Gemma Louise Coldiron has two personalities. One is herself—easygoing, curious, and travel-hungry. The other is a dictatorial other half named Tansy, who only lets Gemma come out of their Victorian mansion to do the shopping every two weeks.
Gemma also has amnesia, and Tansy’s too busy painting macabre art to be forthcoming about their past. The town speaks to Gemma about a “Mr. Hardin,” and it doesn’t take her long to learn she was married to the oil tycoon before he mysteriously went missing.
While Gemma begs Tansy to tell her more about their life with the handsome stranger, Gemma soon learns that the town harbors a secret society. And Mr. Hardin? He was the leader.
If Gemma can’t figure out what happened while maintaining her volatile relationship with Tansy, the town will assume Gemma killed Mr. Hardin—and even more alters will take root in Gemma’s already crowded mind.
An acutely observed modern-day psychological thriller that plunges into the daunting abyss of mental illness, community indoctrination, and cult group-mind.
The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray
Review
"Exquisite tension between the two experiences is well-crafted in a story which delicately walks the line between a psychological exploration and a thriller. ... Compellingly realistic." - D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review
"Gray successfully wove a narrative around a sensitive social justice topic from a perspective we don't often see. ... In my humble opinion, this book would make a great movie." - Stephany, Goodreads
"Buckle your seatbelts, this book is a wild ride! Never have I read a story where the main character has a split personality and Gray handles each "person" with finesse. I was never confused as to who was speaking or what they were doing. I applaud the author for tackling so many difficult topics in this story. Though they were different, each topic was fleshed out and written with compassion and understanding." - V. Romas Burton, author of Heartmender
"This is an epic book!!! I admire Gemma's strength to keep going when a lot would not have. She found a way." - Toni, Facebook Review
"I truly loved and enjoyed The Girl at the Hanging Tree. ... The author handles some very sensitive topics quite well in this book. She takes on racism, secret societies, white supremacy, mental illness, violence, murder, and death. It is not a light thriller, it is dark and heavy but the twist was shocking and I didn’t see it fully playing out the way it did." Erica, @whimsicalyme, Instagram
"This book immediately draws you and holds you captive, much like Tansy does to Gemma. Gray delivers a chilling, spine-tingling tale that will haunt you for months to come." - ALW, Amazon
"Mary Gray has blown me away with this dark, twisted psychological thriller ... very atmospheric." - Nathaniel, @hecticreadinglife, Instagram
"Its chilly and frightened me to the very core. I loved the way Mary Gray tied up the loose ends in the climax, giving proper respect to Gemma’s character. I read this book within couple of hours because nothing could take my eyes and mind off of it." - @bookhuntwithus, Instagram
"In a heavily written genre where it can be difficult to innovate, The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray is a rewarding change of pace." - Jennifer Jackson, Indies Today