Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #1)

by Kerri Maniscalco

James Patterson (Introduction)

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.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

• ISBN10: 1478967420
• ISBN13: 9781478967422
• Publish Date: 20 September 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Jimmy Patterson
• Format: Audiobook (CD)
• Duration: 9 hours and 30 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

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.

[Beth C.]

Jack the Ripper - a name synonymous with death and mystery. With no one ever proving conclusively who the murderer was, the killings have been used in a number of books - both fiction and nonfiction - to show different theories. Here, we have Audrey Rose Wadsworth, a young lady of some means who has been defying her father and learning about forensics from her uncle. When the first killings grip the city, Audrey is thrust into the horror and anxiety firsthand, as she works to unmask the *real* Jack the Ripper.

As a mystery, the book was only partially successful. I figured out what the big twist was going to be long before it took place, and I'm not always the greatest at that. As a romance, well - it's there, though it seems a bit forced and surprisingly quick to develop - especially considering this is Victorian England. Yes, Audrey is pushing against social mores, but it would be extremely unrealistic to push back at ALL of them at the same time. And honestly, at times, it felt more like Sherlock and Watson, but less convincing.

Overall, it's an ok book. I finished it and didn't detest it, and I could certainly see where some would enjoy what it offers. However, I would recommend borrowing it from the library instead of buying it.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Stalking Jack the Ripper is marketed as a young adult historical mystery but I would emphases this is for the older end of readers in this age group. Mystery lovers over seventeen would enjoy this well-developed tale.

Superintendent Blackburn shook his head, his fair hair catching the light of the sun. “I’d inquire about the weather, but I’m sure you’d like to speak of other things, Miss Wadsworth.” He squinted toward the body, shielding his eyes with his hand. “Seems our boy gave us two more victims.”

While the author took some liberties with the Ripper historical timeline and added some of her own, she stayed true enough to the crimes gave authenticity to her fiction. As a reader, I quickly found myself immersed in the macabre atmosphere of this tale. I enjoyed the subtle humor and romance served as a side dish to the murder mysteries.

Despite my annoyance at the author’s continual reminder that Audrey was brilliant, our young protagonist, Audrey Rose Wadsworth, was indeed clever and brilliant. A young Watson in the making. Audrey’s Uncle is a professor and mortician who studies cadavers and at times aids law investigations. Audrey prefers sawdust at her feet and a scalpel in her hand to society’s norm of tea and chatter about perspective husbands. I found Audrey to be likeable, and admired her stubbornness and refusal to conform to society’s expectation of her.

"Not to mention, the subject matter was hardly appropriate for the dinner table. Discussing missing ovaries then asking him to pass the salt would be revolting for anyone, let alone a girl of my station"

Maniscalco brought nineteenth century London to life in vivid detail. We got a sense of not only the panic that the “Whitechapel Murderer,” dubbed the “Leather Apron” by the press but also received a glimpse into scientific advancements in the world of forensics. She brought opium dens to life, took us into the walls of Bedlam, and fed us deliciously gory accounts of the brutal murders. We even explore experiments made famous in Frankenstein. Laced throughout the book are period images that enhanced the tone of the story.

Without hesitation, I dragged the scalpel from one shoulder to the sternum, taking pains to push as deeply as I could. My brows raised a fraction before I schooled my face into an unreadable mask. Human flesh flayed easier than I’d anticipated. It wasn’t much different from cutting into a pork loin prior to its roasting, a thought that should have been more disturbing than it was.

Thomas, the young apprentice to Audrey’s Uncle reminded me of a young Sherlock Holmes. I admired his appreciation for Audrey’s skills at deduction and brazen drive to discover the identity of the Ripper. A truly modern thinking young man he encouraged Audrey and saw nothing wrong with her desires to explore forensics. The interaction between these two was delightful, laced in snark, and at times maddening. Whenever these two engaged it was a test of wits as they tangoed. It was quite fun to watch.

Copy obtained at BEA2016 This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

Initial reaction:



When I stumbled upon Stalking Jack the Ripper at ALA earlier this year, I really had no idea what it was. I saw that it was presented by James Patterson and I thought it sounded interesting enough, even if mystery isn't my favorite genre. When I got home and realized it was a highly anticipated September YA release I was really excited to get to read it! To be honest, I kind of wish I had never gotten on board the hype train because this didn't live up to my high expectations.

The main character of this story is Audrey Rose, a girl who is more interested in dissecting corpses than attending tea parties, much to her family's dismay. She is not a bad character, but for some reason I just could not connect with Audrey quite as much as I wish had. I did feel like the author did a great job of showing her as a product of her time, while also making her strong and independent. The main issue I had with Audrey Rose is that she tries so hard to show how independent she is that she is actually reckless on a regular basis. I love strong female characters, but I have a really hard time with foolish ones and that is how she came off on a couple occasions, which was pointed out by other characters.

I absolutely loved Thomas, the Sherlockian love interest. I found him to be charmingly awkward and perhaps a little clueless at times, while also being totally brilliant. I did enjoy their romance although I wish it had been touched on a little more instead of the constant bickering and creeping around to spy on each other. The author has said that there will be more of a focus on romance in future books, so we have that to look forward to! Audrey's uncle, brother, and father were also interesting characters who I always wanted to know more about and never quite felt like I could get a good read on.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the feeling that I was never 100% sure who the big bad was. There were times I was pretty sure (and I was actually right in the end after a wrong guess early on) but I was never sure enough to tell anyone else what my hunch was! That's how good the mystery is written! The reveal of who Jack the Ripper actually was fun, inasmuch as I finally got to see if I was right! Unfortunately, the way the reveal was actually, well, revealed was kind of a let down. The action was not quite enough to hold my attention and everything, including the twist, just kind of came at a snail's pace, not enough to get me really excited about any of it.

I will give it to Kerri - she knows how to create a world and an atmosphere that feels both historical and unsettling. Although I had issues with other parts of the book, the world building was phenomenal! The addition of old photos (some gruesome, some strange, and some not-so-strange) made things interesting and helped to set the mood. I will say that based on the hype I've been hearing, I expected this book to be much more creepy. Maybe I've been desensitized by the number of horror books I've read but, while I did feel a little uneasy at times, I never felt truly creeped out.

Overall this book was just okay for me. I think if I hadn't gone in expecting to be totally blown away by an incredibly creepy mystery, I may have enjoyed it a little more. I felt like Stalking Jack the Ripper was a decent mystery with an interesting historical setting. I feel bad for not loving this one as much as everyone else seems to, but I came away feeling pretty "meh" about the whole experience. I would definitely recommend this for mystery fans though because it did keep me guessing!

[Ashley]

Leaning towards 4.5 stars. It was glorious!

My favourite part was the characters. They were so fun and interesting. 3

[limabean74]

I might have a slight obsession with Jack the Ripper. Like I don't even know why I do, I have read the story about what he did a million times. I just find it fascinating, maybe because he got away with it and no one ever found him. While I was at BEA someone mentioned the author would be signing this book and I almost passed out, not because she was there (that was actually a bonus) but because I didn't even know this book existed and now I needed it like ASAP. I waited on a very long line for this book and I didn't care. I will tell you that this book did not disappoint and it was done so well and kept the original story intact even with the few liberties she took. OMG, I honestly loved this book and to find out it's part of a series makes me even more excited because I am totally in love with these characters. This book has suspense, mystery and laugh out loud funny. Yes, I said funny, Thomas was hilarious and I loved the banter between him and Audrey Rose. Hold on let me start over.

Audrey Rose isn’t your normal girl of society she prefers to work in her Uncles lab and help him examine bodies. Her father is not happy about it but Audrey isn’t interested in what all the other girls are into. I loved Audrey Rose she was a very strong, independent and likable characters. She meets the handsome Thomas Cresskill, who is her Uncles assistant. The banter between him and Audrey is hilarious, I can’t seem to get enough of them. When someone starts killing girls in Whitechapel London and her Uncle gets sent away. It is up to Thomas and Audrey to find out what is going on but can they do it before the serial killer, Jack the Ripper finds them?

Sometimes I think 5 stars isn’t enough to explain how much I loved this book. Kerri Maniscalco did an amazing job keeping the story true but also adding in just the right amount of fiction to make this story her own. As I might have mentioned I have an obsession with Jack and have read his story quiet a few times so I am not a fan of people changing the story but good gravy she did it and I loved it.

The story has lots of twist and turns and you also develop a large amount of trust issues when it comes to come of the characters. The story fell into place perfectly and I loved how when it was over, it came to a full circle. This was Kerri’s debut novel and she has me hooked. I am excited to learn that this will have a book two and I can’t wait to dive into this world again and spend more time with Handsome Thomas and Strong willed Audrey.

I can’t, seriously, can’t recommend this book enough. It has turned out to be one of my favorites this year and I am so very happy that someone mentioned it to me at BEA, I would have been so upset to have missed it and was super excited to have meet Kerri in person (I might have told her Jack was my serial killer hero and she actually agreed or was totally creeped out but she hide it well) . This review does not do justice to this book because I left a lot out, don’t want to spoil it for anyone, you need to enjoy the ride like I did. I guarantee you will fall in love with this book. Totally makes my top 10 favs of all time.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my review.

Have a great day and Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life