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

Title: Stalking Jack the Ripper

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

My rating: I'm going to rebel against my own rating system and give it 6 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Historical 

Pub. date: September 20th 2016

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson

Synopsis: 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 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. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Oh my God. This book was so much better than I expected. Audrey Rose was an awesome character that you just couldn’t help but root for, and I’m totally in love with Thomas. The plot was fast-paced. The setting was amazing and just added to the plot. Basically, I loved every moment of reading Stalking Jack the Ripper.

   Audrey Rose is so awesome!

   There was just so much to love about her; her curiosity, her wish to be more than what society expected, her stubbornness, and about a million other things, but what I loved the most about her was that she was layered. Yes, she cares about science and doesn’t want to be what society deems appropriate, but she also cares about dresses and hairstyles. I loved that it was okay for her to care about her appearance, and yet be this strong, independent girl.

   “I was beautiful and dangerous at once. A rose with thorns.”

   And that is just the perfect description of Audrey Rose. And I loved this, because it made her such a relatable character, despite being from 19^th century. She was realistic and I loved reading about her, getting to know her!

   I absolutely love Thomas!

   Yes, he’s broody and it’s apparent he has this big secret, but, and here the amazing thing, he’s not a complete ass to the protagonist. Okay, he has his moments when he can be a right jerk, but he can also be nice and sweet. He’s protective of Audrey Rose, yet he lets her do what she wants. He may not like it, but he respects her wishes.

   One thing that really spoke to me was the girl-power feel of this book, despite it taking place in the 19^th century, when women was still pretty much considered property. But there is more than one girl that doesn’t accept the way of the society, and there are also men that, if not encourage it, then at least doesn’t discourage it.

   The setting added such a great vibe to the plot.

   I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, because I’m worried there will be too much focus on the setting and less focus on the plot, but that’s not the case with this book. The setting, and the use of Jack the Ripper, only helped the plot. And the descriptions made the time come alive in a way I didn’t think possible. The writing was absolutely amazing; the stuff dreams are made of. I must say it was one of my favourite things with the book.

   The plot was amazing and had me hooked from the first sentence.

   I love reading mysteries, but I haven’t found any new ones lately. But SJTR was just what I would expect a mystery to be; it was fast-paced, suspenseful and filled with twists, yet filled with banter, romance and family. It was the perfect mix between suspense and light-heartedness, making it completely impossible to put down.

   Basically, you have to read this book. With layered characters, writing that makes a bookworm like me want to cry with happiness, and a suspenseful plot, Stalking Jack the Ripper captures the panic and paranoia of 1880s London and makes it impossible to put down.

I'm mostly on instagram and twitter--where I'm always ready to talk fictional crushes and nerd out over books. (Okay, okay. And I've also been known to share snippets and teasers from my upcoming books, if you're into that sort of thing...) Please feel free to chat with me there @KerriManiscalco. I love talking with fellow readers!

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 friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.

Her first novel in this series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history.

For more information, visit Kerri online:
www.kerrimaniscalco.com 
www.facebook.com/KerriManiscalcoAuthor

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twitter.com/KerriManiscalco
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