Definitely Victorian atmosphere adds so much to the delight of the reader! The characters are quite relatable and believable and the situations they get in really add to the suspense of the wtory. Amazing details of that era certainly added to the enjoyment of the book!

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.

OK this reminded my of The Alienist. I feel this was the Alienist but set in London IDk that's how i feel. So I started reading this before I knew it was part of a series (Victorian Mystery Series) it's OK as a stand-alone mystery novel, but there are frequent references to past events, investigations and characters. I love historical fiction and like that it was set in the late 1890's. The story was just OK for me it was basic like a copy paste type of book. Would i buy this book? No. Would I read it for free? Yes. It was just OK i didn't feel anything while reading it and there was room in the book to give you the feels but I don't think the author gave a good enough connection to the victims or the main characters. You can check it out for yourself if you enjoy historical fiction, murder mystery books.

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.