A Hangman for Ghosts by Andrei Baltakmens
Publication Date: July 1, 2018
Top Five Books
Paperback & eBook; 288 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
"Baltakmens (The Raven’s Seal, 2012), echoing the voices of 19th-century masters like Conrad and Melville, combines adventure and mystery in a high-stakes tale of class, morality, and justice." -Kirkus Reviews
“With rich historical details that evoke Australia’s early colonial days, this is a wonderful, traditional novel.…Folding in vivid details, bright characters, and compelling dialogue, the story is a page-turner, a savory treat to be devoured.” - Foreward Reviews
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo
Read an Excerpt
From Chapter 2, “The Hangman’s Fee” (A Hanging)
The surgeon, Moynihan, idling down the lane from his chambers higher up the street, found the gaoler, Wilmot, off duty, on the edge of the gathering.
“Mr. Carver seems rather particular about his craft,” said the surgeon, peering at the crowd and the gallows.
The gaoler was teasing one of the roaming dogs by rattling his keys. “He’s a peculiar cove. The convicts hate him for his trade. The officers shun him because he is a convict. Do you not know? No sooner had he stepped off the transport, he won his release from hard labour by taking the assignment as executioner in old Mitchell’s place. Answered the call to hang three of his own.”
“And what was his crime?”
“We don’t speak of old crimes here, but the word was he escaped from the hulks with another prisoner, after some wild scheme to murder a guard fell apart.”
“Did he murder that guard?”
“No. That was the other man. His old shipmates would have raised him up as a hero among the prisoners here for that particular exploit, had he not taken up the noose.”
“A cypher, therefore. Yet there is something not altogether wild about his conduct,” said Moynihan.
“I’ll grant you, he’s never drunk the day before a hanging,” said Wilmot. “And old Mitchell was often dead-drunk, and likely to botch the job.”
Moynihan swallowed dryly. “What do you make of his naming that unfortunate woman as his wife?”
Wilmot shrugged. “Convicts make all sorts of queer alliances. There are few enough women. They generally fall in with a likely fellow, or a soldier. But these common marriages don’t last. I doubt he’ll stand by her, however she may rave and threaten.”
The prisoners were brought down for their final walk. Doyle shuffled out last, coughing into a rag.
“His cough is worse,” said Moynihan painfully.
“Soon remedy that.” The gaoler pushed the dog aside with a thrust of his boot.
“It is a mercy, then, I suppose.”
Four, this morning. The youngest, a boy of seventeen, emerged scowling but looked baffled at the raw timbers of the gallows platform. The Reverend Honeychair read from the eighty-eighth psalm, a gloomy favourite among the prisoners, but the crowd roused itself, and a few toasts were proposed and accepted with sour liquor.
Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
The guards cradled their muskets; an Irishman near the foot of the gaol wall began singing.
All four were sent up to take their part under the cross-beam. The hood was offered, and only the wild-looking boy refused, for he had taken the notion that he was a pebble, iron-hard and not to be swayed, even at the end. Doyle dipped his head meekly for the covers. The warder of the gaol looked at his pocket watch. A transport under sail came wallowing up the flawless harbour.
I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more…
The hangman placed each noose and turned the knot to the side. His steps alone did not falter on the boards.
There were a few preliminary cheers when the clergyman closed his Bible and began the Lord’s Prayer. A scuffle broke out on the edge of the crowd on the hill, compounding the dust.
The warder clasped his hands and nodded to the executioner.
One by one, Carver tipped the condemned from light into darkness. A shudder, a kick; five-foot-nine, well judged. Doyle was suspended, still, a broken stick.
About the Author
Andrei Baltakmens was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, of Latvian descent. He has a Ph.D. in English literature, focused on Charles Dickens and Victorian urban mysteries. His first novel, The Battleship Regal, was published in New Zealand in 1996. His short fiction has appeared in various literary journals, and his first historical mystery, The Raven's Seal, was published in 2012. Since 2004, he has lived in Ithaca, New York and Brisbane, Australia, where he recently completed a doctorate in Creative Writing at The University of Queensland. He now lives in Palo Alto, California, with his wife and son, and works for Stanford University as an instructional designer.Blog Tour Schedule
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, December 18
Feature at Tar Heel Reader
Feature at Tar Heel Reader
Wednesday, December 19
Feature at Donna’s Book Blog
Feature at Donna’s Book Blog
Friday, December 21
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Thursday, December 27
Interview at Passages to the Past
Interview at Passages to the Past
Friday, December 28
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads
Thursday, January 3
Interview at Bookish Rantings
Interview at Bookish Rantings
Monday, January 7
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Broken Teepee
Thursday, January 10
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Monday, January 14
Review at A Book Geek
Review at A Book Geek
Tuesday, January 15
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Coffee and Ink
Wednesday, January 16
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Monday, January 21
Review at Passages to the Past
Review at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, January 22
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of A Hangman for Ghosts! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on January 22nd.
You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to US residents only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
A Hangman for Ghosts
Thanks so much for hosting Collins' blog tour!
ReplyDeleteAmy
HF Virtual Book Tours
You are welcome Amy!
ReplyDelete