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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
i'm allowed to be happy that i finally finished another series i started almost a decade ago + read three books in a day (with this being the third) methinks :)
anyways. oh audrey rose. she is so book-smart when it comes to death and corpses but is not with literally anything else. tho i do have to say i'm a bit proud of her for. like. go girl give us the ending i wanted but then don't. whatever. thomas cresswell is still a perfect blend of annoying and charming. liza is just annoying. all of the other characters exist. what a perfect ending. <3
also vv excited for the new covers kerri announced on instagram the other day, the sjtr one is gorgeous n i can't wait to see the rest
anyways. oh audrey rose. she is so book-smart when it comes to death and corpses but is not with literally anything else. tho i do have to say i'm a bit proud of her for
Spoiler
almost pulling a pip fitz-amobi in as good as dead at the end there
"My best friend, the absolute love of my life, now until forevermore, I call you my wife."
"Beyond life beyond death," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear, "my love forever thee is eternal, Audrey Rose Cresswell."
I live for every moment cressworth are happy and being cute together ❤ and there was many of them here
"Beyond life beyond death," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear, "my love forever thee is eternal, Audrey Rose Cresswell."
I live for every moment cressworth are happy and being cute together ❤ and there was many of them here
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
For the final review of the series I’m going to give both the book review and the full series review.
Book:
As much as I liked this one, it certainly wasn’t my favorite in the series. The first half felt very slow, with it being mostly focused AR and Thomas’s relationship. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice to see development and growth of the characters outside of the forensic lab, but the whole reason they went to New York was to help investigate a murder, and we didn’t get a lot of that. Also, it seemed like the murder was Jack the Ripper? But Jack was on the boat with them from England to the US, so not really sure how he committed the murders before he was even in the country? Or was there a different murderer in NY and they just never closed that case? . That felt very strange to me, and almost like a forgotten point from the author?
I know Thomas had a strained relationship with his father, and it clearly had its issues, but the fact that he would blackmail both of his kids? Basically ruin his entire family name if Thomas didn’t marry the woman of his choice? Idk that seemed off. I suppose the author wanted to wait for them to get married until the end for a HEA, but idk, if they had been married mid-book I feel like it wouldn’t have really changed the story.
I did love the research that went into this book and H.H. Holmes being the murderer. It was obvious who it would be if you know anything about the history of the case, but just how the story was told once they made it to Chicago was amazing. It was also fun to see that accusation that Holmes could have also been Jack the Ripper, I thought that was really creative. A couple of potential plot holes that really bothered me in those final chapters.. 1. What happened to the girl that was leading AR to her room in the hotel? She clearly saw AR essentially pass out from the toxins and then what? She vanished? Did she see Holmes take her to the basement? Did she just say oh well and leave her in the hall? Did Holmes take both of them and kill the other girl while AR was on the brink of death?? Just seems very strange that if she saw Holmes take AR that she would say nothing? 2. I know the real “castle” didn’t survive, but the way it was written made it seem like the entire building crumbled? Maybe I read that wrong, but if thats the case and it really did take up an entire city block, I’m guessing a significant number of people would have been injured or killed, and that didn’t seem like that case reading that portion of that book.
Full series:
Okay the one big thing that really bugged me, why were AR and Thomas investigating the murders? I understand their attachment to cases given their forensic positions, but from my knowledge, it’s not like they would be actively investigating, right? They would perform the autopsy and then give that knowledge to the police, or whoever was actually leading the case. Were they just overzealous? Were investigations run differently in the 1800s? Also, while Thomas did help in the forensic aspect, I felt his talents were more aimed at reading people and investigating. It almost would have seemed better if Thomas was apprenticing with Scotland Yard to solve the murders, and then him and AR carried on as a team. I guess he might not have been involved in the other cases since it was AR’s uncle that always pulled Thomas along.. but the fact they were so involved in the actual investigation and not just the autopsies felt weird.
Overall, I loved this series, it was well written and the characters were so fun! There were a few plot points that really bugged me, but nothing that was so bad it made me stop reading. I would still recommend this series to others, and I really enjoyed all the fictionalized retellings of famous historical murderers.
Book:
As much as I liked this one, it certainly wasn’t my favorite in the series. The first half felt very slow, with it being mostly focused AR and Thomas’s relationship. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice to see development and growth of the characters outside of the forensic lab, but the whole reason they went to New York was to help investigate a murder, and we didn’t get a lot of that.
I know Thomas had a strained relationship with his father, and it clearly had its issues, but
I did love the research that went into this book and
Full series:
Okay the one big thing that really bugged me, why were AR and Thomas investigating the murders? I understand their attachment to cases given their forensic positions, but from my knowledge, it’s not like they would be actively investigating, right? They would perform the autopsy and then give that knowledge to the police, or whoever was actually leading the case. Were they just overzealous? Were investigations run differently in the 1800s? Also, while Thomas did help in the forensic aspect, I felt his talents were more aimed at reading people and investigating. It almost would have seemed better if Thomas was apprenticing with Scotland Yard to solve the murders, and then him and AR carried on as a team. I guess he might not have been involved in the other cases since it was AR’s uncle that always pulled Thomas along.. but the fact they were so involved in the actual investigation and not just the autopsies felt weird.
Overall, I loved this series, it was well written and the characters were so fun! There were a few plot points that really bugged me, but nothing that was so bad it made me stop reading. I would still recommend this series to others, and I really enjoyed all the fictionalized retellings of famous historical murderers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Medical trauma
Minor: Child death, Misogyny, Vomit, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury
Finally finished the final book of the series.
I still stand by my comment that the wedding twist was an unnecessary moment, but it did strengthen their relationship in the long run. I enjoyed the ending, but I wish the madman would have suffered more. Monsters should be treated as such :-)
I still stand by my comment that the wedding twist was an unnecessary moment, but it did strengthen their relationship in the long run. I enjoyed the ending, but I wish the madman would have suffered more. Monsters should be treated as such :-)
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
dark
mysterious
tense
Time flies when you are having fun. Voor mijn gevoel was de bruiloft drama vrij onnodig. Ook weet ik niet zo goed of de vergelijking met duivel nodig was. Thomas Cresswell heeft echt mijn hele hart.
Ahh, H.H. Holmes, my favorite real-life nightmare fuel. Kerri Maniscalco really outdid herself with this finale, tossing Audrey Rose and Thomas straight into the clutches of America’s most infamous murder architect. Forget Victorian fog—Chicago’s got a Murder Castle, and honestly, that’s the kind of tourist attraction I’d definitely pretend I wasn’t excited about while secretly geeking out.
Audrey Rose is as fierce as ever, Thomas remains the swoon-worthy mix of sarcastic charm and razor-sharp intellect, and their chemistry is, let’s be real, the kind of thing most rom-coms wish they had. But while the romance adds some warmth (and maybe a bit too much angst in places), it’s the cat-and-mouse game with Holmes that truly shines. Maniscalco nails the creeping dread of the World’s Fair era, where behind every gilded facade lurks something sinister—and oh boy, Holmes is sinister.
Now, if you’re here for historical accuracy, adjust your expectations. Holmes’ story gets a touch of creative flair, but let’s be honest—fictional murder hotels are way more fun to read about than the actual logistics of insurance fraud. The first half feels like we’re warming up for the Holmes showdown, and then suddenly we’re running through trap doors and gas chambers at warp speed. But hey, who doesn’t love a little chaos in their murder mystery?
As someone with a weird fascination with H.H. Holmes (don’t judge me), I loved how Maniscalco brought him to life. He’s cunning, terrifying, and just the right amount of over-the-top villainy. I mean, do these villains ever learn that monologuing is the quickest way to lose?
Overall, it’s a fitting end to the series, blending romance, horror, and history with just enough flair to leave you satisfied. And if you weren’t already fascinated by H.H. Holmes, this book might just convince you to take a very cautious peek into his dark legacy.
Read it for the thrills, stay for the Murder Castle.
Audrey Rose is as fierce as ever, Thomas remains the swoon-worthy mix of sarcastic charm and razor-sharp intellect, and their chemistry is, let’s be real, the kind of thing most rom-coms wish they had. But while the romance adds some warmth (and maybe a bit too much angst in places), it’s the cat-and-mouse game with Holmes that truly shines. Maniscalco nails the creeping dread of the World’s Fair era, where behind every gilded facade lurks something sinister—and oh boy, Holmes is sinister.
Now, if you’re here for historical accuracy, adjust your expectations. Holmes’ story gets a touch of creative flair, but let’s be honest—fictional murder hotels are way more fun to read about than the actual logistics of insurance fraud. The first half feels like we’re warming up for the Holmes showdown, and then suddenly we’re running through trap doors and gas chambers at warp speed. But hey, who doesn’t love a little chaos in their murder mystery?
As someone with a weird fascination with H.H. Holmes (don’t judge me), I loved how Maniscalco brought him to life. He’s cunning, terrifying, and just the right amount of over-the-top villainy. I mean, do these villains ever learn that monologuing is the quickest way to lose?
Overall, it’s a fitting end to the series, blending romance, horror, and history with just enough flair to leave you satisfied. And if you weren’t already fascinated by H.H. Holmes, this book might just convince you to take a very cautious peek into his dark legacy.
Read it for the thrills, stay for the Murder Castle.