Stalking Jack the Ripper
I feel almost dishonest reviewing this wonderful debut novel. Not because I know the author (I don’t) or because I have a connection to the publisher (certainly not). But because I. Love. Jack the Ripper novels. That said, I’m also super picky about my Jack novels, and this one definitely lit my fire.
Stalking Jack the Ripper grabbed my attention from page one. Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a highborn Victorian lady who wants to become an anatomist, to the horror of her father, who is very much a product of his times. Through various twists of fate, Audrey is drawn into the hunt for Jack the Ripper. She and Thomas, her uncle’s apprentice with whom she reluctantly partners, strike up an effective but fiery team, even as they grow closer to each other and to danger. As she gets sucked deeper into the manhunt, she begins to have grave fears that the man she is stalking is one of the people she is closest to.
Maniscalco creates delightful atmosphere throughout; I felt as though the chill of London’s seedy underbelly was worming its way into my bones at times. The secondary characters need a bit more developing and there are some anachronisms that chafe a bit. For example, the Victorians loved their etiquette. Audrey knows she shouldn’t allow Thomas Cresswell into her parlour alone, but she does anyway. That likely wouldn’t have happened in reality, but these anachronisms are not enough to throw off the fast-paced plot.
This novel is also the very first to be published under James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, Jimmy Patterson books, which is cool. However, I feel it needs a warning for sensitive readers, and should definitely not be read by those younger than 13. It features a couple of medically graphic photos, and the climax would be disturbing even in some adult novels.