Hunting the Hangman

by Howard Linskey

Inspired by the real-life Operation Anthropoid, the 1942 mission undertaken to assassinate Hitler's successor, the notorious Nazi general Reinhard Heydrich, Hunting the Hangman is a captivatingly sharp historical thriller that brings to life one of the single most dramatic events of the Second World War...

What an entire army couldn't do, two men must: take out the Butcher of Prague.
Operation Anthropoid has been engaged.

1941. The Third Reich is at its zenith. Its protector is Reinhard Heydrich, the most merciless senior figure in Hitler's inner circle, and the Fuhrer's eventual successor. Under Heydrich's oppressive command, thousands of lives have already been erased in Czechoslovakia's capital. It's only Heydrich's first ruthless step in service to the German people. Heydrich's ultimate endgame is the Final Solution. But under the cloak of night, the resistance conspires as well.

Trained in subterfuge by the British Special Operations, Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis are unfailingly dedicated soldiers. Now, as committed allied agents they've been tasked with an audacious and seemingly impossible mission: parachute into an occupied city in lockdown, rally the remaining Czech rebels, and assassinate one of the most dangerous men alive. Outmanned against insurmountable odds, Gabcik and Kubis have no choice but to succeed. The fate of Europe and the world is in their hands.

Genres: History, War, Thriller, Historical, World War II, Nonfiction, 20th Century

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 25, 2017

About the author

ABOUT ME
A bit about me and my books. I am an author with Canelo, currently writing a series of William Shakespeare mysteries. The first is 'A Serpent In The Garden' which sees Will forced to look into the mysterious death of a lady in Elizabethan London. .

I am also the author of a series of books set in the north east of England, featuring journalists Tom Carney & Helen Norton with detective Ian Bradshaw, who all appear in ‘The Chosen Ones’, ‘The Search’, 'Behind Dead Eyes’ and ‘No Name Lane' and the standalones, 'Alice Teale Is Missing', 'Don't Let Him In' and The Inheritance'.

My WW2 historical novels include ‘Hunting the Hangman’, which tells the true story of the assassination of Nazi General, Reinhard Heydrich, and ‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’. The latter features SOE agents, Harry Walsh and Emma Stirling and OSS agent, Sam Cooper.

My earlier novels, the David Blake books, have been optioned for TV by Harry Potter producer, David Barron. The Times newspaper voted 'The Drop' one of its Top Five Thrillers of the Year and 'The Damage' one of its Top Summer Reads. Both books broke into the top five Amazon Kindle chart.

I’m honoured to be the ghost writer of ‘Surviving Hell’ which tells the true story of former Para, Nick Dunn, one of the Chennai Six, who were wrongfully imprisoned in India for years, having committed no crime, and 'Surviving Hell', the autobiography of Princess Diana's former bodyguard, Lee Sansum.

On a far lighter note, I am also the writer behind ‘The Little Book Of Pintfulness’ a mindfulness spoof, which comprehensively proves that life is just better with beer. Please read responsibly.

Prior to becoming a full-time author, I led a series of different lives with a number of jobs, including barman, journalist, catering manager and marketing manager for a celebrity chef, as well as in a variety of sales and account management roles. I can confirm that writing books definitely beats working for a living.

I started writing many moons ago and was first published in the Newcastle United football fanzine, 'The Mag'. I then became a journalist and wrote for regional newspapers. I have also written for magazines and web sites and was once the English Premier League football correspondent for a Malaysian magazine. I've stopped all of that nonsense now, preferring to make up stuff instead and call myself an author.

I'm originally from Ferryhill in County Durham but, like most of the people I grew up with, I left the north east in search of work and never quite made it back. I am now settled in Hertfordshire with my lovely wife Alison and wonderful daughter Erin.

I'm still a long-suffering Newcastle United fan and can only assume that Mike Ashley is a punishment inflicted upon us for all of the crimes we committed in our past lives.

I am represented by the best Literary Agent in the UK, Phil Patterson at Marjacq. Catherine Pellegrino looks after my foreign rights there. If you are Brad Pitt and you wish to play David Blake in a movie then Leah Middleton takes care of Film and TV rights:

Marjacq Scripts Ltd
The Space
235 High Holborn
London WC1V 7LE

+44 (0) 20 7935 9499
F +44 (0) 20 7935 9115
enquiries@marjacq.com

Reviews

[Cold War Conversations Podcast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written semi-fictional account of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich

I was wary of this book as the facts themselves make a good thriller, however Linskey carries it off and does offer insight into the minds of the protagonists.

His knowledge of the facts is well grounded and although most of the dialogue is fictional it does appear to reflect what we know of the personalities involved. The pace is good with the tension ratcheting up throughout.

A useful and gripping addition to what is appearing to be a plethora of books following the recent film releases.

My thanks go to Netgalley and the Publisher for the chance to read an advance copy of this book.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The events surrounding the assassination attempt on Reinhard Heydrich, the architect of the holocaust

Visit the locations in the novel Hunting the Hangman



Quite a different novel for Howard but it's one he's wanted to write for years and has researched in detail. It was worth the effort and the hard work Howard. Dark and unbelievable if it weren't true, this is a novel that is scary and chilling at the same time. I felt many emotions reading this and it's haunting on so many levels. I've never read a book about this man before nor what he did and it's definately a period of history I felt I'd learned a new insight of.

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing, novelized version of the plot to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, one of the architects of the so-called "final solution" envisioned by Nazi Germany, by Czech partisans trained by the British.

Knowing their survival after the assassination attempt - regardless of whether said assassination attempt was successful or not - was unlikely, the two Czechs go forward with their training and the attempt in any case, as the sacrifice of their lives may save many, many others.

The training sequences are the weakest, but only because the other events in the book - including glimpses of the Hangman's family life - are much more fascinating. This is not a detraction from the book, however, which is a great fictional rendition of factual events read for anyone interested in WWII,the Holocaust, or Nazi Germany.

Solid five out of five read.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

[Mark Crowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book

This books is fiction, but it has been researched brilliantly, Howard Linskey is a huge second world war II fan, and it shows. It was brilliant

[HornFan2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I owe my new found interest into WW2 to my mom, who grew up during the War in Germany, whose gone to heaven, miss her stories and every WW2 book I read is a tribute to her.

This was my first read from Howard Linsky, found 'Hunting the Hangman' interesting, it's well written researched, two strong characters being Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík, found it thought provoking, it's kind of a hybrid read, since part is true history mixed with fiction, amazing what brave people will do and regardless the consequences.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunting the Hangman is a truly fascinating story, made all the more so by the fact that it's a true one. It took 17 years between Howard Linskey having the idea for the book and it finally being published. The beauty of it is that almost all of it is absolutely true to the real events, with only small amounts being imagined where necessary.

I didn't know anything about Reinhard Heydrich before starting to read this book so had no idea what happened and whether Kubis and Gabcik were successful in their assassination attempt. I was glad about that as I think it made a greater impact on me not knowing their fate.

I did struggle at times with remembering who was who and reading on a Kindle makes it a bit harder to keep flicking to the beginning where there is a list of the key personnel. But I just went with it and started to get to know the characters and their place in the story.

This is a very accomplished factual thriller novel. I think it's always hard to write fiction about true events. I love books based around things that really did happen and real people but it can restrict an author I think. In this case, Linskey has done a sterling job. It's not my usual sort of read but I stepped out of my comfort zone this time and feel glad that I have read such an important story about the impact of war.

This is a story of immense bravery versus evil and an exhilarating story of derring-do which gripped me throughout.

[Paul Bk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunting the Hangman - Howard Linskey

This is a first rate thriller and a realistic fictional account of the real events that shook the world at the height of WWII. Hunting the Hangman is thought provoking, exciting and clearly a labour of love for the author - a genuine joy to read.
Hunting the Hangman is about Operation Anthropoid set up by the SOE, (Special Operations Executive), in the Autumn of 1941. The brainchild of Eduard Benes, the London exiled Czech Prime minister, the plan was approved and supported by Winston Churchill. The target was Reinhard Heydrich, deputy to Heinrich Himmler, head of the Reich Main Security Office and Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia. An audacious plan to assassinate the man in charge of the Nazi regime subjugating the people of Czechoslovakia with relentless cruelty. Heydrich was a man arrogant enough to believe that no one would dare to make an attempt on his life. Hunting the Hangman relates the story from inception and recruitment of agents to the execution of the plan, the fall out and terrible aftermath. A story of the best and worst of humanity; conviction, sacrifice, betrayal and brutality.
The introduction to the novel provides a short explanation of how Linskey came to the story and how the novel progressed. It also sets the scene for readers new to this momentous event in world history, (a brief cast of characters may also help). The brief quotes that preface each chapter help are a clever adjunct to the story.
Reinhardt Heydrich is an enigma, he may not be the best known Nazi but he is the one most people have trouble figuring out. Clearly erudite, courageous, fiercely intelligent and talented, (a highly regarded violinist). Yet he is known to history as 'The Hangman', 'the Butcher of Prague' and even his colleagues referred to him as 'The blond beast'. His role in the Wannsee Conference and the 'Final Solution' is a part of this novel. It is often surmised that Heydrich would have followed Hitler as Fuhrer if the Nazis had not lost the war. That may be one of the motivations for Benes' plan. Linskey seeks to get under the skin of this man and explore the complexity of his character and he paints a very credible portrait.
The heroes of the novel are the brave partisans, Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, the men who volunteered for this mission despite knowing the personal sacrifice demanded. Linskey has imagined two men with the usual ambitions of the young, flawed but with a burning idealism, determined and brave. Keen despite the knowledge of the terrible cost of success and what it will mean for them personally and the people of Czechoslovakia. Believable young men, not super human but ordinary people rising to the challenge of extraordinary times.
Linskey has a flair for scene setting. Such as; the meeting between Benes and Churchill to agree the plan, or the introduction of Heydrich to the novel as a family man at a photograph session. Or the fear, apprehension, opposition, acceptance and enthusiasm for the plan by the partisans who helped the two men carry out their operation. From the first page where the merits of the plan are discussed; is this an assassination or a murder? Important questions of morality and consequence are explored. From the home counties to the heart of the action in Prague, the denouement at St. Cyril's and St. Methodius church, Linskey sketches out places and people that provide real colour to the storytelling.
This is one of the most courageous and conspicuous events of the second world war, ideal fodder for a novelist but also a daunting task to do it justice. Linskey manages to do this. 'Hhhh' by Laurent Binet, may be a more literary retelling of the events of Prague, 1942 but Hunting the Hangman is much more engaging emotionally. The novel is meticulous researched and a number of real events are brought to life with reimagined dialogue and descriptive prose.
It is coming up to the 75th anniversary of the incident at the heart of the novel which was an impetus for Linskey to finally publish a novel that had existed unfinished form for some time. There are two Hollywood movies scheduled this year, 'Anthropoid' and 'The Man with the Iron Heart' and if they live up to the standard of the book in telling the story they could be very interesting. There was an earlier film made in the 1970's called 'Operation Daybreak'.
This is unlike anything Linskey has previously published, he is the author of the David Blake thrillers (also published by No Exit Press). On the strength of Hunting the Hangman I would welcome more historical fiction from him. As the book went along it became more engrossing, (very exciting and thought provoking). If you liked Corpus by Rory Clements I think this novel will interest you. If you want to know more about Heydrich as architect of the final solution there is a short book called 'The Villa, The Lake, The Meeting' by Mark Roseman. This details how the decision to exterminate the Jewish people of Europe was made in such a speedy and chilling matter of fact way.

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being very familiar with the author's body of work, I was fascinated to have the chance to read his first novel which - as he says in the foreword - took a very long time to get published. Here it is at last, nicely printed but with a misleading cover (Even if all had gone well, Heydrich would never have been shot with a snipersight-equipped weapon, and also I wonder if at that time the notion of shooting even such a notorious Nazi in the back would have been considered ungallant.) However, it's a great read. It would be interesting to see why publishers felt the need to reject such a tightly-written and well-structured novel based on an exceptionally dramatic episode of wartime history. I tried to read it looking for weaknesses, and it was very hard to find any. Arguably the first half of the book, the buildup of tension, is a little too slow. There are some passages where the tense changes from past to present without any clear reason (I know Le Carre does this but it doesn't quite seem right in a fact-based novel.) The large number of characters with their rather unpronounceable names is a little confusing. But these are small complaints, and the last of the three is inevitable in this kind of book. As against these small points is the immensely enjoyable experience of recognising the characteristic features of Linskey's writing - the varying power-relationships between men and women; cruelly precise descriptions of drunkenness; toughly humorous male banter; sadistic punishment - in a multi-threaded story which bears his real trademark of clarity of exposition at the start of every sub-chapter and then cliffhangers at each one's end.
Here we have the bonus of a series of prolonged action scenes towards the end, true war story heroism not like anything else in his later books. His writing is immensely clear and economical. I wondered at one point if we were going to get exact details of aeroplanes, guns, bullets, grenades. But then I realised that the real skill here, in what seems like an impeccably researched reconstruction, is knowing what to leave out. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Linskey (http://www.howardlinskey.co.uk) is the author of more than a dozen books. Hunting the Hangman was published in 2021. It is the 75th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

This book is a dramatized account of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. He was the second most powerful man in the Nazi SS. Heydrich was the chief of the Reich Security Main Office, as well as the Acting Reich-Protector of Bohemia and Moravia. He was one of the most brutal of the SS officers. Many considered him to the natural successor to Adolf Hitler. In his role as Reich Protector, he had moved to Prague.

Czechoslovakia had been occupied by the Germans. Heydrich was ruthlessly implementing the ‘final solution’ for Czech Jews. The Czech government in exile in London decided to eliminate Heydrich.

This book dramatizes the process of selecting and training the two Czech nationals, Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík, who were to carry out the mission. It follows them as the two parachute into Czechoslovakia, and they begin to stalk their victim. It continues with the assassination and the aftermath.

I enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 321-page novel of WWII-era historical fiction. I had the opportunity to read one of Mr. Linskey’s other books, Ungentlemanly Warfare. It was every bit as enjoyable as this one. While a work of fiction, many historical facts are woven into the plot. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.0

There is no doubt that Reinhard Heydrich was an animal. Doing anything to position himself to kills Jews and Czechs to become the heir of Hitler. This book enhanced my knowledge of the Czech involvement in fighting the Nazis and the terrible price they paid for their involvement. While the two Czechs planned mightily, the Nazis were too many in numbers and too forceful. What atrocities we see in this book....the town of Lidice eradication being one of the worst of the times. I learned from this book things I had not heard of before. Having said that, I didn't think it was particularly well written.

2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the attack on a man so evil even fellow SS officers referred to him as the 'Blond Beast’. In Prague he was known as the Hangman. Hitler, who called him 'The Man with the Iron Heart', considered Heydrich to be his heir, and entrusted him with the implementation of the ‘Final Solution’ to the Jewish question: the systematic murder of eleven million people.

In 1942 two men were trained by the British SOE to parachute back into their native Czech territory to kill the man ruling their homeland. Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik risked everything for their country. Their attempt on Reinhard Heydrich’s life was one of the single most dramatic events of the Second World War, with horrific consequences for thousands of innocent people.

[Robert Scragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mention the Second World War, and the first name in people's minds is always Adolf HItler. He wasn't the only man in the Third Reich to be feared across Europe. Reinhard Heydrich, a.k.a. The Hangman, was the man many considered to be Hitler's heir apparent, and was the man tasked with implementing the "Final Solution". Operation Anthropoid, sees two exiled Czech soldiers risk their lives to parachute back into their homeland, and execute The Hangman. Failure wasn't an option, but even they couldn't have foreseen the consequences for the innocent Czech civilians of making such an audacious attempt.

It's a departure from Linskey's previous works, based on and sticking close to real life events, which in some books can often lead to a predictable, plodding pace. Not here though, as Linksey captures the essence of the period superbly; the desperation of the resistance, the cruelty of the Nazi occupation. The central characters of Jan and Josef are deftly conjured up, and the real achievement here is that even though I already knew of Operation Anthropoid, and of the outcome, I still felt the tension building all the same. All in all a great read.

[Adam Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fictionalised account of the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heydrich who was the one of the main architects of the Holocaust and so called Final Solution of the Nazis, in June 1942. The characters and events described are all as actually recorded in historical archives. The novel is a chilling reminder of the eruption of evil in the 1930's and 40's in Germany with the formation and rise to power of the Nazi party. The novel reads like a fast paced thriller but it is shocking to remember that it is only fiction in as much as its format. The repercussions of the assassination from the Nazis were predictably vicious, colossal and ruthlessly violent in the extreme and are still remembered in the Czech republic today.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader who continues to find books about WWII at the top of the reading list, this book about the asassination of Heinrich Heydrich (who ruled Prague and the CZech people once the German Nazis invaded) was facinating. He was a ruthless and cruel SS leader who had ambition to succeed Hitler. The Czech people feared him. Finally, with the help of the allies in Britain, 2 men of Czech origin were sent to murder the awful man. The result was that Hitler ordered the murders of innocent people and even a whole village to make up for the deed done to Heydrich. This is a book that is hard to read due to the violence, so be cautious upon reading it. But the detail of how the SS worked is something you don't see often in a book like this.

[Dianne Abrahamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having experienced three gangster books by this author previously which I'd thoroughly enjoyed, I was pleased to be offered Howard Linskeys new release to read.
Based on truth and set in 1942 both in Great Britain and Occupied Czechoslovakia the story, written loosely in a diary form took me on an emotional roller coaster of a ride that actually left me feeling sad after I'd finished it. The writing is brisk from start to finish and doesn't hide the monsters in charge of the German authorities from scrutiny. Early in the book Heydrich who has been ordered to achive a certain ratio of deaths per month gets annoyed, not by the sheer scale of murder he's tasked his troops to undertake but the fact that they haven't reached their targets. A man who is not alone in committing atrocities during the war but one of many who actually enjoyed the power to be able to dictate killings and brag of his idea to open gas chambers.
Against him exiled Czech soldiers in Britain train and pray to get picked for an opportunity to return home to fight with their resistance on secret missions. These brave, patriotic men risk everything once in Czechoslovakia on these missions including the potential loss of their friends and sweethearts and betrayal.
A brilliantly researched and written book and one that tugged at my emotions like no book has done for a long time.

[Martin Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story set in the Second World War and is a reall chiller of a thriller. What makes it all the more chilling is the fact that this is based on a true story. Reinhard Heydrich is a less well known Nazi than some of the more infamous ones, but his story matches that of the Nazis that committed the worst of atrocities. Heydrich was in charge of the territory under Nazi control that was Czechoslovakia and ruled with a rod of iron.Many Czechs had been exiled to Britain, including the President. So it was that a plot was hatched to assassinate this butcher that was destoying the Czech people's homeland.
The stiry, as portrayed by Howard Linskey, the author, starts off a little slow but really gets going after that and is definitely worth persevering with. When the two would be assassins arrive in their now former homeland, the real horrors unfold and we get an insight into the make up of the various Nazis involved. We also get an insight into the lives of the Czech people at that time from the vivid descriptions of the author. I like the quotations from various contemporaries of the time, at the beginning of each chapter, mainly from the German side, but also some from the British too.
A stunning read to mark the 75th anniversary of this episode in history.

[Timothy Dobbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this 5 because it deserves to be read. It may not be directly about the holocaust or narrated by death but it shows the horror of Nazi Germany almost too much. We must never forget, and this book does not glorify either side, telling history as it was. Completely different to his other books it shows Howard's skill in making a good read out of a rather unpleasant time in Europe's History. To paraphrase Monty Python (and David Cameron) what has the EU ever done for us:- Peace, almost 75 years of it, and that is something we need to think about.

[Neil Challis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assassination of one of Nazis inner circle ,ruler of Czechoslovakia and his brutal regime.Killed by 2 locals trained by British intelligence.This is a fictionalised account of a real event that is lost in all the annals of WW2.'The Hangman the person who brought about the mass extermination of the Jews and all 'untermensch'.
Although the contents of the story are not easy to read you need to persist to see the demise of a nasty creature.Need to read something lighter

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent true, novelised account of the assassination of Reynard Heydrich in 1942. The 2016 film, Anthropoid, is very close to the book (or vice-versa) but apparently the book is the truer version. Top read for anyone interested in the history of the Nazis and the horror of life in Prague for the Czechs during and after the rein of Heydrich.

[John Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book heavily based on fact. I've been interested in this event since reading Seven Men At Daybreak on the seventies and also seeing the films Operation Daybreak and Anthropoid.
We visited Prague a few weeks ago and visited some of the sites in the book so I had added realism whilst reading.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I have visited the church where the digging took place and became so interested in this story, I have seen the film and wanted another outlook of it. The story is told so well and is a must read

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read on a little known event in WW2. The development of the characters and the story are great and makes this a must read book. Plenty of action and suspense to hold anyone’s interest.

Thank you to #NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jason Monaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictionalised account of the plot to assassinate the odious SS leader Heydrich during WW2. Its a very straight retelling of the heroic and tragic story without diverting into side-plots, so will be unsurprising to those already familiar with how events unfolded.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good. The writing was so good and knowing it was based on or is a true story is amazing. I love world war two history and this book is no different. Learn so much from this. Awesome and so surprising!

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of Howard Linskey's books and was surprised at what an outstanding job he did for a very different kind of book.

[Maisie Cryer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I found it gripping from start to finish. The ending is excellently written and was heart wrenching to read.

[Tanvir Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIP : Jan Kubiš, Jozef Gabčík, Adolf Opálka, Josef Valčik, Josef Bublik, Jan Hrubý, Jaroslav Švarc

[TonyAntSonWil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read. Linking fact with some fiction.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true story. I felt like I was there during the book. Such a great reenactment of the killing of Reinhard Heidrich. We should all revere such brave men.

[Darrel Hofland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual style of book.
Gosh, those Nazi germans did horrific things!

"No one wins
It's a war of man"

Neil Young

[Richard Domann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

This relatively unknown take of courage in the face of tyrrany is a must read for fans of WWII historical fiction. Follow this author....read this book!