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bookgirlangie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Predictable but still a very good read.
tmholsman_1994's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely fell in love with this story when I first read it and I just fell even more in love with it upon reread. This was my first historical fantasy book and I fell in love with the genre. I really loved Kerri Maniscalco's take on Jack the Ripper. I love how Audrey Rose didn't care what society thought of her fascination with studying science and dissecting bodies. instead of doing what society deems appropriate. I loved the growth of Audrey and Thomas' relationship and I am very excited to read more of their adventures.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, Stalking, Blood, Medical content, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Addiction
Minor: Mental illness and Suicide
allyreadsromance's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book!!! This is the first read in a while that I couldn't devour fast enough! First of all I loved our super smart and sassy heroine! Audrey is brilliant and learning how to navigate the Victorian world. She is limited simply for being a woman get she makes herself invaluable in a man's world! Then there is Thomas! Smart mouthed, arrogant, and absolutely crazy about Audrey. Yet, she is not quite sure about his feelings or hers. I found her cousin to be a romantic hoot as well. It's a dark book about chasing down one of the most sought after serial killers of all time, but it's full of light hearted moments and tons of flirting;) It appears the series will be set up like independent mysteries so I enjoyed the closure that this book provided while still making me excited about the next!
paxyquiltan's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
17 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 father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. One day she finds herself working with her uncle on a string of murder victims that will come to be known as the victims of Jack the ripper. Audrey Rose works along side her uncle’s pupil Thomas Cresswell. The author was able to write an interesting and engaging crime story with history and a little bit of banter romance while also exploring important themes.
This is a great story. I enjoyed Audrey rose and Thomas’s relationship. My only issue with this book is i wish there was more time spent discussing the murder victims Jack the ripper. They were mentioned but not with great detail. There was a lot of pages wasted on dialogue, that in my opinion could have been used to delve more deeper into the murders.
17 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 father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. One day she finds herself working with her uncle on a string of murder victims that will come to be known as the victims of Jack the ripper. Audrey Rose works along side her uncle’s pupil Thomas Cresswell. The author was able to write an interesting and engaging crime story with history and a little bit of banter romance while also exploring important themes.
This is a great story. I enjoyed Audrey rose and Thomas’s relationship. My only issue with this book is i wish there was more time spent discussing the murder victims Jack the ripper. They were mentioned but not with great detail. There was a lot of pages wasted on dialogue, that in my opinion could have been used to delve more deeper into the murders.
withlovenour's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant. I feel like I've been living in Victorian England for the past weeks and I've just been slapped into reality. This setting of this story was so well established and illustrated. Audrey Rose is one of the most relatable, authentic young female characters I have ever read about. Her desire to prove herself in a world ruled by old men and her unquenched curiosity driving her mostly reckless plans is depicted so realistically and her feminist drives for equality over a hundred years ago is astounding. Her character develops and matures so well throughout the book as well as her relationships with those around her, whilst finding her foot in Victorian society. Whilst being driven to prove herself, she however retains her love for all things 'feminine' and finds herself embarking on a giddying, squeal into your pillow love story. The plot twists in this story are sure to have you dropping your book and pacing like the Wadsworth men as an attempt to compose yourself.
meggkey08's review against another edition
3.0
Well this book was an experience and by no means bad in any way, but i have to be honest and say that I was very underwhelmed by this book. I really liked the principle of the plot as due to Jack the Ripper being so unknown, the story could have gone anywhere! Instead I personally found it narrow in its concept and reveal.
Good Points:
- Thomas Creswell was a charming character and redeemed the whole boy
- I like that it didn't shy away from the autopsy scenes
Bad Points:
- The Killer is obvious in he first chapter - like seriously i was devastated by the reveal
- The characters are not fleshed out to the point where i really cared (except for Thomas)
- I didn't like the typical YA trope of really making the reader believe that its one person and then throwing in a curve ball, which wasn't even a curve ball.
- Controversially, i also found it to be perhaps overly feminist. By that i mean, it felt like every other sentence, Audrey Rose was like "i cant be strong and beautiful" .... "I don't need a man".... " I can do a man's job".... and i just felt that it was overdone. In my opinion, feminism should be who you are, not overly telling the reader.
All in all, it was a middle of the road read. I am interested to see where book two goes, because i love vampires and dracula, but i think i'm going to wait and get it from my library when it opens.
Good Points:
- Thomas Creswell was a charming character and redeemed the whole boy
- I like that it didn't shy away from the autopsy scenes
Bad Points:
- The Killer is obvious in he first chapter - like seriously i was devastated by the reveal
- The characters are not fleshed out to the point where i really cared (except for Thomas)
- I didn't like the typical YA trope of really making the reader believe that its one person and then throwing in a curve ball, which wasn't even a curve ball.
- Controversially, i also found it to be perhaps overly feminist. By that i mean, it felt like every other sentence, Audrey Rose was like "i cant be strong and beautiful" .... "I don't need a man".... " I can do a man's job".... and i just felt that it was overdone. In my opinion, feminism should be who you are, not overly telling the reader.
All in all, it was a middle of the road read. I am interested to see where book two goes, because i love vampires and dracula, but i think i'm going to wait and get it from my library when it opens.
cutenanya's review against another edition
4.0
My opinion of this book is highly conflicted. On the one hand, I find the writing beautiful and I really like the interactions between Thomas and Audrey Rose. On the other hand, I find the characters and some of the events in this book too far fetched from reality, which diminishes the quality of a historical fiction.
To illustrate my frustration of this book, I shall begin with Audrey Rose. I usually adore strong willed, intelligent, and courageous heroine. Unfortunately, I cannot fathom an aristocratic young lady like Audrey Rose capable of roaming about Victorian London freely without being attacked at night. Also, the discrepancy in Audrey Rose's character bothers me a lot. For a girl as brilliant and educated in science (as she claims herself to be), she is awfully quick at jumping to conclusions, suspecting people rather than examining the facts. I also find Maniscalco's emphasis of Audrey Rose's passion for science annoying. In my opinion, it is not convincing to have a girl narrate how much she prefers scientific experiments to fashionable society when her actions indicate she pays a lot of attention to attire and handles matter in an unscientific manner. A piece of advice for future books in the series: actions speak louder than words.
Thomas is a much better character, at least he is consistent throughout the novel and plays a nice Holmes to Audrey Rose's Watson. He can be playful while flirting and serious while working. I also like the fact he makes his way up to Audrey Rose's suspect list. After all, ANYONE could be the murderer so why not the love interest? What I dislike is the fact that he is just too predictable and occasionally as ridiculously reckless as our heroine.
The plot is rather straightforward and I do not like the ending as it lacks a climax, leaving it a mediocre mystery rather than a brilliant one. What saves this book and makes it a 4-star instead of a 3 is the writing. Maniscalco excels in breathing life to the inanimate objects in the background, such as the curtains, the corpses, etc. Since I'm reading the audible version of the book, it will take me a while to note all the wonderful description but I really love them.
To conclude, I think this is an interesting and enjoyable read. I'm curious as to how Maniscalco is going to continue this series, will we see more of Audrey Rose and Thomas in the next book or will there be another set of characters but with the same theme? In the former case, I sincerely hope she will rectify the problems in Audrey Rose's characterization, in the latter case, I hope the plot will be more exciting and unpredictable.
To illustrate my frustration of this book, I shall begin with Audrey Rose. I usually adore strong willed, intelligent, and courageous heroine. Unfortunately, I cannot fathom an aristocratic young lady like Audrey Rose capable of roaming about Victorian London freely without being attacked at night. Also, the discrepancy in Audrey Rose's character bothers me a lot. For a girl as brilliant and educated in science (as she claims herself to be), she is awfully quick at jumping to conclusions, suspecting people rather than examining the facts. I also find Maniscalco's emphasis of Audrey Rose's passion for science annoying. In my opinion, it is not convincing to have a girl narrate how much she prefers scientific experiments to fashionable society when her actions indicate she pays a lot of attention to attire and handles matter in an unscientific manner. A piece of advice for future books in the series: actions speak louder than words.
Thomas is a much better character, at least he is consistent throughout the novel and plays a nice Holmes to Audrey Rose's Watson. He can be playful while flirting and serious while working. I also like the fact he makes his way up to Audrey Rose's suspect list. After all, ANYONE could be the murderer so why not the love interest? What I dislike is the fact that he is just too predictable and occasionally as ridiculously reckless as our heroine.
The plot is rather straightforward and I do not like the ending as it lacks a climax, leaving it a mediocre mystery rather than a brilliant one. What saves this book and makes it a 4-star instead of a 3 is the writing. Maniscalco excels in breathing life to the inanimate objects in the background, such as the curtains, the corpses, etc. Since I'm reading the audible version of the book, it will take me a while to note all the wonderful description but I really love them.
To conclude, I think this is an interesting and enjoyable read. I'm curious as to how Maniscalco is going to continue this series, will we see more of Audrey Rose and Thomas in the next book or will there be another set of characters but with the same theme? In the former case, I sincerely hope she will rectify the problems in Audrey Rose's characterization, in the latter case, I hope the plot will be more exciting and unpredictable.
maddynd06's review against another edition
3.0
3/5
This was not as good as I anticipated it would be. I had higher expectations for the novel and was very let down. However, I did enjoy reading it and am glad I picked it up.
First things first, I must talk about the fact that I predicted the ending within the first couple of chapters. This is not uncommon for me, but when it comes to specifically mystery books, I do want to be surprised. So, I was a little let down because of the predictability.
In terms of the book as a whole, it felt very underdeveloped. The characters were on the cusp of being interesting, but they were so surface-level. All of them felt artificial and their interactions felt forced. Also, the tone of this book felt so juvenile. The tone and dialogue of every character were so artificial and stilted. All of the characters seemed much younger than they actually were because of their dialogue. I felt like there were so many elements that were lacking and they could have been so much better if they were fleshed out more. And the pacing did not help this at all. It felt like events were skimmed over and it jumped around too much. The structure was just not enjoyable and it did not aid the reading experience.
On to the things I liked, I LOVED the period aspect of this novel. However, I do think it falls under the list of underdeveloped things. It was so cool, but it could have been much more immersive if it was focused on a bit more. Moving on to Thomas Cresswell, aka the best thing about this book. I love an intellectual male main character. His lines had me giggling and made my heart skip a couple of beats. He was just so charismatic and charming. I could picture the smirk on his face as he bantered with Audrey Rose. Their chemistry had me smiling as I read. With that said, I did find Audrey Rose to be insufferable at times. It felt like the author was trying too hard to put her into the “not like other girls” box, which was irritating. Her cousin, Liza however, was fantastic. I kinda wish she was the main character instead, but anyway, Audrey Rose was just a bit too annoying. Thomas balanced her out well though. (Also, the name Audrey Rose is absolutely beautiful).
Overall, I liked this book, but I was not entirely captivated by it. I so wish that it had been immersive and consuming, but unfortunately, it was not. I am going to continue with the series because my friend, who recommended this book to me, says the second book is much better. But overall, this book was somewhat entertaining, and Thomas Cresswell made it worth the read.
This was not as good as I anticipated it would be. I had higher expectations for the novel and was very let down. However, I did enjoy reading it and am glad I picked it up.
First things first, I must talk about the fact that I predicted the ending within the first couple of chapters. This is not uncommon for me, but when it comes to specifically mystery books, I do want to be surprised. So, I was a little let down because of the predictability.
In terms of the book as a whole, it felt very underdeveloped. The characters were on the cusp of being interesting, but they were so surface-level. All of them felt artificial and their interactions felt forced. Also, the tone of this book felt so juvenile. The tone and dialogue of every character were so artificial and stilted. All of the characters seemed much younger than they actually were because of their dialogue. I felt like there were so many elements that were lacking and they could have been so much better if they were fleshed out more. And the pacing did not help this at all. It felt like events were skimmed over and it jumped around too much. The structure was just not enjoyable and it did not aid the reading experience.
On to the things I liked, I LOVED the period aspect of this novel. However, I do think it falls under the list of underdeveloped things. It was so cool, but it could have been much more immersive if it was focused on a bit more. Moving on to Thomas Cresswell, aka the best thing about this book. I love an intellectual male main character. His lines had me giggling and made my heart skip a couple of beats. He was just so charismatic and charming. I could picture the smirk on his face as he bantered with Audrey Rose. Their chemistry had me smiling as I read. With that said, I did find Audrey Rose to be insufferable at times. It felt like the author was trying too hard to put her into the “not like other girls” box, which was irritating. Her cousin, Liza however, was fantastic. I kinda wish she was the main character instead, but anyway, Audrey Rose was just a bit too annoying. Thomas balanced her out well though. (Also, the name Audrey Rose is absolutely beautiful).
Overall, I liked this book, but I was not entirely captivated by it. I so wish that it had been immersive and consuming, but unfortunately, it was not. I am going to continue with the series because my friend, who recommended this book to me, says the second book is much better. But overall, this book was somewhat entertaining, and Thomas Cresswell made it worth the read.
nikrodee's review against another edition
4.0
At the risk of sounding like a weirdo, I've always been fascinated by the gruesome minds of serial killers. Jack the Ripper being of the most infamous, of course I was more than excited to pick up this book.
Our forward thinking heroine, enjoying lace and gore, was delightful to follow; and her unrelenting attitude towards the males assuming authority over her life is brutal and an absolute treat. Our male counterpart is also equally delectable in his lack of modesty and distaste for propriety whilst caring deeply and irrevocably for our heroine.
At the beginning of this book I thought everyone was a suspect. The more twists you encounter the number of suspects dwindles and while I did guess who it was before the final reveal it was still a thrill ride to get there. There were, however, a few discrepancies I noticed along the way that fit the story at the time they were introduced but when it came time for the big reveal didn't make any sense and weren't explained anymore. They were minor in the grand scheme of things though and didn't affect the story, only my morbid curiosity.
I am an absolute sucker for any work of fiction enriched by historical fact, and any author that does their research into the subject and supplies us with that research whilst still making minor changes to make the story her own has my heart. I love that she made her own characters and villain, but still stayed true in the end.
I adored this book & I can't wait to start on the second one.
Our forward thinking heroine, enjoying lace and gore, was delightful to follow; and her unrelenting attitude towards the males assuming authority over her life is brutal and an absolute treat. Our male counterpart is also equally delectable in his lack of modesty and distaste for propriety whilst caring deeply and irrevocably for our heroine.
At the beginning of this book I thought everyone was a suspect. The more twists you encounter the number of suspects dwindles and while I did guess who it was before the final reveal it was still a thrill ride to get there. There were, however, a few discrepancies I noticed along the way that fit the story at the time they were introduced but when it came time for the big reveal didn't make any sense and weren't explained anymore. They were minor in the grand scheme of things though and didn't affect the story, only my morbid curiosity.
I am an absolute sucker for any work of fiction enriched by historical fact, and any author that does their research into the subject and supplies us with that research whilst still making minor changes to make the story her own has my heart. I love that she made her own characters and villain, but still stayed true in the end.
I adored this book & I can't wait to start on the second one.
onyxraiden's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0