Capturing the Devil (Stalking Jack the Ripper)
In this fourth and final installment of Maniscalco’s sassy and salacious Stalking Jack the Ripper series, the darkly brilliant power-couple Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have arrived in America, slightly worse for wear after a week on the Etruria but ready to take on new challenges in their professional—and personal—lives. When their new investigations stir memories of the old, Audrey Rose must confront the demons she’d thought at peace, and begin again with a fresh perspective. Unfortunately for those who try the patience of our cane-wielding heroine, roses have petals and thorns.
From the bustling streets of 19th-century New York to the white-tented Chicago, Audrey Rose and Thomas pursue their quarry, determined to close another blood-curdling case. The Devil is in the White City, and some of his touches are decidedly personal. Can Audrey Rose’s forensic skills and Thomas’s deductive abilities solve the case? Or has Cresswell met their dark match?
Maniscalco continues to address Victorian social mores, gender roles, and familial expectations in her heart-racing conclusion. Fans of Audrey Rose and Thomas will cheer their highs and mourn their lows. As ever, the two have fantastic tension and repartee, winning readers over and helping set a quick pace. Some creative arrangements have been made to fit the story’s timeline, but the representation sits well, and it makes for an intriguing setting. Fans of Young Adult, Romance, and Mystery will enjoy the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and will be delighted to find that Capturing the Devil strikes an excitement to re-read the set with a magnifying glass in hand.
