The Hanging Tree

An addictive small town mystery thriller with a killer twist

For a hundred years, the residents of a rural Welsh village have been hiding the truth. Now, a newcomer has started digging around, uncovering more than just buried secrets. Retired detective, Graham Williams, has moved to Bethgelert for a fresh start, determined to put the horrors of last year behind him. He has seen his fair share of disturbing scenes, but nothing prepares him for what he sees hanging in the gnarly old tree outside his front window.

Only one man can help him uncover the truth ...

Stephen Mallow has come a long way since he helped solve the mystery of Cherry Hollow. When his old nemesis calls and asks for help, he jumps in the car, ignoring the pain in his head and the hole in his heart. He’s ready to take on another weird and creepy small town mystery.

These two unlikely allies, whose main form of communication is bickering, start to work together to dig up the disturbing secrets of ‘The Hanging Tree’, but they soon realise there’s more to the story than they first thought.

A teenage girl is missing. The town butcher isn’t telling them everything. The tree seems to be speaking to Stephen ...

And someone is watching their every move ...

From Jessica Huntley, award-winning and best-selling author of ‘Jinx’ and ‘Horrible Husbands’, comes ‘The Hanging Tree’, a brand-new twisted thriller, perfect for fans of Claire Mackintosh, Lisa Jewell and Louise Jensen.

©2025 Jessica Huntley (P)2026 Jessica Huntley & Candace Fitzgerald

Mystery in a small town

Small town secrets, mysterious happenings. The centerpiece, a giant tree that holds answers to all the questions. This slow burn story with twists, had me trying to guess what happens next. It was a great story!

A thriller with a bit of the unknown

First book I have read/listened to of this author and I wasn’t disappointed. A family curse affecting the whole town, a retired detective, and a neurodivergent journalist, who could ask for more. Will this duo be able to learn the truth and break the curse or will the town bring them to their knees? I highly recommend this book and love how well the journalist character was described not just on the outside but how his mind worked.

The Hanging tree

I love the narration. But let me talk about the book. It had me on the edge trying to figure out who did what in the small town. Then who was really in charge. The end was kind of sad with Steven passing away from the tumor. But I love this mystery.

Creepy small-town mystery with eerie folklore

4⭐️

Set in a rural Welsh village with a long memory and plenty of secrets, The Hanging Tree follows retired detective Graham Williams, who relocates hoping for a quieter life. Instead, he quickly finds himself pulled into a strange mystery tied to a local legend, a missing teenage girl, and the unsettling history surrounding the tree outside his home.

I’ve read a few of Jessica Huntley’s books now, and this one felt a little different from what I’ve come to expect from her - in a good way. The story leans more into eerie folklore and atmospheric mystery, and the setting really becomes a character in its own right.

Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, the narrative gradually pieces together the past and present. I really enjoyed following the unlikely partnership between retired detective Graham and journalist Stephen as they worked to unravel what was really happening in the village.

The atmosphere was easily my favourite part of the book. The unsettling legend surrounding the tree, the tension within the small community, and the sense that something dark was buried in the town’s past created a genuinely creepy backdrop.

I consumed this as an audiobook and found it a really engaging listen as the mystery slowly unfolded. I did manage to predict a couple of elements along the way, but the journey getting there was still very enjoyable and the eerie setting kept me hooked.

If you enjoy small-town mysteries with folklore, layered timelines, and secrets buried deep in a community’s past, this is definitely one to check out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

loved it!

Thank you for a copy of this audiobook! Jessica Huntley never lets me down. Haven't a read a book by her I haven't liked! This on had me yelling wtf about ten times. It was so good!