I really like this series! Laura Joh Rowland is one of my favorite authors of Victorian mysteries! I have read the other books in this series and it just keeps getting better. In this book Sarah, Hugh and Mick are called on to investigate the death of Harry Warbrick, a local pub owner. He is also the top hangmen. Their investigation leads them to a very gloomy prison and the secrets involved in the hanging of a baby killer. Many twists and turns as the truth comes to light. Highly recommend! Can't wait for the next installment!

When Sarah Bain and Hugh Staunton’s fledgelin detective agency solves the kidnapping of Sir Gerald’s son, he offered them positions on his newspaper. Sarah is the official photographer and they received a summons to the scene of Harry Warwick’s murder to document the crime scene. Harry was the official hangman in London and has now met his end, having been hung in his pub. Sir Gerald announces a contest between the newspaper and the police to solve the crime, pitting Sarah against police constable Barrett, her current suitor.

Sarah discovers that there was an irregularity at one of Harry’s recent executions. Amelia Carlisle was hung for the murder of a number of infants placed in her care, but the officials in attendance are prohibited from talking about it by the Official Secrets Act. That did not stop Harry from talking, but was this the reason for his murder? When his assistant hangman is also killed, Sarah must look into Carlisle’s background to discover a reason for the murder and any ties to those in attendance at her hanging.

As Sarah searches for answers, she also has a personal mystery to solve. Years earlier, her father deserted his family after being accused of murder. In searching for her father, Sarah discovered a half-sister who has now reported seeing him. Sarah’s search leads her to disturbing revelations about her own family and sheds new light on her father’s case, but brings her no closer to finding him.

In Laura Joh Rowland’s third entry in her Victorian series she offers a look at London’s prison that is gritty and disturbing, almost becoming a character in its’ own right. She also explores the relationships that Sarah and Hugh have in their personal lives as well. They both face obstacles that seem insurmountable, but ultimately receive the support of their loved ones.

From the opening pages to the final solution The Hangman’s Secret was a true page turner. I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

A very fast paced mystery! I enjoyed the story and will have to go back and read the first two in the series.if you like Victorian mysteries with romance, this one for you!

First, I have to say that I love the way Ms. Rowland develops her characters. There is such detail of their lives. I loved the storyline but also the telling of others aspects, such as Sarah’s ongoing search for her father. The mystery kept me engaged until the end. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed the characters, it did frustrate me in places in how the main character was quite self blaming but overall really liked it

A mixed group of Victorian era amateur sleuths investigate the murder of a prominent hangman.
The plot was a bit plodding and the author seemed to force interactions and roll out clues in a blunt fashion rather than build expectations. The main female character, Sarah, wasn't particularly interesting and struggled between being a strong female and a shrinking violet.
The author also threw in gratuitous sexual encounters that did not forward the plot. That might prevent me from recommending it to some mystery fans.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc. I am loving these books and I can't wait to read the next one! I love Laura Joh Rowland's writing style and the mystery and the characters kept me engaged.

This book was not as good as it could have been. The premise of the book , with a photographer protagonist was intriguing. I felt the book lacked depth in character development. I think a certain reader would enjoy this book.

A Victorian murder mystery, fully evoking the suspense and secrecy of the period and presenting an intriguing plot and characters, 'The Hangman's Secret' is the third in the series by Laura Joh Rowland. There are many good qualities to the text, including a sincere attempt to embody the language and culture of the era and present a Victorian London that will be familiar to many who have read books set in the time. There are slippages that remind us that this is a modern writer and some Americanisms that reveal themselves on occasion, but this does not detract from a well-written and engaging story on the whole. The protagonists are all endearing and hold a charm that cannot fail to catch the interest of the readers - Sarah Bain, a crime-scene photographer/wannabe sleuth and her trusty sidekicks, Lord Hugh Staunton and Mick O'Reilly, are a strange mix, but somehow work together and their undying loyalty to each other is credible and heartwarming. The plot, although a little protracted in parts, does work, and after a somewhat slow start, builds well and ensures the reader's attention is held to the climax, with twists and turns provided en-route.
The mystery itself, that of who killed the hangman responsible for ending the lives of criminals in Newgate Prison, provides the whole plot, as Sarah and her crew pit themselves against the police and other reporters, whilst avoiding a whole host of dangers from seemingly everyone around in one of the most notorious parts of Victorian London. The big question is, will they find the killer (or killers) before the police and, as a sub-plot, will Sarah learn more of her own family history and save her potential future into the bargain. The novel is definitely worth a read and will be sure to entertain.

An enjoyable book with plenty of intrigue. Readers that are starting midway through the series are given more than enough backstory to enjoy the plot. A little heavy on the romance, this Victorian mystery gives an interesting look into London.

This mystery was better than the previous novel. It kept me guessing till the end. This time, the novel was not anywhere near predictable. Sarah has really grown as a character. She is more mature. I look forward to reading what is next for Sarah and her gang! In the meantime, I have yet to read the first book in the series! I plan on reading it soon!

Being the third book in the series of adventures of photographer Sarah Bain and her friends, The Hangman's Secret was very easy to catch up with. It was easy to catch up with the story so far and the story got my attention. I'd love to read all of the books in order now.

A very unusual bunch of characters: gay disowned lord, street urchin and an unmarried young woman with a very murky past. But I guess it takes a team of people with nothing to lose and nothing to constrain them to get to the bottom of the matter. And the matter is very grisly and wrapped in may layers of time, lies, secrets and evil deeds.

The main London Hangman ends up dead just the way he worked - by hanging. As it turns out, it is a murder. And every murder needs a motive. And every murder needs... to be solved.

Who solves it first: police or the team of colourful misfits who work for rigid, tough and cruel business magnate? Will the murderer end up in jail or on the pages of metro newspaper?

I enjoyed this book. I loved the atmosphere, the colours, the language. The story is populated by characeters that are easy to like or to hate. I got cold and scared or hot and embarrassed, furious and bashful together with characters. I'd love to see how their adventures unfold.

Will there be a happy ending all around? I doubt it very much. The times the characters live in, the society, the choices they make - happiness would be very short-lived. But their cases... that's another story.

There are so many fine things about this novel that it’s difficult to enumerate them all. The characters are beautifully drawn; the dialogue sparkles; the setting is vividly rendered…This is sure to delight followers of Ripper-themed fiction and all who cherish Victorian-era mysteries

This book genuinely got better as it went on. The beginning was really bogged down and I struggled to get into it but as the story developed I found I really liked Sarah and I could empathize with her a lot. The ending was a little obvious about 2/3 of the way through, it would have been nice to have a surprise and a little more of a twist to it but it wrapped up well. I didn't feel that it was essential to read the previous book though I think I might now and I'd like to read more of the stories. Barret seems like a bit of a wet rag, that's the only gripe I have character wise, the rest seemed a little under developed but being part of a series I expect that rounds out over time.

The Hangman's Secret is my first introduction to Laura Rowland's writing and I was very impressed. Set in the time post Jack the Ripper, I am enjoying her creation of the modern female detective. Very gritty and dark, the London backdrop in Rowland's period creates a great sense of mystery and sinister intent. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and will look into other works by this author.

This is my first Laura Joh Rowland book and I really enjoyed it. It is about a photographer, Sarah Bain, and her friends who are challenged to solve the murder of Harry Warbrick. Warbrick is a pub owner but also works as a hangman. Originally, his death is thought to be a suicide but clues point to foul play that might be related to the hanging of Amelia Carlisle, a woman sentenced to death after murdering babies. This book kept me guessing throughout the whole story. I would highly recommend it.

I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. The book for me got off to a slow start and I almost gave up on it. I am glad that I didn't because once the story got rolling I enjoyed it quite a lot. One of the problems was the author's tendency to explain rather than show. For example, she mentioned a man approaching the main character and a companion on the street and said that he was the last person she wanted to meet because... And she preceded to explain the past relationship and differences of opinions between the characters. It would have been better handled by saying that she saw someone approaching who was the last person that she wanted to meet. Then use the conversation between the characters to show us the back story between the two and why the meeting was unwelcome. Also there were too many comments about events from a previous book in the series.

These issues aside, the story itself was good. It is set in London in the late 1890s. The main character was Sarah Bain, a photographer, and her friends Lord Hugh Staunton and Mick O'Reilly a young kid from the streets. They work crime scenes for a newspaper.They are called to photograph a scene thought at first to have been a suicide by hanging. They quickly learn that the victim was himself the official state hangman who would never had so badly botched his own hanging as to decapitate himself in the process.

The owner of the newspaper announces that his paper will compete with the police to be the first to solve this murder. Sarah and friends' investigation suggests a connection to a judicial hanging performed by the victim on a woman who murdered hundreds of infants placed in her care and was famously know as the "Baby Butcher". Did something happen during this execution and could the killer have been one of the witnesses? They are forbidden to comment by the State Secrets Act.

The investigation leads to the notorious Newgate Prison, the back alleys of London and other cities. The slow start is made up by events that race to an action packed conclusion.

The Hangman's Secret by Laura Joh Rowland
The Hangman's Secret
by Laura Joh Rowland
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Jul 06, 2018 · edit
really liked it

Immerse yourself into 19th century Victorian London ... surrounded by the smells, sounds and vivid locales of the time period. A cadre of unlikely crime investigators form the main focus of this well plotted novel. The primary is Sara Bain, a 33 year old single photographer under the employ of Sir Gerald Mariner ... wealthy and highly placed in society owner of the newspaper: The Daily World. She has used her investigative skills on his behalf during the kidnapping of his daughter, Robin and even aiding in the investigation of Jack The Ripper.
Sara's is joined by her "live-in" friends, including the dapper and handsome Lord Hugh Staughton ... who also happens to be homosexual and in a relationship with Sir Gerald's son. ... rounding out the team is Mick O'Reilly a 14 year old streetwise urchin (and sometimes petty criminal). Sara's paramour of one year is Police Constable Thomas Barrett ... frequently at odds with both Sara and his boss, Inspector Reid.
The "Hangman" - Harry Warbrick is found hung in his own pub the "The Ropemaker's Daughter" - however it is unconvincing attempt to look like a suicide. In a somewhat messy fashion he is decapitated in the process, raising the suspicion of foul play. This occurs after he took part in the hanging of Amelia Carlisle ... the infamous "Baby Butcher" ... her infamy rivaling that of Jack The Ripper. Sara and her crew are tasked by her employer with the prospect of solving the mystery before the police can ... hopefully uncovering the "Hangman's Secret" will lead to the murderer.
A cast of multiple "guilty" characters are considered along the twisting pathways of discovery. Sara and her crew continue to "poke the sleeping bear" in their endeavor to bring the murderer to justice.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this marvelously plotted page turner in exchange for an honest review.

I'd like to thank NetGalley again for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Please understand that I don't like repeating the storyline and characters. I highly recommend this well written mystery. It was interesting and entertaining to read and I enjoyed it very much.

I seem to have an affinity for books with hangman in the title as this is the second one I've read this year. Also, full disclosure: I didn't realize this was the third in a series until I started reading and there were events I didn't know about. But, overall, this book does stand on its own if you also haven't read the first two books in the series. And The Hangman's Secret and The Victorian Mystery series is definitely worth checking out. Let's get to the review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Photographer Sarah Bain and her friends Lord Hugh Staunton and sometime street urchin Mick O’Reilly are private detectives with a new gig—photographing crime scenes for London’s Daily World newspaper. The Daily World is the latest business venture of their sole client, Sir Gerald Mariner, a fabulously wealthy and powerful banker. 

One cold, snowy January morning, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick are summoned to the goriest crime scene they’ve ever encountered. A pub owner named Harry Warbrick has been found hanged and decapitated amid evidence of foul play. His murder becomes a sensation because he was England’s top hangman and he’s met the same fate that he inflicted on hundreds of criminals. 

Sir Gerald announces that the Daily World—meaning Sarah and her friends—will investigate and solve Harry Warbrick’s murder before the police do. The contest pits Sarah against the man she loves, Police Constable Barrett. She and her friends discover a connection between Harry Warbrick’s murder and the most notorious criminal he ever executed—Amelia Carlisle, the “Baby-Butcher,” who murdered hundreds of infants placed in her care. 

Something happened at Amelia’s execution. The Official Secrets Act forbids the seven witnesses present to divulge any information about it. But Harry had a bad habit of leaking tips to the press. Sarah and her friends suspect that one of the other witnesses killed Harry to prevent him from revealing a secret related to the execution. What is the secret, and who hanged the hangman?

The main character is Sarah Bain. She is a photographer for the local newspaper in London, The Daily World. She photographs crime scenes for the paper for Sir Gerald who she and her friends, Hugh and Mick, helped when his son went missing.  Besides being a photographer, Sarah and her friends (and roommates) also try to solve the crimes they photograph. The crime in this story is the hanging of the local hangman, Harry Warbrick. When someone was sent to death, he was the one to put the rope around their neck and pull the lever to hang them. But now Harry has been murdered (by hanging, because of course) and Sarah and her friends are looking to figure out who did it.

The Hangman's Secret also shows Sarah's journey to find her father. It's clear from the way it's talked about that Sarah has been looking for information on her father for awhile and she finds even more information about him and whether he's innocent of murder throughout the story. NO SPOILERS!

With her father missing for most of her life, Sarah had to rely on her mother and let's just say she wasn't winning any Parent of the Year awards either. She was a cruel woman who rarely had a nice word to say to Sarah. Sarah's only saving grace in terms of family is her half-sister, Sally. She is a sweet girl who works as a maid in a household nearby and she very much looks up to Sarah, much to her mother's disapproval. But despite Sally's mother trying to get in the way,  Sally and Sarah do have a relationship. They are both interested in their father, especially after Sally swears she sees him at the library. (He has been missing for many years after being accused of murder).

But Sarah isn't the only one with a tumultuous and complicated life. Her friend, Hugh (or Lord Stanton if you're fancy) is a gay man who is in a relationship with Sir Gerald's son Tristan. You can probably guess that Sir Gerald does not know his son is gay or that the guy he is employing is his lover. Hugh was outed publicly and disowned by his parents and most of his friends. He only has Tristan, Sarah, and Mick. And just for context: the Jack the Ripper murders happened not too long before this story began, so being gay is still a crime.

Mick is a 14-year-old pickpocket and petty thief who Sarah and Hugh found working on the streets. He now lives with Hugh and Sarah in their shared home/studio. He has a huge crush on an actress named Catherine who the trio have befriended. She is at least 4 years older than Mick, but that doesn't seem to bother him. He can wait. But, as they find out more about the killer, they also learn that Catherine is having a relationship with a married man. Mick, as well as Hugh and Sarah, are all distraught at this information.

Sarah, Hugh, and Mick, despite their complicated lives, work extremely well together to try and find what happened to Harry Warbrick and the incidents surrounding his murder. The police and the wardens at the jail do everything they can to stop them from finding things out but the three still persevere and ultimately find out who the murderer is. I can honestly say I was surprised by who it turned out to be. #nospoilers lol

The trio's thinking is that something occurred during the hanging of Amelia Carlisle. She killed hundreds of babies in a baby farming scheme and was sentenced to death. Sarah, Hugh, and Mick believe something fishy or unusual happened during that hanging and when another person who was at the hanging is murdered, they become even more determined to figure out what the hell happened in that room.

While they have plenty of obstacles along the way, they do have one in on the police force. Sarah's boyfriend/fiance, Barrett is a police constable. And while they tend to get information even before he does, he comes in handy when Sarah needs to travel on her own. He comes along with her and proves very useful when talking to the local police in small towns and when questioning people. He is very protective of Sarah and would prefer she didn't do the work she does, but he also rather know about it than have her lie to him which is what happens more often than now. While I wasn't a fan of Barrett's overprotectiveness, I loved when Sarah and he went on a journey together to try and find out more about what the motive was behind Warbrick's murder. It might have been my favorite part of the book.

One problem I did have with this story was Inspector Reid. Yes, every good mystery story needs a villain but we have that in the killer. What is the point of Reid being so cruel? His character fell flat to me because he seemed so one note. He was mean and nothing else. I didn't see how he served a purpose besides making the main characters (and me) pissed off and possibly threatening Barrett's job as he is his direct superior. I wanted him to be a little more well-rounded or have a reason for awfulness. Now, there could have been a reason in the first two books and if there is, forget this paragraph ever existed. But if there isn't, I would love to see his character have more depth in future books in the series.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Hangman's Secret. There are some great suspenseful scenes, especially toward the end when the murderer is revealed. I also really enjoyed how the relationship between Sarah and Barrett evolved. It felt very natural. They had their fights but they made up and fought for each other when they needed to.  I also loved the friendship between Sarah, Hugh, and Mick. They are so supportive of each other in every part of their lives even when they think the other is making the wrong decision. I enjoyed how well they worked off of one another. It can be difficult to find a group of friends highlighted in a book the way these three are. With all that said, I am giving The Hangman's Secret by Laura Joh Rowland 3 out of 5 stars.

The Hangman's Secret comes out January 18, 2019 (I know. Quite a long wait on this one.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.