Stalking Jack the Ripper

Stalking Jack the Ripper
by Kerri Maniscalco
Jimmy Patterson Books
(Little, Brown and Company
2016
336 pages
ISBN: 9780316273497

Atmospheric, creepy, macabre and satisfying, Stalking Jack the Ripper is the first book (and it's a good one)  published by James Patterson's new children's  imprint Jimmy Patterson Books. Debut author Kerri Maniscalco gets the details right: the infamous London pea soup--the  fog, the eerily quiet streets, the hurried footsteps on cobblestones, the terror that stalks its victims in the dark ghettos of 1880's London, the seedy dens of inequity, the bloody cadavers, the gruesome murders, the creepy yet kind doctor uncle, the strong, young heroine with a mind of her own in a society  that says she can't be a doctor or study medicine and that says women should be wives and mothers, subservient to their men.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a London debutante from a family of financial means. Her father and uncle have an ongoing feud over the death of Audrey's mother, so Audrey Rose must sneak out to visit her uncle's gruesome yet fascinating laboratory in his home. She asks her uncle to attend his classes at the university to learn about forensic science but must masquerade as a boy since women were not allowed to learn medicine. She outshines most of the male students  at university but must keep quiet in class lest someone realize her true identity. One boy--a tall, good looking boy who works with her uncle--notices Audrey Rose for what she is. Thomas, Audrey Rose and her uncle, Johnathan Wadsworth,  study the murdered prostitutes to try to find clues to the killer.

Audrey Rose is strangely fascinated by the gore in her uncle's laboratory, but as a woman, she empathizes with the young women who are being murdered. She is the kind of heroine readers will love: strong, passionate and not afraid to buck authority. 

The deeper Audrey Rose digs, the closer she gets to the killer. Uncovering clues will cause events to be set in motion and Audrey Rose will be in danger.  Can she save herself? Will she be able to save her family's name and honor?

Shocking plot twists and some uncanny, unpredictable turns will leave readers breathless. Well done, Kerri Maniscalco! Well done, Jimmy Patterson Books!

Beautiful cover design  conveys the gloomy setting and atmosphere. The brilliant emerald color of the woman's gown is an eye catcher designed for sales.

A MUST have for collections! A MUST read for horror and mystery fans. Gothic horror fans will rejoice! 
Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up due to gore and mature situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Thrilling Mystery Pick: Ripper

Ripper
by Stefan Pretrucha
Philomel
2012
432 pages

Available March 1, 2012

Thrilling, scandalous, scintillating, and highly engrossing, Ripper is a real page-turner for teens. Part mystery, part history, part crime novel, part detective story, and awesomely steampunk-y cool, this book will have tons of teen fans.

Set in New York in the late 1890's, Ripper tells the story of Carver Young, an orphan abandoned as an infant who grows up in Ellis Orphanage under the tutalege of Miss Petty. When he is fourteen, he picks the lock to the attic door and finds out what the files hold about his past. There are no papers other than a mysterious letter written by someone he thinks is his father. His mother died in childbirth, yet his father could still be alive...somewhere.

The orphanage has to find homes for the older children, including Carver. They hold a big party for notable citizens to get to know the orphans, hoping someone will adopt them. The police commissioner himself--Teddy Roosevelt--attends and Carver hopes to meet him. Carter wrote to Roosevelt asking him to find his father. Sadly, Roosevelt leaves before Carter can gather the courage to speak to him. Luckily, a chance encounter with another man secures Carver a "home."

Albert Hawking agrees to take in Carver and train him to be a great detective. Hawking used to work for the Pinkerton Agency and now has his own secret agency with grand inventions worthy of visionary Jules Verne. His company develops a subway, a horseless carriage, and an office periscope.

Carter is thrilled to be in the company of such a great mind and is even more excited to be tracking down his long lost father.

There is a killer on the loose in New York who is brutally murdering young women, leaving their mutilated bodies in his wake. Roosevelt is determined to find the macabre madman. Hawking and Carter are hot on the gruesome killer's heels. As the clues unfold, Carter gets closer to finding his father. Can they stop the killer from grabbing his next victim? Can they protect Roosevelt and his daughter?

Highly, highly recommended for reluctant male readers (and females who love mystery and detective novels) grades 7-up---even though page count is 432 pages, each chapter is short--2-6 pages--and each ends with the reader hopelessly immersed in the story and wanting to read on. I dare a teen not to read this voraciously! This novel is for fans of Sherlock Holmes and steampunk lit. No language, no sex, some gruesome details, mystery.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.