Member Reviews

Mary Burton has quickly become a must-buy author for me. The Hangman by Mary Burton is part of a series but does not need to be read in any order. This book and many by Mary Burton are what I categorize as Romantic Suspense done right. It has the perfect blend of suspense/thriller/mystery to romance subplot. The Hangman is thrilling and chilling and has many plot twists that keep you guessing.

The Hangman follows Julia Vargas, a cop who is on a mission to solve a cold case connected to her deceased father, also a cop. She hopes to clear his name since many think he was the Hangman Killer. As she begins, other current cases start connecting to these cold cases. The current cases are investigated by Detective Tobias Novak who has been having a no strings affair with Julia. The two of them begin to work together to solve these past and current cases. There is a lot of depth to the characters and details of the cases are intriguing.

This book is great for those who love page turners that are exciting and thrilling. It keeps you reading and guessing. The characters are interesting and the ending is satisfying. I definitely recommend this book to Romantic Thriller lovers. This author gets it right every time.

Was this review helpful?

This is an updated version of The Hangman from several years ago. I didn't know at the time but I have already read the story.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of The Hangman it is action packed and reader of Mary Burton will love it

Was this review helpful?

I loved reading this. I like Julia’s character and I love that she reopened The Hangman case. This was like reading 2 plots at once, the unsolved case and the case now.
Novak is a very likeable character. I liked watching Vargas and Novak interact together. They have a good working relationship which could be more if Julia will open up.
This book kept me hooked from page one.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the chance to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for my copy of The Hangman by Mary Burton.
I didn't realise that this is a re-release of a book published in 2017, and I had already read it.
That didn't stop me reading it again as I loved it first time round.
Centered around Julia Vargas and Tobias Novak, they are investigating The Hangman, the serial killer Julia's father was investigating when he committed suicide.
It is the third in a series starting with The Shark and they make great reading.

Was this review helpful?

Mary Burton's "The Hangman" from the Forgotten Files series delivers an enthralling mix of suspense and mystery. This installment revisits a chilling cold case that devastated the family of Virginia State cop Julia Vargas decades ago. With a fast-paced narrative filled with unexpected twists and deep character explorations, Burton skillfully intertwines perspectives from both detectives and the elusive killer. The book is compelling, making it a must-read for thriller enthusiasts.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for my advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I found the premise of this book to be so interesting, I thought I would love it but unfortunately it just did not do it for me.

Was this review helpful?

The Forgotten Files Series is a gripping suspense thriller.

Julia Vargas has decided to reopen the Hangman case that has haunted her for 25 years since her father took his life over this case.

This book is fast paced and you cannot put it down until the very end. It keeps you guessing on the suspects the whole time until your mind is blown.

We get POVs not only for Novak and Vargas who are the two cops working this case but we also get some good POVs from the serial killer themself.

My only issue with this book is that the audiobook narrator just makes the book sound a little cheesy definitely when she’s talking to her partner Novak.

Genre: Crime Thriller
APK: Ebook & Audio
Pages: 349
Audio Length: 5 hours and 56 minutes
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Series or Standalone: Book 3 in the forgotten files

Content Warnings: Talk of Rape

Was this review helpful?

The Hangman is an engaging thriller that will keep you on your toes until the end.
We follow along with Julia, a Virginia State cop, as she digs deeper into the unsolved murder cases her father worked on before he committed suicide twenty years ago.
When a new body is found with connections to Julia, the clock starts ticking to find The Hangman before it's too late.

This book was phenomenal; it had everything I would want in a detective thriller.
The book starts with a bang and doesn't let up; there is no slow pacing here, and I was never bored.
There are a lot of details and thought put into this storyline, and many characters had a hand in this case.
Burton did an excellent job with the timeline of events and highlighted how strenuous solving a cold case can be.
There is plenty of mystery among the many connections and revelations.

Burton is a new to me author, but I will be reading the rest of the books in this series. I highly recommend picking this one up.
Thank you, NetGalley, Mary Burton, and Kensington Publishing, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

DNF @ 20%. This is one that I really wanted to like, but just didn't. I didn't care for our romance/partnership and wasn't particularly interested in our murder. Not for me. Will try the author again in the future, though.

Was this review helpful?

Complex and addictive - everything you want in a mystery - past and present intertwining, serial killer never caught, suicide always questioned, evil mafia thugs, and two detectives who won't give it up for their own reasons. Grabs you from beginning to end!

Was this review helpful?

This talented author has written a page turner. Red herrings kept me guessing until almost the ending. Characters come alive on the pages. Murder and intrigue. Serial killer from the past and now the present. I could not put this story down until the last page. Although fiction, this reads like nonfiction. Thanks Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

This was fantastic. It was very supenseful and atmospheric. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Great book! Thus book had a bit of everything!! It had high suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, mystery, serial killer, a fantastic who done it and even some hot romance!! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my kindle!! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Kensington books for sharing this book with me!! A cop who followed her father into law enforcement becomes obsessed with the case that broke him more than twenty years earlierr, a sexually sadistic serial killer known as the Hangma!! Julia Vargas is a cop with a mission. When she’s not chasing down bad guys, Julia dedicates her time to investigating the Hangman serial killer, the same unsolved case that her father, Jim Vargas, was working on when he supposedly shot and killed himself three decades before. While rumors continue to swirl around her father’s death, Julia attempts to hunt down the truth!

Was this review helpful?