the perfect candidate for adaptation and I really hope to see it on my screen someday in the future. The characters are all-consuming, even those that you hate, and the settings are so expertly detailed that they come alive to your senses as you read. THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN by Cat Hogan is everything I wanted and more from this sequel and is topping my list of best books of 2017. My advice? BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

[Eamon Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having enjoyed They All Fall Down, I was expecting something similar, but Cat Hogan delivers so much more in this second book. The drama, suspense and action are all ramped up. The addition of authentically-written exotic locales and characters written from the antagonist's perspective provide a chilling insight to the character, and as the action inevitably moves back to Ireland, there are some hard choices for Jen Harper to make, and some jaw-gaping twists to entertain fans of the genre as the chilling finale plays out. Highly recommended

[Lindamac Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like it half as much as "They all fall down. "
Not as gripping . Too much about Scott ! I know I'm in the minority but there it is ....

[Louise Grauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than book #1. The story continues... with more tension, building throughout the book...

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Hogan plunges us into the world and mind of her psychopathic killer from the first line and relentlessly tightens the tension until the very last page.’ (Cover Quote)

There Was A Crooked Man is the follow up book from Irish Writer Cat Hogan, following on from her debut novel, They All Fall Down.

Scott Carluccio Randall, a twisted unhinged individual, is back to clean up some unfinished business. Described as ‘a powerful thriller', Cat Hogan’s second novel is much darker than her first. There is a great level of detail in the descriptions of place and character taking the reader on a journey through the Souks and back streets of Marrakech to Berlin and Ireland.

My Review:

Ooooh Cat Hogan you have got quite a nasty streak in you!! Where did you conjure up this madness?

#ScottIsBack folks….

‘I punched him in the stomach, with enough force for him to drop to his knees but not as hard as I would have liked. The cigarette rolled across the floor into a pool of vomit. The syringe lay on the rug and the rest of the paraphernalia was scattered across the locker. This snivelling wreck was beginning to cause me real problems.’

For anyone who has read They All Fall Down, you will be familiar with the psychotic nature of Scott Carluccio Randall, a Dublin society boy with serious issues. If this is your first time picking up a Cat Hogan book, never fear, Cat provides plenty of background information as the book progresses, which enlightens the reader to past events.

Scott Carluccio Randall left Ireland under extremely suspicious circumstances. In There Was A Crooked Man, we find Scott now living in Marrakech. He’s involved in the underworld of drugs and crime, running different businesses to finance his rather expensive lifestyle. Scott comes from an extremely wealthy family in Dublin. With his father dead, his mother Livia is the matriarch of the family. Originally from Italy, Livia is quite a cold fish and the relationship between herself and Scott was never one of affection. Her portrayal by Cat Hogan is exceptionally vivid. She is a hard tough woman with no warmth whatsoever.

‘She was a terrible mother and all my success was purely down to my own brilliance and survival instinct. I was lucky – I was strong and intelligent. Not many would have survived her insanity’

There Was A Crooked Man takes the reader through the crowded streets and back alleyways of Marrakech. All my senses were evoked as Cat Hogan writes so expressively of the crowds, the smells, the heat…

‘The souks were as easy to identify by smell as they were by sight. The chant of the woodturners selling their wares was constant. The smell of the cedarwood hung heavy in the air. By now the woollen djellaba was stuck to my back with sweat, as we swarm, with our cargo, against a sea of bodies. We arrived at Kissaria Square. It was noisy, hot, sticky, smelly, and overrun with tourists. Even under the circumstances, the assault on the senses never failed to amuse and amaze me. Here was a riot of sound and explosions of colour from clothing and fabric.’

Scott finds himself the target of some very undesirable folk. His attitude and general demeanor rubs up everyone he meets the wrong way, but the difference this time is the Moroccans don’t tolerate such behaviour. Scott has gone one step too far. He makes a decision to go back home, back to Ireland, back to where it all began.

Meanwhile Jen wakes up every morning looking out over the Irish Sea with terror in her heart. She is biding her time, waiting for the day Scott will return. He invades her every moment. Her life is no longer her own as she knows Scott will be back. He has unfinished business with her and he left making his intentions quite clear. Jen is in his way.

Jen has never been able to settle into her new life with Andy. He is a truly wonderful person and has taken as his own her son, Danny, from a previous marriage. But Andy is struggling to deal with Jen’s ghosts and is attempting to move on. Their relationship is suffering as Jen refuses to accept that Scott will not return.

There is a very authentic feel to the storyline, especially the scenes from Marrakech. Scott Carluccio Randall is a very warped individual. His whole life he has lived according to his own twisted rules…but sometimes others do not wish to play to the same tune.

There Was A Crooked Man has some down-right seedy characters in it’s pages as you get an insight into the murky depths of human depravity. It’s an engrossing read as you race to the finish with heart palpitations and sore fingers, as you swiftly turn each page to see if Scott will finally succeed. Will he finish what he started or will Jen find a way to save her family and those she loves?

Well…you know what you have to do to find out!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I reviewed Cat Hogan’s first book, They All Fall Down, in September last year I was surprised (actually I think I said “shocked”!) at the way the initially gentle story became a whole different world of evil, secrets, betrayal, violence, addiction and obsession. There’s no gentle lead-in to this one – we’re immediately re-introduced to Scott Carluccio Randall, but far away from the sleepy fishing village of the last book. He’s deeply embroiled in the world of drugs and white slavery, surrounded by villains and thugs, and within a short few pages we see that he’s become even more evil than he was at his last appearance. Marrakech is a great backdrop for the early story – and it’s wonderfully described in all its colour and chaos. But might he be a tad out of his depth this time?

And then we catch up with Jen, Andy, young Danny, and the cast of the earlier book – and my goodness, are they struggling to move forward. While we meander from home to boatyard to cafe, and meet the characters again – and feel for them as they suffer under the shadow of everything that went before – there’s an uneasy tension as we watch Scott endeavouring to escape the threats of Marrakech, in the knowledge that he has unfinished business.

This is a much darker book than the first, and the author really cranks up the tension while manipulating her excellent cast of characters. I did have some small criticism of the pacing of the earlier book – but definitely not this time, as we get inescapably closer to the inevitable explosion as each page is turned. The climax, when it comes – if you still have any nerve endings intact – is everything you want it to be, but maybe not exactly what you’re expecting.

Can this one be read as a standalone? Yes, I think it can – but you will miss some of the nuances of the relationships and the detail in the background to the earlier events. Read the first one before this one and I think you might enjoy it even more. But it’s certainly an excellent and thoroughly gripping thriller in its own right, and a superb follow-up to the earlier book.

[Linda Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. However, when I requested it from Library Thing’s Early Reviewer Program, I did not realize it was a sequel. Thus, some of my enjoyment was muted due to the fact that I did not fully understand the main characters’ backstory. I kept waiting for pertinent facts to be revealed and, when they never were, I was sorely disappointed. Thus, I would recommend that readers start with Ms. Hogan’s first work, They All Fall Down.

There Was A Crooked Man is a dark and intense novel. The chapters the author has written from Scott’s POV are compelling and the reader soon realizes that he is a dangerous psychopath. The other characters are revealed slowly, from the third person POV, and we see how their lives have been impacted by their relationships with Scott and his criminal enterprises.

The novel begins with a murder in Marrakech where Scott and Fran are up to their eyeballs in illegal drug trafficking, and ends at the harbour in Ireland, back where things all began.

Ms. Hogan has created fascinating characters in Scott and Jen and the result is a gripping read. Highly recommended for those who enjoy psychological thrillers and complex, though not always likeable, characters.

I received a free copy of this novel as part of Library Thing’s Early Reviewer Program.

[Tahseen Ilmiyat Haque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat Hogan takes us on a thriller ride with ‘There Was a Crooked Man’. We get to see through the eyes of a self-obsessed criminal and observe the revival of a victimized mother.
Although the beginning was a bit confusing as we are smacked right into the middle of it, as the story unfolds with more facts being revealed it becomes hard to put down the book without finishing. I enjoyed how the pieces of the puzzle got together to unveil to us the intriguing story. Though at times it felt like some things were explained too plainly through the narrations to give the readers the full picture. But overall it was a great read. I liked how Scott’s chapters were written in first person giving his narcissism a significant depth.
I would recommend this book to those who like to feel the serene calmness after a thrilling rush.

[Lorna Sixsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller. It did take me a couple of chapters to get into it but I think that was because I was expecting to hear from Jen and Andy first (main characters in first novel) and I was a little conflicted when first reading from Scott's (the anti-hero) point of view.
There is tension, there are serious threats, there is angst - and we also discover why Scott seems to have nine lives. Will there be a happy ever after for those characters we know and love? There's everything to play for when you're risking the lives and happiness of those dearest to you.
Excellent sequel to "They All Fall Down". You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one but you'll enjoy it all the more if you do.
As an aside, I loved the front cover.

[Fosco2004 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down, tense, gritty and well constructed.
My only gripe is that I didn’t realise it was a sequel.
It was still really good as a stand alone novel but I would have preferred to start with the first novel which builds to the beginning of this one.
Plenty of surprises and sinister enough to have me feeling uneasy throughout reading.
A great job Cat Hogan, I look forward to reading more.

[Dee Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little Disappointing


There Was A Crooked Man was a good novel. It was however a little disappointing after reading They All Fall Down by the same author Cat Hogan. It didn't not quite have the excitement as the first book and it completely ignored the problems involving the main couple.
It also had many.more errors but if you have read the first book in the series it is definitely worth reading.

[Michaela Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

enthralling, and heart-racing. Two words that I can currently think of after finishing Cat' sequel to They All Fall Down. much like it's predecessor you were hanging on every single word. an excellent thriller to get those hairs standing on the back of your neck!

[Rory Socket · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the plot is quite good the main problem is with the writing which is very plain while most of the characters fail to draw much sympathy. It does pick up when it focuses on the Arch villian Scott but overall it was disappointing.

[Don Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and a perfect follow up to They All Fall Down

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent read, a follow up to her first book 'They All Fall Down".
Well done Cat.

[Stephanie Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUST BRILLIANT

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good story, carrying on from the events of They All Fall Down. I think I preferred the first one more, but still a good read.

[AnneMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, fast good read, nice twists and great details.

[Gale Newmaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting read

This book was the perfect ending to this series. It was so exciting and suspenseful. I can't wait to read more from this author

[Paul McCormack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd but worth a read

[Karen Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first book, I could not get enough of it. The characters and plots were great! I love a book that has a good plot, characters with depth and lots of twists and turns. Well done!