Hangman

More about the book

Eighteen months after the Ragdoll murders, the scars remain fresh, affecting daily life as copycat killings emerge worldwide, revealing the twisted minds behind them. Andrea Hall's memoirs dominate the charts, while children wear grotesque costumes of the infamous killer. Emily Baxter, now Chief Inspector due to her past work on the case, struggles with her bureaucratic role, while Alex Edmunds, back in his mundane Fraud job, feels similarly unfulfilled. When Baxter meets with FBI Agent Elliot Curtis and CIA Agent Damien Rouche, they present her with disturbing photographs of a new copycat murder: a body contorted on the Brooklyn Bridge, the word BAIT carved into its chest. The victim, William Fawkes, a Wall Street banker, signals that this case is different. Baxter is tasked with aiding Curtis and Rouche in a high-profile investigation to satisfy public demand. In New York, they discover another victim with the word PUPPET inscribed on them. As the team races against time, the murders escalate in spectacle and depravity across both sides of the Atlantic. Their challenge lies in uncovering the identity of the intended bait, the criteria for choosing the Puppets, and, crucially, the puppet master pulling the strings.