The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1)

by Maureen Johnson

Thrilling ghost-hunting teen mystery as modern-day London is plagued by a sudden outbreak of brutal murders that mimic the horrific crimes of Jack the Ripper.

"A gorgeously written, chilling, atmospheric thriller. The streets of London have never been so sinister or so romantic." Cassandra Clare, author of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS

Sixteen-year-old American girl Rory has just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Ripper copycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamous murders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer's identity.

"Rippermania" grabs hold of modern-day London, and the police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends to turn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery...

Could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave?

Reviewed by Joni Reads on

5 of 5 stars

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I devoured this novel! I am a fan of murder mystery anything and so the fact that this book has to do with one of the most popular unsolved crimes in history was very intriguing to me.

I loved Rory's personality. She was so funny and she likable. Her roommate, Jazza, was also wonderful and they were a perfect fit.

I was so curious when Rory saw the murderer but her roommate didn't. I couldn't figure out what was going on. And then I realized that Rory's new ability is related to something very small that occurred at the very beginning of the novel. When it happened I didn't think twice about it. And then it turns out it was a very big part of the story.

I loved that this book wasn't easy to figure out. I always read books and figure out who the "bad guy" is as soon as they start hinting to who it is. So for this one to be a surprise to me was such a relief.

I am dying to read The Madness Underneath, the next book in this series.

This book was so good and I flew straight through and was sad when it ended. It was everything I expected and much more.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 January, 2012: Finished reading
  • 1 January, 2012: Reviewed