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crosswarrior7's review against another edition
3.0
I really wish books would stop doing this to me. Like, they'll be enjoyable, but flawed enough I just can't give them above a 3. Can you guys be enjoyable and well executed, dang nab it?
I enjoyed the concept of Audrey Rose's character. She was a girl in old-time London performing things deemed not only masculine, but perhaps even unholy, by cutting open the dead to try to figure out why they were murdered. Her uncle was basically Ducky from NCIS and she was his Palmer. Well, half his Palmer, with the other half being Thomas Cresswell, who I will mention later.
She was a girl breaking away from society while also admitting to enjoy aspects of what is expected of a girl. That is what I enjoyed. I hate how people can only be guy-ish or girl-ish, and never somewhere in between with stuff like this, but the author tried to make Audrey Rose that. It just may have helped if so much of showing this didn't boil down to "I wasn't the kind of girl to" kind of delivery. Audrey Rose, oh, Audrey Rose. You had potential. Why did execution have to screw it up so much... I didn't hate her character because of the concept, but I also didn't love her because of the execeution.
Thomas Cresswell felt a bit... Much at times. He was definitely trying to be a YA Love Interest version of Sherlock Holmes, and I've always enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes type of characters, so I did enjoy him. And I liked that he was straight forward. But he could just toe the line of obnoxious a bit too far, and although Audrey Rose would snap at him for it, he never really felt like he learned from it, so I liked him, sure, but I didn't love him.
I've read there was a lot of creativity liberties taken with the historical aspect of this story, and it definitely made the story much more central to Audrey Rose and her life. I think that actually disappointed me going in. It wasn't what I expected. I expected a girl who was obsessed with some killer detached from her that she needed to stop. Nope... The cases are all tied to her family somehow. I can't blame the book for not being what I expected, but it did dull my enjoyment of the book.
And don't even get me started on the totally random medium that popped up to provide a clue...
The mystery of unraveling how Jack the Ripper was connected to Audrey Rose and her family's past was admittedly interesting, even if far from what I expected (and honestly still want more). I liked getting to know more and more about her Uncle and Thomas as I did like their characters, and the overall aesthetic of old England is just nice.
The writing, although sometimes weak, was easy and fun to read. That said, I do also feel like this book finds itself a lot better than it is. Probably get that feeling because Audrey Rose is nowhere near the feminist icon that I think the book was trying to make her.
Also, this book did one of my least favorite things in mystery/thrillers :) I get that there is evil hiding under good. I get that we can't see the monsters right in front of us. But it shouldn't be a finger snap and a mask slides off and suddenly "oh, psycho alert!" Sure, I figured the killer out 2/3 of the way through. Many figured who Jack was way earlier, but that's because they sadly are more familiar with meh mystery/thriller reveals than I am.
So overall, not a bad book, but the way I imagined this book in my head before I opened it is a story I would much rather read than the relatively generic YA plot that does get a few points for the historical and murder aspects.
I enjoyed the concept of Audrey Rose's character. She was a girl in old-time London performing things deemed not only masculine, but perhaps even unholy, by cutting open the dead to try to figure out why they were murdered. Her uncle was basically Ducky from NCIS and she was his Palmer. Well, half his Palmer, with the other half being Thomas Cresswell, who I will mention later.
She was a girl breaking away from society while also admitting to enjoy aspects of what is expected of a girl. That is what I enjoyed. I hate how people can only be guy-ish or girl-ish, and never somewhere in between with stuff like this, but the author tried to make Audrey Rose that. It just may have helped if so much of showing this didn't boil down to "I wasn't the kind of girl to" kind of delivery. Audrey Rose, oh, Audrey Rose. You had potential. Why did execution have to screw it up so much... I didn't hate her character because of the concept, but I also didn't love her because of the execeution.
Thomas Cresswell felt a bit... Much at times. He was definitely trying to be a YA Love Interest version of Sherlock Holmes, and I've always enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes type of characters, so I did enjoy him. And I liked that he was straight forward. But he could just toe the line of obnoxious a bit too far, and although Audrey Rose would snap at him for it, he never really felt like he learned from it, so I liked him, sure, but I didn't love him.
I've read there was a lot of creativity liberties taken with the historical aspect of this story, and it definitely made the story much more central to Audrey Rose and her life. I think that actually disappointed me going in. It wasn't what I expected. I expected a girl who was obsessed with some killer detached from her that she needed to stop. Nope... The cases are all tied to her family somehow. I can't blame the book for not being what I expected, but it did dull my enjoyment of the book.
And don't even get me started on the totally random medium that popped up to provide a clue...
The mystery of unraveling how Jack the Ripper was connected to Audrey Rose and her family's past was admittedly interesting, even if far from what I expected (and honestly still want more). I liked getting to know more and more about her Uncle and Thomas as I did like their characters, and the overall aesthetic of old England is just nice.
The writing, although sometimes weak, was easy and fun to read. That said, I do also feel like this book finds itself a lot better than it is. Probably get that feeling because Audrey Rose is nowhere near the feminist icon that I think the book was trying to make her.
Also, this book did one of my least favorite things in mystery/thrillers :) I get that there is evil hiding under good. I get that we can't see the monsters right in front of us. But it shouldn't be a finger snap and a mask slides off and suddenly "oh, psycho alert!" Sure, I figured the killer out 2/3 of the way through. Many figured who Jack was way earlier, but that's because they sadly are more familiar with meh mystery/thriller reveals than I am.
So overall, not a bad book, but the way I imagined this book in my head before I opened it is a story I would much rather read than the relatively generic YA plot that does get a few points for the historical and murder aspects.
blackarrow16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kellyvanboom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lou_likes_love's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked the way the author matched the real case .
magfiquista13's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
akookieforyou's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 57%
I think there was some real potential with this story and characters, I'm always up for murder mysteries where a woman is the lead detective, and the Victorian setting was really appealing, but I didn't really like the protagonist, and I just felt bored.
Maybe it's because I'm not in the right headspace for this book right now, because there wasn't anything really wrong about the writing and story, I just wasn't sucked in, sadly.
I think there was some real potential with this story and characters, I'm always up for murder mysteries where a woman is the lead detective, and the Victorian setting was really appealing, but I didn't really like the protagonist, and I just felt bored.
Maybe it's because I'm not in the right headspace for this book right now, because there wasn't anything really wrong about the writing and story, I just wasn't sucked in, sadly.
katieb_93's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
halfbloodcity's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really good one! Loved reading about old England again, the details and all the Jack the Ripper facts! Really like the development of the story and seeing Audrey and Thomas relationship growing. Can't wait to read the next one!
maimona's review against another edition
5.0
This is an amazing fast-paced page-turning historical crime romance novel.
It was incredibly enjoyable and fascinating. ) Love d the characters and the world-building. Read it super fast, there was a steady pace from beginning to end.
Loved the way she took a historical crime character and turned it into a brilliant story. it is true that it's wrong to be fascinated with a murderer like Jack the Ripper for what he is done is unfathomable still, it shows how much the human brain and soul are still a mystery to be solved.
Highly recommended to fantasy crime romance novels fans. it was addicting!
It was incredibly enjoyable and fascinating. ) Love d the characters and the world-building. Read it super fast, there was a steady pace from beginning to end.
Loved the way she took a historical crime character and turned it into a brilliant story. it is true that it's wrong to be fascinated with a murderer like Jack the Ripper for what he is done is unfathomable still, it shows how much the human brain and soul are still a mystery to be solved.
Highly recommended to fantasy crime romance novels fans. it was addicting!