Jackaby (Jackaby, #1)

by William Ritter

This thrilling novel from the author of the New York Times bestselling paranormal mystery Jackaby series pits R.F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplainable and his new assistant, Abigail Rook, against a supernatural serial killer.

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby's assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it's an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local police seem adamant to deny.

While Abigail finds herself drawn to Jackaby's keen intelligence and his sensitivity to phenomena others barely perceive, her feelings are confused by the presence of Charlie, a handsome young policeman willing to help Jackaby and Abigail on the case. But is Charlie's offer a sincere desire to be of service, or is some darker motive at work?

• ISBN10: 1523523980
• ISBN13: 9781523523986
• Publish Date: 24 August 2023 (first published 1 September 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Young Readers
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

What a fun read! This book was full of memorable characters, mystery, and interesting lore. I loved the whole Sherlock Holmes with the paranormal twist. Jackaby is quirky, but also equipped with an ability to read people and offer them emotional support when necessary. The whole vibe at Jackaby's house is fun and fantastical. I did solve the mystery early on, but I did not know the WHOLE story and I loved watching it unfold.

[limabean74]

My Review:

Someone hit me because I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book. I had a feeling I would like it but I didn’t realize HOW much I would like it. Pretty much the first paragraph I was completely hooked. I was often reminded while reading this book of another book/series that I love, Lockwood & Company. This had that same vibe and I loved it. I plan to read the next one soon.

Abigail Rook is looking for adventure, set in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892 she meets the oddly intriguing R.F. Jackaby. It wasn’t a meeting of chance she saw a sign on a board for an investigator looking for an assistant but Jackaby is a little…different when it comes to investigating and he isn’t sure that Abigail will work. Abigail is able to hold her own and she is given the job and takes a room in his manor that has a few friends. Abigail and Jackaby are in search of a serial killer can they find him before he finds them?

I loved this story, I loved the characters, I just loved everything about it. I don’t think I was expecting the paranormal type twist but I really thought it was done very well. Yes, I am aware of the synopsis stating supernatural but they way it is done in the book, I wasn’t expecting that.

I really liked Abigail and thought she was a great MC for this book. She was strong headed and independent and I enjoyed her interactions with Jackaby. Jackaby was a little strange but I enjoyed his quarks and strange ways of doing things, I suggest not asking him to make you breakfast. This book had lots of twists and a bunch of humor that I really enjoyed.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I really wish I didn’t wait so long to read it but I am totally looking forward to reading the next one. This book is really great for all ages, a wonderful story with really great characters.

Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my review

Hope you have a great day and Happy Reading!

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

[Sarah Says]

I found this a little slow to get into at first but it grew on me and I liked it in the end. Jackaby solving the murder was enjoyable, there was a touch of humor and an assortment of mystical creatures. The first half of the book was mainly setting up the backgrounds for the main characters and their world, which is to be expected in a first of series. The second half of the book was the action and mystery solving. I liked all the main characters, especially Jr Detective Cain and Abigail Rook and look forward to reading them again in the next book. I wished we could have seen more of what was going on in Jackaby's head, as most of the time Abigail (the POV) was left in the dark. But I'm sure the next book will be more mysterious, action packed and enjoyable, as this the first book laid down all the ground work for what could be a brilliant long lived paranormal Sherlock Homes type series.

[celinenyx]

Jackaby was one of my most anticipated 2014 releases. It has a beautiful cover, a great blurb, and honestly just sounded so good. A paranormal Sherlock Holmes? Count me in!

Abigail Rook doesn't want to live a life of pretty dresses, but one of adventure and excitement. That's how she ends up on a different continent, penniless, looking for a job. She finds employment by the eccentric Jackaby, a young man who solves paranormal mysteries.

It's clear that Mr Ritter is an absolute fan of old detectives. There are countless allusions to the grandfathers of the genre, including to Poe (there is both a character named Allan, as well as one named Dupin). Ritter knows his source material, but that is also his greatest weakness. Jackaby as a character is described as "Sherlock Holmes meets Doctor Who", which is exactly who he is. He is simply a mash-up of the personality of these two pop-culture heroes, and he never breaks from the mould into becoming a character of his own. He struts around like the Doctor, and deduces like Holmes. There isn't more to him than this flat characterisation.

Abigail herself isn't much better - like many detective sidekicks she is simply a foil, a stand-in for the reader so we can enjoy the work of the detective in her place. There is a shallow back story that never fully takes form, and she's hardly an acting character at all. Mr Ritter deserves a cookie, however, for writing a story with a male and female character in close quarters to each other without there being any romantic feelings between them.

On a sentence level Jackaby is fantastically written. I think this is where Ritter's expertise shines most. He has a very convincing 19th century voice, something that isn't easy to accomplish. He also writes entertaining banter and seems to have a great imagination for mythological beasties and paranormal occurrences.

I quite liked this debut, because in the end these archetypical characters are very entertaining. It took a bit to get used to the fact that Jackaby investigates brownies and trolls instead of normal human beings, but when I got into the story, I enjoyed the ride. Jackaby wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I will read the next book.

[Stephanie]

I wanted more from this book.

[A Darker Shade of Rosie]

LIKED:
- Jackaby gave me Doctor Who vibes, which I loved immensely. He provided a heavy dosage of wit and confidence.
- Abigail Rook is hired by - and becomes involved in the case with - Jackaby, all the while receiving disapproving looks about town. Jackaby is pretty much known to be the quack of the town, as he believes in things others usually do not.
- This novel was a delightful mix of supernatural and mystery that it kept me turning pages to find out who the serial killer was! Seriously, if you like Doctor Who, you’ll love Jackaby.

“For a man who professes to be entirely rational and scientific, he can’t seem to steer clear of the impossible and magical.”

[blog & instagram & twitter]

[jnikkir]

3.5 stars, I think? I'm not sure what to rate it here on Goodreads, though. *SIGH*