In the mood for a spooky read? I’ve got just the thing. With elements from Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein and a dark and bloody Victorian London, not to mention two funny and witty protagonists, Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper is just what the season needs.
Stalking Jack the Ripper follows sixteen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth as she tries to solve the enigma that is Jack the Ripper. At the same time, she deals with her family drama and with the exigencies of the noble society of London. As a lady in 19th century London, Audrey must engage in ‘womanly’ endeavors and all manner of tasks that would secure her a marriage proposal. However, she opts for apprenticing forensic medicine under the tutelage of her uncle, who is sort of an outcast due to his choice in profession.
Her father, Lord Wadsworth, and brother, Nathaniel, are constantly trying to dissuade her from involving herself in these matters they call ‘manly’, but Audrey persists.
She becomes entangled with the Ripper murders after performing an autopsy on one of the victims. Audrey and her uncle’s protégé, Thomas Cresswell, grow close as they seek the murderer together.
Audrey Rose is a strong heroine. She constantly battles between what people expect of her and what she desires. Sometimes, this message constantly smacked me in the face with how often it was said, but I understood the need to emphasize it.
I really enjoyed Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell’s interactions and the chemistry they had. There’s a romantic subplot, but that’s really all it is. Most of this novel is centered around the murders and the uncovering of the murderer.
I found myself laughing at gems like “Now he was doing that infuriating thing where he inevitably guesses my secret plans, and I’d have to kill him. In front of all these witnesses, no less. What a pity.” and “ We’re going to see my father’s former valet, you insufferable thing.”
It’s a fast and engrossing read that I highly recommend. If I were to give this book a rating out of 5, I’d give it a 3.5-4. My issue with characters who claim to be very smart is that I expect them to act as such. In the case of this book, Audrey Rose would constantly let her emotions get in the way of seeing what was right in front of her and she’d jump to conclusions without enough evidence. Thomas remarks on this a few times throughout the book, but it still bothers me. Other than that, I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I think it suits the season nicely. If you’re looking for a book to get you in a Halloween mood, I recommend you pick this up.