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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
The story follows Doctor Thomas Bond in London, assisting the police during the Jack The Ripper murders, however there seems to be a blood lust in the city that year, with another serial killer also stalking the streets. This book turned a completely different corner than I thought it would, expecting a historical mystery thriller, however there are some definite fantastical elements as well. Once I settled into a world with something of a supernatural touch, I enjoyed this. The narrator did a good job in giving all the different characters and point of views a distinct sound, along with a variety of accents, and that definitely helped with immersing easily into the story.
Uhh, what to say? The story is nice, but the whole book is laking... It was hard to get on the flow of the book.. I couldn't connect with any of the characters... All the settings, and places seemed too one-dimensional.. Such a nice idea, but to me it was just meh...
Well lets see how the second one goes...
A final note to the edition, the cover is very nice and so is the paper.
Well lets see how the second one goes...
A final note to the edition, the cover is very nice and so is the paper.
I don't know if it was the rhythm of the story itself or possibly the narrator himself, but I was bored beyond tears. This could've been so much better, but instead of a story about a Dr chasing Jack The Ripper we got the opening line to a bad joke: A Dr, a Jesuit, and a hair dresser walk into an opium den, and spend most of the story being high with not much relevance to the story itself. There were definitely parts of the story that were fantastic.... followed then by the mediocre dr seeking out opium and not much else.
Sooo... I had very high expectations for this book but they fell to the ground... I liked the story, but the pacing is so damn slow!
It took me forever to read such a small book, so I can't give it more than 3.
It took me forever to read such a small book, so I can't give it more than 3.
It was dark and twisted and amazing. Completely sucked me into the story. I definitely did not expect it to be a supernatural story when I picked it up but it was excellent. Looking forward to diving into Murder next! Sarah Pinborough might make my list of favorite authors.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took me a few days to get this story out of my head. Creepy, creepy, creepy (no surprise really after looking at the cover!). I thought the story was good, and interesting how Jack the Ripper was a parallel the author referred to throughout. I would have liked to have an epilogue that let us know what happened to the characters!
"Already frustrated in their attempts to capture serial murderer Jack the Ripper, the detectives of Scotland Yard are suddenly confronted with a new monster, dubbed the Torso Killer for his habit of leaving behind neatly wrapped parcels of his victims' body parts, minus the heads. With the terrible increase in mutilated corpses to examine, the highly regarded police surgeon Dr. Thomas Bond has lost the ability to sleep. True, a growing dependency on opium affords him some solace in his loneliest and most desperate hours, but he also fears the grip of the drug. During Dr. Bond's nightly tours of London's underbelly in search of pharmaceutical respite from the horrors that plague him by day, he encounters a mysterious Jesuit priest scouring the opium dens himself, clearly in search of someone--or something. The doctor at first rejects the strange priest's unnatural theories about the Torso Killer as an affront to scientific thought. But over time Dr. Bond's opium-addled mind begins to crumble under the growing impression that there might be some awful truth to the Jesuit's ideas. As the police struggle to capture two serial killers, the troubled forensics expert begins to suspect that he may actually know the Torso Killer personally. If he is right, Dr. Bond will need all the strength he can muster to save his small circle of loved ones from falling victim to the bloody depravities of this twisted creature."
"Already frustrated in their attempts to capture serial murderer Jack the Ripper, the detectives of Scotland Yard are suddenly confronted with a new monster, dubbed the Torso Killer for his habit of leaving behind neatly wrapped parcels of his victims' body parts, minus the heads. With the terrible increase in mutilated corpses to examine, the highly regarded police surgeon Dr. Thomas Bond has lost the ability to sleep. True, a growing dependency on opium affords him some solace in his loneliest and most desperate hours, but he also fears the grip of the drug. During Dr. Bond's nightly tours of London's underbelly in search of pharmaceutical respite from the horrors that plague him by day, he encounters a mysterious Jesuit priest scouring the opium dens himself, clearly in search of someone--or something. The doctor at first rejects the strange priest's unnatural theories about the Torso Killer as an affront to scientific thought. But over time Dr. Bond's opium-addled mind begins to crumble under the growing impression that there might be some awful truth to the Jesuit's ideas. As the police struggle to capture two serial killers, the troubled forensics expert begins to suspect that he may actually know the Torso Killer personally. If he is right, Dr. Bond will need all the strength he can muster to save his small circle of loved ones from falling victim to the bloody depravities of this twisted creature."
Very much enjoyed this macabre thriller. Exceeded my expectations. Delved into the mystical, but was not over the top.