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miakve's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
I really liked this book! A great sequel, it continues the story well. The characters are still amazing, and the plot interesting. I look forward to seeing how they and their relationship developes in the next book.
i feel how the final showdown with the markerer happened was a bit too similar to the first book. Finding a hidden creepy room, the murderer is someone their close too, Audrey Rose is about to be killed when other people come in the room and end up killing the murderer. I would have liked to see it be a bit more different. I did however LOVE the end, mostly because of Audrey Rose and Thomas's relationship. The facts that Audrey Rose was struggling with the eventuelt of the first book, ptsd and grief, was great. The events in the first book were traumatizing and im happy to see the realistisk depiction of that. Rating would have been 4 stars had it not been for them being such good characters and such a fantastic couple
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Gore, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
hshoue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
The main characters use forensic science to solve a series of murders, so the book included descriptions of autopsies, human dissection, and graphic murders.ocean_the_reader's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was so incredibly boring. Hardly anything happened with the mystery. Compared to the first book this was a letdown. And it was too long and repetitive
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, and Murder
sfeldmann's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
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
4.0
Who doesn't enjoy a historical, murder mystery with two bantering, romantically tense characters?
This was a great sequel to, "Stalking Jack the Ripper," and the plot carried off well from where the last book left off. I though the portrayal of Audry's trauma from the last book was very well executed and the atmosphere of the mystery was beautiful. Overall, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves mystery, romance, and history.
This was a great sequel to, "Stalking Jack the Ripper," and the plot carried off well from where the last book left off. I though the portrayal of Audry's trauma from the last book was very well executed and the atmosphere of the mystery was beautiful. Overall, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves mystery, romance, and history.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, and Murder
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
[second read, December 2022]
These books will never not be entertaining. Audrey Rose and Thomas might actually be the most iconic duo ever. Their slow-burn friends to lovers arc is agonizing but absolutely delicious, and the fact that they’re so horny along the way is hilarious; it makes a great thing even better.
On that note—props to Kerri for some top-tier parallels. This one’s my favorite:
“What would it feel like to have my hair gently knotted in his fist, my back pressed against a wall, him tangled around me like vines wrapped around brick?” // “He didn’t hesitate to bring his mouth to mine. We stumbled against the wall, the entire length of him encompassing me in his warmth. His hands slid up my frame, knotting themselves in my hair as he deepened our kiss.”
It’s clever!! It’s brilliant!! It’s spectacular!!
And you know what else brilliant and spectacular?? THIS:
“‘You’ve got a dress with orchid blossoms embroidered on it. Ribbons in the deepest purple. You favor the color, but not nearly as much as I find myself favoring you. As to the stars? Those are what I prefer. For there are no limits to the stars; their numbers are infinite. Which is precisely why I measure my love for you by them. An amount too boundless to count.’”
Thomas Cresswell INVENTED romance and no one can tell me otherwise!! He might be an idiot sometimes, but he’s the smoothest idiot to ever walk this earth, I swear!! And the way he unequivocally adores Audrey Rose is just >>>> 🥹🥹🥹
Now it’s time for me to procrastinate starting the third book for as long as humanly possible because I don’t want to deal with Meph’s obnoxious face. :’)))
[first read, January 2022]
This series has me by the throat and I’m not even mad about it. I’ve only read the first two books, too; I can’t imagine how obsessed I’ll be when I’m finished.
Because that’s exactly what I am: obsessed. Hunting Prince Dracula is, somehow, even more amazing than Stalking Jack the Ripper. Even though both the plot and the romance had me incredibly stressed—especially the romance—I loved every page. In fact, I think most of them are highlighted, most even multiple times. I don’t think I’ve ever annotated a book as heavily as I did this one, or laughed as much while reading. Between Thomas’s witty jokes and flirty comments and the banter from him and Audrey Rose, I spent a large portion of the story audibly cackling or making other indescribable (and honestly unflattering) sounds.
Speaking of our two leads, I absolutely adore them, more than I can say. My love for them knows no bounds. I love Audrey Rose and Thomas like Thomas loves Audrey Rose, and I’m not ashamed. Add “Cressworth trash” to my list of personality traits. The angst!! The pining!! The almost-but-not-quite kisses!! The actual kisses!! I sped through the last third of the book between 2 and 3 a.m., and let me say this: the number of times I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing and/or shrieking and waking up my family was ABSURD. When it comes to my favorite ships, I have zero chill, and this is now one of my favorite ships, so… 💖💖💖
Also, Daciana and Ileana? MY SAPPHIC QUEENS. I didn’t expect to love either of them quite as much as I do, but I’m nearly as obsessed with them as I am with Audrey Rose and Thomas. And now that I’ve met Daciana, I can say that both Cresswell siblings are completely iconic, both as individuals and a duo. I want him to be my friend, and I’m crushing unbelievably hard on her. 👀
Oh, right, I should probably mention the actual plot and whatnot. I really enjoyed the Romanian setting, as that’s not a place I’ve ever read about, and the story was very well-written. Even though both this book and its predecessor feature a string of murders where the victims have been, in some way, violated, the story in this one never felt redundant. On the contrary, it was equally nerve-wracking and very suspenseful. The castle’s shadowy halls and creepy passages made the whole thing very atmospheric, too.
Whereas normally I don’t have the brain cells to put together the puzzle pieces in a mystery novel before the characters do, I did, surprisingly, manage to guess who the killer was. It was actually due to a random theory that slowly started to make an unexpected amount of sense, and then ended up being correct. Yet nothing felt predictable, as there were so many other details both large and small that I never saw coming. I’m still not over that room of spiders (*shudders*) or certain characters’ secret involvement. When I say my eyes widened and my jaw dropped, I’m not even slightly joking.
After the stress of everything else, the final chapters were so unbelievably perfect!!! I won’t spoil, but know that even as I write this review two hours after finishing the book, I’m still grinning like a fool.
I’m pretty sure I could go on about this book for a while yet, but I’m tired of typing so I’ll stop here. I’ve made my thoughts clear anyway. ;))
Representation
These books will never not be entertaining. Audrey Rose and Thomas might actually be the most iconic duo ever. Their slow-burn friends to lovers arc is agonizing but absolutely delicious, and the fact that they’re so horny along the way is hilarious; it makes a great thing even better.
On that note—props to Kerri for some top-tier parallels. This one’s my favorite:
“What would it feel like to have my hair gently knotted in his fist, my back pressed against a wall, him tangled around me like vines wrapped around brick?” // “He didn’t hesitate to bring his mouth to mine. We stumbled against the wall, the entire length of him encompassing me in his warmth. His hands slid up my frame, knotting themselves in my hair as he deepened our kiss.”
It’s clever!! It’s brilliant!! It’s spectacular!!
And you know what else brilliant and spectacular?? THIS:
“‘You’ve got a dress with orchid blossoms embroidered on it. Ribbons in the deepest purple. You favor the color, but not nearly as much as I find myself favoring you. As to the stars? Those are what I prefer. For there are no limits to the stars; their numbers are infinite. Which is precisely why I measure my love for you by them. An amount too boundless to count.’”
Thomas Cresswell INVENTED romance and no one can tell me otherwise!! He might be an idiot sometimes, but he’s the smoothest idiot to ever walk this earth, I swear!! And the way he unequivocally adores Audrey Rose is just >>>> 🥹🥹🥹
Now it’s time for me to procrastinate starting the third book for as long as humanly possible because I don’t want to deal with Meph’s obnoxious face. :’)))
[first read, January 2022]
This series has me by the throat and I’m not even mad about it. I’ve only read the first two books, too; I can’t imagine how obsessed I’ll be when I’m finished.
Because that’s exactly what I am: obsessed. Hunting Prince Dracula is, somehow, even more amazing than Stalking Jack the Ripper. Even though both the plot and the romance had me incredibly stressed—especially the romance—I loved every page. In fact, I think most of them are highlighted, most even multiple times. I don’t think I’ve ever annotated a book as heavily as I did this one, or laughed as much while reading. Between Thomas’s witty jokes and flirty comments and the banter from him and Audrey Rose, I spent a large portion of the story audibly cackling or making other indescribable (and honestly unflattering) sounds.
Speaking of our two leads, I absolutely adore them, more than I can say. My love for them knows no bounds. I love Audrey Rose and Thomas like Thomas loves Audrey Rose, and I’m not ashamed. Add “Cressworth trash” to my list of personality traits. The angst!! The pining!! The almost-but-not-quite kisses!! The actual kisses!! I sped through the last third of the book between 2 and 3 a.m., and let me say this: the number of times I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing and/or shrieking and waking up my family was ABSURD. When it comes to my favorite ships, I have zero chill, and this is now one of my favorite ships, so… 💖💖💖
Also, Daciana and Ileana? MY SAPPHIC QUEENS. I didn’t expect to love either of them quite as much as I do, but I’m nearly as obsessed with them as I am with Audrey Rose and Thomas. And now that I’ve met Daciana, I can say that both Cresswell siblings are completely iconic, both as individuals and a duo. I want him to be my friend, and I’m crushing unbelievably hard on her. 👀
Oh, right, I should probably mention the actual plot and whatnot. I really enjoyed the Romanian setting, as that’s not a place I’ve ever read about, and the story was very well-written. Even though both this book and its predecessor feature a string of murders where the victims have been, in some way, violated, the story in this one never felt redundant. On the contrary, it was equally nerve-wracking and very suspenseful. The castle’s shadowy halls and creepy passages made the whole thing very atmospheric, too.
Whereas normally I don’t have the brain cells to put together the puzzle pieces in a mystery novel before the characters do, I did, surprisingly, manage to guess who the killer was. It was actually due to a random theory that slowly started to make an unexpected amount of sense, and then ended up being correct. Yet nothing felt predictable, as there were so many other details both large and small that I never saw coming. I’m still not over that room of spiders (*shudders*) or certain characters’ secret involvement. When I say my eyes widened and my jaw dropped, I’m not even slightly joking.
After the stress of everything else, the final chapters were so unbelievably perfect!!! I won’t spoil, but know that even as I write this review two hours after finishing the book, I’m still grinning like a fool.
I’m pretty sure I could go on about this book for a while yet, but I’m tired of typing so I’ll stop here. I’ve made my thoughts clear anyway. ;))
Representation
- Indian-British protagonist
- sapphic side couple
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Blood, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Medical content: in-depth autopsies and discussion of and tampering with corpses. Mental illness: protagonist deals with PTSD. Not tagged but also significant: spiders. To clarify, there’s a scene where the protagonist and love interest are trapped in a room full of both benign and poisonous spiders, and at one point, there are spiders crawling on them.