Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.
Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.
I’ve seen a lot of talk about Stalking Jack the Ripper since it came out. But now with the release of the fourth book in the series, I finally decided to pick it up and give it a read.
After being on the fence for a long time if I’d actually like this book, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I was supposed to be reading a different book for book club, but often found myself picking this one up to read a chapter or two before bed instead. It’s told in a breezy, yet period-appropriate style that keeps the pages turning. I probably could have read this in one sitting if I had that much time (which I don’t these days).
I haven’t read many fictional takes on the infamous Jack the Ripper murders (the only one I can think of that I’ve read is The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson), but I really enjoyed Maniscalco’s vision for who the Ripper really was. Yes, in this book we do get an answer about who the killer was!
While I enjoyed this book quite a bit, I’m even more excited to see where the series goes from here! I know there are three more books out and with names like Hunting Prince Dracula, Escaping from Houdini, and Capturing the Devil, I can only image what exciting adventures await Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell as they presumably cross paths with Dracula, Houdini, and…the devil?! Speaking of Audrey Rose and Thomas – while I was surprised at how forward the romance was (I was expecting more of a enemies-turned-best-friends-turned-lovers slow build), the chemistry between the two crackles off the page from their first conversation and I’m looking forward to watching it progress over the next few books!
Stalking Jack the Ripper is the perfect atmospheric, spooky Halloween read that’s not too scary. Pick it up before the month’s over!
