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Harriet Smart
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The Hanging Cage (The Northminster Mysteries Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Harriet Smart (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 1,116 ratings

Summoned to the bleak market town of Whithorne in the midst of a winter storm, Major Giles Vernon and police surgeon Felix Carswell are embroiled in another challenging investigation.

A beautiful young heiress has been found dead in her bed, and although suicide seems the most likely cause, the circumstances soon point to a tangle of illicit relationships and painful secrets. As Major Vernon pursues the truth behind Annabella Barker's death, further shocking events soon unfold, including another suicide. At the same time, called in to deliver a son and heir, Carswell is drawn into the affairs of the eccentric Yardley family at Whithorne Castle, but it is no distraction from his anxieties about his troubled relationship with Sukey Connolly. Major Vernon, for his part, unexpectedly encounters an old acquaintance and is forced to question both his past and his future.

When a partial skeleton is found in a culvert, events begin to take a still darker turn, and Vernon and Carswell must pursue an unimaginable evil. As November floods threaten the bridges of Northminster itself, dangerous enemies emerge close to home and the struggle for justice becomes a matter of life and death.

The Hanging Cage is the fourth Northminster Mystery, featuring early Victorian detectives Vernon and Carswell.

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  1. Book 4 of 11
    The Northminster Mysteries
  2. Print length
    431 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    January 30, 2016
  5. File size
    5.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BANX0MU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anthemion; 4th edition (January 30, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 431 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,116 ratings

About the author

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Harriet Smart

Harriet Smart

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Harriet Smart is a novelist living in Northumberland

Educated at the University of St Andrews, Harriet’s debut novel, A GARLAND OF VOWS, was inspired by her research into a firm nineteenth century church furnishers and turned into an epic family saga, spanning fifty years. Her second novel, GREEN GROW THE RUSHES, set in Edwardian Scotland was short-listed for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. She is currently writing a series of crime novels set in early Victorian England.

Along with her husband Julian Smart she has designed Writer’s Café, a software toolkit for fiction writers. For more information see www.writerscafe.co.uk and www.jutoh.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,116 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be an incredible reading experience with interesting storylines and complex, engaging characters. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it is well thought out.

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20 customers mention "Enjoyment"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, describing it as an incredible reading experience and part of a well-done series, with one customer noting that nothing seems overdone.

"...This is my favorite time period for reading and believe that she has properly researched the behavior and use of language...." Read more

"...Nevertheless, a great read." Read more

"I loved everything about this book!!! Great return to form and detailed character development...." Read more

"That was an incredible reading experience!!..." Read more

13 customers mention "Storyline"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, describing it as a wonderfully told mystery with interesting plot elements. One customer particularly appreciates the attention to historical details.

"I have enjoyed all four of the Northminster mysteries. The basic characters have developed through all the books...." Read more

"...and find myself hooked on Ms Smart's characters and convoluted mysteries and love entanglements...." Read more

"...Great return to form and detailed character development. The mystery was the focus and it served Harriet Smart well...." Read more

"...I will continue to read the series as the storylines are very interesting and hold my attention." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, with one customer noting it is well thought out.

"...The plots are surprising and well thought out. Another writer that I have grown to appreciate." Read more

"...about murder and solving them with the feeling you are there.well written you will want to read all of them." Read more

"...The author writes well, for the most part, and I enjoy a number of her established characters...." Read more

"...They are easy ready and nice to go to bed and read before I go to sleep." Read more

10 customers mention "Character development"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them complex and interesting, with one customer describing the hero as intelligent.

"...The basic characters have developed through all the books. I hope Mrs.Smart is busy writing number five!...." Read more

"...Great return to form and detailed character development. The mystery was the focus and it served Harriet Smart well...." Read more

"...lines going on at the same time!!..keep track because of alot of fabulous characters..then they all battle against each other..you will love it💓..." Read more

"This novel had a well developed theme and interesting characters. Well done!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another mystery writer for the A list.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I have enjoyed all four of the Northminster mysteries. The basic characters have developed through all the books. I hope Mrs.Smart is busy writing number five!. This is my favorite time period for reading and believe that she has properly researched the behavior and use of language. The plots are surprising and well thought out. Another writer that I have grown to appreciate.
    Helpful
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  • Peggy Weidman
    4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully told mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I have read the previous books in this series and find myself hooked on Ms Smart's characters and convoluted mysteries and love entanglements. Once started it's hard to put the book down for anticipation of the next twist in the tale. A real who done it in the best style of the genera. My enjoyment was marred only by wrong words inserted here and there that were jarring and disruptive to the smooth flow of text. Nevertheless, a great read.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great return to form
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I loved everything about this book!!! Great return to form and detailed character development. The mystery was the focus and it served Harriet Smart well. The minds of the perpetrators were exposed and true malevolence revealed. I can't wait to start book 5 with Giles and Felix growing together as partners.
    Helpful
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  • Kathy Holm
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Hanging Cage
    Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    That was an incredible reading experience!! There are three story lines going on at the same time!!..keep track because of alot of fabulous characters..then they all battle against each other..you will love it💓
    Helpful
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  • Virginia Reader
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the first three novels in this series
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This novel was darker, less realistic, and less enjoyable than the first three novels in this series. The two main characters continue to suffer the flaws of humanity and it is not so pleasant to read. Writing is pretty good.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery,romance,murder,intrigue u won't be disappointed!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It was about murder and solving them with the feeling
    you are there.well written you will want to read all of them.
    Helpful
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  • Sharon E. from USA
    5.0 out of 5 stars A well written novel
    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This novel had a well developed theme and interesting characters. Well done! I enjoyed reading this book and will be reading the rest of the series.
    Helpful
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  • Auntie
    3.0 out of 5 stars A little too much...
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I have really enjoyed this series, but this was my least favorite book.

    First of all (and as I've found in ALL of the books in this series), there are a number of typos throughout. There seems to be a pattern to them too, as though the author made an edit, but then forgot to remove what she'd meant to change. That aside, I thought the plot was over the top this time (crossed into the bizarre and was a bit gratuitous with the macabre), and that there were too many extraneous characters. (The Germans, for example, and Mrs. Rivers, but there were others that seemed to be unnecessary this time.) The author writes well, for the most part, and I enjoy a number of her established characters. In this book, Mrs. Maitland was a great addition, as was her son, but I didn't enjoy the relationship between Felix and Sukey at all -- and I had really been looking forward to that.

    I would recommend that the author get herself a good and thorough editor. Although I've seen worse (way worse), it's still distracting to have to do mental edits. Aside from typos, sometimes the author fails to clarify which character she's referencing when using "he" or "she", in conversations among several characters within a paragraph, and once she used "she" when it was actually a male character speaking. Confusing...
    11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Darklldo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful books
    Reviewed in Australia on May 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Here I am looking for book 5 and I don't think it's been written yet. I am enjoying the series so much I had dreamed I had at least another 5 books to read and now what am I going to do?
    Practice patience I suppose until Harriet Smart can get the next one published, but how I wish she'd hurry.
    The characters are growing as the story unwinds through the books. The mysteries are involved and don't pretend murder is nice and neat, it's bloody and awful and Ms Smart makes it clear this is so.
    Our heroes are well rounded characters who, despite their faults are very likeable, as are the women in their lives.
    You're not wasting you money buying this series and enjoying every page.
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Full of mystery
    Reviewed in India on January 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Started reading the series and got hooked. This one was so evil and full of painful tragedy. So intense.
    I like the style of writing. Keeps u engaged.
    Looking forward to reading more in this series.
    Report
  • Roger Jenkins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent
    Report
  • John Hindson
    4.0 out of 5 stars The hanging cage
    Reviewed in Canada on February 22, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting book, suspenseful.
    Report
  • Kimmsie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Obvious but still good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Another good outing for Major Vernon and Dr Carswell. I enjoy these books even though, so far, they have been rather obvious. The characters are likeable with faults and foibles that make them real. On to the next one.
    Report

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