Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - Stalking Jack the Ripper

Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

26 reviews

ivy123's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I am so happy to start the year off reading something I really enjoyed.

Stalking Jack the Ripper sees our main character Audrey Rose investigating the Jack the Ripper murders alongside her uncle and a quick-witted companion Thomas. This was an interesting fictionalization of the murders in a way I had not seen before and I loved the banter between Audrey and Thomas. The historical photographs copied onto certain chapters were an entertaining touch making the world feel even more real. I also loved Audrey's determination to study forensics and anatomy against the wishes of others and her flaws making her a believable character. I did not exactly see the twist coming at the end of who Jack the Ripper was but it also did not seem so surprising when revealed.

At the same time although I loved this novel I can see where others are coming from in their critiques. Audrey does appear the Watson to Thomas's Holmes and the I am not like other girls trope was screaming at you from the page from the moment you set out. However, these things did not really bother me as I was entertained the whole way through. I also did not set out thinking this would be 100% accurate to it's real-life counterpart and Kerri Maniscalco is honest that creative liberties were taken with the facts to fit the story. This was ok as well since I did not go in looking for a historical book.

Overall a great debut novel and I can not wait to start the next in the series.

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aklovekorn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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rose_88's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Second time reading this book, and it’s just as amazing the second time. I loved the dynamic between Audrey Rose and Thomas, as well as how the author was able to make their interactions to not be filled with sexism like many others during the time period.

I loved how Audrey Rose reacted to “the men in her life trying to chain her”, first with her Father keeping her in the house, then with Nathaniel when her Father was absent, even Blackburn when the only reason he wanted her help was the try and win her affections and marry her.

I loved how she constantly talked back to men trying to put her down because of her gender, and how she did it both politely and rudely at times.

I really enjoyed how the author foreshadowed Nathaniel as Jack the Ripper, as this was a reread I already knew but while reading i noticed so many things I had missed, like how nervous he got anything the police were near, as well as how much he hated Audrey Rose’s involvement when things got more complicated and more murders occurred.

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amaliewebs's review against another edition

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4.75

i really enjoyed this book omg, but it was lowkey really creepy the jack the ripper gorey stuff😭 but historical based fiction is so fascinating to me i love it, and i loved the mystery solving vibes of this. audrey rose is the og girlboss she slayed, an excellent main character. loved the drama, the tension, the PLOTTWIST!! definitely definitely recommend

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cepbreed's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

All around I don’t know what to think of this book. I definitely expected more, but it wasn’t flat. Decent characters and effort put into the mystery aspect but the twist reveal didn’t do it for me. The description of the victims and especially that last scene in the laboratory have really followed me. The gore isn’t needless but it’s a LOT and I appreciate that for a book I got into expecting a lot of romance and only a bit of filler on the murders end. I didn’t know too much besides the bare bones details on the Jack the Ripper case so when I saw what the author had written in the acknowledgments I was really surprised. It makes me so happy to see so much thought put into the real life details. It’s even more commendable on a case so old and in a book that involves so many fictional people/elements.

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