Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

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

by Kerri Maniscalco
September 20, 2016

336 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Review

I've been stuck for days on what to say about Stalking Jack the Ripper and basically it's GO READ IT! This book is so fantastic I'm at a loss for words. It's atmospheric. It's gripping. Most of all it's fun despite the darker premise of the story.

From the first page Stalking Jack the Ripper pulled me into its historical setting. So eerie and haunting it set the perfect tone. Ms. Maniscalco's writing is so addictive, throwing out clues and pushing us along to the very end. It's indeed a very electrifying ride. I want to read on for forever!

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is not like any of the ladies in society. She hides her heartache over losing her mother behind her curiosity for the human anatomy. Yet there's no denying her interest in the matter is genuine for against her father's wish, she secretly apprentices under her uncle. As she gets pulled into the gruesome murder cases, she becomes more and more determined to seek justice for the victims. Her defiant nature made it easy to root for her.

Thomas Cresswell is Audrey Rose's uncle's student and he's awesome ;) He's arrogant and obnoxious but so lovable. Read the book and you'll see what I mean. A certain confession of his made my heart skip beats. So swoony especially coming from someone as shielded as Thomas.

Wadsworth and Cresswell have a to-die-for dynamic. Both intelligent and stubborn, I loved watching them attempt to be civil with each other. The fact that they can't help but trade  challenging words and veiled insults was simply delightful. It's honestly so much fun and such a treat to see these two interact. I require more!

I'm a little in denial over the identity of Jack the Ripper. I had my suspicions and was torn for it to be correct. The confrontation that played out left me the tiniest bit disappointed. I was hoping for a bigger shock but overall it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. As disturbing as the motive was every detail was neatly tied in and made perfect sense.

Highly intelligent, humourous with a side of bloody (or should I say bloodless), Stalking Jack the Ripper was a consuming read. If you're thirsting for some historical fiction, this is the one to pick up.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.