Review: The Hangman's Secret

Review: The Hangman's Secret

The Hangman’s Secret (Victorian Mystery #3) by Laura Joh Rowland

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My Rating


Official synopsis

From award-winning author Laura Joh Rowland, a story about the darkness that lurks within and the deadly secrets that beg to be revealed.

Intrepid photographer Sarah Bain and her motley crew of friends are back to hunt criminals in the dark, seedy underbelly of Victorian London, but little do they know, the darkness may lurk closer than they first divined.

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?


I did not read the first two books of this series but the story was easy to follow with plenty of references to the events and outcomes of the previous books.

The Hangman's Secret was an easy and quick read for me that flowed well and kept my interest throughout. The mystery/crime-solving element of the story was straight-forward and linear but the secondary mystery, which will probably be explored in the next novel, had a surprising twist I didn’t see coming.

I just didn't feel really connected to the story because I didn't find Sarah relatable, or very likable to be honest, and it’s an issue when you don't care for the character who is narrating the story.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

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