Stalking Jack the Ripper

(Stalking Jack the Ripper #1, By: Kerri Maniscalco)

SUMMARY:

Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this 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 close 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.
Published September 20th 2016 by Jimmy Patterson.

REVIEW:

I gave this book 3.5 stars. I was torn with this rating because while I enjoyed the thrilling and mysterious plot, as well as the idea of the characters, there were parts of the story that dragged and I had a hard time fully connecting to the voice.

The historical fiction setting itself was interesting and different, but the voice was so formal (possibly due to the era of that setting) that I felt distanced from the characters. I loved that Audrey Rose possessed unique traits, like her fiery and witty personality, but overall the wording was just too stiff. Again, I am sure this is heavily due to the setting and the social formalities that were in place at that time, but it just didn’t click with me personally.

That being said, once I got past the stiffness, this was actually a very exciting read. Maniscalco did a wonderful job of balancing the thrilling horror aspects of the story (there are gruesome, detailed scenes!) with humor and romance which made it multidimensional and intriguing without constantly feeling heavy. While it took me a bit to feel invested in the story as a whole, I always felt the pull to solve the mystery and figure out “who done it”.

The romance was a slow burn, since the characters had very limited interactions in the typical way we read about relationships (think true courting, instead of dating). However, the love interest, Thomas, was snarky and flirty and made this book ten times more interesting.

If you are looking for a thrilling read, with Sherlock Holmes feels, this will be a fun book for you! You may have to stick through adjusting to the voice and time period, as well as a bit of a lull towards the middle of the plot, but overall you will be left with a story full of wit, horror and mystery.