A #1 New York Times Bestseller 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 … 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.more
I loved this book from beginning to end.
Kerri Maniscalco managed to take a murder and his heinous crimes, and use that to create a story revolving around a copy cat killer and the chase to find him. This book is full of twists and turns that you will never see coming. If you’re a big fan of twisted, true crime based fiction, romance, and the Victorian era definitely check out this book.
Amazing!!!!!! This series shot straight up to my favorites list
Stalking Jack The Ripper is the first acquisition of James Patterson’s new imprint for young readers called Jimmy Patterson Books. This is also Kerri Maniscalco’s first novel and I believe that she is off to a great start. I myself am a lover of all things mystery and have watched and read many things that were about the Ripper case and I think that Kerri has come with a fresh new idea on it all. I also love forensic pathology of the crimes and feel that she has really hit it out of the park.
Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a 17 year old daughter of a Lord with a life of wealth and privilege but Audrey isn’t like any other socialite her age. Instead of social teas and parties she would rather join her Uncle in his lab and learn about forensic pathology and medicine. Her father forbids her from doing such things as she is a Lord’s daughter and is expected to act as such. Audrey Rose, however, sees things differently. She wants to know who is killing these women and she is determined to get the answers to her questions.
The twists and turns of this story are so well done that I was pleasantly surprised when I finished it. It grips you and pulls you in all while brigs a fresh take on the serial killer of Jack the Ripper. Some of the best parts of this book are the extras that Kerri has included, the pictures from the time period and the letters from the Ripper.
This is like a train streaming through your mind! Your senses try to rush ahead and piece things together. This was brilliant and frightening and captivating!! The characters plights draw you in. I had to see what happened next, that putting this down was difficult. I loved the fantasy that was woven along with fact! I do wish that we had more of the characters being fleshed out. More meaningful scenes and dialogue between Audrey Rose and Thomas is sadly missing. But… huge applause that this can be read by a younger audience!! I don’t recall any foul language, which really was a plus! I’m excited to journey onto the next novel and I’m hoping that I can connect with the characters more in the rest of the series.
I have no words….well, that’s a lie. I have lots of words. Just where to start?! Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco is the first in the series about a young woman who works with her uncle and his apprentice to find the killer preying on the women of Whitechapel.
If you’ve followed my reviews long, there’s one thing you’ve probably noticed. I don’t typically read thrillers or horror. I steer clear of crime books too. I want to be taken on an adventure and forget the real problems of the world when I pick up a book to read. That being said, why would I pick up a historical fiction about Jack the Ripper? Well that’s kind of a redundant question for me. I’m obsessed with Jack the Ripper. His killing spree has always fascinated me, and I devour anything I can get my hands on about him and that time period. Hence the reason I picked up Kerri Maniscalco‘s book. And boy am I glad I did!
Stalking Jack the Ripper is a fictionalized version of the real story following Audrey Rose Wadsworth as she helps her uncle, a forensic physician, and his apprentice, the enigmatic Thomas Cresswell. Audrey Rose is seventeen when the book opens, and from the first line I knew I’d love her. She is working in secret with her uncle. Her father heavily disapproves of his work and has forbidden Audrey Rose from doing the same. It is unladylike and not proper. However Audrey Rose could care less what her father thinks. She is fascinated by the science behind her uncle’s work, and if it means saving a life, she won’t stop doing it.
Thomas Cresswell is an enigma. His character reminds me a lot of Sherlock Holmes. He focuses on science and removes emotion from the equation when he is working on a case. Instead he focuses on the details, details most would miss. Thomas is abrasive and crass at times, putting off Audrey Rose, but at others his intuitive nature grows on her. She begins relying on him, and I’m not gonna lie I ship them hard!
While the plot of this story is focused on the murders in Whitechapel, it also focuses on Audrey Rose’s home life. Losing her mother five years prior has left her family in a state of mourning and disarray. Her father has turned to drugs, her brother is starting to crack under the stress, and Audrey Rose continues to pull away and focus all her energies into science and learning whatever her uncle is willing to teach. The mystery surrounding the Ripper case and Audrey Rose’s personal life intertwine making for a compelling read. I really couldn’t (and didn’t want to) sit the book down for any reason. I wanted to keep reading and find out as much as I could.
What I love most about this story is the foreshadowing. If you are clever, you may figure out and solve the crime before the end of the book. But you’d best be Sherlock Holmes clever! When everything is revealed, it was an ah-ha moment for me. It all comes together beautifully. It’s brilliant!
Overall I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper. The author takes liberties with the history to fit the story, but it isn’t distracting and unless you are very familiar with the original case, I don’t think it is noticeable. I love the historical aspects of the book. I felt like I was really there in late 1880s London and I was the one stalking the Ripper. Seriously y’all, if you enjoy a fast-paced, clever thriller, I highly recommend you put this on your TBR asap!
The identity of Jack the Ripper remains one of the biggest mysteries in the history of both Victorian England, and of the murky world of serial killers.
Maniscalco takes that mystery, envelopes it in the life and times of a fictional would-be forensic scientist, shrouds it with London fog, and hides it in a dark place where nobody thinks or dares to look.
‘Stalking Jack the Ripper’ is a beautifully written blend of mystery, macabre horror and historical fiction that keeps the audience completely rivered as the story unfolds. Suspense builds from the time of the discovery of the first victim right up to the climax and conclusion.
The cast of characters is varied and complex, each with secrets and personal motivations that intrigue both the reader and one another. The way in which the author drops hints and suggestions is quite tantalising, adding another layer of mystery to the characters and their actions.
I loved this book. It was different than any other book I have read. Thomas was definitely one of my favorite characters. It’s tnot for the faint of heart though. It is definitely a young adult book. I definitely like how the Author did her homework and worked actual history into the book. Looking for a great book this is it my friend.
I really loved this book! The chemistry between the two lead characters was wonderful, and steamy at times. Not hard to predict, but still a very enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
I absolutely loved this book.
I’ll do my best to make this spoiler free.
Plot:
Sort of a Sherlock Holmes style YA mystery set in Victorian era London.
a 1st person POV from young Audrey Rose Wadsworth (who is the Watson) to Thomas’ Sherlock. Together, the two study forensic sciences under Audrey Rose’s uncle and investigate the mysterious and brutal murders in White Chapel.
Characters:
I’m only going to talk about the two main characters:
Audrey Rose is a strong female character who doesn’t surrender her feminity to be strong. She balances the life of a daughter to a wealthy lord with her fascination of forensic sciences while carrying an internal struggle of a difficult family relationship. She has to navigate proper London etiquette in the pursuit of her passion and keep her studies a secret from her overprotective father.
Thomas is an arrogant know it all who can back it up. He’s written in the style of Robert Downey Jr’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. He has his moments of being charming, annoying, suspicious, and brilliant. We learn his backstory all at once, but since it was through dialogue it didn’t come across as an info dump.
Writing style:
I found the occupations of the characters to be fascinating and well researched. The prose was direct, with some poetic language woven in (but never overwhelming). I loved that it was 1st person POV it was incredibly important to know what Audrey Rose was thinking at all times. Though the plot was about catching Jack the Ripper, the juicy conflicts were all internal and having access to her thoughts made this story riveting.
I am excited to continue reading this series.
Stalking Jack The Ripper is an interesting read with many twists. The two main characters are very well developed and really stand out against their societies expectations.
This was actually a super tough book for me to rate. Listening to the audiobook was really fun and despite the meh rating, I enjoyed it. But when I started thinking about the story, I just couldn’t bear to give this more than three stars.
Okay, Thomas. He’s the best part of this book. Hands down. I’m pretty sure he’s the entire reason why I was almost fooled into giving this four stars instead of three and I’m a little in love. He’s smart and observant while still being compassionate and HILARIOUS. I loved his sass. And it was awesome that he treated Audrey with the same respect he would with a male colleague.
I also really loved the atmosphere and setting of this story! I will forever be a complete sucker for historical fiction and London, so I was totally all over this. Plus, the narrator did an excellent job and really brought the story to life. Her English accent was perfect for this book and all the different characters.
The story was just so predictable. And since this book is mainly supposed to be a mystery, I had to dock some major points for that. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I knew who the murderer was by chapter two and wasn’t surprised by anything that happened. I still plan on reading the next book in the series because this was a fun audiobook (and I need more Thomas, let’s be honest), but I’m REALLY hoping the mystery is better next time.
And I gotta be honest, Audrey kind of bugged me. Half of me loved her and the other half of me wanted to give her a slap. I really LOVED the feminist part of Audrey that challenged society and wanted the same opportunities as men. YAS. Power to you sister, I love it. She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty or wear whatever she wanted and that was awesome. But then she would do something brainless like hunt down a murderer alone in the middle of the night or run up to a strange guy hunched in an alley even though he’s been unresponsive to all her shouting. And UGH. I just couldn’t handle it sometimes.
*FINAL WORD*
Meh. If you read this, don’t do it for the mystery. This is more for young-adult fans who like romance and historical fiction.
Actual Rating: 2.5
The first reason I didn’t enjoy this book so much is because of how slow I felt it went. I felt it was slow mainly because I had already solved the case within the first 70 pages. I was so disappointed and could not believe how incredibly predictable this book was! I can’t see how everybody enjoyed it as much as they did.
There were only two redeeming qualities of this book: Thomas and the ending. Whenever Thomas was around, Audrey Rose became a hilarious, witty character with lots of sass. I loved their playful banter and longed for all the scenes with Thomas.
The ending, although I knew who the killer was, still held surprises for me. Knowing the killer and knowing the motive are two different things, after all. Out of the whole book, the ending was what kept me the most captivated. It brought this book up from the two stars I was planning to 2.5.
This book is NOT for the squeamish type. I myself almost got sick during some parts in the beginning. There were many times when I had to put the book down. If you don’t like the beginning, just put the book down and don’t come back to it. The rest of the book is more of the same.
All this said, I may want to try the next book now that Audrey Rose and Thomas have an established romance. No matter how much a book sucks, I’ll always read more if there’s romance promised. Happy reading!
I can’t believe I waited so long to start this book! It has everything I love: murder mysteries, romance, forensics…
The descriptions are everything! They allow you to clearly visualize what is described and basically transport you straight into the book. I wasn’t bothered by the descriptions of cutting people open and examining them. Keep in mind that I am not bothered with blood or anything remotely close to that, especially when I am reading it. With that, I do think that people who are sensitive to those things wont mind it either. It also isn’t like that all you read in each chapter. I believe I only read it 3-5 times in the entire book, and they weren’t going into grand detail.
Lets discuss characters… I am in love with each and every one of them. And I truly do mean that. They were all individually unique, having their own personality characteristics that were devoted to them. But they were tied together through their passions and by family means. I think this is what really interested me. How different personalities work together and can lead to the same profession interests.
I really liked the pictures, especially since I didn’t know what some of the different things were. This would include tubercular leprosy. I think that the pictures chosen were perfect, not being too graphic or gory. I also liked reading which aspects of the book were true and which were not at the end. I must say, I do have a newfound curiosity with Jack the Ripper now.
Maniscalco does a great job at keeping it a mystery on who Jack the Ripper is. Throughout the entire book I thought it was one person, but it turned out to be someone else. Maniscalco stole my heart like she herself were Jack the Ripper. Her writing style is crazy addictive and I see what the hype about this book is about. Can’t wait to continue reading this series and see what else she comes up with!
This had a great gothic feel to it and so many nuances. I just loved it !
A book to read if your looking for a suspenseful book! Great witty characters that you are sure to fall in love with. Definitely one of my all time favorites!
Brilliant!!! I loved this whole book! I wasn’t sure if I would like the historical setting but after getting used to the language and started to get to know the characters the whole book just flowed. I hadn’t planned on necessarily reading the whole series either and now I can’t wait to get the next one!!! This book is fabulous!!!
I loved this book! Audrey Rose and Thomas are darlings, and I want to read so many more of their adventures. Audrey Rose loves science and crime scenes but also frilly dresses and pretty slippers. Thomas is an intelligent, witty artist and a shameless flirt, and I’m here for it.
This book is amazing from a young girl liking things that no girl in that time should like. She fights the constraints that limited the women at the time all the while trying stop Jack the Ripper. The chemistry between the two main characters is well thought out and it grows like it should, not I love you the very next day.
Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco is a book I got from the library. It is a Jack the Ripper story but told in such a totally different way! I really enjoyed the view point, the characters, plot, and uniqueness. Bravo!