Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco ~ Blog Tour Review

By Jaime Lester - September 24, 2016

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)

By Kerri Maniscalco

Published on September 20, 2016
Published by: Jimmy Patterson
Source: Publisher

He’s the infamous killer no man has ever been able to find.
Now it’s a girl’s turn.

Groomed to be the perfect highborn Victorian young lady, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has a decidedly different plan for herself. After the loss of her beloved mother, she is determined to understand the nature of death and its workings. Trading in her embroidery needle for an autopsy scalpel, Audrey secretly apprentices in forensics. She soon gets drawn into the investigation of serial killer Jack the Ripper, but to her horror, the search for clues brings her far closer to her sheltered world than she ever thought possible.

Stalking Jack the Ripper...

I love this book. I loved it from the first page, and loved it through the last page. Kerri Maniscalco has written a wonderful Jack the Ripper re-imagining, and sparked a new interest for me. And a new favorite author.

There were so many things to love about this book. First being the characters. Audrey Rose is the easiest character to fall in love with. She lives in a world where women are raised to be wives and mothers, to be pretty and sensible. That is not who Audrey is though, and she is determined to prove her worth and to do what she loves.Working with her uncle, a famed forensic scientist, is where her heart is, and she will stop at nothing to prove that she is as capable as any man. Thomas is her uncles other assistant. Thomas has the feel of Sherlock Holmes, with his brilliant brain, his skills at deducing the tiniest of details. And he is a sarcastically awesome, aggravating young man. His and Audrey's relationship was a standout part of the story for me. Slow and not at all steady, full of bumps and bruises, but absolute perfection!

I loved the story itself. Women being murdered, brutally. Organs and skin being removed, bolts being found in and around their bodies. Letters and other things being sent to the police and news stations. The suspect list grows every day, men being taken into custody and held in an asylum, being drugged. Audrey and Thomas investigating together, examining bodies, and following people. There were so many wonderful aspects of the story that I just couldn't help but love. I did figure out the Who-Dun-It pretty early on, but Kerri Maniscalco managed to throw me off of the trail a few times.

The only less than positive thing I have to say is that the pacing was very up and down. It would be very slow in parts, then speed up, only to slow down again. It didn't hurt my love for the story, but it did cause a tiny bit of frustration occasionally.

Overall, this is a truly fantastic story. The ending was heartbreaking, but oh so hopeful! And I am so excited for the next installment!

About the Author...

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with Gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and her friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life's finer points with her cats. Stalking Jack the Ripper is her first novel. It incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history, and is the first in a new series of Gothic thrillers.

It will be available everywhere September 20, 2016.