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Nowhere, USA #4
The Hanging Judge
The sorceress of psychological suspense is back with the fourth book in her highly-anticipated new Nowhere USA series. Ninie Hammon is at her career-best in The Hanging Judge - a story that will have you looking over your shoulder at every tiny sound.
Recently-reunited childhood friends Charlie, Sam, and Malachi have come to a startling whatever the Jabberwock is, it "wants to play" with them - and it's imprisoned the whole county to make sure the trio won't abandon it.
Meanwhile, Viola Tackett has murdered the only law enforcement officer in the county, and she's staging a kangaroo court to solidify her authority as residents vanish one by one.
Can Charlie, Sam, and Malachi survive Viola long enough to defeat The Jabberwock and return their town to the rest of the world?
The Hanging Judge is the fourth book in Ninie Hammon's new series, Nowhere USA , a riveting psychological thriller about the residents of a forgotten county that inexplicably sinks through reality to find itself in the middle of Nowhere. Fans of Justified , Under The Dome , and LOST will find themselves right at home in Nowhere USA.
Recently-reunited childhood friends Charlie, Sam, and Malachi have come to a startling whatever the Jabberwock is, it "wants to play" with them - and it's imprisoned the whole county to make sure the trio won't abandon it.
Meanwhile, Viola Tackett has murdered the only law enforcement officer in the county, and she's staging a kangaroo court to solidify her authority as residents vanish one by one.
Can Charlie, Sam, and Malachi survive Viola long enough to defeat The Jabberwock and return their town to the rest of the world?
The Hanging Judge is the fourth book in Ninie Hammon's new series, Nowhere USA , a riveting psychological thriller about the residents of a forgotten county that inexplicably sinks through reality to find itself in the middle of Nowhere. Fans of Justified , Under The Dome , and LOST will find themselves right at home in Nowhere USA.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2020
29 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Ninie Hammon
48 books240 followersI was born in Socorro, New Mexico, sometime shortly after the earth cooled off. It’s clear that from the outset my parents never intended for me to amount to anything. How could I? With a name like “Ninie?” Please.
Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell or (though you’d lose points here for lack of originality) Elizabeth Bovell. But Ninie? I never had a chance.
If I sound a mite hostile, bear in mind that in one decisive stroke my parents sentenced their precious newborn daughter to a lifetime of explanations that began my first day at Muleshoe Elementary School. (Yeah, Muleshoe. The hits just keep on coming.) After a painful week, I had a rap down that I still use today:
“No, it’s not Ninnie like skinny and penny. It’s Ninie—rhymes with tiny and shiny. 9e…get it? And no, it doesn’t mean anything, it isn’t short for anything, long for anything, or a substitute for anything. It just is. (Pause here for the inevitable ‘Why?’) You got me, pal, I couldn’t tell you.”
I grew up in Texas, got a BA in English and theatre from Texas Tech University and snagged a job as a newspaper reporter. Didn't know a thing about journalism, but my editor said if I could write he could teach me the rest of it and if I couldn't write the rest of it didn't matter. I hung in there for a 25-year career as a journalist. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but as soon as I figured out that making up the facts was a whole lot more fun than reporting them, I never looked back.
Now, I write suspense--every flavor except pistachio: psychological suspense, inspirational suspense, suspense thrillers, paranormal suspense, suspense mysteries.
In every book I write I try to keep this promise to Loyal Reader: I will tell you a story in a distinctive voice you'll always recognize, about people as ordinary as you are--people who have been slammed by something they didn’t sign on for, and now they must fight for their lives. Then smack in the middle of their everyday worlds, those people encounter the unexplainable--and it's always the game-changer."
Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell or (though you’d lose points here for lack of originality) Elizabeth Bovell. But Ninie? I never had a chance.
If I sound a mite hostile, bear in mind that in one decisive stroke my parents sentenced their precious newborn daughter to a lifetime of explanations that began my first day at Muleshoe Elementary School. (Yeah, Muleshoe. The hits just keep on coming.) After a painful week, I had a rap down that I still use today:
“No, it’s not Ninnie like skinny and penny. It’s Ninie—rhymes with tiny and shiny. 9e…get it? And no, it doesn’t mean anything, it isn’t short for anything, long for anything, or a substitute for anything. It just is. (Pause here for the inevitable ‘Why?’) You got me, pal, I couldn’t tell you.”
I grew up in Texas, got a BA in English and theatre from Texas Tech University and snagged a job as a newspaper reporter. Didn't know a thing about journalism, but my editor said if I could write he could teach me the rest of it and if I couldn't write the rest of it didn't matter. I hung in there for a 25-year career as a journalist. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but as soon as I figured out that making up the facts was a whole lot more fun than reporting them, I never looked back.
Now, I write suspense--every flavor except pistachio: psychological suspense, inspirational suspense, suspense thrillers, paranormal suspense, suspense mysteries.
In every book I write I try to keep this promise to Loyal Reader: I will tell you a story in a distinctive voice you'll always recognize, about people as ordinary as you are--people who have been slammed by something they didn’t sign on for, and now they must fight for their lives. Then smack in the middle of their everyday worlds, those people encounter the unexplainable--and it's always the game-changer."
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 17, 2020
A few things begin to make sense in this new installment. A young boy ponders doing something brave, and another resident begins to seize control in unbelievable ways. What will the townsfolk do when the law in town doesn’t abide by any rules but their own? And many have assumed they can just simply go on about their lives as if the Jabberwock didn’t exist… but it would be unwise. [i]Very[/i] unwise.
January 2, 2021
My Goosebumps Ran Screaming!
This story. Stick a fork in me, 'cause I think I'm 'bout done. This tale isn't so much scary as...creepy. Haunting. The crawl-under-your-skin-and-lay-eggs-there menacing that just won't let loose. Yep. That kind of petrifying.
These poor people in this nowhere place have already had more than they can handle. You know what happens when people start reaching the ends of their proverbial ropes: the good ones do more good, and the bad ones make everyone else wish they were somewhere else. Isn't really anyone much worse than nasty old Viola Tackett and her incredible brood--proof of why inbreeding isn't just nasty, but a really bad idea.
Well, the folks of Nowhere County have been swirling the old tidee bowl since the Jabberwock rode in, and Viola has finally made her move to rise to the top of the bowl. It's even uglier than anyone could have imagined.
Viola isn't the only crazy, wild, ugly, or insane thing happening in these hollers, either. Some lines of communication are being made. That's the good news and the bad news. Two murderers are confessing, a boy and his dog are on the hunt, deals are being made, and EJ continues to deal with his wounds from the rabid dog.
I couldn't have put this book down if I tried. I can't wait for the next installment, because I'm having a lot of trouble seeing how the GOOD people of Nower County (few though they seem at the moment) are going to survive this.
If you're new to this series, please do yourself a favor, and start with the first book, "The Jabberwock (Nowhere, USA Book 1)." This saga is simply too intense and too complex to pick up in the middle. It will be most enjoyed from the beginning.
This story. Stick a fork in me, 'cause I think I'm 'bout done. This tale isn't so much scary as...creepy. Haunting. The crawl-under-your-skin-and-lay-eggs-there menacing that just won't let loose. Yep. That kind of petrifying.
These poor people in this nowhere place have already had more than they can handle. You know what happens when people start reaching the ends of their proverbial ropes: the good ones do more good, and the bad ones make everyone else wish they were somewhere else. Isn't really anyone much worse than nasty old Viola Tackett and her incredible brood--proof of why inbreeding isn't just nasty, but a really bad idea.
Well, the folks of Nowhere County have been swirling the old tidee bowl since the Jabberwock rode in, and Viola has finally made her move to rise to the top of the bowl. It's even uglier than anyone could have imagined.
Viola isn't the only crazy, wild, ugly, or insane thing happening in these hollers, either. Some lines of communication are being made. That's the good news and the bad news. Two murderers are confessing, a boy and his dog are on the hunt, deals are being made, and EJ continues to deal with his wounds from the rabid dog.
I couldn't have put this book down if I tried. I can't wait for the next installment, because I'm having a lot of trouble seeing how the GOOD people of Nower County (few though they seem at the moment) are going to survive this.
If you're new to this series, please do yourself a favor, and start with the first book, "The Jabberwock (Nowhere, USA Book 1)." This saga is simply too intense and too complex to pick up in the middle. It will be most enjoyed from the beginning.
December 31, 2020
The fourth book in Ninie Hammon's Nowhere USA series, hits the ground running, and doesn't slacken the pace until the last page, where it leaves you champing at the bit for the next installment.
Fortunately, fans of this series won't have to wait too long.
As the story continues to unfold from the first three books, some questions are answered, and some new ones crop up, keeping you engaged and intrigued.
What could possibly be the reason for an ordinary little Kentucky town and its inhabitants, being thrown into this nightmare, which locks them in and won't let them out?
Mystery, intrigue, horror and much more await within.
As always, the characters are real, and grow in familiarity with each book, so thagt by the time you reach this one, you really feel you know them well.
The story continues its twisty path and keeps on throwing unexpected turns at the reader.
For me personally, the books in this series are just the right length to keep me hooked. I have to see how this tale ends!!
Fortunately, fans of this series won't have to wait too long.
As the story continues to unfold from the first three books, some questions are answered, and some new ones crop up, keeping you engaged and intrigued.
What could possibly be the reason for an ordinary little Kentucky town and its inhabitants, being thrown into this nightmare, which locks them in and won't let them out?
Mystery, intrigue, horror and much more await within.
As always, the characters are real, and grow in familiarity with each book, so thagt by the time you reach this one, you really feel you know them well.
The story continues its twisty path and keeps on throwing unexpected turns at the reader.
For me personally, the books in this series are just the right length to keep me hooked. I have to see how this tale ends!!
December 15, 2020
What is a Jabberwock? Lewis Carroll created the creature with its jaws and claws and eyes of flame, but the Jabberwock that has taken over Nowhere County is a mysterious being that has wreaked havoc on the occupants and seems to want to play with some of the residents. How does a Jabberwock play?
Ninie Hammon has created a place with a crew of characters that unite to solve the mystery and others that seem to be taking advantage of the power they have living by their own laws and getting away with murder. People appear to be living in parallel universes depending on where they were on J-Day.
The Hanging Judge is the fourth book in the series. Each book takes us deeper and deeper into the mystery. I find myself becoming more and more involved with these characters, almost as though I am living there with them. I anticipate each new book as it is written. Hammon has a special style that leaves us wanting more.
Ninie Hammon has created a place with a crew of characters that unite to solve the mystery and others that seem to be taking advantage of the power they have living by their own laws and getting away with murder. People appear to be living in parallel universes depending on where they were on J-Day.
The Hanging Judge is the fourth book in the series. Each book takes us deeper and deeper into the mystery. I find myself becoming more and more involved with these characters, almost as though I am living there with them. I anticipate each new book as it is written. Hammon has a special style that leaves us wanting more.
July 29, 2025
Horror at its best!
The Hanging Judge, book 4, is not a standalone novel. There is much information in books 1-3 that the reader needs in order to be completely terrified! The main characters are well developed and there are plenty of them to either root for or root for their end. The storyline is deeply immersive and may well pull at you in dreams/nightmares. I highly recommend it.
Purchased from Amazon
The Hanging Judge, book 4, is not a standalone novel. There is much information in books 1-3 that the reader needs in order to be completely terrified! The main characters are well developed and there are plenty of them to either root for or root for their end. The storyline is deeply immersive and may well pull at you in dreams/nightmares. I highly recommend it.
Purchased from Amazon
December 17, 2020
Each book that I read in the Jabberwock series leaves me wanting more as every book ends. The suspense has my heart beating faster, the descriptive prose makes me feel as if I’m part of the story and the plight of each character infuses me with a unhealthy dose of angst. But I read on, earning for more of the story as I wait for the next book.
January 3, 2021
Wow!
Another outstanding book. This is another edge of your seat book. I couldn't put it down! I can't wait for the next on, I gotta know what happens to Charlie, Sam, and Malachai.
Ninie is the best. Thanks for giving your fans something to keep us going, we all need that right now. Five stars Ninie, keep 'em coming!
Another outstanding book. This is another edge of your seat book. I couldn't put it down! I can't wait for the next on, I gotta know what happens to Charlie, Sam, and Malachai.
Ninie is the best. Thanks for giving your fans something to keep us going, we all need that right now. Five stars Ninie, keep 'em coming!
December 17, 2020
The Hanging Judge, book 4 in the Nowhere, U.S.A. series is so totally unpredictable. It goes beyond my imagination as to what might be going to happen next. It's shocking at times. I can't wait to see how this resolves...or if it ever does. Be sure to read them in order. Great series.
November 7, 2021
Stephen King quality writing and crazy imaginative. Would make a great miniseries.
April 21, 2022
Thanks for your writing....
Always can count on a good read when I grab one of MS Hanson's books. This is a series so I am happily reading on.
Always can count on a good read when I grab one of MS Hanson's books. This is a series so I am happily reading on.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews