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Max Wolfe #3
Klub wisielców
Grupa samozwańczych mścicieli krąży po ulicach Londynu. W upalne noce uprowadza ludzi, którzy dopuścili się złych uczynków, wydaje wyroki i wykonuje egzekucje przez powieszenie. Wśród skazanych na śmierć jest m.in. członek gangu, który molestował dziewczęta, bogaty alkoholik, który śmiertelnie potrącił dziecko, ziejący nienawiścią kaznodzieja nawołujący do mordowania brytyjskich żołnierzy.
Liczba ofiar podejrzanie szybko rośnie, a Londyn znajduje się na krawędzi zamieszek. Detektyw Max Wolfe musi ukrócić mordercze zapędy gangu zabójców, których już uznano za bohaterów.
Liczba ofiar podejrzanie szybko rośnie, a Londyn znajduje się na krawędzi zamieszek. Detektyw Max Wolfe musi ukrócić mordercze zapędy gangu zabójców, których już uznano za bohaterów.
352 pages, Unknown Binding
First published May 19, 2016
198 people are currently reading
1214 people want to read
About the author
Tony Parsons
66 books890 followersThere is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Par...
Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Par...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
December 21, 2016
Savile Row is not just suits. 27 Savile Row houses the Homicide and Serious Crime Command Centre, home of DC Max Wolfe.
In the third of this series, The Hanging Club, DC Max Wolfe is tasked with hunting a gang of killers who many believe to be heroes. These are people who have committed atrocious crimes and been given the lightest of sentences: a gang member who's abused vulnerable girls; a wealthy drunk driver who's mowed down a child; a hate preacher calling for the murder of British soldiers.
Tony Parsons raises some interesting questions about justice, or the lack of it and how victims of crime are often treated worse than the perpetrators.
Another breath-taking page-turner from Parsons. I am already looking forward to #4, The Woman Who fell Through the Ice, due out in 2017. Tony Parsons is firmly on my list of top ten authors.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone Century for providing a digital copy of The Hanging Club by Max Wolfe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
In the third of this series, The Hanging Club, DC Max Wolfe is tasked with hunting a gang of killers who many believe to be heroes. These are people who have committed atrocious crimes and been given the lightest of sentences: a gang member who's abused vulnerable girls; a wealthy drunk driver who's mowed down a child; a hate preacher calling for the murder of British soldiers.
Tony Parsons raises some interesting questions about justice, or the lack of it and how victims of crime are often treated worse than the perpetrators.
Another breath-taking page-turner from Parsons. I am already looking forward to #4, The Woman Who fell Through the Ice, due out in 2017. Tony Parsons is firmly on my list of top ten authors.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone Century for providing a digital copy of The Hanging Club by Max Wolfe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
May 5, 2019
It was quite wonderful to once again return to DC Max Wolfe world. There are some series where characters really make a deep impression on me and this is certainly one. Max is probably not the only man ever to have to raise a daughter by himself. However, I find his situation sadder just because of why he is a single father raising a daughter. A situation I won't reveal, you just have to read the books.
The case in this book is one that really makes you think about justice and what happens when the law fails and the ones that should be punished is let go too easy. When people take the law into their own hands and it just seems so right that they do. When bad people are finally punished. It's one thing when the police are hunting down dangerous criminals, but in this book are they trying to catch a gang of people that are really doing what most people in the book feel is probably just. Since capital punishment is gone in the UK are the group taking the law into their own hands by hanging men they feel should have been punished with death.
DC Max Wolfe is the one that has to take charge of the case when his boss has to focus on a personal crisis and the case will get very close to him and it will take an ugly turn that I never expected. It's a great book, a book that makes you think, but thanks to Max daughter Scout and their dog Stan are there also some lighter moments. And, there is a woman that Max met that could bring love back into his life, but of course, there are obstacles...
This is a favorite series of mine and I'm looking forward to next year and see what will happen next for Max and his family.
Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
The case in this book is one that really makes you think about justice and what happens when the law fails and the ones that should be punished is let go too easy. When people take the law into their own hands and it just seems so right that they do. When bad people are finally punished. It's one thing when the police are hunting down dangerous criminals, but in this book are they trying to catch a gang of people that are really doing what most people in the book feel is probably just. Since capital punishment is gone in the UK are the group taking the law into their own hands by hanging men they feel should have been punished with death.
DC Max Wolfe is the one that has to take charge of the case when his boss has to focus on a personal crisis and the case will get very close to him and it will take an ugly turn that I never expected. It's a great book, a book that makes you think, but thanks to Max daughter Scout and their dog Stan are there also some lighter moments. And, there is a woman that Max met that could bring love back into his life, but of course, there are obstacles...
This is a favorite series of mine and I'm looking forward to next year and see what will happen next for Max and his family.
Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
August 23, 2018
This was a really fantastic crime thriller that took me hours to read. Time just passed me by as I escaped into the pages.
It's got everything going for it! A really interesting plot with a macabre element to it, strong characters - both the cops and villains, plenty of mystery and questions to be had, graphic scenes that hold you mesmerised yet disturbed and a thrilling ending to top it all off.
Someone is hanging people execution style. Not just any people, but those that have committed atrocities against other human beings. Who has declared themselves judge, jury and executioner? You'll need to read it to find out.
The book has some absolutely fascinating and well researched history about the morbid times when hanging was still a legal capital punishment in England. It describes locations, events and participants and I found it absolutely thrilling. The author did fabulous research to make this book have an extra element to it. Bravo!
I really like Tony's writing, he knows how to right an engaging novel that's not full of boring fillers and unrelated facts. It's a sure winner with me and crime fiction fans should put this one on their list for sure. You don't need to have read prior books in the series to enjoy this (although they are great too).
5 stars and it's been added to my long list for my Top Ten Books of 2016. Loved it!
Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book via NetGalley.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, author interviews and features come over to join me for book fun at: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
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It's got everything going for it! A really interesting plot with a macabre element to it, strong characters - both the cops and villains, plenty of mystery and questions to be had, graphic scenes that hold you mesmerised yet disturbed and a thrilling ending to top it all off.
Someone is hanging people execution style. Not just any people, but those that have committed atrocities against other human beings. Who has declared themselves judge, jury and executioner? You'll need to read it to find out.
The book has some absolutely fascinating and well researched history about the morbid times when hanging was still a legal capital punishment in England. It describes locations, events and participants and I found it absolutely thrilling. The author did fabulous research to make this book have an extra element to it. Bravo!
I really like Tony's writing, he knows how to right an engaging novel that's not full of boring fillers and unrelated facts. It's a sure winner with me and crime fiction fans should put this one on their list for sure. You don't need to have read prior books in the series to enjoy this (although they are great too).
5 stars and it's been added to my long list for my Top Ten Books of 2016. Loved it!
Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book via NetGalley.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, author interviews and features come over to join me for book fun at: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
To enquire about joining my reviewers team: http://goo.gl/forms/GWMOvlofZg
Finally to enquire about my book publicity services: http://goo.gl/forms/eVwa2HFKnK
May 12, 2016
3.5 stars
It's great when you get a piece of crime fiction that also makes you think about personal morality and justice. The vigilantism, use of social media, and social issues made the book feel bang up to date and gave it a jagged reality, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see these stories come up in my newsfeed. DC Max Wolfe's standpoint was particularly fascinating and problematic for me: he understands his duty to the law to mean that these murders must be investigated and the guilty arrested the same as any other crime. The initial offences of the dead have no bearing on his obligation to find and arrest them. I'm not entirely sure I agree with that philosophy but the book made me wonder about my instinctive reaction in support of the vigilantes and where I would draw the line. What crimes would be deserving of death? Would that be all cases within that framework or would it depend on circumstances? What if the evidence was uncertain? Could I do it? If I could't, would it be right to encourage or support others to do so? What harm comes to those now committing murder? What about the rights and feelings of the family members/friends of the second wave of deaths? Can they now be justified in killing? Once you start down that rabbit hole, it's all shadowy paths and dead ends. The system of justice may not always work, be fair or just, but it's not as simple as it may seem to step outside it.
There are a few moments of clunky info dumping along the lines of 'hello expert, remind me again what this does/what it means' etc, surprising for such an accomplished author, but the overall feel of the book is good and Parsons doesn't give the reader easy fairy tale answers. While this is number 3 in a series, it works well as a standalone. I'm not sure i'll go back to read the first two but i'm interested enough to see what comes next.
Many thanks to Tony Parsons, Random House, and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's great when you get a piece of crime fiction that also makes you think about personal morality and justice. The vigilantism, use of social media, and social issues made the book feel bang up to date and gave it a jagged reality, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see these stories come up in my newsfeed. DC Max Wolfe's standpoint was particularly fascinating and problematic for me: he understands his duty to the law to mean that these murders must be investigated and the guilty arrested the same as any other crime. The initial offences of the dead have no bearing on his obligation to find and arrest them. I'm not entirely sure I agree with that philosophy but the book made me wonder about my instinctive reaction in support of the vigilantes and where I would draw the line. What crimes would be deserving of death? Would that be all cases within that framework or would it depend on circumstances? What if the evidence was uncertain? Could I do it? If I could't, would it be right to encourage or support others to do so? What harm comes to those now committing murder? What about the rights and feelings of the family members/friends of the second wave of deaths? Can they now be justified in killing? Once you start down that rabbit hole, it's all shadowy paths and dead ends. The system of justice may not always work, be fair or just, but it's not as simple as it may seem to step outside it.
There are a few moments of clunky info dumping along the lines of 'hello expert, remind me again what this does/what it means' etc, surprising for such an accomplished author, but the overall feel of the book is good and Parsons doesn't give the reader easy fairy tale answers. While this is number 3 in a series, it works well as a standalone. I'm not sure i'll go back to read the first two but i'm interested enough to see what comes next.
Many thanks to Tony Parsons, Random House, and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 15, 2016
This is the third novel featuring Max Wolfe, in a series which also has two novella length stories – “Dead Time” and “Fresh Blood.” If you prefer to read a series in order, it is worth reading, “Fresh Blood,” before this, as some of the characters appear in both; and, although this works perfectly well as a stand-alone novel, part of the joy of any series is in becoming re-acquainted with characters that you get to know over time.
It is the beginning of the summer holiday and Scout is looking forward to sleep over’s with her friend, Mia, and walks on the Heath with Stan. However, Max is not going to have a restful summer. A group of vigilantes, quickly nick-named, “The Hanging Club,” on social media, is handing out justice online. Using Britain’s most famous executioner, Albert Pierrepoint as, literally, their mask to hide behind, they begin snatching people off the street and filming their executions. With those being snatched seen by the public as unworthy of sympathy, Max finds himself questioning what justice really means. This is especially true when he accidentally meets up with an old friend, and ex-serviceman, now living rough, and when two cases where there seems to be no real justice affect him personally.
I have to say that the Max Wolfe series grew on me slowly, but it is now a must read for me. Author, Tony Parsons, has created an excellent series here – with well rounded characters, a fast paced storyline with lots of plot twists and the added bonus of London as almost a character in itself. Parsons obviously loves the city and this novel embraces not only London today, but the historical city – the other London, forgotten and underground; of deserted tube stations and a past it often prefers to forget. However, the crimes he looks at are very much in the present and he is not afraid to ask difficult questions about what justice means and how victims are let down by the justice system that Max Wolfe upholds. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review and look forward to the next in the series with great anticipation.
It is the beginning of the summer holiday and Scout is looking forward to sleep over’s with her friend, Mia, and walks on the Heath with Stan. However, Max is not going to have a restful summer. A group of vigilantes, quickly nick-named, “The Hanging Club,” on social media, is handing out justice online. Using Britain’s most famous executioner, Albert Pierrepoint as, literally, their mask to hide behind, they begin snatching people off the street and filming their executions. With those being snatched seen by the public as unworthy of sympathy, Max finds himself questioning what justice really means. This is especially true when he accidentally meets up with an old friend, and ex-serviceman, now living rough, and when two cases where there seems to be no real justice affect him personally.
I have to say that the Max Wolfe series grew on me slowly, but it is now a must read for me. Author, Tony Parsons, has created an excellent series here – with well rounded characters, a fast paced storyline with lots of plot twists and the added bonus of London as almost a character in itself. Parsons obviously loves the city and this novel embraces not only London today, but the historical city – the other London, forgotten and underground; of deserted tube stations and a past it often prefers to forget. However, the crimes he looks at are very much in the present and he is not afraid to ask difficult questions about what justice means and how victims are let down by the justice system that Max Wolfe upholds. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review and look forward to the next in the series with great anticipation.
May 18, 2020
Στο τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς με ήρωα τον επιθεωρητή Μαξ Γουλφ, με τίτλο «Οι εκτελεστές», ο Tony Parsons προσκαλεί τον αναγνώστη σε μια ακόμα περιπέτεια που υπόσχεται να τον συναρπάσει.
Η υπόθεση που καλείται να εξιχνιάσει αυτή τη φορά ο επιθεωρητής Γουλφ είναι αρκετά ιδιαίτερη. Πρόκειται για ανθρώπους που πέφτουν θύματα απαγωγής και στη συνέχεια δολοφονούνται διά απαγχονισμού, με τη διαδικασία να βιντεοσκοπείται και να μεταδίδεται στη συνέχεια μέσω διαδικτύου, δημιουργώντας σάλο. Τα θύματα όμως δεν είναι «συνηθισμένοι» άνθρωποι, και πολύ περισσότερο αθώοι· όλοι τους έχουν διαπράξει κάποιο έγκλημα και έχουν καταφέρει να γλιτώσουν από τον πέλεκυ της δικαιοσύνης, παραμένοντας ατιμώρητοι. Τώρα, λοιπόν, μια ομάδα αυτόκλητων εκτελεστών φαίνεται πως έχει αναλάβει να τους κάνει να πληρώσουν.
Η διαφορά αυτής της υπόθεσης συγκριτικά με άλλες είναι ότι η κοινή γνώμη -έστω, ένα μεγάλο μέρος της- μοιάζει να τάσσεται με το μέρος των εκτελεστών και να τους θεωρεί ήρωες. Θεωρώντας πως η αστυνομία δεν κάνει τη δουλειά της όπως θα έπρεπε και η δικαιοσύνη δείχνει ανοχή απέναντι σε εγκληματίες, οι πολίτες φαίνεται να επικροτούν αυτούς που αποφάσισαν να πάρουν επιτέλους τον νόμο στα χέρια τους, φτάνοντας στο σημείο ακόμα και να κατηγορούν τους αστυνομικούς επειδή προσπαθούν να τους συλλάβουν. Ο Μαξ Γουλφ προσπαθεί να κάνει τη δουλειά του μένοντας ανεπηρέαστος από εξωτερικούς παράγοντες, ενώ ταυτόχρονα επιχειρεί να διατηρήσει τις ισορροπίες και στην προσωπική του ζωή. Η σχέση του με την κόρη του, τη Σκάουτ, και τον σκύλο τους, τον Σταν, είναι οι φωτεινές στιγμές που δίνουν νόημα στην κατά τα άλλα δύσκολη καθημερινότητά του.
Όταν η επικεφαλής της υπόθεσης κληθεί να αντιμετωπίσει ένα προσωπικό της πρόβλημα, ο Μαξ θα αναλάβει περισσότερες ευθύνες στη συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση και, μοιραία, θα βρεθεί περισσότερο στο στόχαστρο των εκτελεστών, οι οποίοι μοιάζουν να μη διστάζουν μπροστά σε τίποτα προκειμένου να συνεχίσουν το έργο τους. Ο Μαξ θα αντιμετωπίσει θανάσιμο κίνδυνο και θα πρέπει να είναι πιο προσεκτικός και να δράσει μεθοδικά, έτσι ώστε να συλλάβει τους δράστες πριν προστεθούν περισσότερα ονόματα στη μακάβρια λίστα τους…
Η πλοκή του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου είναι ιδιαίτερη και προβληματίζει τον αναγνώστη, φέρνοντάς τον αντιμέτωπο με τα προσωπικά του διλήμματα περί ηθικής. Συνήθως, σε ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα κάποιος «καλός» δολοφονείται, κάποιος «κακός» είναι ένοχος για το έγκλημα και η αστυνομία καλείται να τον πιάσει. Το μοτίβο αυτό είναι το πλέον αναμενόμενο και σπάνια αμφισβητείται. Τι γίνεται όμως στην περίπτωση που το θύμα μιας δολοφονίας έχει προκαλέσει και το ίδιο πολύ κακό σε άλλους ανθρώπους κι έχει μείνει ατιμώρητο; Τι γίνεται όταν η δικαιοσύνη μοιάζει ανίκανη να καταδικάσει έναν εγκληματία, αφήνοντάς τον ελεύθερο ουσιαστικά για να συνεχίσει να εγκληματεί; Ποιος από μας δεν έχει σκεφτεί, έστω μια φορά στη ζωή του, πως κάποιες φορές θα έπρεπε ο γονιός ενός δολοφονημένου παιδιού, ο σύζυγος μιας κακοποιημένης γυναίκας κτλ. να πάρουν τον νόμο στα χέρια τους, προκειμένου να αποδοθεί πραγματική δικαιοσύνη;
Σήμερα ειδικά, τα διλήμματα που θέτει ο συγγραφέας μέσω της αφήγησης -και μάλιστα με έναν πολύ έξυπνο και έμμεσο τρόπο- θεωρούνται τρομερά επίκαιρα. Σε μια εποχή όπου κυριαρχούν η βία, η καχυποψία, η ξενοφοβία, η απογοήτευση από τον τρόπο απονομής δικαιοσύνης, η απαξίωση για τα ήθη και τους νόμους, έρχεται κανείς αντιμέτωπος αρκετές φορές με τη σκέψη του πού αρχίζουν και πού τελειώνουν τα όρια ηθικής και κατά πόσο είναι κατακριτέο να καταπατούνται αυτά σε ορισμένες περιπτώσεις, ως παραδειγματισμό για μελλοντικούς εγκληματίες. Στις σελίδες του βιβλίου αυτού, ο αναγνώστης θα κληθεί να αποφασίσει με ποια πλευρά συντάσσεται, να κρίνει και να κατακρίνει, να συμφωνήσει ή να διαφωνήσει με την εξέλιξη και την κατάληξη αυτής της υπόθεσης.
Πέραν αυτού, συναντούμε κι εδώ τα χαρακτηριστικά που κάνουν κάθε βιβλίο του Parsons με ήρωα τον επιθεωρητή Γουλφ να ξεχωρίζει: ενδιαφέρουσα αστυνομική πλοκή, ανατροπές και εξελίξεις, μπόλικη δράση, κυνήγι με τους εγκληματίες και τον χρόνο, εξαιρετικά ψυχογραφήματα όλων των ηρώων, όπως επίσης και μια ματιά στην προσωπική ζωή των εμπλεκόμενων, που τους κάνει περισσότερο ανθρώπινους και προσιτούς. Ειδικά η σχέση του Μαξ με την κόρη του είναι ένα ξεχωριστό κεφάλαιο από μόνη της· ο ικανότατος αστυνομικός είναι ταυτόχρονα ένας γλυκύτατος πατέρας, που δεν διστάζει να δείξει πως η κόρη του -και ο σκύλος της- τον έχουν συνήθως στο τσεπάκι τους! Και αυτό δεν προσφέρει μονάχα μια ισορροπημένη και χαρούμενη νότα εν μέσω μιας «σκληρής» υπόθεσης, αλλά αποδεικνύει για μια ακόμα φορά πόσο ξεχωριστός είναι ο συγκεκριμένος λογοτεχνικός χαρακτήρας και πώς εξελίσσεται από βιβλίο σε βιβλίο, τόσο ο ίδιος όσο και η πένα του συγγραφέα, κερδίζοντας τις καρδιές των αναγνωστών ολοένα και περισσότερο κάθε φορά.
Με τους «Εκτελεστές», ο Tony Parsons ανεβάζει ακόμα περισσότερο τον πήχη και τις προσδοκίες του αναγνωστικού κοινού του, που ανυπομονεί κιόλας για την επόμενη περιπέτεια του Μαξ Γουλφ και μια ακόμα καλογραμμένη, ευφάνταστη και συναρπαστική ιστορία από την πένα του ταλαντούχου δημιουργού του.
Η υπόθεση που καλείται να εξιχνιάσει αυτή τη φορά ο επιθεωρητής Γουλφ είναι αρκετά ιδιαίτερη. Πρόκειται για ανθρώπους που πέφτουν θύματα απαγωγής και στη συνέχεια δολοφονούνται διά απαγχονισμού, με τη διαδικασία να βιντεοσκοπείται και να μεταδίδεται στη συνέχεια μέσω διαδικτύου, δημιουργώντας σάλο. Τα θύματα όμως δεν είναι «συνηθισμένοι» άνθρωποι, και πολύ περισσότερο αθώοι· όλοι τους έχουν διαπράξει κάποιο έγκλημα και έχουν καταφέρει να γλιτώσουν από τον πέλεκυ της δικαιοσύνης, παραμένοντας ατιμώρητοι. Τώρα, λοιπόν, μια ομάδα αυτόκλητων εκτελεστών φαίνεται πως έχει αναλάβει να τους κάνει να πληρώσουν.
Η διαφορά αυτής της υπόθεσης συγκριτικά με άλλες είναι ότι η κοινή γνώμη -έστω, ένα μεγάλο μέρος της- μοιάζει να τάσσεται με το μέρος των εκτελεστών και να τους θεωρεί ήρωες. Θεωρώντας πως η αστυνομία δεν κάνει τη δουλειά της όπως θα έπρεπε και η δικαιοσύνη δείχνει ανοχή απέναντι σε εγκληματίες, οι πολίτες φαίνεται να επικροτούν αυτούς που αποφάσισαν να πάρουν επιτέλους τον νόμο στα χέρια τους, φτάνοντας στο σημείο ακόμα και να κατηγορούν τους αστυνομικούς επειδή προσπαθούν να τους συλλάβουν. Ο Μαξ Γουλφ προσπαθεί να κάνει τη δουλειά του μένοντας ανεπηρέαστος από εξωτερικούς παράγοντες, ενώ ταυτόχρονα επιχειρεί να διατηρήσει τις ισορροπίες και στην προσωπική του ζωή. Η σχέση του με την κόρη του, τη Σκάουτ, και τον σκύλο τους, τον Σταν, είναι οι φωτεινές στιγμές που δίνουν νόημα στην κατά τα άλλα δύσκολη καθημερινότητά του.
Όταν η επικεφαλής της υπόθεσης κληθεί να αντιμετωπίσει ένα προσωπικό της πρόβλημα, ο Μαξ θα αναλάβει περισσότερες ευθύνες στη συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση και, μοιραία, θα βρεθεί περισσότερο στο στόχαστρο των εκτελεστών, οι οποίοι μοιάζουν να μη διστάζουν μπροστά σε τίποτα προκειμένου να συνεχίσουν το έργο τους. Ο Μαξ θα αντιμετωπίσει θανάσιμο κίνδυνο και θα πρέπει να είναι πιο προσεκτικός και να δράσει μεθοδικά, έτσι ώστε να συλλάβει τους δράστες πριν προστεθούν περισσότερα ονόματα στη μακάβρια λίστα τους…
Η πλοκή του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου είναι ιδιαίτερη και προβληματίζει τον αναγνώστη, φέρνοντάς τον αντιμέτωπο με τα προσωπικά του διλήμματα περί ηθικής. Συνήθως, σε ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα κάποιος «καλός» δολοφονείται, κάποιος «κακός» είναι ένοχος για το έγκλημα και η αστυνομία καλείται να τον πιάσει. Το μοτίβο αυτό είναι το πλέον αναμενόμενο και σπάνια αμφισβητείται. Τι γίνεται όμως στην περίπτωση που το θύμα μιας δολοφονίας έχει προκαλέσει και το ίδιο πολύ κακό σε άλλους ανθρώπους κι έχει μείνει ατιμώρητο; Τι γίνεται όταν η δικαιοσύνη μοιάζει ανίκανη να καταδικάσει έναν εγκληματία, αφήνοντάς τον ελεύθερο ουσιαστικά για να συνεχίσει να εγκληματεί; Ποιος από μας δεν έχει σκεφτεί, έστω μια φορά στη ζωή του, πως κάποιες φορές θα έπρεπε ο γονιός ενός δολοφονημένου παιδιού, ο σύζυγος μιας κακοποιημένης γυναίκας κτλ. να πάρουν τον νόμο στα χέρια τους, προκειμένου να αποδοθεί πραγματική δικαιοσύνη;
Σήμερα ειδικά, τα διλήμματα που θέτει ο συγγραφέας μέσω της αφήγησης -και μάλιστα με έναν πολύ έξυπνο και έμμεσο τρόπο- θεωρούνται τρομερά επίκαιρα. Σε μια εποχή όπου κυριαρχούν η βία, η καχυποψία, η ξενοφοβία, η απογοήτευση από τον τρόπο απονομής δικαιοσύνης, η απαξίωση για τα ήθη και τους νόμους, έρχεται κανείς αντιμέτωπος αρκετές φορές με τη σκέψη του πού αρχίζουν και πού τελειώνουν τα όρια ηθικής και κατά πόσο είναι κατακριτέο να καταπατούνται αυτά σε ορισμένες περιπτώσεις, ως παραδειγματισμό για μελλοντικούς εγκληματίες. Στις σελίδες του βιβλίου αυτού, ο αναγνώστης θα κληθεί να αποφασίσει με ποια πλευρά συντάσσεται, να κρίνει και να κατακρίνει, να συμφωνήσει ή να διαφωνήσει με την εξέλιξη και την κατάληξη αυτής της υπόθεσης.
Πέραν αυτού, συναντούμε κι εδώ τα χαρακτηριστικά που κάνουν κάθε βιβλίο του Parsons με ήρωα τον επιθεωρητή Γουλφ να ξεχωρίζει: ενδιαφέρουσα αστυνομική πλοκή, ανατροπές και εξελίξεις, μπόλικη δράση, κυνήγι με τους εγκληματίες και τον χρόνο, εξαιρετικά ψυχογραφήματα όλων των ηρώων, όπως επίσης και μια ματιά στην προσωπική ζωή των εμπλεκόμενων, που τους κάνει περισσότερο ανθρώπινους και προσιτούς. Ειδικά η σχέση του Μαξ με την κόρη του είναι ένα ξεχωριστό κεφάλαιο από μόνη της· ο ικανότατος αστυνομικός είναι ταυτόχρονα ένας γλυκύτατος πατέρας, που δεν διστάζει να δείξει πως η κόρη του -και ο σκύλος της- τον έχουν συνήθως στο τσεπάκι τους! Και αυτό δεν προσφέρει μονάχα μια ισορροπημένη και χαρούμενη νότα εν μέσω μιας «σκληρής» υπόθεσης, αλλά αποδεικνύει για μια ακόμα φορά πόσο ξεχωριστός είναι ο συγκεκριμένος λογοτεχνικός χαρακτήρας και πώς εξελίσσεται από βιβλίο σε βιβλίο, τόσο ο ίδιος όσο και η πένα του συγγραφέα, κερδίζοντας τις καρδιές των αναγνωστών ολοένα και περισσότερο κάθε φορά.
Με τους «Εκτελεστές», ο Tony Parsons ανεβάζει ακόμα περισσότερο τον πήχη και τις προσδοκίες του αναγνωστικού κοινού του, που ανυπομονεί κιόλας για την επόμενη περιπέτεια του Μαξ Γουλφ και μια ακόμα καλογραμμένη, ευφάνταστη και συναρπαστική ιστορία από την πένα του ταλαντούχου δημιουργού του.
May 27, 2016
A brilliantly balanced novel; with a well paced plot, full of intense thrilling action and reflective mystery as the police investigation stalls in catching or stopping "The Hanging Club".
This is a good modern twist on a group of 'vigilantes' taking the law into their own hands. In films like Magnum Force it was rouge cops; Star Chamber had over jealous judges and then the Death Wish films.
So this is a great plot ideawith a modern twist; incorporating the immediacy of social media as the executions are filmed. There is also great historic and social context using London to the full, with a reminder a past with public hangings; the squallor of Newgate prison and the new hopes in the opening of the Old Bailey to deliver modern justice.
Tony Parsons writes well and delivers with each novel, I liked here the development on his main character Max Wolfe and his intereactions at home and at work.
This includes his devotion for his daughter growing up, and their dog who has taught him yoga but remains a liability unless his libido can't be controlled. At work we see a team that is solid but has its own dynamics and individual problems at home.
However, the beauty of this story is it questions are own views of gangs and violence; the need for justice, often slow and incomplete against mob rule, the rush to lynch the guilty and take a short cut with the criminal justice system.
Stuck in the middle is the police who have to maintain the law which protects all without judgement but in this expansive novel we are presented with Wolfe's own frustration when a case doesn't end with adequate custodial justice and when his boss is caught up in her own personal trauma when her son gets involved in a brutal night out and male violence.
Interestingly, although Wolfe has made is choice on the side of law and order when an old friend needs help we see what he might have been if he didn't have a family to lose or a code to uphold.
An author who knows his art and a novel you need to read.
This is a good modern twist on a group of 'vigilantes' taking the law into their own hands. In films like Magnum Force it was rouge cops; Star Chamber had over jealous judges and then the Death Wish films.
So this is a great plot ideawith a modern twist; incorporating the immediacy of social media as the executions are filmed. There is also great historic and social context using London to the full, with a reminder a past with public hangings; the squallor of Newgate prison and the new hopes in the opening of the Old Bailey to deliver modern justice.
Tony Parsons writes well and delivers with each novel, I liked here the development on his main character Max Wolfe and his intereactions at home and at work.
This includes his devotion for his daughter growing up, and their dog who has taught him yoga but remains a liability unless his libido can't be controlled. At work we see a team that is solid but has its own dynamics and individual problems at home.
However, the beauty of this story is it questions are own views of gangs and violence; the need for justice, often slow and incomplete against mob rule, the rush to lynch the guilty and take a short cut with the criminal justice system.
Stuck in the middle is the police who have to maintain the law which protects all without judgement but in this expansive novel we are presented with Wolfe's own frustration when a case doesn't end with adequate custodial justice and when his boss is caught up in her own personal trauma when her son gets involved in a brutal night out and male violence.
Interestingly, although Wolfe has made is choice on the side of law and order when an old friend needs help we see what he might have been if he didn't have a family to lose or a code to uphold.
An author who knows his art and a novel you need to read.
June 15, 2016
This is the 3rd book in the Max Woolfe series by author Tony Parsons and also the third book I have read by him. The previous two books I found to be a little mixed and was not completely sure whether I wanted to read any more. So I can honestly state that I enjoyed this book a lot more than the previous two and look forward to reading others by Tony Parson's.
DC Max Woolfe latest case is to investigate the vigilante hangings been carried out around London. Evil men are been abducted and hanged by the vigilantes with videos been posted on the internet. Many people see the killers as heroes seeking justice for the despicable crimes they committed so there is not lot of help been offered to Max Woolfe in his pursuit of the vigilantes.
This is the third book in the series and the regular characters are now beginning to come to life as more details are given especially with regard to the officers children. I am beginning to like this series more and more and will certainly continue to follow it.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
DC Max Woolfe latest case is to investigate the vigilante hangings been carried out around London. Evil men are been abducted and hanged by the vigilantes with videos been posted on the internet. Many people see the killers as heroes seeking justice for the despicable crimes they committed so there is not lot of help been offered to Max Woolfe in his pursuit of the vigilantes.
This is the third book in the series and the regular characters are now beginning to come to life as more details are given especially with regard to the officers children. I am beginning to like this series more and more and will certainly continue to follow it.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
April 11, 2021
2 stars
Will explain later(maybe).
💀🐼🦋🇺🇸
Will explain later(maybe).
💀🐼🦋🇺🇸
July 16, 2017
Familiar formula, I've lost interest in this series by now. These are my reasons why...
1. Once again, Detective Wolfe commits the crime of following a hunch on his own, against accepted police procedure - a lone "wolf", no team player,he's special - doesn't call in for partner back up or let them know what he's doing where he's going etc - so the same-old crisis of this story is that he again falls foul of the killer, has a near death experience with serious injury from which he miraculously becomes rescued. and recovers brilliantly . . . too farfetched, implausible to have repeated serious incidents happen around him and to him, within about 12 months: book 1 when his daughter is 5, book 3 when his daughter is 6, implausible for a police force story/series.
2. Once again, Detective Wolfe commits the crime of falling for the "leading lady", (in book 1, the widow of; in book 2, the sister of, and now in book 3...you can guess the first time the character is mentioned what's going to evolve).
3. Not satisfied with gaining his credo from writing the books, this author's ego has created a website of Detective Wolfe whereby keen readers can seek out extra excitement, discover and enjoy Wolfe's world, explore everything about this fictitious character...it's become showbizzy.
Wolfe becomes the author's alter-ego, going by the writer's brief biographical notes, he started writing for the entertainment industry. It shows. It's fantasyland stuff.
1. Once again, Detective Wolfe commits the crime of following a hunch on his own, against accepted police procedure - a lone "wolf", no team player,he's special - doesn't call in for partner back up or let them know what he's doing where he's going etc - so the same-old crisis of this story is that he again falls foul of the killer, has a near death experience with serious injury from which he miraculously becomes rescued. and recovers brilliantly . . . too farfetched, implausible to have repeated serious incidents happen around him and to him, within about 12 months: book 1 when his daughter is 5, book 3 when his daughter is 6, implausible for a police force story/series.
2. Once again, Detective Wolfe commits the crime of falling for the "leading lady", (in book 1, the widow of; in book 2, the sister of, and now in book 3...you can guess the first time the character is mentioned what's going to evolve).
3. Not satisfied with gaining his credo from writing the books, this author's ego has created a website of Detective Wolfe whereby keen readers can seek out extra excitement, discover and enjoy Wolfe's world, explore everything about this fictitious character...it's become showbizzy.
Wolfe becomes the author's alter-ego, going by the writer's brief biographical notes, he started writing for the entertainment industry. It shows. It's fantasyland stuff.
September 2, 2016
4.5 stars!
ARC kindly provided by Random House UK, Cornerstone via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Although it has been a while since the last time I read a crime fiction book, I have to admit that The Hanging Club was a fantastic come back for me! The Hanging Club is part of a series but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
Mr. Parsons has written a very-well built mystery/suspense/crime plot having all details right until the very end of it! The mystery was a secret well kept until the end of the book and I was pleased that I couldn't guess it! The writing style of Mr. Parsons is sad sometimes without being melodramatic or exaggerated. It has actually has so many layers that I think I should read this book again as I am sure that I missed a couple of details.
I also enjoyed the depth of each character that Mr. Parsons created. DC Max Wolfe is not just a police agent but he is also a father, a friend and a man! DC Max Wolfe felt real to me with his faults and virtues nicely balanced! I would like to mention that this book was not just a crime fiction but really put in perspective the system of justice in a society. I believe Mr. Parsons succeed to put a doubt in my head for a moment there without really taking sides and with absolute seriousness. And this is reason enough to realize what a great author Mr. Parsons is!
I admit that The Hanging Club was my first book of Mr. Parsons but it won't be my last! I cannot wait to read the next adventure of DC Max Wolfe! I definitely recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a really well-written crime fiction book!
ARC kindly provided by Random House UK, Cornerstone via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Although it has been a while since the last time I read a crime fiction book, I have to admit that The Hanging Club was a fantastic come back for me! The Hanging Club is part of a series but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone.
Mr. Parsons has written a very-well built mystery/suspense/crime plot having all details right until the very end of it! The mystery was a secret well kept until the end of the book and I was pleased that I couldn't guess it! The writing style of Mr. Parsons is sad sometimes without being melodramatic or exaggerated. It has actually has so many layers that I think I should read this book again as I am sure that I missed a couple of details.
I also enjoyed the depth of each character that Mr. Parsons created. DC Max Wolfe is not just a police agent but he is also a father, a friend and a man! DC Max Wolfe felt real to me with his faults and virtues nicely balanced! I would like to mention that this book was not just a crime fiction but really put in perspective the system of justice in a society. I believe Mr. Parsons succeed to put a doubt in my head for a moment there without really taking sides and with absolute seriousness. And this is reason enough to realize what a great author Mr. Parsons is!
I admit that The Hanging Club was my first book of Mr. Parsons but it won't be my last! I cannot wait to read the next adventure of DC Max Wolfe! I definitely recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a really well-written crime fiction book!
June 24, 2020
During a sweltering London summer, a group of vigilantes are abducting individuals they consider got off lightly with their crimes, hanging them and posting videos of the hangings on YouTube. What’s more, their victims are hardly the sort to elicit much sympathy: a paedophile, a hit and run killer and a junkie who mugged an aging war veteran; and most of the public view the vigilantes as modern day heroes.
What follows is a fairly exciting but standard police procedural as a Metropolitan task force attempt to ascertain who the vigilantes are and where the executions are held. There were times when the storyline strained credibility, however. Would a major manhunt for serial killers really be headed, albeit temporarily, by a Detective Constable? And the central character, whilst eagerly pursuing the vigilantes and lecturing anyone who considered taking the law into their own hands, still doesn’t baulk at times from exacting his own personal revenge.
In all, a decent enough and very easy read, but one which has to be marked down owing to a lack of attention to detail.
What follows is a fairly exciting but standard police procedural as a Metropolitan task force attempt to ascertain who the vigilantes are and where the executions are held. There were times when the storyline strained credibility, however. Would a major manhunt for serial killers really be headed, albeit temporarily, by a Detective Constable? And the central character, whilst eagerly pursuing the vigilantes and lecturing anyone who considered taking the law into their own hands, still doesn’t baulk at times from exacting his own personal revenge.
In all, a decent enough and very easy read, but one which has to be marked down owing to a lack of attention to detail.
January 15, 2018
Nachdem ich gehört habe, dass sich die Reihe mit jedem Buch steigert, war ich sehr gespannt auf den dritten Fall von Max Wolfe.
Das spannende an diesem Buch war für mich gar nicht mal der Fall selbst, sondern das ganze drum herum. Zum einen das Thema Todesstrafe bzw. Selbstjustiz und die Geschichte von London.
Beides hat der Autor auf wirklich interessante Art und Weise in seine Handlung eingebunden, sogar so interessant, dass der Fall selbst mir zwischenzeitlich fast egal war. Es werden Fälle geschildert, wo man fast selbst anfängt an seiner Einstellung zu zweifeln bzw. man Leute verstehen kann, die zu Selbstjustiz greifen.
London ist eine meiner Lieblingsstädte, so dass ich es sehr interessant fand noch einige historische Fakten kennenzulernen und wie diese sich auch noch im heutigen London wiederfinden.
Die Auflösung am Ende konnte mich dann wirklich überraschen. Wieder mal war das Buch sehr flüssig zu lesen und ich bin gespannt auf den nächsten Fall von Max Wolfe.
Das spannende an diesem Buch war für mich gar nicht mal der Fall selbst, sondern das ganze drum herum. Zum einen das Thema Todesstrafe bzw. Selbstjustiz und die Geschichte von London.
Beides hat der Autor auf wirklich interessante Art und Weise in seine Handlung eingebunden, sogar so interessant, dass der Fall selbst mir zwischenzeitlich fast egal war. Es werden Fälle geschildert, wo man fast selbst anfängt an seiner Einstellung zu zweifeln bzw. man Leute verstehen kann, die zu Selbstjustiz greifen.
London ist eine meiner Lieblingsstädte, so dass ich es sehr interessant fand noch einige historische Fakten kennenzulernen und wie diese sich auch noch im heutigen London wiederfinden.
Die Auflösung am Ende konnte mich dann wirklich überraschen. Wieder mal war das Buch sehr flüssig zu lesen und ich bin gespannt auf den nächsten Fall von Max Wolfe.
April 10, 2018
''The Hanging Club'' is the third installment in the Max Wolfe crime novel series and, in my opinion, is the best of the first three books both in terms of plot development as well as the successful building of suspense throughout the, nearly, 400 pages of the novel. Max Wolfe is the typical hard-boiled detective, following the American tradition with detectives such as Philip Marlowe, Lew Archer, Sam Spade and the other fictitious characters of the United States pioneer crime writers, as he is efficient, inventive, bold and is not afraid even to risk his own life if this is required for the case to be solved. The premise of the story is not defined by its originality as it concerns a series of murder by hanging committed by a gang of vigilantes punishing criminals who managed to evade justice, but it's the writer's plain and austere prose which evolves the plot and forces the reader to turn the pages. It is a highly enjoyable experience and it can be read in one sitting as the tension keeps the reader glued to his seat till the very last pages. Tony Parsons is a truly talented writer who has experimented with other genres, but I think that he ought to keep up writing entertaining crime novels as he proves to be a more than competent antagonist for the most successful and popular English crime fiction authors.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2018
The third book in the series, have not read the two digital stories that are in between. This time the writer Parsons tackled the popular subject of "Are the sentences passed enough or is the law not covering the needs of the victims enough'?
There is a crew running around in London who are hanging people that have been sentenced for their crimes and it was felt it was not enough according to the public opinion.
The London police is in effect hunting killers/vigilantes who carry the approval of the popular opinion of the general public. Which should make some interesting reading considering the subject and the conundrum of this issue. And yet the writer manages to make a decent thriller out of it and yet never manages to scrape more than the surface of easy populism. He clearly chose to write a thriller that carries some shades of grey but does not enter some more serious aspects of the popularity of these vigilantes and their place in society.
As a thriller satisfying and well written and easy to read. But like the earlier books light thrillers that fail to satisfy after finishing, but are fun to read once and good to read while traveling form work to home and vice versa.
After three books Parsons has failed to convince me and as I bought the first three books in one go this will be the end for me with this writer. Lets see if I can sell these three books to somebody who will enjoy them more.
There is a crew running around in London who are hanging people that have been sentenced for their crimes and it was felt it was not enough according to the public opinion.
The London police is in effect hunting killers/vigilantes who carry the approval of the popular opinion of the general public. Which should make some interesting reading considering the subject and the conundrum of this issue. And yet the writer manages to make a decent thriller out of it and yet never manages to scrape more than the surface of easy populism. He clearly chose to write a thriller that carries some shades of grey but does not enter some more serious aspects of the popularity of these vigilantes and their place in society.
As a thriller satisfying and well written and easy to read. But like the earlier books light thrillers that fail to satisfy after finishing, but are fun to read once and good to read while traveling form work to home and vice versa.
After three books Parsons has failed to convince me and as I bought the first three books in one go this will be the end for me with this writer. Lets see if I can sell these three books to somebody who will enjoy them more.
May 7, 2022
I loved Tony Parson's earlier work like Man and Boy and I started reading The Murder Bag without realizing it was the same author. Fell in love with the series right away & it keeps getting better.
ETA: do not remember reading this at all, even after reading it. I do love Max & Scout’s relationship and Parsons does tell a good crime story, but again the amount of times Max survives such close violent assaults in each book is excessive, particularly considering all 3 books take place in under a years time.
ETA: do not remember reading this at all, even after reading it. I do love Max & Scout’s relationship and Parsons does tell a good crime story, but again the amount of times Max survives such close violent assaults in each book is excessive, particularly considering all 3 books take place in under a years time.
August 2, 2017
Max Wolfe series has to be one to the best thriller out there at the minute this year for me.
Max is in the middle of a new murder case when any old friend comes to stay with him and scoat. We see him come to terms with the changes happen in his own life and that of his closest friend. Will they come out the other end of this war or be lost for every.
The Hanging Club is a book that takes a hard look at the way justice in England and I am sure other countries can feel like its not been meet and people feel let down Tony Parsons has a wonderful way of telling a story and also makes it hard for you as well as the character to know which side you are one.
The moral of the story for me was An eye for an eye doesn't fix anything but the makes the circle go around again.
Max is in the middle of a new murder case when any old friend comes to stay with him and scoat. We see him come to terms with the changes happen in his own life and that of his closest friend. Will they come out the other end of this war or be lost for every.
The Hanging Club is a book that takes a hard look at the way justice in England and I am sure other countries can feel like its not been meet and people feel let down Tony Parsons has a wonderful way of telling a story and also makes it hard for you as well as the character to know which side you are one.
The moral of the story for me was An eye for an eye doesn't fix anything but the makes the circle go around again.
March 31, 2017
En nu (on)geduldig wachten op een nieuw boek ...
January 26, 2023
Τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς "Max Wolfe" του Tony Parsons και για μια ακόμα φορά αισθάνομαι ευτυχής που οι εκδόσεις Μεταίχμιο την έχουν φέρει στη χώρα μας καθώς αποτελεί μία ιδιαίτερη και φρέσκια πρόταση σε όλα τα επίπεδα. Γιατί ο Parsons ξέρει να γράφει ιστορίες που είναι "διασκεδαστικές" -αυτό που οι ξένοι θ' αποκαλούσαν "fun" αναγνώσματα-, που διαθέτουν, όμως, παράλληλα, μία δραματουργικά καλή πλοκή που χτίζεται συνεχώς έτσι ώστε να διατηρείται αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον και η αγωνία κάθε αναγνώστη, ακόμα κι εκείνου που μπορεί να μην είναι εξαιρετικά μυημένος στο είδος ή που δεν αρέσκεται στο να επιλέγει πιο "βαριά" αναγνώσματα της κατηγορίας. Με μία φράση, ο Parsons είναι ένας συγγραφέας που απευθύνεται σε όλους.
Ως nerd που είμαι, θυμίζοντάς μου την υπόθεση ιαπωνικής σειράς -όμως, όχι με μεταφυσική διάσταση-, η τρίτη κατά σειρά περιπέτεια του επιθεωρητή Γουλφ τον φέρνει αντιμέτωπο με μια πολύ ιδιαίτερη υπόθεση μιας σειράς απαγωγών και δολοφονιών. Οι πράξεις, ωστόσο, αυτές, δεν έχουν ως θύματά τους απλούς, συνηθισμένους ανθρώπους, αλλά εγκληματίες που με τον έναν ή τον άλλον τρόπο έχουν καταφέρει να διαφύγουν της δικαιοσύνης παραμένοντας ατιμώρητοι. Τουλάχιστον, μέχρι τώρα! Και όπως είναι φυσικό επόμενο, μεγάλη μερίδα του κόσμου θεωρεί τους δράστες των αποτρόπαιων αυτών πράξεων ήρωες -και υποσυνείδητα, εν μέρει κακούς με τα θύματα, όσους προσπαθούν να εντοπίσουν και να συλλάβουν τους ανθρώπους που φαίνεται να έχουν αποφασίσει να καθαρίσουν τον κόσμο από τα παράσιτα. Και όλα αυτά συμβαίνουν με τον Γουλφ να βρίσκεται στο κέντρο όλων αυτών, με τον ίδιο να εμπλέκεται στην υπόθεση αυτή με τρόπους που ποτέ δεν θα φανταζόταν.
Ομολογώ πως η όλη ιδέα του βιβλίου με ιντρίγκαρε από την πρώτη στιγμή, επειδή η κεντρική του ιδέα είναι κάτι που με έχει απασχολήσει πάρα πολλές φορές στην πραγματική ζωή, ενώ πρόκειται για ένα θέμα, ή ένα ηθικό δίλημμα, αν θέλουμε να το θέσουμε πιο ιδανικά, που έχουμε συζητήσει κι αναλύσει πάμπολλες φορές με τις παρέες μου. Πόσο μάλλον στα πλαίσια μιας εποχής όπως η δική μας, που η βία αποτελεί καθημερινό, αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι αυτής, σε τόσο μεγάλο βαθμό, μάλιστα, που μοιάζει να έχουμε εξοικειωθεί υπερβολικά μαζί της θεωρώντας την, κατά περιπτώσεις, όχι μόνο φυσιολογική, ίσως και λογική -υπό πολύ ακραίες συνθήκες, τονίζω. Μια εποχή που λόγω της αιμοβόρικης και αδηφάγας φύσης της σε κάνει πολλές φορές να σκέφτεσαι που ακριβώς ξεκινάνε και που τελειώνουν τα όρια της ηθικής, μα και κατά πόσο επιτρέπεται να τα ξεπεράσουμε αν πρόκειται ν' αποδώσουμε δικαιοσύνη. Και άραγε, μπορεί να υπάρξει πραγματική δικαιοσύνη όταν αυτή αποδίδεται με αίμα;
Όλα τα παραπάνω αποτελούν τον κεντρικό άξονα των "Εκτελεστών", γύρω από τον οποίο περιστρέφονται όλες οι προεκτάσεις της ιστορίας αυτής, μα και το ψυχογραφικό προφίλ, όχι μόνο των κεντρικών χαρακτήρων της ιστορίας, μα και της ίδιας της κοινωνίας, που αποτυπώνεται με τρόπο άκρως ρεαλιστικό και πραγματιστικό, ακόμα και αν η συνειδητοποίηση αυτού μας σοκάρει ορισμένες στιγμές. Γιατί, ας το παραδεχτούμε, όλοι μας έχουμε αναφωνήσει έστω και μία φορά στη ζωή μας, αντιδρώντας σε μία βίαιη είδηση, λέγοντας: "Αν έπεφτε στα χέρια μου θα τον σκότωνα" ή "αυτός θέλει κρέμασμα για παραδειγματισμό", και άλλα τέτοια, ιδέες, σκέψεις και επιθυμίες που κατευθύνονται από τον συναισθηματικό παράγοντα και όχι μέσω ενός λογικού πρίσματος όπου σε κάνει να αντιλαμβάνεσαι πως δεν μπορείς ν' αποδίδεις εσύ δικαιοσύνη. Όταν, όμως, η ίδια η δικαιοσύνη παραμένει πραγματικά τυφλή και αφήνει ελεύθερους ακόμα κι αυτούς που δεν θα έπρεπε, πόσο εύκολο είναι να σκεφτείς ως άνθρωπος και να μην μπεις στη θέση του εκάστοτε "κτήνους" υιοθετώντας κάτι από τον ψυχισμό του;
Όπως καταλάβατε, προσέγγισα το βιβλίο αυτό περισσότερο φιλολογικά παρά με οποιονδήποτε άλλο τρόπο. Αυτό, όμως, οφείλεται σε δικές μου "ευαισθησίες" και όχι σε κάποια αδυναμία του βιβλίου. Αντίθετα, το ότι με έκανε να εστιάσω σε πιο σημαντικά και ουσιώδη πράγματα που πηγάζουν από την ιστορία του, το θεωρώ επιτυχία και μάλιστα τεράστια. Ωστόσο, και για να μην είμαι άδικη, πρέπει να αναφερθώ και στα πηγαία αστυνομικά στοιχεία του, που είναι αξιοποιημένα στο έπακρο, προσφέροντάς μας μια καθαρόαιμη αστυνομική περιπέτεια που ο χρόνος τρέχει και πιέζει, και που η προσωπική εμπλοκή του κεντρικού ήρωα γίνεται με άκρως ενδιαφέροντες τρόπους τους οποίους δεν θα μπορούσαμε να πούμε πως περιμέναμε. Μια ανατροπή ιδιαίτερα ευχάριστη και που ενισχύει τόσο το ψυχογράφημα και την εξέλιξη του ήρωα μέχρι σήμερα, όσο και τον ίδιο τον πυρήνα της ιστορίας και τη μεταξύ τους σύνδεση. Απολαυστικό μέχρι την τελευταία του σελίδα!
Ως nerd που είμαι, θυμίζοντάς μου την υπόθεση ιαπωνικής σειράς -όμως, όχι με μεταφυσική διάσταση-, η τρίτη κατά σειρά περιπέτεια του επιθεωρητή Γουλφ τον φέρνει αντιμέτωπο με μια πολύ ιδιαίτερη υπόθεση μιας σειράς απαγωγών και δολοφονιών. Οι πράξεις, ωστόσο, αυτές, δεν έχουν ως θύματά τους απλούς, συνηθισμένους ανθρώπους, αλλά εγκληματίες που με τον έναν ή τον άλλον τρόπο έχουν καταφέρει να διαφύγουν της δικαιοσύνης παραμένοντας ατιμώρητοι. Τουλάχιστον, μέχρι τώρα! Και όπως είναι φυσικό επόμενο, μεγάλη μερίδα του κόσμου θεωρεί τους δράστες των αποτρόπαιων αυτών πράξεων ήρωες -και υποσυνείδητα, εν μέρει κακούς με τα θύματα, όσους προσπαθούν να εντοπίσουν και να συλλάβουν τους ανθρώπους που φαίνεται να έχουν αποφασίσει να καθαρίσουν τον κόσμο από τα παράσιτα. Και όλα αυτά συμβαίνουν με τον Γουλφ να βρίσκεται στο κέντρο όλων αυτών, με τον ίδιο να εμπλέκεται στην υπόθεση αυτή με τρόπους που ποτέ δεν θα φανταζόταν.
Ομολογώ πως η όλη ιδέα του βιβλίου με ιντρίγκαρε από την πρώτη στιγμή, επειδή η κεντρική του ιδέα είναι κάτι που με έχει απασχολήσει πάρα πολλές φορές στην πραγματική ζωή, ενώ πρόκειται για ένα θέμα, ή ένα ηθικό δίλημμα, αν θέλουμε να το θέσουμε πιο ιδανικά, που έχουμε συζητήσει κι αναλύσει πάμπολλες φορές με τις παρέες μου. Πόσο μάλλον στα πλαίσια μιας εποχής όπως η δική μας, που η βία αποτελεί καθημερινό, αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι αυτής, σε τόσο μεγάλο βαθμό, μάλιστα, που μοιάζει να έχουμε εξοικειωθεί υπερβολικά μαζί της θεωρώντας την, κατά περιπτώσεις, όχι μόνο φυσιολογική, ίσως και λογική -υπό πολύ ακραίες συνθήκες, τονίζω. Μια εποχή που λόγω της αιμοβόρικης και αδηφάγας φύσης της σε κάνει πολλές φορές να σκέφτεσαι που ακριβώς ξεκινάνε και που τελειώνουν τα όρια της ηθικής, μα και κατά πόσο επιτρέπεται να τα ξεπεράσουμε αν πρόκειται ν' αποδώσουμε δικαιοσύνη. Και άραγε, μπορεί να υπάρξει πραγματική δικαιοσύνη όταν αυτή αποδίδεται με αίμα;
Όλα τα παραπάνω αποτελούν τον κεντρικό άξονα των "Εκτελεστών", γύρω από τον οποίο περιστρέφονται όλες οι προεκτάσεις της ιστορίας αυτής, μα και το ψυχογραφικό προφίλ, όχι μόνο των κεντρικών χαρακτήρων της ιστορίας, μα και της ίδιας της κοινωνίας, που αποτυπώνεται με τρόπο άκρως ρεαλιστικό και πραγματιστικό, ακόμα και αν η συνειδητοποίηση αυτού μας σοκάρει ορισμένες στιγμές. Γιατί, ας το παραδεχτούμε, όλοι μας έχουμε αναφωνήσει έστω και μία φορά στη ζωή μας, αντιδρώντας σε μία βίαιη είδηση, λέγοντας: "Αν έπεφτε στα χέρια μου θα τον σκότωνα" ή "αυτός θέλει κρέμασμα για παραδειγματισμό", και άλλα τέτοια, ιδέες, σκέψεις και επιθυμίες που κατευθύνονται από τον συναισθηματικό παράγοντα και όχι μέσω ενός λογικού πρίσματος όπου σε κάνει να αντιλαμβάνεσαι πως δεν μπορείς ν' αποδίδεις εσύ δικαιοσύνη. Όταν, όμως, η ίδια η δικαιοσύνη παραμένει πραγματικά τυφλή και αφήνει ελεύθερους ακόμα κι αυτούς που δεν θα έπρεπε, πόσο εύκολο είναι να σκεφτείς ως άνθρωπος και να μην μπεις στη θέση του εκάστοτε "κτήνους" υιοθετώντας κάτι από τον ψυχισμό του;
Όπως καταλάβατε, προσέγγισα το βιβλίο αυτό περισσότερο φιλολογικά παρά με οποιονδήποτε άλλο τρόπο. Αυτό, όμως, οφείλεται σε δικές μου "ευαισθησίες" και όχι σε κάποια αδυναμία του βιβλίου. Αντίθετα, το ότι με έκανε να εστιάσω σε πιο σημαντικά και ουσιώδη πράγματα που πηγάζουν από την ιστορία του, το θεωρώ επιτυχία και μάλιστα τεράστια. Ωστόσο, και για να μην είμαι άδικη, πρέπει να αναφερθώ και στα πηγαία αστυνομικά στοιχεία του, που είναι αξιοποιημένα στο έπακρο, προσφέροντάς μας μια καθαρόαιμη αστυνομική περιπέτεια που ο χρόνος τρέχει και πιέζει, και που η προσωπική εμπλοκή του κεντρικού ήρωα γίνεται με άκρως ενδιαφέροντες τρόπους τους οποίους δεν θα μπορούσαμε να πούμε πως περιμέναμε. Μια ανατροπή ιδιαίτερα ευχάριστη και που ενισχύει τόσο το ψυχογράφημα και την εξέλιξη του ήρωα μέχρι σήμερα, όσο και τον ίδιο τον πυρήνα της ιστορίας και τη μεταξύ τους σύνδεση. Απολαυστικό μέχρι την τελευταία του σελίδα!
April 10, 2021
Das Buch handelt von einer Gruppe von Menschen die Lynchjustiz begehen. Sie ermorden Straftäter und stellen dies ins Internet. Der Ermittler ist Hundeliebender sowie Alleinerziehender Vater.
Klang alles für mich super nach einem Wohlfühlkrimi. Es war leider einfach nur ein Reinfall, weswegen ich es abgebrochen habe. Hier die Gründe:
Zunächst etwas, worüber ich womöglich hinwegsehen könnte, wenn das Buch ansonsten lesenswert ist. Diesmal hat es meinen Gesamteindruck sehr geschmälert. Die Klischees!
Natürlich trägt Mahmud (es wird extra nochmal gesagt, dass er aus dem nahen Osten kommt) Fake-Lacoste und Colin Cho (auch hier wird extra gesagt, er kommt aus China) war der It-Mensch. Wieso merkt Max bei all den anderen Figuren nicht an woher sie kommen? Es ist ja erstmal nicht verwerflich auf die Herkunft einer Figur hinzuweisen, jedoch dient es hier in keiner Form der Handlung. Es reproduziert nur unnötige Klischees. Das merke ich vor allem an, da das Buch von 2016 ist und es somit besser machen könnte.
Das schlimmste aber war der Stil des Autors. Der Epilog war okay, das erste Kapitel hingegen las sich, als wäre man schon beim Höhepunkt. Es ist gefüllt von Dramatik, Spannung und Emotionen. Dabei sitzt Max, der Ermittler, in einem Gerichtssaal, bei der Verhandlung eines stinknormalen, vergangenen Falls. Diese Dramatik nimmt nicht ab. Es passiert alles irgendwie zu schnell und unpersönlich. Die Sätze sind alle super kurz und super bedeutungsschwanger. „Es war Wut. Wut die sich in mir breitmacht. Ich schlug zu.“ so in etwa. Fast jeder einzelne Satz. Der Stil klingt genauso wie ich, wenn ich mit 14 versucht hätte eine total tiefgründige Geschichte zu schreiben und mich dabei allen Klischees bedienen würde die mir einfallen.
Dass die Geschichte schon wirklich unrealistisch anfängt, zeigt, dass Max als Ermittler im Gerichtssaal. einen der Täter schlagen will? Die Polizei lässt das Video einer Erhängung einfach so online, obwohl die Möglichkeit besteht es runter zu nehme? Beim Fund der Leiche, zeigt Max keine Objektivität und es kommt schon hier ein Gedanke von ihm, dass es ja womöglich sogar okay sei, das wildfremde Leute, Straftäter umbringen??
Fazit: Es gibt wesentlich bessere Krimis da draussen und das Thema an sich ist auch nicht wirklich neu.
Klang alles für mich super nach einem Wohlfühlkrimi. Es war leider einfach nur ein Reinfall, weswegen ich es abgebrochen habe. Hier die Gründe:
Zunächst etwas, worüber ich womöglich hinwegsehen könnte, wenn das Buch ansonsten lesenswert ist. Diesmal hat es meinen Gesamteindruck sehr geschmälert. Die Klischees!
Natürlich trägt Mahmud (es wird extra nochmal gesagt, dass er aus dem nahen Osten kommt) Fake-Lacoste und Colin Cho (auch hier wird extra gesagt, er kommt aus China) war der It-Mensch. Wieso merkt Max bei all den anderen Figuren nicht an woher sie kommen? Es ist ja erstmal nicht verwerflich auf die Herkunft einer Figur hinzuweisen, jedoch dient es hier in keiner Form der Handlung. Es reproduziert nur unnötige Klischees. Das merke ich vor allem an, da das Buch von 2016 ist und es somit besser machen könnte.
Das schlimmste aber war der Stil des Autors. Der Epilog war okay, das erste Kapitel hingegen las sich, als wäre man schon beim Höhepunkt. Es ist gefüllt von Dramatik, Spannung und Emotionen. Dabei sitzt Max, der Ermittler, in einem Gerichtssaal, bei der Verhandlung eines stinknormalen, vergangenen Falls. Diese Dramatik nimmt nicht ab. Es passiert alles irgendwie zu schnell und unpersönlich. Die Sätze sind alle super kurz und super bedeutungsschwanger. „Es war Wut. Wut die sich in mir breitmacht. Ich schlug zu.“ so in etwa. Fast jeder einzelne Satz. Der Stil klingt genauso wie ich, wenn ich mit 14 versucht hätte eine total tiefgründige Geschichte zu schreiben und mich dabei allen Klischees bedienen würde die mir einfallen.
Dass die Geschichte schon wirklich unrealistisch anfängt, zeigt, dass Max als Ermittler im Gerichtssaal. einen der Täter schlagen will? Die Polizei lässt das Video einer Erhängung einfach so online, obwohl die Möglichkeit besteht es runter zu nehme? Beim Fund der Leiche, zeigt Max keine Objektivität und es kommt schon hier ein Gedanke von ihm, dass es ja womöglich sogar okay sei, das wildfremde Leute, Straftäter umbringen??
Fazit: Es gibt wesentlich bessere Krimis da draussen und das Thema an sich ist auch nicht wirklich neu.
August 3, 2016
So, it seems Tony Parsons has just made me do a full about turn on opinion. The first two books in this series I admit I struggled with. Sometimes with a new series I struggle to feel connected to the characters and small things seem to niggle. This series featuring DC Max Wolfe was no different and the first two books left me feeling a little indifferent. However, I recently read one of the short novellas and it was brilliant. I was actually looking forward to reading the next book, and I was right to look forward to it!
DC Max Wolfe just seemed to fit more this time around. Maybe enjoying the previous novella got me ready for the next instalment, who knows? Seeing the return of Max, his daughter Scout and their little dog Stan was wonderful. This time around a gang of people are hanging known criminals, and although they have the backing of some of the public, Max knows that they need to be caught. The hangings themselves are described in all their graphic glory and the feeling of disgust was very apparent to me when reading. I always take this as a good sign and ploughed on. I absolutely LOVED the addition of a friend Jackson from Max past and can only hope he makes a reappearance in future books.
The story keeps up a massively heart pounding pace and I found myself thrown into the case at the deep end along with Max colleagues and Boss Whitestone. There was an additional thread involving Whitestone which made me warm to the characters a whole lot more and by the end I felt like the MIT team was one big family. This book truly did have everything and kept me reading into the early hours. I read it in one sitting and felt that familiar disappointment that I didn't have another to read. For me the surprise was that I loved this book SO much in comparison to feeling so mediocre about the other 2. This series just shot way up my increasingly long list of Must Reads. I literally cannot wait to see what comes next for Max and will be counting the days off until the next release!
DC Max Wolfe just seemed to fit more this time around. Maybe enjoying the previous novella got me ready for the next instalment, who knows? Seeing the return of Max, his daughter Scout and their little dog Stan was wonderful. This time around a gang of people are hanging known criminals, and although they have the backing of some of the public, Max knows that they need to be caught. The hangings themselves are described in all their graphic glory and the feeling of disgust was very apparent to me when reading. I always take this as a good sign and ploughed on. I absolutely LOVED the addition of a friend Jackson from Max past and can only hope he makes a reappearance in future books.
The story keeps up a massively heart pounding pace and I found myself thrown into the case at the deep end along with Max colleagues and Boss Whitestone. There was an additional thread involving Whitestone which made me warm to the characters a whole lot more and by the end I felt like the MIT team was one big family. This book truly did have everything and kept me reading into the early hours. I read it in one sitting and felt that familiar disappointment that I didn't have another to read. For me the surprise was that I loved this book SO much in comparison to feeling so mediocre about the other 2. This series just shot way up my increasingly long list of Must Reads. I literally cannot wait to see what comes next for Max and will be counting the days off until the next release!
October 28, 2016
4.5 stars
There are thrillers & police procedurals out there where the author has made a conscious choice between fast paced action & character development. If you have a hankering for a great read with both, pick up the latest instalment of DC Max Wolfe series. This is how it’s done.
Max & his team end up investigating after a series of hangings are posted online. The victims have one thing in common….they all committed serious crimes & beat the justice system. It seems a group of vigilantes have had enough & decided to take punishment into their own hands. And the public is cheering them on.
The result is an intricate & creepy story that leads the detectives into the bowels of a forgotten London. Beneath the glittering sky scrapers & bustling traffic is the original city where livestock roamed the streets & hangings were common sport. Max & his colleagues have to relearn their history as they hunt for those responsible while wrestling with personal opinions about a system that often fails.
It’s such a pleasure to read a book in this genre where characters are as important as the plot. With each instalment, the cast continues to evolve. The regulars are all back & some will face personal challenges that add tension to the story. When bad stuff happens (and you know it will), the reader is all in as they’ve come to care about these people.
At the centre of it all are Max & Scout. He continues to struggle with being a single parent & worries he’s not enough for his precocious daughter. Their relationship is touching & poignant as they build a family that includes friends & neighbours. Max may be a tough guy on the job but Scout has his number. The author has created complex & authentic characters that are the core of each book & a big reason readers keep coming back for more.
Twisted killers, fast paced suspense & great characters…it all adds up to an entertaining & addictive read. If you’re a fan of Mark Billingham, Val McDermid or Reed Farrel Coleman’s “Gus Murphy”, add this series to your TBR pile.
There are thrillers & police procedurals out there where the author has made a conscious choice between fast paced action & character development. If you have a hankering for a great read with both, pick up the latest instalment of DC Max Wolfe series. This is how it’s done.
Max & his team end up investigating after a series of hangings are posted online. The victims have one thing in common….they all committed serious crimes & beat the justice system. It seems a group of vigilantes have had enough & decided to take punishment into their own hands. And the public is cheering them on.
The result is an intricate & creepy story that leads the detectives into the bowels of a forgotten London. Beneath the glittering sky scrapers & bustling traffic is the original city where livestock roamed the streets & hangings were common sport. Max & his colleagues have to relearn their history as they hunt for those responsible while wrestling with personal opinions about a system that often fails.
It’s such a pleasure to read a book in this genre where characters are as important as the plot. With each instalment, the cast continues to evolve. The regulars are all back & some will face personal challenges that add tension to the story. When bad stuff happens (and you know it will), the reader is all in as they’ve come to care about these people.
At the centre of it all are Max & Scout. He continues to struggle with being a single parent & worries he’s not enough for his precocious daughter. Their relationship is touching & poignant as they build a family that includes friends & neighbours. Max may be a tough guy on the job but Scout has his number. The author has created complex & authentic characters that are the core of each book & a big reason readers keep coming back for more.
Twisted killers, fast paced suspense & great characters…it all adds up to an entertaining & addictive read. If you’re a fan of Mark Billingham, Val McDermid or Reed Farrel Coleman’s “Gus Murphy”, add this series to your TBR pile.
April 17, 2016
This was a great book and the pace just seemed to pick up more and more until the final pages when I found that I had been holding my breath.
DC Max Wolfe is part of an investigation where a man has been hanged and the body left elsewhere when he is identified he is a criminal that has had a slap on the wrist and the video clip that is posted showing the hanging looks like vigilantes have decided to take the law into their own hands. Maybe not surprising the public are behind them and this doesn't help the investigation. As the bodies pile up how will they ever catch them when they do everything without showing their faces and they can slip into the middle of crowded places to dump the bodies. Will they ever get a break and then the team get a reality check and the line between right and wrong is blurred slightly but they have to catch the vigilante's and show the public they are not the hero's they think they are.
I was lucky to get a copy of this from http://www.lovereading.co.uk/ for an honest review. Thank you to them and the publishers.
DC Max Wolfe is part of an investigation where a man has been hanged and the body left elsewhere when he is identified he is a criminal that has had a slap on the wrist and the video clip that is posted showing the hanging looks like vigilantes have decided to take the law into their own hands. Maybe not surprising the public are behind them and this doesn't help the investigation. As the bodies pile up how will they ever catch them when they do everything without showing their faces and they can slip into the middle of crowded places to dump the bodies. Will they ever get a break and then the team get a reality check and the line between right and wrong is blurred slightly but they have to catch the vigilante's and show the public they are not the hero's they think they are.
I was lucky to get a copy of this from http://www.lovereading.co.uk/ for an honest review. Thank you to them and the publishers.
June 30, 2023
Tony Parsons writes very commercial fiction. His books are never heavy going, but fun, quick reads. I burned through this book in a few sessions.
December 16, 2025
“You can make new friends but you can’t make old friends.”
This was such an intriguing and unputdownable book. All the details about brutal and gruesome murders shook me. I couldn’t imagine how people can be so merciless. Author note added so much more to the story. I loved the investigation and author’s writing. Twists and turns were jaw dropping. If you are looking for a mind-blowing and suspenseful thriller, this is right up your alley.
This was such an intriguing and unputdownable book. All the details about brutal and gruesome murders shook me. I couldn’t imagine how people can be so merciless. Author note added so much more to the story. I loved the investigation and author’s writing. Twists and turns were jaw dropping. If you are looking for a mind-blowing and suspenseful thriller, this is right up your alley.
July 7, 2020
‘Do you know why you have been brought to this place of execution?’
3 men. Brought to justice when the justice system failed to punish them. A gang member abusing vulnerable girls. A privileged driver who recklessly killed a young girl. A preacher calling for the death of all British soldiers.
Abducted by a band of roaming vigilantes, each have been sentenced to death.
Now, DC Wolfe is on the hunt before someone else falls victim to what many consider heroes...
In Parson’s fifth detective series - we find DC Wolfe looking at a bunch of ‘blank faced morons’ being sentenced, whilst consoling a grieving widow. Seemingly, they get off lightly compounding Wolfe cynicism further.
So this police procedural continues, heavy in Basil Expedition detail (‘Better to a make the crime scene to big than too small’) and tapping into the the darkest seams of human resentment, fear and entitlement.
A vigilante gang captures the public sense of betrayal when they abduct and hang those victims that appear to have had justice denied. Here the victim pays for crimes committed with the perpetrators escaping lightly. When Mahmud Irani is murdered for being a member of a Asian grooming gang preying vulnerable girls, the mother of one their victims speaks volumes when she states, the Police ‘...look the other way when children are tortured and raped’.
A Trust Fund manager is targeted for being ‘let off with a slap of the wrist’ having recklessly mowed down a young boy in his Porsche. Sergeant John Caine of the Black Museum of gruesome police exhibits states ‘What’s wrong with a bit of revenge?’ Everything when you are the public servants served to defend the law blindly.
For the work of the Police and being a Police officer is difficult and demanding. The crimes they witness and intercede upon often reveal the very extremes of the human condition. Yet, for every comment such as ‘Your mob still babysitting Mustapha Pee’ (a reference to a Muslim extremist Preacher) - the more this reads like a throwback to the seventies era of Policing as portrayed by the television series ‘The Sweeney’.
It’s a fair cop guv and whatever it takes to take the bastards down.
This old school sense of manhood displays in seemingly unrelated details that reflects Parsons own political viewpoint. Why does Max struggle with having his male dog fixed? Why does he point out on several occasions that Sergeant Caine has a ‘BEST DAD IN THE WORLD’ mug?
Parsons was particularly vocal about being a supporter for Brexit. In an article for GQ magazine (June 2016) he states: ‘And the British can become what we have been for most of our history - a proud trading nation takes orders from no one’.
This patriotic borderline xenophobic viewpoint infects DC Wolfe world. This is the world of a nation taken over by foreigners, a system gone rotten, where power, money and influence decide. This reads more out of time, especially a novel that only came out in 2016. The real world is mean and corrupt. The characters that inhabit this story are really only part of the picture.
The final reveal is tired and predictable. This is where this reader parts from the travails of one DC Max Wolfe. 4/10
3 men. Brought to justice when the justice system failed to punish them. A gang member abusing vulnerable girls. A privileged driver who recklessly killed a young girl. A preacher calling for the death of all British soldiers.
Abducted by a band of roaming vigilantes, each have been sentenced to death.
Now, DC Wolfe is on the hunt before someone else falls victim to what many consider heroes...
In Parson’s fifth detective series - we find DC Wolfe looking at a bunch of ‘blank faced morons’ being sentenced, whilst consoling a grieving widow. Seemingly, they get off lightly compounding Wolfe cynicism further.
So this police procedural continues, heavy in Basil Expedition detail (‘Better to a make the crime scene to big than too small’) and tapping into the the darkest seams of human resentment, fear and entitlement.
A vigilante gang captures the public sense of betrayal when they abduct and hang those victims that appear to have had justice denied. Here the victim pays for crimes committed with the perpetrators escaping lightly. When Mahmud Irani is murdered for being a member of a Asian grooming gang preying vulnerable girls, the mother of one their victims speaks volumes when she states, the Police ‘...look the other way when children are tortured and raped’.
A Trust Fund manager is targeted for being ‘let off with a slap of the wrist’ having recklessly mowed down a young boy in his Porsche. Sergeant John Caine of the Black Museum of gruesome police exhibits states ‘What’s wrong with a bit of revenge?’ Everything when you are the public servants served to defend the law blindly.
For the work of the Police and being a Police officer is difficult and demanding. The crimes they witness and intercede upon often reveal the very extremes of the human condition. Yet, for every comment such as ‘Your mob still babysitting Mustapha Pee’ (a reference to a Muslim extremist Preacher) - the more this reads like a throwback to the seventies era of Policing as portrayed by the television series ‘The Sweeney’.
It’s a fair cop guv and whatever it takes to take the bastards down.
This old school sense of manhood displays in seemingly unrelated details that reflects Parsons own political viewpoint. Why does Max struggle with having his male dog fixed? Why does he point out on several occasions that Sergeant Caine has a ‘BEST DAD IN THE WORLD’ mug?
Parsons was particularly vocal about being a supporter for Brexit. In an article for GQ magazine (June 2016) he states: ‘And the British can become what we have been for most of our history - a proud trading nation takes orders from no one’.
This patriotic borderline xenophobic viewpoint infects DC Wolfe world. This is the world of a nation taken over by foreigners, a system gone rotten, where power, money and influence decide. This reads more out of time, especially a novel that only came out in 2016. The real world is mean and corrupt. The characters that inhabit this story are really only part of the picture.
The final reveal is tired and predictable. This is where this reader parts from the travails of one DC Max Wolfe. 4/10
December 4, 2017
Sorry to say but this the third full book in the Max Wolfe series really didn't work for me.
The writer is clearly talented, yet can't seem to avoid pretty much any of the detective fiction cliches especially with his characters.
That was all true in the previous books but at least they had a very good driving plot, and this one could have had one as well, but it got pretty much lost in among two side plots involving Wolfe's boss's family life, and especially a long lost friend who bought nothing to the story at all.
Tragedy here is that the main plot could have been good, if not great, if not full of card board cut out characters - nearly all of whom could have come directly from the comments on Daily Mail stories - and which gets wrapped up in just a few pages after a long build up.
There's some great history referenced here, as in previous books but the main one, but it's repeated too much, and often somewhat pointless.
Finally the biggest irony is that you end up with a cop - yes he's much more an American "Cop" than the British DI he's supposed to be - hunting vigilantes whilst doing the exact same thing himself. Not to mention breaking an awful lot of other laws in the process.
Sorry but I'm not going to continue with the series.
The writer is clearly talented, yet can't seem to avoid pretty much any of the detective fiction cliches especially with his characters.
That was all true in the previous books but at least they had a very good driving plot, and this one could have had one as well, but it got pretty much lost in among two side plots involving Wolfe's boss's family life, and especially a long lost friend who bought nothing to the story at all.
Tragedy here is that the main plot could have been good, if not great, if not full of card board cut out characters - nearly all of whom could have come directly from the comments on Daily Mail stories - and which gets wrapped up in just a few pages after a long build up.
There's some great history referenced here, as in previous books but the main one, but it's repeated too much, and often somewhat pointless.
Finally the biggest irony is that you end up with a cop - yes he's much more an American "Cop" than the British DI he's supposed to be - hunting vigilantes whilst doing the exact same thing himself. Not to mention breaking an awful lot of other laws in the process.
Sorry but I'm not going to continue with the series.
June 12, 2020
Another great book in the Max Wolfe series, if anything I think their getting better as they go!
Not only is this story really gripping but it also sheds light on real world issues to do with the justice system.. brilliant!!
This book sort of makes you see things from both sides.. the belief that these scumbags who murder and rape innocent people deserve to be killed themselves.. and the idea that humans can't play God, you can't take the law into your own hands
Job well done!!
The only issue I have with this is the relationship between Tara and Max.. I'm a big disapprover of cheating and even when I read about it I get annoyed.. HOWEVER it wasn't taken too far and dealt with pretty well 👌🏼
Not only is this story really gripping but it also sheds light on real world issues to do with the justice system.. brilliant!!
This book sort of makes you see things from both sides.. the belief that these scumbags who murder and rape innocent people deserve to be killed themselves.. and the idea that humans can't play God, you can't take the law into your own hands
Job well done!!
The only issue I have with this is the relationship between Tara and Max.. I'm a big disapprover of cheating and even when I read about it I get annoyed.. HOWEVER it wasn't taken too far and dealt with pretty well 👌🏼
April 1, 2019
Δυνατοί χαρακτήρες με πολύ καλά ψυχογραφήματα, δράση, αγωνία, ανατροπές, πολύ ενδιαφέρον πλοκή που με γέμισε σκέψεις και με έκανε να αμφιταλαντεύομαι σε θέματα ηθικής. Γιατί όταν νιώθεις οτι η δικαιοσύνη δεν κάνει καλά τη δουλειά της και κάποιοι τη γλιτώνουν με μια ξυλιά στα χέρια σκέφτεσαι "Και τι πειράζει λίγη εκδίκηση;".
Τα σημεία του επιθεωρητή Μαξ Γουλφ με τη κόρη του Σκάουτ και τον σκύλο τους Σταν μου πρόσφερε κάτι το χαρούμενο στην ανάγνωση, ειδικά όταν έφτασα στο σημείο που με έκανε να σκεφτώ οτι πιο εύκολα θα βγάλουμε το κινητό για να τραβήξουμε βίντεο ένα άσχημο γεγονός από το να βοηθήσουμε όπως μπορούμε.
Η έρευνα που έχει κάνει ο συγγραφέας ειδικά για το κρέμασμα στην Αγγλία σαν τιμωρία είναι εμφανή και αυτό για μένα το καθιστά ένα βιβλίο πού τα έχει όλα.
Τα σημεία του επιθεωρητή Μαξ Γουλφ με τη κόρη του Σκάουτ και τον σκύλο τους Σταν μου πρόσφερε κάτι το χαρούμενο στην ανάγνωση, ειδικά όταν έφτασα στο σημείο που με έκανε να σκεφτώ οτι πιο εύκολα θα βγάλουμε το κινητό για να τραβήξουμε βίντεο ένα άσχημο γεγονός από το να βοηθήσουμε όπως μπορούμε.
Η έρευνα που έχει κάνει ο συγγραφέας ειδικά για το κρέμασμα στην Αγγλία σαν τιμωρία είναι εμφανή και αυτό για μένα το καθιστά ένα βιβλίο πού τα έχει όλα.
March 19, 2017
Just another typically far fetched police procedural novel that are taking over the genre in recent years. There was nothing inspiring once the initial few chapters were finished and there was way too much use of the "experts" once again.
It became a drag to read towards the end - with most of the last couple of chapters totally unnecessary towards the story really.
But I appear to be against the masses in this opinion with the plethora of 5 star ratings it has received. Not to worry Though as I will continue to plod my lonely road in search of some decent stories.
It became a drag to read towards the end - with most of the last couple of chapters totally unnecessary towards the story really.
But I appear to be against the masses in this opinion with the plethora of 5 star ratings it has received. Not to worry Though as I will continue to plod my lonely road in search of some decent stories.
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