Stalking Jack the Ripper

Kerri Maniscalco

Sept 2016 · Sold by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

About this eBook

This #1 New York Times bestseller and deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion.

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 back to her own sheltered world. The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Ratings and reviews

This is why I'm thankful to have converted to using my Android device as an e-reader, as I can read the sample for free and decide if I want to purchase the book as a whole (which I did on spec using credit from Google Survey and Rewards rather than actually paying for the book which is the only saving grace here). Considering that to this day history can still only speculate as to who Jack the Ripper really was, the author should've had a lot more fun with our female protagonist investigating and chasing Jack (and Jack perhaps chasing her in return) through London but doesn't. We're instead treated to unnecessary storylines including tea parties and circuses that go on for chapters as well as cursory described locations and wardrobes which only serve to bog down this book when the author should've been crafting a tale a much more robust mystery (I started nodding off in places if that tells you something...). All this irrelevancy draws out the book as if the author had to fill pages and creates a rushed ending as the final chapters near resulting in our hero female protagonist, Audrey Rose, not even solving the mystery but rather having it handed to her by the author and the character that she pairs with (when you're on the cover, you'd think you'd solve your own mystery...). I'll be reading the sample of the next book Audrey Rose and company chases what could be Dracula, but I'll be reading the free sample first as I don't hold out hope buying the second book'll be worth it...

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. ALL THE LOVE. Why? Focuses on the victims Jack the Ripper is infamous. His victims have been analyzed and dissected, reduced to evidence by his handiwork, the investigation around him, and the media. Stalking Jack the Ripper brings these young women to life. Audrey literally autopsies them and treats them better than most. She’s a crusader for these women, blazing a trail for independence. While finding and stopping Jack is the goal, with Audrey at the helm women at the time become the focus. The title and cover are PERFECT and reflect this beautifully. Audrey Rose Wadsworth: Kicking Patriarchy Ass in Heels Roses have both petals and thorns, my dark flower. You needn’t believe something weak because it appears delicate. Show the world your bravery. This girl is AMAZING. I love her to death. But one thing that makes her stand out: she doesn’t put down femininity. She gets elbow deep in corpses wearing silk slippers and will make you regret making fun of her for it. I always have a soft spot for the lazy tomboyish girls because that’s me. But I appreciate people like Audrey all the more now that my daughter’s a beauty queen that throws down with the boys. She already likes the creepy like me (shocker!) so I’ll be introducing her to this glorious book when she can read it. Audrey Wadsworth & Thomas Cresswell: OTP like Holmes & Watson I love Audrey all on her own, but I lived for their banter. They are impossible cute and perfect together. Their push-pull sarcastic rivalry and partnership is die for. Cresswell is a better human than Sherlock and Wadsworth leads the investigation. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not always together and the romance is a subplot so it doesn’t steal focus. Audrey stands just fine on her own. I’m just so very, very happy they have each other. I will fucking FIGHT if anything happens to them, Maniscalco. Dat Plot: What a fantastic journey capped with I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING! Original new take on the Ripper that I’ve run across. I don’t think I need to read another book featuring Ripper. Ever. Pack it up folks, we’re done here! Of course, Maniscalco does take some liberties with the facts (mostly fudging dates and omitting suspects) and details it all at the end beautifully. But still. Any other Ripper-feature is going to get side-eyed at the very least. You cannot possibly be as good. Just sit down. The First Sentence: The lovely cover has that band at the top shouting this is published by James Patterson’s imprint. Patterson himself gives a touching foreword where he mentioned knowing from the first line he would love Stalking Jack the Ripper. The sentence in question: I placed my thumb and forefinger on the icy flesh, spreading it taunt above the breastbone as Uncle had showed me. This is one of the few books I’ve read electronically and plan on getting a hard copy. The details like the pictures and quotes are great in e-format but I want to touch it and hug it. That sounds weird, but you book people get me, right? Don’t believe me, go preview it now on Amazon and be prepared to buy it.

Stalking Jack the Ripper is a delightful murder mystery surrounding the infamous serial killer. Our protagonist Audrey Rose Wadsworth is more interested in forensics than being a lady - not that she doesn't mind wearing killer dresses and looking fabulous, but a girl's gotta have more ambition than for just tea parties. She is apprenticing under her uncle, who is a forensic doctor of renown, and because her father disapproves of her interests, she has to sneak around for it. When Jack the Ripper strikes, she and her uncle's other apprentice, the handsome Thomas Cresswell, who is the Sherlock to her Watson in this story, start investigating on their own. The stakes get higher when people close to her are also drawn in to the web of suspicion and Audrey is determined to find the killer before he strikes again. While romance is not really the main focus of the story, I found their chemistry humorous. Thomas and Audrey Rose have this flirty-bantering thing going on, where he is mostly flirting and she is bantering. She is a great character to read through - the way she reacts, her anatomical analogies give that little bit more to the book. The story itself is set quite close to the actual events, so it is an amazing historical fiction to try out, too. The mystery-solving duo chase down clues in dark alleys and amongst dead bodies, and while the mystery of the killer's identity was not really a shock to me, it came together is a well-written climax. I look forward to further adventures from the both of them.

About the author

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside New York City, where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life's finer points with her cats. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Stalking Jack the Ripper, Hunting Prince Dracula, and Escaping From Houdini.