Epic Historical Mystery | Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Friday, January 08, 2021

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: 9/20/16

Pages: 327

Source: purchased

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.

Audrey Rose is an apprentice, conducting autopsies and creating medical records. All she has ever wanted is to learn science and under the mentorship of her uncle, she is able to put her scalpel to the test. When a serial killer starts murdering woman on the streets of England, Audrey Rose takes it upon herself to solve the case. With the help of Thomas Cresswell, an infuriating student of her uncle’s, Audrey Rose delves deeper into the case of Jack the Ripper.

Great Characters

Audrey Rose is a woman ahead of her time. She is strong, witty, and hard to ignore. Her deduction skills and intelligence is magnificent. She is not afraid to speak her mind. Despite society trying to hold women back, her forward thinking is incredibly fresh in the historical genre.
Since Audrey Rose is so invested in the case of Jack the Ripper, readers barely get much back story that doesn’t pertain to her or her family. In turn, it leaves Thomas and a few other supporting characters rather mysterious. It's quite clever of Maniscalco to develop her characters in such a way as it creates additional twists to the already action-packed and intriguing plot. Unfortunately, though, Stalking Jack the Ripper was a bit slow in the beginning as the case began to find its footing and the characters learned more of their suspects and victims.

A Flirtatious Romance

The romance is a bit clichéd and rather predictable since the beginning of the book. Audrey Rose finds Thomas immediately insufferable with his bright mind and obnoxious attitude. And surprisingly, she lets him know at every turn. How his insufferable character turns to admiration is anyone’s guess; however, it is undeniably entertaining, no matter how cliché.
The conversations between Audrey Rose and Thomas are filled with jabs and sass that will make you laugh out loud.

The Unsolved Case of Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper is an unsolved case that has stumped even geniuses through time. It was interesting to see the facts of the case arise in the fictional tale, Stalking Jack the Ripper. All readers should definitely read the Author’s Note in the back of the book. Maniscalco mentions some of the facts of the case and the liberties taken to write a seamless, coherent plot. It is truly remarkable how Maniscalco flawlessly tells her story within the scope of truth. Her writing is absolutely amazing.
I think Stalking Jack the Ripper is one of those books that on a reread, readers will be able to point out several things they missed the first time around. Therefore, on the first read, I adored how the story unfolded, the characters were relatable and the writing magnificent. However, if I were to reread it, I think I would appreciate all that from the first time through and more.

Overall

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco solves a fictional case of epic proportions. Despite a slow start, the book picks up in an otherwise action-packed plot.