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...

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.

3.5 Stars Stalking Jack the Ripper captured my attention the first moment I saw another blogger post about it when it released. How could it not with that gorgeous cover and a title mentioning stalking one of the most notorious serial killers ever? Even though I was able to predict the ending very early on and the book didn't blow me away, I still enjoyed this adventure. Audrey is a brave and snarky heroine during a time where women were not encouraged to think independently or do anything more strenuous than sip tea or perfect their needle point. As much as I liked Audrey, Thomas was my favorite character. His comical banter and flirting with Audrey made this book for me.

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.