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FBI #4
Forgotten
WHO SPEAKS FOR THE DEAD WHEN THEY SCREAM BLOODY MURDER?
Sheldon Woods kidnapped and killed an untold number of boys, then escaped the death penalty by making a plea bargain for multiple life sentences in exchange for revealing the whereabouts of some of his victims. More than a decade later, the full extent of his crimes is still unknown, and many of the dead have never been accounted for. But Lisa Walsh is certain her brother Christopher was one of them, and to honor her mother’s dying wish, she’s on a mission to learn the truth and recover the little boy’s remains. FBI agent Portia Cahill, tasked with confronting the caged killer, is obliged to play his mind games to get what she’s after, but she ends up with more than she bargained for when the remains of another boy’s body are discovered.
Determined to ID the mystery child, Portia reluctantly teams with James Cannon, the attorney who once defended Woods. But chasing a killer’s grisly legacy, and the bones of the forgotten dead, will lead them into the lethal orbit of a monster who’s seeding the graves of the past with a fresh wave of innocent victims.
Sheldon Woods kidnapped and killed an untold number of boys, then escaped the death penalty by making a plea bargain for multiple life sentences in exchange for revealing the whereabouts of some of his victims. More than a decade later, the full extent of his crimes is still unknown, and many of the dead have never been accounted for. But Lisa Walsh is certain her brother Christopher was one of them, and to honor her mother’s dying wish, she’s on a mission to learn the truth and recover the little boy’s remains. FBI agent Portia Cahill, tasked with confronting the caged killer, is obliged to play his mind games to get what she’s after, but she ends up with more than she bargained for when the remains of another boy’s body are discovered.
Determined to ID the mystery child, Portia reluctantly teams with James Cannon, the attorney who once defended Woods. But chasing a killer’s grisly legacy, and the bones of the forgotten dead, will lead them into the lethal orbit of a monster who’s seeding the graves of the past with a fresh wave of innocent victims.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 26, 2008
67 people are currently reading
1097 people want to read
About the author
Mariah Stewart
88 books1,528 followersMariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-one novels and three novellas and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. She is a RITA finalist in romantic suspense and the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO Award for excellence in women's fiction, and a Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine. A three-time winner of the Golden Leaf Award presented by the New Jersey Romance Writers, Stewart was recently awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award (which placed her in their Hall of Fame along with former recipients Nora Roberts and Mary Jo Putney — very excellent company, indeed!)
After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?
After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 23, 2015
Review Update:
I decided against DNFing this book. It still maintains 3 stars, but I was able to finish it this go-around. I'm still not really into this type of book, but the time for me was better now then when I attempted it last year. I didn't think the characters were altogether believable, but having never met a gorgeous identical twin who has a rock star father, with both of the drop dead gorgeous twins being FBI agents, I couldn't rightfully say.
Oh, and the boyfriend of the FBI MC had to save her from the bad guy, cuz she was unable to save herself. Boo.
Amendment done.
Not a bad book. Well written with interesting characters, but not for me. My grandparents recommended the author to me and I tried this one first. I'm not really into people hurting other people, especially women and children. It happens enough in real life, I don't need it in my fiction too. This is a clear case of, It's-Me-Not-The-Book. If you enjoy thrillers where the police/law are trying to find and catch the bad guy/s, who torture and kill in sick ways, then you will probably enjoy this book.
I decided against DNFing this book. It still maintains 3 stars, but I was able to finish it this go-around. I'm still not really into this type of book, but the time for me was better now then when I attempted it last year. I didn't think the characters were altogether believable, but having never met a gorgeous identical twin who has a rock star father, with both of the drop dead gorgeous twins being FBI agents, I couldn't rightfully say.
Oh, and the boyfriend of the FBI MC had to save her from the bad guy, cuz she was unable to save herself. Boo.
Amendment done.
Not a bad book. Well written with interesting characters, but not for me. My grandparents recommended the author to me and I tried this one first. I'm not really into people hurting other people, especially women and children. It happens enough in real life, I don't need it in my fiction too. This is a clear case of, It's-Me-Not-The-Book. If you enjoy thrillers where the police/law are trying to find and catch the bad guy/s, who torture and kill in sick ways, then you will probably enjoy this book.
April 18, 2022
WOW, What a Page Turner!!! If this was a True Story, How How Sad... Great Read, But Part of this Book, was definitely hard to Read :-(
April 11, 2019
Madeline Williams is dying and her only wish is to see her son's bones found so he can be buried next to her. FBI agent Portia Cahill is assigned to talk to the serial killer in prison who is suspected of killing him. Sheldon Woods was convicted of killing 13 young boys but is thought to have killed and buried many others. In a tit for tat for revealing the grave, Sheldon is allowed a favor. To Portia's surprise, the grave contains not one skeleton but two. Sheldon refuses to say who the second skeleton belongs to be he agrees to reveal another gravesite. At this one, a fresh boy is buried over a skeleton. Accomplice or copycat?
The characters were all likeable. Portia does a good job in following up all leads. She is devoted to bringing closure to the families. I didn't like this book as much as the last one I read by Mariah Stewart but it was a good romantic suspense.
The characters were all likeable. Portia does a good job in following up all leads. She is devoted to bringing closure to the families. I didn't like this book as much as the last one I read by Mariah Stewart but it was a good romantic suspense.
October 15, 2008
FBI agent Portia Cahill returns stateside after her undercover anonymity is blown. She doesn’t want to be there, she wants to be back doing the adrenaline rush of a job overseas, but that’s no possible. Her first assignment is to talk to inmate Sheldon Woods and find out where the body of Christopher Walsh is buried. It’s believe that Walsh had been one of his victims, but he never confessed. Now, Madeline, Christopher’s mother, is dying, and her last wish is to see her son’s remains be laid to rest before she’s gone.
Portia makes a deal with Woods and finds remains believed to be Christopher’s. However, there’s a new development: another set of remains, smaller, is under Christopher’s. Try as she might, Woods won’t give up the identity to the second set of remains; ‘He’s mine’. But Portia doesn’t care. While the comment is disturbing to say the least, she’s determined to bring the boy back to his family.
But there are twists, and a new development. Seems Woods has been talking to someone else, for a ‘fresh’ body of a young boy is found in another one of Woods’ victims’ graves. Obviously it wasn’t Woods; he’s behind bars. But who’s copycatting Woods’s MO? Another discovery: Woods sexually assaulted his victims before killing them. The new bodies turning up were simply strangled and nothing more.
James Cannon, Woods’s ex-lawyer, is determined to help Portia find the bodies and the new killer. Both are determined to keep each other at arm’s length, yet they both lose that fight. And while they’re close, a young friend of the family becomes a victim and Portia is determined to keep Cannon away from her until this is solved. Even consummed with guilt, she’s determined to stop the lastest murderer, no matter what. But who is he?
Stewart sure knows how to write a story with believable characters and twists that seem to freeze and puzzle you as much as the characters. With words, the characters come to life and you can’t help but follow the path laid out for them. Woods seems just as creepy as if he’d been real, and the sparks between Portia and Jim are terrific. The plot is excellent, and the twist Stewart throws in throws off the unsuspecting reader, who then yells “What the h…?” and flips the page desperately needing to know what and why. Excellent read!
Portia makes a deal with Woods and finds remains believed to be Christopher’s. However, there’s a new development: another set of remains, smaller, is under Christopher’s. Try as she might, Woods won’t give up the identity to the second set of remains; ‘He’s mine’. But Portia doesn’t care. While the comment is disturbing to say the least, she’s determined to bring the boy back to his family.
But there are twists, and a new development. Seems Woods has been talking to someone else, for a ‘fresh’ body of a young boy is found in another one of Woods’ victims’ graves. Obviously it wasn’t Woods; he’s behind bars. But who’s copycatting Woods’s MO? Another discovery: Woods sexually assaulted his victims before killing them. The new bodies turning up were simply strangled and nothing more.
James Cannon, Woods’s ex-lawyer, is determined to help Portia find the bodies and the new killer. Both are determined to keep each other at arm’s length, yet they both lose that fight. And while they’re close, a young friend of the family becomes a victim and Portia is determined to keep Cannon away from her until this is solved. Even consummed with guilt, she’s determined to stop the lastest murderer, no matter what. But who is he?
Stewart sure knows how to write a story with believable characters and twists that seem to freeze and puzzle you as much as the characters. With words, the characters come to life and you can’t help but follow the path laid out for them. Woods seems just as creepy as if he’d been real, and the sparks between Portia and Jim are terrific. The plot is excellent, and the twist Stewart throws in throws off the unsuspecting reader, who then yells “What the h…?” and flips the page desperately needing to know what and why. Excellent read!
August 29, 2011
Disappointing write-by-numbers suspense novel. Forgettable two-dimensional characters, cookie-cutter dialogues and the inevitable hunter-turns-hunted ending.
A generic story that runs along straight rails, the destination visible from miles away.
The blurb lists several major awards won by the author.
Maybe I was unlucky to pick one of her less inspired efforts.
A generic story that runs along straight rails, the destination visible from miles away.
The blurb lists several major awards won by the author.
Maybe I was unlucky to pick one of her less inspired efforts.
Read
October 18, 2019WHO SPEAKS FOR THE DEAD WHEN THEY SCREAM BLOODY MURDER?
Sheldon Woods kidnapped and killed an untold number of boys, then escaped the death penalty by making a plea bargain for multiple life sentences in exchange for revealing the whereabouts of some of his victims. More than a decade later, the full extent of his crimes is still unknown, and many of the dead have never been accounted for. But Lisa Walsh is certain her brother Christopher was one of them, and to honor her mother’s dying wish, she’s on a mission to learn the truth and recover the little boy’s remains. FBI agent Portia Cahill, tasked with confronting the caged killer, is obliged to play his mind games to get what she’s after, but she ends up with more than she bargained for when the remains of another boy’s body are discovered.
Determined to ID the mystery child, Portia reluctantly teams with James Cannon, the attorney who once defended Woods. But chasing a killer’s grisly legacy, and the bones of the forgotten dead, will lead them into the lethal orbit of a monster who’s seeding the graves of the past with a fresh wave of innocent victims.
https://www.fahasa.com/
Sheldon Woods kidnapped and killed an untold number of boys, then escaped the death penalty by making a plea bargain for multiple life sentences in exchange for revealing the whereabouts of some of his victims. More than a decade later, the full extent of his crimes is still unknown, and many of the dead have never been accounted for. But Lisa Walsh is certain her brother Christopher was one of them, and to honor her mother’s dying wish, she’s on a mission to learn the truth and recover the little boy’s remains. FBI agent Portia Cahill, tasked with confronting the caged killer, is obliged to play his mind games to get what she’s after, but she ends up with more than she bargained for when the remains of another boy’s body are discovered.
Determined to ID the mystery child, Portia reluctantly teams with James Cannon, the attorney who once defended Woods. But chasing a killer’s grisly legacy, and the bones of the forgotten dead, will lead them into the lethal orbit of a monster who’s seeding the graves of the past with a fresh wave of innocent victims.
https://www.fahasa.com/
December 14, 2018
Stewart continues the story of her FBI characters. This one is about Portia Cahill, who was serving overseas, but became known so she couldn't continue over there as she was working underground. When she goes to the office, John Mancini puts her in charge of Sheldon Woods, who kidnapped, raped and killed numerous boys. He escaped the death penalty when Jim Cannon, his lawyer, struck a deal where he gave up his "Baker's Dozen", so those parents were able to bury their sons. Now there seems to be a copycat killer. So Portia, Jim and other agents go about solving this case. I didn't have the killer figured out at all.
August 19, 2018
I have to admit I was really disappointed by this book. Not an inch away from any other thoroughly predictable trhillers. Plain, uninteresting characters, all the regular catchphrases are there. The story started out rather good, but it ended being just a 250 page introduction to the rather abrupt finale. Three stars for the effort.
May 14, 2020
I really liked this book. The main character was an interesting character. The story line was a little different. It was an easy to read book & it kept my attention. A love interest was included but it didn’t go to any huge extremes with it. Spoiler- at the end of the book the main character was not engaged or married
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2020
well unbeknownst to me when I started this book, it's a series and this isn't the 1st one, which I normally dont jump into when its a series, but alas, I did anyway and I had no trouble with the characters and/or dont feel like I missed out on any background info. Undecided at this point whether or not I will read the books before or after, but maybe!
February 11, 2024
Addictive story line that will keep you guessing until the climatic finish. Anyone who loves a really good thriller will keep you reading until the plot is revealed.
I gave a 5 star rating because every book Mariah writes is a masterpiece that will keep you reading every book she writes😊
I gave a 5 star rating because every book Mariah writes is a masterpiece that will keep you reading every book she writes😊
May 9, 2025
Forgotten
Portia Cahill and Jim Cannon are one of my favorite couples written by Mariah Stewart. The story itself is well written. Not many people can do crime and get the details correctly but Mariah has if down in spades. Sheldon Woods is one sick little man and if I say so.... So is Officer Deluca.
Portia Cahill and Jim Cannon are one of my favorite couples written by Mariah Stewart. The story itself is well written. Not many people can do crime and get the details correctly but Mariah has if down in spades. Sheldon Woods is one sick little man and if I say so.... So is Officer Deluca.
December 22, 2023
I loved this series. Didn't realize until I was well into it that I had read the 4 books years ago. It had been long enough that I had forgotten enough to enjoy them all over again. Forgotten is spine-tingling and it has a shocking twist at the end.
May 11, 2019
Keeps you engaged. Could have been better.
October 26, 2019
Couldn't put it down. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Didn't see the ending coming.
February 15, 2020
Couldnt put it down! Amazingly full of twists and turns!
March 29, 2020
Kept me in suspense and sure turned out completely different than I figured it would. Very good!
Read
April 25, 2020Fascinating book. So many twist and turns and then a very surprising ending.
April 20, 2022
Phenomenal Absolutely LOVED how this author doesn’t skip a beat and keeps the reader on their toes!
August 3, 2022
Entertaining but entirely too predictable
February 11, 2024
Enjoyable murder mystery. Unfortunately it deals with pedophile 🥲
November 24, 2024
Well write. Good pace.
February 16, 2025
Great story and compelling characters
April 5, 2025
Good mystery!!!! I often wonder about the minds of these mystery writers. They come up with the most grotesque ways to murder! I couldn't put the book down! Great read!!!
December 1, 2025
Sheldon Woods kidnapped and killed countless young boys over many years. After being caught, to avoid the death penalty, he divulged the burial locations of twelve of the boys. More than ten years later, Lisa Walsh appeals to the police on behalf of her dying mother to get Woods to confess he killed her son and to provide where he is buried.
FBI Agent Portia Cahill is tasked with getting the information out of Woods and help to bring peace to the Walsh family. But she quickly finds herself caught in his mind games as another skeleton is found with the body of Walsh's son. Portia reluctantly teams up with Jame Cannon, Wood's original defender, and tries to identify the mystery boy. But the deeper they get into the life of Woods, the more they find that he may not be the only monster they will encounter in their investigation.
Wow, what a twisting and turning thriller! There were some topics in the book that were harder to read sections at times, but a quick read and an absolute page turner. And despite coming in mid-series, I could easily pick up the story line was if it was a stand alone. I own two other books from Mariah Stewart, and I just bumped those up to my planned TBR list for next year.
FBI Agent Portia Cahill is tasked with getting the information out of Woods and help to bring peace to the Walsh family. But she quickly finds herself caught in his mind games as another skeleton is found with the body of Walsh's son. Portia reluctantly teams up with Jame Cannon, Wood's original defender, and tries to identify the mystery boy. But the deeper they get into the life of Woods, the more they find that he may not be the only monster they will encounter in their investigation.
Wow, what a twisting and turning thriller! There were some topics in the book that were harder to read sections at times, but a quick read and an absolute page turner. And despite coming in mid-series, I could easily pick up the story line was if it was a stand alone. I own two other books from Mariah Stewart, and I just bumped those up to my planned TBR list for next year.
February 25, 2016
Special agent Portia Cahill is sent back to the states, due to her cover being blown. Her boss, John Mancini, was haunted by a serial killer case, where thirteen boys were recovered. John, had a visit by Lisa Williams, the daughter of Madeline, whose son was missing, and believed to be one of Sheldon Wood's victims. Madeline's dying wish is to have her son's remains recovered and a proper burial for him. Sheldon nearly destroyed John with his games, and John feels that the best recourse is to send Portia to try to negotiate with Sheldon. Portia is able to strike a deal with Sheldon, a horse ride, in exchange for the information of Chris Williams. Portia got more than she bargained for, instead of finding the remains of one boy, there are two. Portia, continues to meet with Sheldon, and is given the name of another boy and location of his burial, in exchange for a horse ride. Once again, Portia gets more than she bargained for, when it is discovered a young boy, has recently been buried on top of an old grave. It becomes a race against the clock, to find out if someone is Sheldon's protege or a copy-cat.
July 5, 2013
Another puzzle for the FBI, Sheldon Woods is a young man with a rap sheet so long as a child it was something else, how can someone who Is sooo nice turn out bad.
Portia comes back from Afghanistan and is suddenly in charge of the case, where missing children were suddenly popping up and trying to find out the child and cross there name off, Sheldon agreed to telling the FBI about 13 people and where they were buried, but Portia's mission is to find out where Christopher was buried as his mom is dying and would like to be buried with her son's remains, Will Portia be up to it? find out Sheldon's fate,suddenly a copycat killing has happened and it is fascinating where the bodies show up and to remember all the names and where they were buried, I would not have remembered I would have FORGOTTEN THEM. Will they find out or will he get the death penalty
Portia comes back from Afghanistan and is suddenly in charge of the case, where missing children were suddenly popping up and trying to find out the child and cross there name off, Sheldon agreed to telling the FBI about 13 people and where they were buried, but Portia's mission is to find out where Christopher was buried as his mom is dying and would like to be buried with her son's remains, Will Portia be up to it? find out Sheldon's fate,suddenly a copycat killing has happened and it is fascinating where the bodies show up and to remember all the names and where they were buried, I would not have remembered I would have FORGOTTEN THEM. Will they find out or will he get the death penalty
November 8, 2017
Mariah Stewart has always been my go to Romantic Suspense writer. She can give you a little romance with enough suspense to keep you glued to the pages until the very last page. Forgotten is a story about a man, Sheldon, who is in prison for abducting & killing young boys. On her quest to find all the boys he killed to give the families closure, FBI Special Agent Portia visits Sheldon in prison to try to get more information regarding the young boys he has not given up to the police or FBI yet. Every time she gets him to give up another name and location she has to give him something in return. She plays this game for a short time before she is told there is another child found not in relation to Sheldon. Is there a copy cat killer? Read the book to find out.
May 31, 2016
Mariah Stewart has always been my go to Romantic Suspense writer. She can give you a little romance with enough suspense to keep you glued to the pages until the very last page. Forgotten is a story about a man, Sheldon, who is in prison for abducting & killing young boys. On her quest to find all the boys he killed to give the families closure, FBI Special Agent Portia visits Sheldon in prison to try to get more information regarding the young boys he has not given up to the police or FBI yet. Every time she gets him to give up another name and location she has to give him something in return. She plays this game for a short time before she is told there is another child found not in relation to Sheldon. Is there a copy cat killer? Read the book to find out.
February 7, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. Interesting plot and lots of twists and turns. A few of the twists I saw coming before they happened but the book still had plenty of suprises. Part of the story does involve some descriptions of child abuse,So I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone that can't handle that. I found the story to be very engrossing and I liked the way the main character seemed to evolve the deeper she got into the case. I give it a solid 4 stars and can't wait to see what Mariah Stewart will come out with next!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews