Customer Reviews

The Hanged Man's Song

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Whenever I see the name John Sandford on a book with a title that I have not already read, I buy it. I don't look at the jacket. I don't read the blurbs on the back of the book. I just tuck it under my arm, and I buy it. And, when I get home, no matter what else I am reading, I read it. He is that good, and more important, unlike some other generally very good authors writing today, he is that consistent.

I tell you all of this in fair warning - I am a fan of John Sandford (I know he is really John Camp, but I first met him as John Sandford and it has stuck.). That being said this not his best book. His best books are any of his Lucas Davenport, "Prey," novels. The Kidd series is not his best series, it is merely the second best thriller series being written today. Sandford's "Prey" series is the best, the benchmark.

However enough of all this, simply stated, this is his best Kidd novel to date and that makes it very good indeed. That I personally find Kidd a less interesting character than Davenport is not as important as this fact, he is still a very believable, very well drawn, character. The bad guy, less well drawn, but still believable, is not as important in this novel as the way the plot works out and the way that Kidd responds to the pressure that is a hallmark of all of the Sandford novels.

This book requires no suspension of disbelief in one of its central points, that anyone talented enough and persistent enough could find evidence of a number of really bad things that many powerful politicians have done, and that if these items of evidence were all collected into one place, this information would be both powerful and dangerous for the holder.

This drives the plot to Washington, DC, a place that I have called home for too many years and one that is often ill portrayed in fiction. Not in this book. While I do not guarantee you could follow Kidd and Company around DC on a map, I do guarantee that the novel's moves through the city are believable and perceptive. Sandford, as usual, has done his homework, he knows Washington.

This is a very good book. This is an intelligent book. This book is well written, and most of all, I liked it. It repays the time spent reading it with enjoyment. There are few higher compliments in fiction.

I am an avid John Sandford reader and Lucas Davenport fan but the Kidd series is my favorite. Since there have been relatively few books featuring Kidd, I was delighted to see the publicity for this book until I read on the book jacket that Bobby's murder and its ramifications form the central element of the plot. Bobby has been such an essential supporting character in the previous books that I was afraid that the author had chosen this method to end the series and thus my enjoyment of this story might be bittersweet. While it is always disappointing to say goodbye to an old literary acquaintance such as Bobby, Kidd fans should be relieved that the ending holds out the possibility that the series will continue. But beware, Kidd and Luellen will be forever changed.

The story is very simple, superhacker Bobby, Kidd's online lifeline and friend, goes silent and when Kidd and a friend assemble the clues that reveal Bobby's physical location (they have known him only in cyberspace), they discover that he has been murdered. Ominously, Bobby's laptop has been stolen and Bobby's circle of friends are very worried about what secrets might be revealed (including clues to their identities) if the encryption is cracked. Therefore, they have the dual goal of avenging Bobby's death and protecting themselves as well. Soon, secrets from Bobby's laptop start becoming public that involve powerful people, strike at the heart of government, and increase the risks to all concerned; thus their quest becomes a race against time. This is the quintessential Kidd, a libertarian loner with his own agenda, operating on both sides of the law and torn between his artistic impulses and his computer skills. And, as usual, his sometime partner (in crime and romance) who he knows only by her alias of Luellen figures in the action as the puzzle gradually unravels.And we are left with Kidd to puzzle out the identity and the meaning of the Hanged Man who keeps appearing in the Tarot spreads which he does to attempt to stimulate his insights about the problems which they encounter.

As Kidd and Luellen match wits with Jimmy James Carp, we see the ambiguities that develop when combating evil; at times they have to decide whether the ends justify some questionable means. This is a fast paced story that I found hard to put down, and I suspect that we may meet Rachel Willowby (the young hacker whose role is crucial to the story) if there are future sequels in this series. So the story raises many questions, from whether Bobby's death will be avenged to such existential musings as whether people are really dead if elements of their lives continue to exist. As Luellen muses about Bobby "he's like Janis Joplin... I heard ME AND BOBBY MCGEE on the radio... Janis is dead, but I never knew her personally, and I keep hearing her song so to me, it's the same as if she is still alive..." Can Bobby's computer keep him alive, or can Lemon (whoever he may be) successfully become his successor? And, you may even discover Luellen's real name.

I rated this slightly less than a full five stars for two reasons. First, a few loose ends were not satisfactorily tied up. Second, it had a few incidences of some pretty gruesome violence and very unpleasant situations. (However, they were relatively integral to the story.) But, it was a great read and I loved the existentialism and ambiguity of the ending, which cries for a sequel.

The one caveat I would provide is that while this is a self contained story, a reader will have much more depth of understanding of Kidd's and Bobby's (and Kidd's and Luellen's relationships) and of some of the references if the previous books in the series are read first. (Even though computer technology has changed so rapidly that some of the stuff is now obsolete.) This is especially true of the immediately preceding book THE DEVIL'S CODE, especially re: the identity of the man known as Bill Clinton. I believe that at a minimum that book should be read first, and it is as good a story as this one.

Tucker Andersen

John Sandford is best known for his "Prey" series featuring Lucas Davenport, a tough, street-smart cop. Sandford's alter-ego to Davenport is Kidd, a "gray area" hacker often on the dubious side of the law. While "Prey" and Davenport hog the headlines for Sandford, its the Kidd novels I find most intriguing and fun.

As an intro, Kidd is an artist...hacker; his love is art but his trade is hacking. As the Kidd novels grow, we find Kidd becoming a more demanded artist but again, his penchant for the dark side is where the fun is. This is the fourth in Sandford's Kidd series, featuring our anti-hero Kidd, and LuEllen the thief, Kidd's companion/sometimes lover.

THE HANGED MAN'S SONG abruptly begins with the murder of none other than the mysterious Bobby, the hacker's hack, the mysterious man with his finger on the pulse of all that is computer geekdom. Bobby has set up an elaborate network of hackers, all of whom "know of" Bobby but don't know Bobby. Kidd is a part of this network and knows exactly the power of Bobby. Bobby was the faceless friend of Kidd and LuEllen who had assisted them in previous "jobs" of a somewhat nefarious nature. Upon learning of Bobby's "silence," and what turns out to be his murder, Kidd and others in the network become extremely concerned about Bobby's missing laptop, apparently stolen by Bobby's killer. This laptop held many, many dark secrets, facts, and evidence...information that could destroy lives-including Kidd's.

Kidd, LuEllen and another network friend, John, begin a frantic investigation into Bobby's murder and missing laptop. Their obvious goal is to retrieve the laptop and secure the information contained therein but, just as importantly, nab and "bring to justice" Bobby's killer.

As with all Kidd novels, HANGED MAN unflinchingly proves that Sandford is rather salty when it comes to computers and hacking. The somewhat dark side of Kidd's character is further developed with this offering and shows some emotion not seen before; that of retribution. Kidd and LuEllen pull out all the stops in their search for this retribution. Along the way, Kidd and LuEllen's off & on romance is rekindled, one of borne of need, desire, and, of course, lust.

HANGED MAN is a great read but also provides a glimpse of the power of information, something we've all been exposed to. Further, it poses the great question of the real potential of "Big Brother." Highly recommended.

This is an excellent book if you like action/mystery fiction. My recommendation is buy it, read it and enjoy it. If you're new to John Sandford novels there are three previous books in this series featuring the computer hacker named Kidd and his friends. I'd say read the previous books in the series before you read this one. You'll get a lot of enjoyment and by then this one might be out in paperback or on sale. In my opinion ALL John Sandford/John Camp books are clever and well written. This is one of his best. The 'Kidd' series features stories that have a background of computers and technology. You don't need to be a technophile to enjoy them but if you are you'll like them just that much more. One point, since computer technology is changing so fast the tech points in the older Kidd books may seem dated, don't worry though, when the books were written the points were valid and the stories hang together nicely. In this latest book the author has his main character acknowledge the fast changing nature of technology and how some of the things they are doing will very soon be outdated. Once again though, this is a good story and will continue to be so even after the tech points in the book are outdated. I think the author had fun writing this book. I certainly enjoyed reading it. I find it absurd that the Kidd series is less highly regarded then the 'Davenport' series written by the same author. Both series are well-written engrossing tales and well worth reading. I'm sure if you like one series, you'll like the other series.

Since there wasn't much one could do with the snow outside, I decided to finish up a novel I started yesterday. It is The Hanged Man's Song by John Sandford. I like Sandford's Prey series with Lucas Davenport, but I don't think I've read any of his Kidd novels. Kidd is a painter and a hacker who lives pretty much on the wrong side of the laws when it comes to computer crime. In this installment, an uber-hacker known as "Bobby" is murdered and his laptop is stolen. When incriminating stories about government officials and programs start hitting the news, it becomes obvious that the person who stole the laptop was able to break the encryption codes and unleash the attacks until he gets what he is after. Kidd needs to stop him in order to prevent his own life from coming to an end if there is damaging information about him contained in the files.

The writing is tight and realistic, and if you're at all into computer crime novels you'll enjoy this one a lot.

While the "Prey" series featuring Lucas Davenport is more widely known, the Kidd series just seems to have even more intrigue than the well-written Prey novels. Kidd is just on the other side of the law, brash, and technologically-sound to the point that computers can get him anything he wants. Sure it's not legal, but you find yourself cheering him on...his actions are illegal, but he's still the protagonist!

The plot centers around the murder of Bobby, a character all readers of the Kidd novels are familiar with. I won't go into the details of the plot so nothing gets spoiled, but I'll admit that when I first read the synopsis, I figured I wouldn't like the fact that Bobby was killed off.

I was wrong.

As the story comes together, things begin to make sense. But in the final few pages of the book, everything is revealed and you finally understand why it was necessary for Bobby to be killed off...and you begin to wonder what the next Kidd adventure will be because so many possibilities have been opened up!

Best Kidd book yet...but the ones that are upcoming are sure to be right on par as well!

I've read all of Sandford's previous books, and they are all very good (although I've found the last few "Prey" novels to be perhaps settling into a rut). This one, however, is the best Sandford book I've read in quite a while, and probably the best thriller of any that I've read in months.

Both in character development and in plot, this is not up to Sandford's usual strength. Much of the plot limps along with inept episode after inept episode, while the finale, with mysterious black vigalentes pulled mysteriously out of nowhere, is simply implausible. All this is a pity since ome of the main points of the book can therefore be overlooked: No information kept of a computer that is linked directly or indirectly through a network to the internet is secure. It can be obtained for illicit purposes and can be manipulated by unauthorized people. All that is much more scary than the villain of this piece whose motives and personality are largely left blank. Sandford is an engaging write, but this is one to read only if you have already exhausted the large supply of better novels by him.

This was my first john sandford book and it was a great first choice it is the type of book that you could read in one sitting definitely fast paced i did find in the first few pages had alot of metaphors that were kind of annoying but then this book really takes off.

Mr.kidd who is the main character who is a memeber of computer ring of geeks (who happens to be a professional criminal, an artist and at times a reader of tarot cards) gets a message that is possibly problems with one of his geek friends.When he and one of his friends go to investigate they find his geek friend bobby with a crushed skull and his computer missing.

Mr. Kidd having fear that members of the ring and some of the deeds they have done might be exposed and wanting to find out who killed bobby and why begins to search and finds out there maybe information on the computer that could bring many high placed political officials down.

Give this book a read it is well worth it

After reading 8 Prey novels by Sandford, I read the latest Kidd novel, The Hanged Man's Song, and enjoyed solid yet unremarkable effort by Sandford. Kidd, don't think his first name was ever mentioned, is a computer hacker who tries to find out what happened to "Bobby" when he is no longer online. Bobby is the ultimate hacker that has info that if it is in the wrong hands, could destroy many people including Kidd and his squeaze LuEllen.

This book draws on some past characters I was unfamiliar with, including John, a black man with a militant past that he too wants hidden. They find Bobby murdered in his home and know they can't call the authorities without bringing suspicion upon themselves. Kidd draws attention to the case in a unique way and then after that its up to Kidd, LuEllen and John to track down the most valuable thing in the world, Bobby's laptop computer. Bobby's computer contains enough hacked information to destroy the USA. Kidd must operate outside the law while at the sametime work with Senators and congressmen.

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't overwhelm me like the first Prey novel I read. Kidd seems a lot like Lucas Davenport to me. Sure, he doesn't know how to use a gun and isn't a good fighter, but he is smart and cunning and comes across as a man without much depth, or at least we are not given a history to sympathize with why Kidd is the way he is.

I have yet to read Sandord novel I didn't enjoy and will probably go back and read the first Kidd novel and then the rest of the series.