What do You think about The Hanged Man's Song (2004)?
John Sandford is mostly known for his "Prey" series, starring Lucas Davenport. This book is fourth in the lesser known Kidd/LuEllen Series. Kidd is a computer expert who is also a quite good painter. LuEllen is simply a very good thief. Kidd often gets himself into tough situations in his role as a computer consultant which is how he met LuEllen. I still don't know their family names. Most of what Kidd and LuEllen do is technically illegal, but generally in the pursuit of what he and she see as justice. Kidd often gets his assignments and help through Bobby, a genius hacker, whom he only knows through their computers. The story opens with Bobby getting murdered. Kidd and other members of the "Ring", Booby's network of hackers, must find the killer before he publicizes all the secrets on Bobby's computer, some of which would put Kidd in serious jeopardy.The chase follows from there, eventually involving important political figures as well as others close to Kidd and LuEllen. The story shows off Sandford at his best with a great deal of suspense, close calls and other twists. The ending is satisfying and believable, leaving the reader wondering what's next for the series?The only problem with the books is that the technology is changing so fast that this book written only seven years ago seems somewhat out of date. The earlier books present the reader with even more of a disconnect with current reality. I like and admire the characters, both major and minor. Sandford's plotting is also impeccable, as usual, making the book a very enjoyable read.
—Ed
Gripping Plot + our familiar characters warm in 4th "Kidd"...While Sandford is known far and wide for his dozen or more "... Prey" series, starring Lucas Davenport, often in chase of serial killers, this novel comprises just the fourth entry in the artist/computer expert, Kidd. [If he has a first name, we don't know it.:] In the first three stories, Kidd is for hire to generally right wrongs for clients who cannot acquire justice for usually white collar crimes by conventional methods. Most of what Kidd does is technically illegal, but we grow to admire not only him but his sidekick, LuEllen, a definite thief and burglar who seems to have few redeeming qualities, other than that she is the best at stealthy breakins, and oh by the way, a fun bedroom companion of Kidd. A third character completes the regular cast, "Bobby", a reach-only by computer links-type guy who can hack into anywhere and find out anything -- so he's a frequent Kidd helper.This story starts with a big surprise -- Bobby gets murdered. Immediately, Kidd sets out to find not only the killer but to protect his own future from the secrets he fears Bobby may have stored on computer about him and LuEllen. The race that follows between Kidd (with a little help from LuEllen who seems to be along for just companionship for a change) and the bad guy is typical Sandford suspense at his best. Indeed, the bad guy makes very clever use of the computer network to pretend to be a Bobby successor and suck Kidd out and keep tabs on him. Things pretty much turn out OK at the end, at which point LuEllen and Kidd start to have some very interesting conversations about the future.Computer technology changes quickly -- if you haven't read the first three in the series you might wish to do so before the tech stuff is just totally lame. For the same reason, this series as is has a questionable future: could our leading couple go straight, settle down, and have "Kidds" ???!!!
—Jerry
The Hanged Man's Song appears to be the last of the Kidd series by John Sandford, and it's a pretty good one. I wish Sandford would write more of these, but he seems to have lost interest. There is something appealing about the (unlikely) combination of a values-centric, white knight, with a tarnished lance (in the form of a laptop) who goes about righting wrongs while occasionally playing Robin Hood. This one brings a few characters from previous novels into the foreground, though unfortunately we lose one early in the story. The only problem with tech-based stories is that they become obsolete so fast, though I am old enough to remember the "old" times and still place myself in context to enjoy the story.
—Greg
