**Originally posted on My Fangirl Chronicles**
I saw so many of the bloggers I followed posting about the sequel to this book, Hunting Prince Dracula, and I got curious because of the intriguing title. So I looked up what the first book was and was hooked just by the title, Stalking Jack the Ripper. Prior to reading this, I hadn't really read any books about Jack the Ripper (well, there was one part in one of the Tales from Shadowhunter Academy but that was a novella) so I was further intrigued and decided to borrow the audio book from Overdrive. My friend and I listened to it during one road trip we had and I immediately fell in love with the writing and narrator's voice. We didn't get very far into the book during that trip because I was so busy and exhausted by the end of it, but that little taste I had of Stalking Jack the Ripper already made me crave more.
Do you know that elated feeling you get when you absolutely fall in love with the first book in a series and then get all excited because you know there's more books with the same characters you now love? I just finished reading this a few hours ago and that's how I still feel now. I utterly and completely loved everything about this book!
There is such a colorful cast of characters that bring so many different elements to the overall story. My top favorite was definitely Audrey Rose though. I absolutely love, love, love her! She's incredibly smart, brave, stubborn, and a feminist. While working resiliently to discover the identity of Jack the Ripper, she's also resisting and fighting society's traditional and misogynistic views on women. She's fierce and so very brave but is also very feminine, and I really love that about her. I don't see many heroines who are brave but also allowed to be feminine too, so it was awesome to finally get one.
I didn't like Thomas at first, but after a few more chapters in I realized he reminded me a lot of Jace and Will from the Shadowhunter Chronicles and that epiphany made me instantly adore him. He's ridiculously smart, arrogant, and socially awkward because he doesn't exactly know how to get along with most people. Even though he's constantly getting on Audrey Rose's nerves because of his arrogance, he's one of the first (and few) male characters to admire her intellect and believe in her skills, and never viewed her as inferior due to her gender.
Kerri's writing is gorgeous and the narrator did an amazing job bringing her words to life. I adored her portrayals of all the different characters; each one was different and helped me picture the character better and didn't confuse me at all. I hate it when narrators use the same tone or accent for multiple characters because then I get confused as to who is speaking. Kerri's writing is so descriptive and vivid, I actually felt like I was in Victorian London, going through this mystery with all the characters. Their voices felt very genuine, too.
While I already knew the general story behind Jack the Ripper and the horrendous murder spree he committed from watching a few documentaries on the History Channel, this was the first work of fiction related to it that I have read. Even though the main objective was to find and stop Jack the Ripper, I love how the story highlighted the investigation and the tragedy of the lives lost in the murders, and did not focus on the Ripper himself like history did. It really made me feel invested in the investigation and empathize with the victims and their families.
The only thing that bothered me (and it's a very minor thing compared to everything else that I loved about this book) was all the gore and gruesome descriptions when I first started reading the book. I guess I should've figured considering it was a story involving Jack the Ripper, but the vivid descriptions of all the postmortems, bodies of the murdered women, etc. took me by surprise and I literally felt ill. I was in the car when we first started the book and one of the reasons why I kind of zoned out was because I started to feel nauseous and I wasn't exactly sure whether it was from the car or the narrator on the speakers describing how it felt to dig into a cadaver and search for the liver. So, yeah, a little warning would've been nice. Haha
Suspenseful and captivating, Stalking Jack the Ripper had me at the edge of my seat trying to figure out the mystery along with our heroes, squealing over the romantic scenes (can someone say, "new OTP"?), and cringing at the horrific and gruesome descriptions. And I loved every minute of it. All the mystery and suspense had me so enthralled, I could not put the book down! I'm not even kidding, I borrowed the audio book just to listen to it while I showered, cooked, cleaned, etc. so I can say with confidence that I officially have a new favorite series and I cannot recommend it enough! If you love Gothic horrors, mystery, suspense, a fierce and feminine heroine, definitely pick this up ASAP!
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Popular Highlights in this book
“Roses have both petals and thorns, my dark flower. You needn’t believe something weak because it appears delicate. Show the world your bravery.”Highlighted by 1,195 Kindle readers- “Those who deserve respect are given it freely. If one must demand such a thing, he’ll never truly command it. I am your daughter, not your horse, sir.”Highlighted by 1,065 Kindle readers
- Death was not prejudiced by mortal things such as station or gender. It came for kings and queens and prostitutes alike, often leaving the living with regrets.Highlighted by 1,034 Kindle readers
- He was in love. How exceptionally wonderful for him. I wished them both a lifetime of misery with ill-mannered children.Highlighted by 648 Kindle readers
- People were always providing in death what they would not do in life, it seemed.Highlighted by 555 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
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| Becoming the Dark Prince | Hunting Prince Dracula | Escaping from Houdini | Capturing the Devil | Kingdom of the Wicked | Kingdom of the Cursed | |
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| Deliciously daring—and deadly—books from Kerri Maniscalco | This short story takes an intriguing look into the mind of Thomas, troubled hero of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. | In the #1 bestselling sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders that seem eerily familiar are discovered in Dracula's castle. | In book three in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, Audrey Rose must find a killer on an ocean liner before they make a great escape. | The stunning finale to the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series brings a serial killer like none other. | When Emilia's sister is brutally murdered, it sets off a quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…and an intoxicating romance. | Welcome to Hell. Emilia continues her mission to avenge her sister's death in the sequel to The Kingdom of the Wicked. |
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Reviews with images
Great start to a new series!
Well this was a pleasant surprise!I remember hearing about this book from a booktuber and then when I saw it was on sale I figured I'd pick it up, but I wasn't entirely sure I'd ever read it. I was worried that there wouldn't be much romance and I was worried that it would give me nightmares for weeks. Turns out I had nothing to worry about on both counts.I found Audrey to be such a fun and relatable heroine. There were times that her rashness, and ability to jump to conclusions (which led to acting without thinking quite a few times) a little annoying but when I put myself in her position, I could understand the desire to act that way. I really love how strong she is, a definite feminist in a time where women are looked to be only good enough to marry and have children and that's it. But I loved how she questioned and fought against those restraints, even while still loving things like dresses and looking pretty. She wasn't cutting down those things but rather beseeching for people to realize that you could be both if you wanted.I also loved Thomas soo much. From the first time he showed up in the book I just knew he would own my heart. And own it he did. I love the flirty banter that he and Audrey partake in and I love how he respects her and treats her like an equal, never belittling her even when she is wrong or acting childish. I also loved the romance part of the book. It was slow building and while it wasn't the center of the book, there was enough to keep me interested and swooning for more.In terms of the mystery part, I had my suspicions of who the murderer was but it was still so interesting and fun to keep reading and look for more clues to see if I was right. I a lot of people said they figured it out from the very beginning and I guess I'm not as smart as I thought because it took me a while to figure it out (LOL). Irregardless, I loved the mystery solving part of this book and I loved the scenes where they worked in the morgue and explained the science behind everything, it reminded me a lot of how the BAU looks at crime scenes in Criminal Minds. I didn't find it gruesome at all but rather intriguing.Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good mystery/romance book set in the 1800s with a fierce heroine and a confident but swoon hero. I think anyone regardless of age would thoroughly enjoy this, even if murders and the like scare you! Give it a shot!
