Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder

It’s fairly obvious to me that Mo Hayder is an author who takes a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment at watching her readers suffer as they gorge over her opulent and polished narrative. Hanging Hill, Hayder’s eighth novel is as disturbing and dark as they get – but boy is it a compelling read – put it down at your peril!

As I worked my way through the book I found myself comparing the experience to that of a good old fashioned horror movie – you just know something bad is going to happen and as the music changes and the fog appears on screen, you can’t take your eyes off it for one second. You kid yourself that by closing one eye and squinting through the other that everything will be ok – but it never is – Hanging Hill is just like that!

What if you found yourself divorced and penniless? With no skills and a teenage daughter to support? What if the only way to survive was to do things you never thought possible, to go places you never knew existed …

These are questions Sally has never really thought about before. Married to a successful business man, she’s always been a bit of a dreamer. Until now.

Her sister Zoe is her polar opposite. A detective inspector working out of Bath Central, she loves her job, and oozes self-confidence. No one would guess that she hides a crippling secret that dates back twenty years, and which – if exposed – may destroy her.

Two sisters intent on survival. Until one does something so terrifying that there’s no way back …

Zoe and Sally, the two main protagonists, couldn’t be further apart. Following a deliberate accident when they were younger the two sisters were separated and sent to different schools – one private and one public. Sally always thought she was the least intelligent of the two and Zoe had everything – looks, long legs and a successful career. But the longer I read Hanging Hill the more I realised the two sisters were similar in one way – they were both damaged – both physically and mentally.

Hanging Hill is available from Amazon & The Book Depository. & Kindle

What I found fascinating about this novel was the way in which Hayder effortlessly blends two alternate timelines – Zoe and Sally – from one tragic event. It’s hard to see how the two will be drawn together but as Hanging Hill develops a momentum all of its own, risks are taken in the heat of the moment that will change their lives forever. Small decisions, whether correct or not, test the relationships of those they hold near and dear. Aristotle once wrote “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” – with both sisters hell-bent on working things out themselves one wonders if they can they put years of bad blood to one side, work together to reach a satisfactory conclusion?

Mo Hayder

There’s very little light in Hanging Hill and what light there is has a perpetual dark and threatening cloud hovering overhead just waiting to envelop and cause more misery – you never know what to expect. With the passing of each chapter Hayder adds another ingredient to the story and I often found myself thinking “this situation can’t get any worse, can it?” but it can and it does!

Twists and turns aplenty the ending will leave you aghast and just when you think you have it all worked out Hayder pulls the rug from under your feet and throws you a curve ball. Who doesn’t enjoy endings that leave you wanting to know more – yet at the same time end satisfactorily – and this novel certainly falls into that category. I want to know what happens next – in fact note to self “ask Mo”!!

Hanging Hill will grip you from the very first chapter and never let go until its climactic dénouement. It will force you to take a step back and question what would you do for your family and perhaps more importantly – would you succeed? If ever a disturbing narrative was a positive then this is it. Mo Hayder is unquestionably well and truly established in the thriller/suspense genre – one that would most certainly be the poorer without her.

There’s only one way to read Hanging Hill – with one eye open, the doors and windows double locked and the lights on full. Gripping stuff.

Published by Bantam Press Hanging Hill is available from Amazon & The Book Depository. & Kindle