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The Forgotten Files #3
The Hangman
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.
The case once again hits dangerously close, however, when a woman’s bones are discovered in a historic downtown home, together with a photograph of Jim and Julia as a young girl. As horrifying as this discovery is, it may just be the break Julia has waited for. Working alongside Tobias Novak, a homicide detective with whom she shares a complicated—and steamy—history, she’s forced to confront her own past even as the Hangman looms in the shadows. But as the mysterious killer circles closer, Julia can feel her own noose begin to tighten…
The case once again hits dangerously close, however, when a woman’s bones are discovered in a historic downtown home, together with a photograph of Jim and Julia as a young girl. As horrifying as this discovery is, it may just be the break Julia has waited for. Working alongside Tobias Novak, a homicide detective with whom she shares a complicated—and steamy—history, she’s forced to confront her own past even as the Hangman looms in the shadows. But as the mysterious killer circles closer, Julia can feel her own noose begin to tighten…
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2017
3165 people are currently reading
2977 people want to read
About the author
Mary Burton
68 books4,062 followersMary Burton, whose latest novel is THE LIES I TOLD, loves writing suspense, getting to know her characters, keeping up with law enforcement and forensic procedure, morning walks, baking, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. Library Journal has compared her work to that of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Gardner, and Fresh Fiction likened her writing to that of James Patterson.
Mary is routinely featured among the top ten writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for romantic suspense, thriller and mystery. Upon publication, her novels, including NEVER LOOK BACK and BURN YOU TWICE, consistently rank high on the Kindle eBooks Store Bestseller List. Her novels CUT AND RUN and YOU'RE NOT SAFE were nominated for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Romantic Suspense.
A Richmond native, Mary is the author of forty-five published novels and five novellas as Mary Burton and as Mary Ellen Taylor.
A member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., and Romance Writers of America, Mary is known for creating multiple suspense stories connected by characters and/or place.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 519 reviews
August 12, 2018
Julia Vargas is reopening the last case her father worked on before he killed himself where three prostitutes were murdered and left hanging, tied up in a way that suggested a sexual motive. She's just back on the field after working undercover and almost getting killed doing so. At the same time a body is discovered in Tobias Novak's jurisdiction when an old house that was recently sold is set on fire. The women whose body was discovered has been dead for more than twenty years and things get even stranger when a picture of young Julia and her father are found in the women's purse. Julia and Tobias have to race against the clock when another body turns up, killed in the same way as the Hangman's victims. Things are even more complicated when the body ends up being of a women associated with Julia's own undercover work.
A good solid detective novel, I didn't really have any clue what was happening which is nice, it's annoying when the ending is too obvious. There's also plenty of romance and some sex thrown in as well. I enjoyed how the relationship between Novak and Julia unfolded, the pacing was excellent. Overall a really good read for anyone who likes crime novels or those TV detective shows (which I honestly really do like, especially criminal minds).
A good solid detective novel, I didn't really have any clue what was happening which is nice, it's annoying when the ending is too obvious. There's also plenty of romance and some sex thrown in as well. I enjoyed how the relationship between Novak and Julia unfolded, the pacing was excellent. Overall a really good read for anyone who likes crime novels or those TV detective shows (which I honestly really do like, especially criminal minds).
May 28, 2017
4.5 stars!
This is the third book in The Forgotten Files Series and this series is just fantastic. I have loved every book so far. This one just kept me turning the pages. It is not for the faint of heart. I really love this author. She keeps us guessing with twists and turns, along with fast-moving character involvement. I love the way each character has the potential to be involved in the murders and I loved that I was still guessing as the story ended. I loved the suspense and it took off straight from the beginning till the end. I will be reading more books by this author.
It starts out with a murder in 1992. Then present day Detective Tobias Novak is called to a murder scene of a body dead for 25 years. There is a picture of a man and a young girl in the victims wallet. The names on the back of the picture is a policeman and his daughter Julia who happens to be a policewomen who Novak hooked up with. Julia had just reopened the Hangman case to clear her fathers name. When new cases started popping up Novak and Julia were trying to see if the Hangman was still alive or a copycat killer was on the loose.
I loved Julia. She was tough, independent and willing to ask for help from others. She was a strong woman in a male dominated job that had me rooting for her right from the beginning. She is paired with Tobias and man you can feel the sparks fly between these two. Past history between them come into play and I loved how gentle he is with her even as she races head long into danger. All the characters are well written and engaging, the secondary characters from the past two books appear and help move the story along nicely and the author does a top notch job in keeping the suspense at high flame until the climatic ending. This is more of a dark thriller than romantic suspense. There is a small romance in the background of this suspenseful twisty dark thriller.
The Hangman Quotes (showing 1-1 of 1)
“It was always the shit you couldn’t see that bit you in the ass.
― Mary Burton, The Hangman
I hope I won't be waiting too long for the next book in this series since I love it so much.
I recommend this book to thriller fans and its not for the faint of heart.
This is the third book in The Forgotten Files Series and this series is just fantastic. I have loved every book so far. This one just kept me turning the pages. It is not for the faint of heart. I really love this author. She keeps us guessing with twists and turns, along with fast-moving character involvement. I love the way each character has the potential to be involved in the murders and I loved that I was still guessing as the story ended. I loved the suspense and it took off straight from the beginning till the end. I will be reading more books by this author.
It starts out with a murder in 1992. Then present day Detective Tobias Novak is called to a murder scene of a body dead for 25 years. There is a picture of a man and a young girl in the victims wallet. The names on the back of the picture is a policeman and his daughter Julia who happens to be a policewomen who Novak hooked up with. Julia had just reopened the Hangman case to clear her fathers name. When new cases started popping up Novak and Julia were trying to see if the Hangman was still alive or a copycat killer was on the loose.
I loved Julia. She was tough, independent and willing to ask for help from others. She was a strong woman in a male dominated job that had me rooting for her right from the beginning. She is paired with Tobias and man you can feel the sparks fly between these two. Past history between them come into play and I loved how gentle he is with her even as she races head long into danger. All the characters are well written and engaging, the secondary characters from the past two books appear and help move the story along nicely and the author does a top notch job in keeping the suspense at high flame until the climatic ending. This is more of a dark thriller than romantic suspense. There is a small romance in the background of this suspenseful twisty dark thriller.
The Hangman Quotes (showing 1-1 of 1)
“It was always the shit you couldn’t see that bit you in the ass.
― Mary Burton, The Hangman
I hope I won't be waiting too long for the next book in this series since I love it so much.
I recommend this book to thriller fans and its not for the faint of heart.
October 23, 2018
Good and intense suspense, strong heroine, good hero.
It's a shame this is the last book in this series :-(
There are still many characters, who need their stories *lol*
I would be thrilled to read more!
It's a shame this is the last book in this series :-(
There are still many characters, who need their stories *lol*
I would be thrilled to read more!
April 15, 2017
Detective Tobias Novak is called out of his warm bed to go investigate some bones that have been found. Much to his surprise, the bones are at least 25 years old and there is a picture of Julia Vargas and her father taken when she was just a child. And now he's going to have to get her out of his warm bed and have her take a look.
The Hangman, back in the day, killed three women by slowly hanging, over and over again, until he got tired of the game. All of a sudden, he just stopped, never to be seen again. Julia's father, JIm Vargas, himself a cop, committed suicide years ago... right before all the killings stopped. Coincidence ... or was he the Hangman?
Julia means to find out .. no matter what the truth really is.
Working alongside Novak, they begin an investigation that will lead to a dangerous conclusion that no one could possibly imagine.
This is Romantic Suspense at its very best. Such a cleverly written story with the perfect balance of suspense and implicit sexual moments.
Novak and Vargas are a prime example of opposites attract. He is calm in the face of a storm, quiet, steady and he knows what he wants. Julia is headstrong, a little on the secretive side to protect her inner feelings. She's a risk taker, not always a good thing. She is determined to find the truth about her father, no matter what that truth is. There are things in her background that few people know ... and Novak wants to be the one person she can turn to, talk to, without fear.
The secondary characters round out the story. There is her father's partner when they were working undercover. He knows a lot ... but unfortunately he has the beginning of Alzheimer's, but he remembers enough. His wife also has secrets that haven't seen the light of day in many years .... and she certainly doesn't want them exposed now.
The author's story is intriguing and highly suspenseful. This is book 3 of a series, but is a stand alone. Now that I've started at this end, I'm going back to read ..... THE SHARK (book 1) and The Dollmaker (book 3).
Many thanks to the author / Montlake Romance / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
The Hangman, back in the day, killed three women by slowly hanging, over and over again, until he got tired of the game. All of a sudden, he just stopped, never to be seen again. Julia's father, JIm Vargas, himself a cop, committed suicide years ago... right before all the killings stopped. Coincidence ... or was he the Hangman?
Julia means to find out .. no matter what the truth really is.
Working alongside Novak, they begin an investigation that will lead to a dangerous conclusion that no one could possibly imagine.
This is Romantic Suspense at its very best. Such a cleverly written story with the perfect balance of suspense and implicit sexual moments.
Novak and Vargas are a prime example of opposites attract. He is calm in the face of a storm, quiet, steady and he knows what he wants. Julia is headstrong, a little on the secretive side to protect her inner feelings. She's a risk taker, not always a good thing. She is determined to find the truth about her father, no matter what that truth is. There are things in her background that few people know ... and Novak wants to be the one person she can turn to, talk to, without fear.
The secondary characters round out the story. There is her father's partner when they were working undercover. He knows a lot ... but unfortunately he has the beginning of Alzheimer's, but he remembers enough. His wife also has secrets that haven't seen the light of day in many years .... and she certainly doesn't want them exposed now.
The author's story is intriguing and highly suspenseful. This is book 3 of a series, but is a stand alone. Now that I've started at this end, I'm going back to read ..... THE SHARK (book 1) and The Dollmaker (book 3).
Many thanks to the author / Montlake Romance / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 19, 2017
The Hangman is the third book in the Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton. Each book in this series has featured a different lead male and female character that while investigating a crime have also started up a bit of a romance between them. Because each book features different characters it's not necessary to have read earlier books to enjoy the series.
In The Hangman Tobias Novak, a homicide detective, is called to investigate the scene of a crime after a fire at an abandoned home. Locked in the basement for twenty five years was a young woman who had been hung from the rafters. Among the victims possessions is a photo of Julia Vargas and her father. Having just begun a relationship with Julia, Tobias immediately gives her a call and has her come to the crime scene.
Julia arrives at the scene and has no memory of who the girl might have been and how she ended up with a photo of Julia. Julia however was already looking into opening up the cold case of a murderer known as The Hangman with whom her father had been investigating shortly before he had taken his own life. Now with new evidence brought to the crimes Julia is more motivated than ever to look into her father's case and teams up with Tobias to do so.
The Hangman was another great installment in the Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton. Julia and Tobias both had their histories that had them both a bit closed off but also gave them so much in common that it was obvious they belonged together. The case started off a bit slow grabbing my attention but didn't take long to pick up and really get interesting. As usual there were plenty of twists and turns developing along the way to keep a reader guessing and interested in the story.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
In The Hangman Tobias Novak, a homicide detective, is called to investigate the scene of a crime after a fire at an abandoned home. Locked in the basement for twenty five years was a young woman who had been hung from the rafters. Among the victims possessions is a photo of Julia Vargas and her father. Having just begun a relationship with Julia, Tobias immediately gives her a call and has her come to the crime scene.
Julia arrives at the scene and has no memory of who the girl might have been and how she ended up with a photo of Julia. Julia however was already looking into opening up the cold case of a murderer known as The Hangman with whom her father had been investigating shortly before he had taken his own life. Now with new evidence brought to the crimes Julia is more motivated than ever to look into her father's case and teams up with Tobias to do so.
The Hangman was another great installment in the Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton. Julia and Tobias both had their histories that had them both a bit closed off but also gave them so much in common that it was obvious they belonged together. The case started off a bit slow grabbing my attention but didn't take long to pick up and really get interesting. As usual there were plenty of twists and turns developing along the way to keep a reader guessing and interested in the story.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
November 21, 2017
3-1/2 stars
I definitely think this book was the best of this series thus far. The first two books suffered from glaring editing errors and/or the dreaded too many pages for the type of story syndrome.
The Hangman was a much tighter, more suspenseful story. I really liked both Julia and Novak's characters. Though I had my suspicions about the Hangman, I was guessing until the end of the book. The story also seemed like a perfect length to me. I did not find my attention wandering and wasn't bored at any point during the story. Had I had more reading time this week, I would have finished it sooner.
(2017 reading challenge: a book with an occupation/job/profession in the title)
I definitely think this book was the best of this series thus far. The first two books suffered from glaring editing errors and/or the dreaded too many pages for the type of story syndrome.
The Hangman was a much tighter, more suspenseful story. I really liked both Julia and Novak's characters. Though I had my suspicions about the Hangman, I was guessing until the end of the book. The story also seemed like a perfect length to me. I did not find my attention wandering and wasn't bored at any point during the story. Had I had more reading time this week, I would have finished it sooner.
(2017 reading challenge: a book with an occupation/job/profession in the title)
June 26, 2024
Man, I can’t believe I’m just now reading a Mary Burton novel. She does police procedurals so well! I definitely enjoyed this and look forward to reading more by her!
This is a gritty crime novel so if this isn’t your jam, move along. I absolutely loved it and want to read more in the series.
This is a republish from 2017 for Kindle. If you enjoy crime novels, this is a good one!
This is a gritty crime novel so if this isn’t your jam, move along. I absolutely loved it and want to read more in the series.
This is a republish from 2017 for Kindle. If you enjoy crime novels, this is a good one!
February 28, 2020
Julia Vargas is determined to solve the case that ultimately led to her father, Jim's, death. The case she’s determined to solve is that of The Hangman. Who is the Hangman? Well, to put it bluntly he’s a serial killer with a fetish for hanging his victims.
After Julia’s father Jim's death, the killer goes silent. The case goes stagnant and thanks to folks with s fancy for drama; rumors begin to spread stating Jim, Julia’s very own father, could’ve been The Hangman killer.
As the 25th anniversary of The Hangman's killing spree draws near, Julia digs deeper, with the help of Detective Novak. Together, can they catch the killer? Or will Julia becomes the Hangman’s next victim?
5 stars
After Julia’s father Jim's death, the killer goes silent. The case goes stagnant and thanks to folks with s fancy for drama; rumors begin to spread stating Jim, Julia’s very own father, could’ve been The Hangman killer.
As the 25th anniversary of The Hangman's killing spree draws near, Julia digs deeper, with the help of Detective Novak. Together, can they catch the killer? Or will Julia becomes the Hangman’s next victim?
5 stars
August 10, 2018
Well, it's very difficult to find a good RS nowdays...
Maybe I'm spoilt by CSI, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, etc. but I find out that there's a lot of useless clutter in them!
To much emphasis on inner musing/suffering from trauma for me!
It's full of French-noir-translated-into-USA tropes, if you know what I mean...
Maybe I'm spoilt by CSI, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, etc. but I find out that there's a lot of useless clutter in them!
To much emphasis on inner musing/suffering from trauma for me!
It's full of French-noir-translated-into-USA tropes, if you know what I mean...
April 25, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
Mystery with a dash of Romance is the best way to describe The Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton. In this book you have a case from 25 years ago that comes alive again when Julia Vargas decides to reopen The Hangman cases in order to either clear her father, Richmond, VA detective Jim Vargas, or prove he did it. The Hangman is a solid story and a plot with plenty of twists and turns. Mary Burton knows how to deliver a mystery and how to keep the baddie hidden until the very end. Unfortunately, the romance never caught fire and that was a let down.
When Jim Vargas is honored 25 years after his death for this career his daughter, Virginia State Policewoman, Julia Vargas, decides it is time to delve into what really happened to her father. When a 25 year old body of bones is discovered with a picture of Julia and Jim Richmond homicide detective, Tobias Novak, is more than concerned. He and Julia have a no-strings relationship and he really knows very little about her or her family. This cold-case opens up all kinds of nasty secrets and the reappearance of The Hangman has everyone scrambling to determine is an old killer has started again or if it is a copycat with a new agenda.
Mystery with a dash of Romance is the best way to describe The Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton. In this book you have a case from 25 years ago that comes alive again when Julia Vargas decides to reopen The Hangman cases in order to either clear her father, Richmond, VA detective Jim Vargas, or prove he did it. The Hangman is a solid story and a plot with plenty of twists and turns. Mary Burton knows how to deliver a mystery and how to keep the baddie hidden until the very end. Unfortunately, the romance never caught fire and that was a let down.
When Jim Vargas is honored 25 years after his death for this career his daughter, Virginia State Policewoman, Julia Vargas, decides it is time to delve into what really happened to her father. When a 25 year old body of bones is discovered with a picture of Julia and Jim Richmond homicide detective, Tobias Novak, is more than concerned. He and Julia have a no-strings relationship and he really knows very little about her or her family. This cold-case opens up all kinds of nasty secrets and the reappearance of The Hangman has everyone scrambling to determine is an old killer has started again or if it is a copycat with a new agenda.
May 30, 2017
The Hangman is the 3rd book in The Forgotten Series by Mary Burton. I've read numerous books by Ms. Burton and I think this series is her best yet. It is in the romantic suspense genre, however the emphasis is on the suspense plot and the romance is a subplot. For a lot of romance lovers this isn't the mix of preference. For me, this is exactly what I look for. Ms. Burton is definitely one of my go to authors.
I like when a cold case and a current crime have elements that point to the same perpetrator and that's what Ms. Burton has done in The Hangman. After a undercover assignment that ended bad, Julia Vargas has decided to pull the cold case that was the last case her father had worked on prior to his death. A case which supposedly drove her dad to commit suicide. Not only does she want to solve this case, but she wants to know if her dad was murdered or committed suicide. I really enjoyed the plot.
Complications arise on a personal level as she works side by side with a man who she has a steamy relationship with and at the same time she is trying to keep the intimacy out of the relationship. But Novak wasn’t accepting the no intimacy offer and wants more. Although patient, he also pushes for more. I felt both characters were believable and I liked their back stories.
This was definitely a really good read!
I like when a cold case and a current crime have elements that point to the same perpetrator and that's what Ms. Burton has done in The Hangman. After a undercover assignment that ended bad, Julia Vargas has decided to pull the cold case that was the last case her father had worked on prior to his death. A case which supposedly drove her dad to commit suicide. Not only does she want to solve this case, but she wants to know if her dad was murdered or committed suicide. I really enjoyed the plot.
Complications arise on a personal level as she works side by side with a man who she has a steamy relationship with and at the same time she is trying to keep the intimacy out of the relationship. But Novak wasn’t accepting the no intimacy offer and wants more. Although patient, he also pushes for more. I felt both characters were believable and I liked their back stories.
This was definitely a really good read!
April 25, 2017
25 years ago, Jim Vargas died while investigating into serial killer murders where women were tied and hung, hence giving the killer the name of Hangman. Now near the anniversary of his death, another body is found, linking it to those cases. The recent murder is being investigated by detective Tobias Novak, and Julia Vargas, Jim's daughter.
Julia never really knew her father, considering he was in undercover work and was never around before his death. Now it's her chance to reopen the cold cases to learn what her father knew and what he might have been involved in. Julia has quite a few demons to slay herself from her own work. She has a sexual relationship with Novak, but has never given them much of a chance in the commitment department. As they work together to piece together the clues, they discover complex connections between all the key players and it's a race to find the killer before Julia becomes the next target.
This book was full of mystery and suspense, in fact, the romance was about 5% of the book and I wasn't disappointed. The mystery kept you guessing of who and where all these characters fit to complete the puzzle. The romance between Julia and Novak felt true. I understand Julia's hesitation to get too close to people, but Novak patience and faith make you root for them both.
This is the third book in the series but it can totally be read as a standalone.
Thank you to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Julia never really knew her father, considering he was in undercover work and was never around before his death. Now it's her chance to reopen the cold cases to learn what her father knew and what he might have been involved in. Julia has quite a few demons to slay herself from her own work. She has a sexual relationship with Novak, but has never given them much of a chance in the commitment department. As they work together to piece together the clues, they discover complex connections between all the key players and it's a race to find the killer before Julia becomes the next target.
This book was full of mystery and suspense, in fact, the romance was about 5% of the book and I wasn't disappointed. The mystery kept you guessing of who and where all these characters fit to complete the puzzle. The romance between Julia and Novak felt true. I understand Julia's hesitation to get too close to people, but Novak patience and faith make you root for them both.
This is the third book in the series but it can totally be read as a standalone.
Thank you to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2017
Action-packed, riveting and impeccably executed!
This is a well crafted, gripping thriller that takes us on a hunt to find a ruthless serial killer and reminds us that when it comes to organized crime, secrecy, trust and loyalty means everything.
The writing is fluid and seamless. The characters are intriguing, determined, scarred, strong and sexy. And the storyline is a roller coaster ride of secrets, lies, danger, red herrings, murder, sizzling chemistry, tension, and romance.
To me this series just keeps getting better and better. This book is incredibly entertaining, extremely suspenseful and I absolutely loved it and can hardly wait for the next one. If you love romantic suspense this is one series you don’t want to miss.
Thank you to Mary Burton and Joan Schulhafer Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
This is a well crafted, gripping thriller that takes us on a hunt to find a ruthless serial killer and reminds us that when it comes to organized crime, secrecy, trust and loyalty means everything.
The writing is fluid and seamless. The characters are intriguing, determined, scarred, strong and sexy. And the storyline is a roller coaster ride of secrets, lies, danger, red herrings, murder, sizzling chemistry, tension, and romance.
To me this series just keeps getting better and better. This book is incredibly entertaining, extremely suspenseful and I absolutely loved it and can hardly wait for the next one. If you love romantic suspense this is one series you don’t want to miss.
Thank you to Mary Burton and Joan Schulhafer Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
June 12, 2017
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars
The Hangman is the third title in Mary Burton’s Forgotten Files series of romantic suspense novels, in which the protagonists find themselves investigating ‘cold cases’, unsolved crimes dating back many years, which hold a particular significance for them. The principals in each story are different, so although some characters from the previous books appear in secondary roles, there’s no need to have read them to enjoy this one, which works perfectly well as a standalone. I have yet to read the first book, The Shark, but I thoroughly enjoyed book two, The Dollmaker, and was very impressed with the author’s ability to weave together a number of seemingly unrelated plot-threads and then to bring them together into a cleverly devised, complex whole.
We met Agent Julia Vargas of the Virginia State Police briefly in that book, and it was immediately clear that she’s one tough cookie. Her dad, Jim Vargas, was also a cop, and was a somewhat controversial figure; his undercover work brought down a number of dangerous criminals over the years, but the need to constantly be someone else took its toll on his personal life, and he committed suicide twenty-five years earlier, when Julia was just a child. Julia followed in his footsteps, becoming a cop, working undercover to bust criminal gangs and drug rings, but her most recent assignment went pear-shaped towards the end, and she suffered a vicious assault at the hands of the leader of the drug cartel she had infiltrated. Following a lengthy convalescence, Julia now works homicide alongside her partner, Dakota Sharp (hero of The Dollmaker), and has decided, during her vacation, to re-open her father’s last, unsolved case, that of the Hangman, who murdered two women back in the early 1990s, the moniker relating to the way the murders were committed and the bodies left hanging as though on display for all to see. In fact, there were those who actually suspected Jim Vargas of being the Hangman because the victims were known to him – and Julia wants to see if she can find anything in the old files that will help her to completely clear her father’s name. Or prove his guilt. She just wants the truth.
Detective Tobias Novak of the Richmond police isn’t overly happy about being dragged from the warmth of his bed –and the woman in it – to attend the scene of a fire in an old, downtown home. The body of a young woman has been found in the basement; the degree of decomposition indicates that it has been there for quite some time and the marks and injuries on what is left of the corpse indicate that this was death by homicide. Looking through the victim’s personal effects at the scene Novak is shocked to discover a photograph of Jim Vargas and his daughter (aged seven, he discovers later) in the woman’s purse. He puts in a call to Julia Vargas – the woman with whom he’d been in that warm bed – to ask her to come to the crime scene, and when she arrives, shows her the photo. Julia has absolutely no knowledge of how it could have got there, and doesn’t know the dead woman, but the discovery of her body, bearing all the hallmarks of The Hangman’s unique style, could be just the thing to kick-start her own investigations into the other unsolved killings and her father’s suicide.
Julia enlists the help of Shield Security, the high-tech security firm who had assisted Dakota Sharp in his investigations into the Dollmaker killings and part of whose remit is to assist law enforcement officers dig into cold cases using technology not previously available to uncover new evidence and unearth new leads. But when another young woman is murdered – seemingly by the Hangman – the stakes are raised. Is this the work of a copycat, or has the Hangman come out of retirement? And upping the ante still more is the fact that Julia knew the victim from her last undercover operation. The Hangman is sending Julia a message loud and clear – and she and Novak know it’s only a matter of time before the killer tries to make good on his threat.
The mystery is cleverly plotted and skilfully delivered as Julia gradually pieces together a picture of the father she had never really known while at the same time discovering the truth of his connections to the decades-ago victims of the Hangman’s crimes. Like her dad, Julia is very self-sufficient and careful not to let anyone get too close, keeping her emotions under wraps and details about herself and her life close to her chest. Her relationship with Novak began only recently when they hooked up after an event, and she’s keen to keep things between them strictly no-strings while it’s clear that he wants more. I enjoyed watching their relationship progress, with Novak’s calm steadiness acting as the perfect foil to Julia’s more impulsive temperament, and eventually providing her with the safe place she needs to finally be able to drop her guard and let him in.
Novak and Julia are together throughout pretty much the entire book, and although the romance is fairly low-key, there’s an ever-present sense of attraction and awareness between them throughout. The ending is nicely done and we leave the pair with an HFN that I fully expect to have turned into a longer term HEA by the time of the next book, which I’m hoping will feature Shield Security’s Garrett Andrews.
The Hangman is a well-paced mystery that kept me eagerly turning the pages into the early hours to see what would happen next. Ms. Burton’s meticulous plotting provides plenty of twists and turns, and her central characters are engaging and nicely-matched. Highly recommended for fans of the author’s and for anyone who likes a complex, solidly written mystery with a dash of romance.
The Hangman is the third title in Mary Burton’s Forgotten Files series of romantic suspense novels, in which the protagonists find themselves investigating ‘cold cases’, unsolved crimes dating back many years, which hold a particular significance for them. The principals in each story are different, so although some characters from the previous books appear in secondary roles, there’s no need to have read them to enjoy this one, which works perfectly well as a standalone. I have yet to read the first book, The Shark, but I thoroughly enjoyed book two, The Dollmaker, and was very impressed with the author’s ability to weave together a number of seemingly unrelated plot-threads and then to bring them together into a cleverly devised, complex whole.
We met Agent Julia Vargas of the Virginia State Police briefly in that book, and it was immediately clear that she’s one tough cookie. Her dad, Jim Vargas, was also a cop, and was a somewhat controversial figure; his undercover work brought down a number of dangerous criminals over the years, but the need to constantly be someone else took its toll on his personal life, and he committed suicide twenty-five years earlier, when Julia was just a child. Julia followed in his footsteps, becoming a cop, working undercover to bust criminal gangs and drug rings, but her most recent assignment went pear-shaped towards the end, and she suffered a vicious assault at the hands of the leader of the drug cartel she had infiltrated. Following a lengthy convalescence, Julia now works homicide alongside her partner, Dakota Sharp (hero of The Dollmaker), and has decided, during her vacation, to re-open her father’s last, unsolved case, that of the Hangman, who murdered two women back in the early 1990s, the moniker relating to the way the murders were committed and the bodies left hanging as though on display for all to see. In fact, there were those who actually suspected Jim Vargas of being the Hangman because the victims were known to him – and Julia wants to see if she can find anything in the old files that will help her to completely clear her father’s name. Or prove his guilt. She just wants the truth.
Detective Tobias Novak of the Richmond police isn’t overly happy about being dragged from the warmth of his bed –and the woman in it – to attend the scene of a fire in an old, downtown home. The body of a young woman has been found in the basement; the degree of decomposition indicates that it has been there for quite some time and the marks and injuries on what is left of the corpse indicate that this was death by homicide. Looking through the victim’s personal effects at the scene Novak is shocked to discover a photograph of Jim Vargas and his daughter (aged seven, he discovers later) in the woman’s purse. He puts in a call to Julia Vargas – the woman with whom he’d been in that warm bed – to ask her to come to the crime scene, and when she arrives, shows her the photo. Julia has absolutely no knowledge of how it could have got there, and doesn’t know the dead woman, but the discovery of her body, bearing all the hallmarks of The Hangman’s unique style, could be just the thing to kick-start her own investigations into the other unsolved killings and her father’s suicide.
Julia enlists the help of Shield Security, the high-tech security firm who had assisted Dakota Sharp in his investigations into the Dollmaker killings and part of whose remit is to assist law enforcement officers dig into cold cases using technology not previously available to uncover new evidence and unearth new leads. But when another young woman is murdered – seemingly by the Hangman – the stakes are raised. Is this the work of a copycat, or has the Hangman come out of retirement? And upping the ante still more is the fact that Julia knew the victim from her last undercover operation. The Hangman is sending Julia a message loud and clear – and she and Novak know it’s only a matter of time before the killer tries to make good on his threat.
The mystery is cleverly plotted and skilfully delivered as Julia gradually pieces together a picture of the father she had never really known while at the same time discovering the truth of his connections to the decades-ago victims of the Hangman’s crimes. Like her dad, Julia is very self-sufficient and careful not to let anyone get too close, keeping her emotions under wraps and details about herself and her life close to her chest. Her relationship with Novak began only recently when they hooked up after an event, and she’s keen to keep things between them strictly no-strings while it’s clear that he wants more. I enjoyed watching their relationship progress, with Novak’s calm steadiness acting as the perfect foil to Julia’s more impulsive temperament, and eventually providing her with the safe place she needs to finally be able to drop her guard and let him in.
Novak and Julia are together throughout pretty much the entire book, and although the romance is fairly low-key, there’s an ever-present sense of attraction and awareness between them throughout. The ending is nicely done and we leave the pair with an HFN that I fully expect to have turned into a longer term HEA by the time of the next book, which I’m hoping will feature Shield Security’s Garrett Andrews.
The Hangman is a well-paced mystery that kept me eagerly turning the pages into the early hours to see what would happen next. Ms. Burton’s meticulous plotting provides plenty of twists and turns, and her central characters are engaging and nicely-matched. Highly recommended for fans of the author’s and for anyone who likes a complex, solidly written mystery with a dash of romance.
June 1, 2017
The Hangman is the third book in The Forgotten Series by Mary Burton and can be read as a stand-alone.
Julia Vargas is re-investigating The Hangman case her father was working on before committing suicide. Meanwhile Tobias Novak, a homicide detective, is investigating a crime scene in a burnt building where a woman’s body is discovered. Next to the body is a picture of Julia with her dad when she was a little girl. Julia has no idea how the picture ended at the scene of crime and how the victim was connected to her dad. Is this a copycat killer or is the old Hangman back ? When more victims connected to Julia start turning up it is a race against time.
This is a good mystery novel and I loved the characters especially Julia , who is a strong independent woman. The romance between Julia and Novak was a nice distraction and the back story of the characters were interesting. Overall a good read!
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this sample copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Julia Vargas is re-investigating The Hangman case her father was working on before committing suicide. Meanwhile Tobias Novak, a homicide detective, is investigating a crime scene in a burnt building where a woman’s body is discovered. Next to the body is a picture of Julia with her dad when she was a little girl. Julia has no idea how the picture ended at the scene of crime and how the victim was connected to her dad. Is this a copycat killer or is the old Hangman back ? When more victims connected to Julia start turning up it is a race against time.
This is a good mystery novel and I loved the characters especially Julia , who is a strong independent woman. The romance between Julia and Novak was a nice distraction and the back story of the characters were interesting. Overall a good read!
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this sample copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
April 6, 2017
The past is not always long dead.. Sometimes its just been lying dormant and we all knows what happens when you start poking a sleeping bear.
The Hangman's reign of terror was thought to have ended 24 years ago. But the daughter of the undercover officer who had been tracking him all those years ago and who committed suicide at the same time The Hangman took his last victim brings the case front and center again right at the same time a body that has been dead for 24 years turns up and looks to be connected to the long cold case.
Julia Vargas is a cop with the Virginia State Police. Her whole life she has had to live with the whispers that her cop father who killed himself was possibly the killer called The Hangman. Even though her father wasnt around much during her childhood due to always being undercover she knows in her heart he was a good man and could never been a killer. Losing him at such a young age hardened her and she is not big on trust. Her one goal has been to clear her father's name and to bring the right killer to justice – no matter the cost.
Tobias Novak is a homicide detective whose own past is full of tragedy that has left him hardened too. A wife that tried to take their infant daughter with her in her suicide. Years later with that daughter now in college he has embarked on a sex only relationship with Julia with neither asking nor interfering in the others personal life. When Tobias gets the case of the woman who had been dead for 24 years and finds a connection to both Julia's father and her he crosses the personal line with Julie to both help his case and because he realizes he wants more then just “benefits” with her.
The secrets and people that started crawling out of hibernation when Julia and Tobias started poking was a long list of characters from both the past and present. Lots of sordid going on's 24 years ago.
Both Julia and Tobias did a lot of changing over the course of the book. Julia was the long hold out of not wanting to allow herself to care for anyone but the solving of the case and the tenacity of Tobias and his daughter finally softened her hard heart..
The Hangman's reign of terror was thought to have ended 24 years ago. But the daughter of the undercover officer who had been tracking him all those years ago and who committed suicide at the same time The Hangman took his last victim brings the case front and center again right at the same time a body that has been dead for 24 years turns up and looks to be connected to the long cold case.
Julia Vargas is a cop with the Virginia State Police. Her whole life she has had to live with the whispers that her cop father who killed himself was possibly the killer called The Hangman. Even though her father wasnt around much during her childhood due to always being undercover she knows in her heart he was a good man and could never been a killer. Losing him at such a young age hardened her and she is not big on trust. Her one goal has been to clear her father's name and to bring the right killer to justice – no matter the cost.
Tobias Novak is a homicide detective whose own past is full of tragedy that has left him hardened too. A wife that tried to take their infant daughter with her in her suicide. Years later with that daughter now in college he has embarked on a sex only relationship with Julia with neither asking nor interfering in the others personal life. When Tobias gets the case of the woman who had been dead for 24 years and finds a connection to both Julia's father and her he crosses the personal line with Julie to both help his case and because he realizes he wants more then just “benefits” with her.
The secrets and people that started crawling out of hibernation when Julia and Tobias started poking was a long list of characters from both the past and present. Lots of sordid going on's 24 years ago.
Both Julia and Tobias did a lot of changing over the course of the book. Julia was the long hold out of not wanting to allow herself to care for anyone but the solving of the case and the tenacity of Tobias and his daughter finally softened her hard heart..
June 11, 2020
Julia Vargas became a cop to follow in her father’s footsteps. When she was seven, Jim Vargas was investigating a serial killer known as the Hangman when he supposedly shot and killed himself and the murders promptly stopped. Then came the whispers that maybe Jim was the Hangman.
After an undercover investigation goes wrong, Julia is supposed to be resting and healing. Instead, she’s dedicated to solving the Hangman case and hopefully clearing Jim’s name once and for all.
When the bones of a woman are discovered in the cellar of a long-abandoned home, the cold case heats up after a photo of Julia and her dad is found at the scene. With the help of homicide detective Tobias Novak and the Shield agency, Julia is focused on connecting all of the victims (and how they knew her father) to find the real killer. The Hangman has plans of his own; he’s back and he’s patiently waiting for his time with Julia.
This was a fantastic third installment to The Forgotten Files. These books are compulsively readable and I finish each in a matter of hours! Once again Burton delivers an interesting mystery with well-developed characters, a hint of romance that is never overshadows the plot, and leads that keep it moving at a great pace. All three books were published between 2016-2017 but I hope that Burton will return to this series again soon!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
After an undercover investigation goes wrong, Julia is supposed to be resting and healing. Instead, she’s dedicated to solving the Hangman case and hopefully clearing Jim’s name once and for all.
When the bones of a woman are discovered in the cellar of a long-abandoned home, the cold case heats up after a photo of Julia and her dad is found at the scene. With the help of homicide detective Tobias Novak and the Shield agency, Julia is focused on connecting all of the victims (and how they knew her father) to find the real killer. The Hangman has plans of his own; he’s back and he’s patiently waiting for his time with Julia.
This was a fantastic third installment to The Forgotten Files. These books are compulsively readable and I finish each in a matter of hours! Once again Burton delivers an interesting mystery with well-developed characters, a hint of romance that is never overshadows the plot, and leads that keep it moving at a great pace. All three books were published between 2016-2017 but I hope that Burton will return to this series again soon!
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
February 8, 2018
3.5 to 3.75 stars
April 12, 2017
Mary Burton has the ability to draw readers into her books with a strong story, characters who are flawed, human work hard to bring those to justice who have killed even the weakest of characters.
The story starts off with a bang but slowly develops into a relationship where the female lead is trying to convince the male lead the relationship isn't going to last because she is broken like her father.
Reader are taken on a journey not a wild ride as the leads discover the truth of the The Hangman Serial killer and how he is connected to Julie and her Father.
The slows down mid way though the book even with the newest murder I found it hard to focus because so much time is spent with Julie trying to convince herself the relationship she is in is nothing more than short term or nightly visits.
The story is well developed while the story is slowly developing readers will keep wondering who is the The Hangman.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy.
The story starts off with a bang but slowly develops into a relationship where the female lead is trying to convince the male lead the relationship isn't going to last because she is broken like her father.
Reader are taken on a journey not a wild ride as the leads discover the truth of the The Hangman Serial killer and how he is connected to Julie and her Father.
The slows down mid way though the book even with the newest murder I found it hard to focus because so much time is spent with Julie trying to convince herself the relationship she is in is nothing more than short term or nightly visits.
The story is well developed while the story is slowly developing readers will keep wondering who is the The Hangman.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy.
December 15, 2018
This one is really good! I loved the hero and heroine and the suspense was great!
July 4, 2022
A wonderful ending to a good crime series, it’s been a while since I listened to a book by Mary but It was easy to fall into her book a recollect the previous books as it is a series.
Can’t wait to start a new series by the author
Can’t wait to start a new series by the author
March 23, 2017
Disclosure--- I work with Mary. My thoughts--One of my favorites of her books. I have to agree with Publishers Weekly, which says "A gut-wrenching romantic thrller . . . nail-biting moments are even more tense becasue the reader knows the killer's motives while the characters do not. Newcomers and fans will enjoy the slow-burning passion and dangerous action in this gritty tale." RT Book Reviews gave a shout out as well, saying "Will have readers enthralled from the start . .. with a solid plot, heightened tension, steady pacing and a cleverly written villain, Burotn's expertise at crafting suspense shines bright in this novel."
September 26, 2017
3.5 stars
July 7, 2017
The Hangman ended his killing spree over 20 years ago. The cop investigating the case at the time committed suicide and many people thought the killings stopped because he was The Hangman. His daughter Julia has followed in her Fathers footsteps and is a cop with the Virginia State Police. Julia doesn't believe her Father was the Hangman and wants to find the truth, even if it turns out she is wrong. Now a body has turned up that could be connected to the old case. Novak, a detective who is in a relationship with Julia, is the investigator on the new case.
There are a lot of trails left by the author for the reader to follow to try and figure out the identity of the Hangman. Julia and Novak are not perfect characters. They both have issues from their past which make them more human and interesting to the reader. This book is fast paced and will grab you from the first page. You won't guess who the bad guy is until the author reveals it, I didn't. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
There are a lot of trails left by the author for the reader to follow to try and figure out the identity of the Hangman. Julia and Novak are not perfect characters. They both have issues from their past which make them more human and interesting to the reader. This book is fast paced and will grab you from the first page. You won't guess who the bad guy is until the author reveals it, I didn't. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
May 5, 2017
The Hangman (The Forgotten Files #3) by Mary Burton
4.5 stars
M/F Mystery
Triggers: Murder, suicide
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
I have loved each and every book in this series and this one didn't disappoint. Julia is trying to figure out why her father committed suicide when she was so young. It's been something that has bothered her throughout her career - people always assuming the worst, worrying that she'll end up doing the same thing, she just wants to know once and for all, was he the killer people think he might have been?
Then you have a series of murders that appear very similar to the hangman cases from back when her father and his partner, Ken were working on them. Ken is suffering from early Alzheimer's, but when he's having a good day, he is able to answer questions and shoot the breeze with fellow officers. As the case runs deeper, he is more easily agitated and Julia has to tread more carefully.
Novak is an agent who wants nothing more than to help Julia get to the bottom of her case, because in doing that, it means that hopefully, he'll have more answers for his own case. Is the Hangman killer back?
Throughout the story, there are a lot of things that unfold. You have the mystery of who is killing these women, who killed them back then, why was Julia's family so broken and who is hoping to target her now?
There are some points of the book that seem to drag a little, but overall, this is a mystery that it worth the read. I really like how Julia is able to stand on her own - she wants the truth no matter what. Novak is there to protect and support Julia and with others wanting the truth just as much, the cold case is reopened and ultimately solved.
4.5 stars
M/F Mystery
Triggers: Murder, suicide
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
I have loved each and every book in this series and this one didn't disappoint. Julia is trying to figure out why her father committed suicide when she was so young. It's been something that has bothered her throughout her career - people always assuming the worst, worrying that she'll end up doing the same thing, she just wants to know once and for all, was he the killer people think he might have been?
Then you have a series of murders that appear very similar to the hangman cases from back when her father and his partner, Ken were working on them. Ken is suffering from early Alzheimer's, but when he's having a good day, he is able to answer questions and shoot the breeze with fellow officers. As the case runs deeper, he is more easily agitated and Julia has to tread more carefully.
Novak is an agent who wants nothing more than to help Julia get to the bottom of her case, because in doing that, it means that hopefully, he'll have more answers for his own case. Is the Hangman killer back?
Throughout the story, there are a lot of things that unfold. You have the mystery of who is killing these women, who killed them back then, why was Julia's family so broken and who is hoping to target her now?
There are some points of the book that seem to drag a little, but overall, this is a mystery that it worth the read. I really like how Julia is able to stand on her own - she wants the truth no matter what. Novak is there to protect and support Julia and with others wanting the truth just as much, the cold case is reopened and ultimately solved.
June 1, 2021
3.5 stars out of 5.
I enjoyed this book and I applaud books that aren’t afraid to make their readers feel uncomfortable. Which is exactly what this book did.
Well Jacquelyn, if you enjoyed this book and *applauded* it, then why did you give it such an average rating?
...Let’s just ignore that last part of my review. I’m delirious and my thumbs hurt from typing so many reviews today. 😂
Anyways, I have it a decent rating because I didn’t feel like this was groundbreaking or a crazily unique story. Was it entertaining? Sure. Is the nickname for the killer just as generic as most of the plot? Yeah. Was it similar to many fictional crime show episodes? Also, yes.
I’m glad that I read that series and that I’ve found another author that I’ve been enjoying, but I felt this book was average.
I enjoyed this book and I applaud books that aren’t afraid to make their readers feel uncomfortable. Which is exactly what this book did.
Well Jacquelyn, if you enjoyed this book and *applauded* it, then why did you give it such an average rating?
...Let’s just ignore that last part of my review. I’m delirious and my thumbs hurt from typing so many reviews today. 😂
Anyways, I have it a decent rating because I didn’t feel like this was groundbreaking or a crazily unique story. Was it entertaining? Sure. Is the nickname for the killer just as generic as most of the plot? Yeah. Was it similar to many fictional crime show episodes? Also, yes.
I’m glad that I read that series and that I’ve found another author that I’ve been enjoying, but I felt this book was average.
July 12, 2017
Received an ARC for my fair review for netgalley. It was another enjoyable book from Ms. Burton, however I thought it should have been a short story, I figured out fairly quickly who the villain was, and that a lot of the writing was just unnecessary filler, but then you may disagree and enjoy more, so pick it up and read my friends, because it still will pass the time. Enjoy!
November 6, 2017
Liked the story but didn’t love Julia. She’s a little too stubborn and arrogant for me, just not my favorite kinda gal. Tobias was pretty great tho. I also didn’t like a couple of the characters...Wendy and Jim, obstructionist much? Man they pissed me off. What I really want is Andrews story.
May 8, 2024
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
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
March 18, 2020
wow. made it more than halfway thru before the annoying sex scenes. like I really, really hate when books have a long sex scene is doing nothing, gets a phone call that's relevant to the story and then....again with a sex scene. just. ew. I really liked the story and where it lead in this one otherwise id give it 3 stars, would be a 5 without those sex scenes. just bleh.
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