snarltooth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Medical content, Murder, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Drug abuse
fromdelfos's review
2.75
this was terribly underwhelming which is a shame because the potential was right there. audrey was an interesting character but at times it felt like the author didn’t really know what to do with her, there was so much that the writer wanted to do that in the end it went nowhere. the medical and mystery aspects of the story were pretty good and i wished the story leaned way more on that instead of jumping to thomas being a bit of a “charming asshole” and audrey’s feelings for him which might as well have appeared from thin air. once again there was so much potential with the characters and their stories but, going back to what i’ve said, the author didn’t know if she wanted this to be a full on mystery or a full on romance.
in terms of the overall conflict and antagonist, this was so very predictable i knew who jack the ripper was from the first few chapters which practically made the entire thing pointless. at certain times it felt like the author thought the readers would be too dumb to come to the conclusions by themselves so she didn’t even try to truly stick to the suspense and mystery that this story deserved.
i feel like i wasted my time reading this but i refuse to drop a book once i’ve started it so here we are. in conclusion this story had interesting but underdeveloped characters, not a solid storytelling and an overall desire to be much more than what it really is so it all falls flat. i truly wish she made it easier to love and connect with the characters but they all felt so lacking of any actual life. the story could’ve been great but the author was probably too scared to write this book without the unnecessary and random “romantic” scenes which lacked chemistry and made me wish i was reading anything else.
in terms of the overall conflict and antagonist, this was so very predictable i knew who jack the ripper was from the first few chapters which practically made the entire thing pointless. at certain times it felt like the author thought the readers would be too dumb to come to the conclusions by themselves so she didn’t even try to truly stick to the suspense and mystery that this story deserved.
i feel like i wasted my time reading this but i refuse to drop a book once i’ve started it so here we are. in conclusion this story had interesting but underdeveloped characters, not a solid storytelling and an overall desire to be much more than what it really is so it all falls flat. i truly wish she made it easier to love and connect with the characters but they all felt so lacking of any actual life. the story could’ve been great but the author was probably too scared to write this book without the unnecessary and random “romantic” scenes which lacked chemistry and made me wish i was reading anything else.
katreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
A friend recommended another book by this author to me, and since I owned this one, I decided to dive in, even though horror isn't really my genre. I am so glad that I did! This was a stretch for me, but was not too scary, and in fact became unputdownable as I got further into the story. The atmospheric setting set the perfect tone. Audrey Rose was an absolute joy to root for, the mystery was well executed, and the burgeoning romance between Audrey and Thomas was just the cherry on top. Maniscalco's use of historical detail made me feel like I was really there. The audiobook was absolutely fantastic, narrated by the incredible Nicola Barber. I need to listen to more that she narrates!
laitstrawberry's review against another edition
2.0
The whole plot and the characters (except Thomas Cresswell and the uncle!!!) got more and more ridiculous as time went on. I'm...!!! I'm....so confused by the climax and ending??? what. whyyyyy??
I was bored the entire time and the whole story was quite predictable tbh. I only managed to finish it because of the charming Thomas Cresswell and Nathaniel Wadsworth. Oh, and the uncle. He was a constant mood because he was just done with everyone's shit....
The Jack the Ripper case was VERY bland in the story too. It didn't put enough detail in terms of the whole case, which lasted years. The plot twist with the reveal of the Ripper was just ridiculous because yes, it was unexpected, but in a bad way. It was the only unexpected thing in the story, but it made no sense. The culprit just doesn't fit and it felt forced and I wanted to cry for my wasted time. I felt that the research was likely done for this topic, but with a simple Google search and no actual detail oriented research.
A lot of people seemed to enjoy the writing, but I really did not. It was easy to read, yes, but at times there were random metaphors not fitting in with the situation. As well, I enjoy good descriptions of scenery, BUT it can't be so lengthy that I forget what we're doing in the room. For example, when Audrey is in her uncle's laboratory, she describes the place to its full extent when a reader could imagine it with two sentences perhaps. Then suddenly she's like, "Oh yeah, I was here to cut up a body with Uncle and Thomas," and I get taken aback, like.....oh yeah, we were here for a purpose.
There were a few little mistakes in the story too. Just little details, but I noticed and I couldn't stop thinking about them throughout my reading EXPERIENCE. Thomas Cresswell's surname changed randomly at one point??? Then the portrait in Audrey's father's study changed to a portrait of the father instead of her grandfather as mentioned earlier on?
On another note, I was fairly disappointed with what I thought the story was going to be. 'Stalking Jack the Ripper', 'I was the girl who loved The Ripper'. Ummmm I was expected a crazed girl who actually liked Jack the Ripper? Oh well...
I was bored the entire time and the whole story was quite predictable tbh. I only managed to finish it because of the charming Thomas Cresswell and Nathaniel Wadsworth. Oh, and the uncle. He was a constant mood because he was just done with everyone's shit....
The Jack the Ripper case was VERY bland in the story too. It didn't put enough detail in terms of the whole case, which lasted years. The plot twist with the reveal of the Ripper was just ridiculous because yes, it was unexpected, but in a bad way. It was the only unexpected thing in the story, but it made no sense. The culprit just doesn't fit and it felt forced and I wanted to cry for my wasted time. I felt that the research was likely done for this topic, but with a simple Google search and no actual detail oriented research.
A lot of people seemed to enjoy the writing, but I really did not. It was easy to read, yes, but at times there were random metaphors not fitting in with the situation. As well, I enjoy good descriptions of scenery, BUT it can't be so lengthy that I forget what we're doing in the room. For example, when Audrey is in her uncle's laboratory, she describes the place to its full extent when a reader could imagine it with two sentences perhaps. Then suddenly she's like, "Oh yeah, I was here to cut up a body with Uncle and Thomas," and I get taken aback, like.....oh yeah, we were here for a purpose.
There were a few little mistakes in the story too. Just little details, but I noticed and I couldn't stop thinking about them throughout my reading EXPERIENCE. Thomas Cresswell's surname changed randomly at one point??? Then the portrait in Audrey's father's study changed to a portrait of the father instead of her grandfather as mentioned earlier on?
On another note, I was fairly disappointed with what I thought the story was going to be. 'Stalking Jack the Ripper', 'I was the girl who loved The Ripper'. Ummmm I was expected a crazed girl who actually liked Jack the Ripper? Oh well...
alexabookish's review against another edition
5.0
update: bumping this to 5 stars bc i have not stopped thinking about it and how much i love the characters
wow. i couldn’t put this down! i actually dnf’ed this back in 2018, but with kerri maniscalco’s new book coming out soon i decided i wanted to give this series another chance. i’m really happy i did bc i really enjoyed it. i loved audrey rose and how feminist she was. i loved that she’s into forensics. i don’t think i’ve read a ya book where the protagonist is into forensics/autopsies etc. usually it’s just characters that like to solve mysteries, so i loved the science angel. i also loved how detailed and honestly graphic this book was. the autopsy and murder scenes could get really gross but i loved it. also there’s thomas. i can already tell that i’m going to love him so much. he is my exact weakness when it comes to love interests. arrogant, charming, cocky, but secret heart of gold, just *chefs kiss*. i actually really enjoyed the writing, and that’s funny bc i remember dnf’ing it bc i didn’t like it. that just shows that sometimes you just need to read a book at the right time to really enjoy it. i’m excited for the next books bc i think i could definitely love them even more than this one.
wow. i couldn’t put this down! i actually dnf’ed this back in 2018, but with kerri maniscalco’s new book coming out soon i decided i wanted to give this series another chance. i’m really happy i did bc i really enjoyed it. i loved audrey rose and how feminist she was. i loved that she’s into forensics. i don’t think i’ve read a ya book where the protagonist is into forensics/autopsies etc. usually it’s just characters that like to solve mysteries, so i loved the science angel. i also loved how detailed and honestly graphic this book was. the autopsy and murder scenes could get really gross but i loved it. also there’s thomas. i can already tell that i’m going to love him so much. he is my exact weakness when it comes to love interests. arrogant, charming, cocky, but secret heart of gold, just *chefs kiss*. i actually really enjoyed the writing, and that’s funny bc i remember dnf’ing it bc i didn’t like it. that just shows that sometimes you just need to read a book at the right time to really enjoy it. i’m excited for the next books bc i think i could definitely love them even more than this one.
daphnehenkel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
3.0
I was very intrigued at the beginning of the novel, but as it went on, I felt like it was a bit too much.
COYER buddy-read with Tarissa :)
Book was on Kara and Tarissa's TBR shelf.
COYER buddy-read with Tarissa :)
Book was on Kara and Tarissa's TBR shelf.
ahembored's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
3.75
jesperado's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
ffilippa's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
Stalking Jack the Ripper was a good book with a fairly interesting concept. I love historical fiction and mystery, and therefore I believed that this would be the perfect book for me. But unfortunately, it wasn't... My main problem with this novel was that I wasn't fully invested in it. The story was boring and uneventful at too many points, and I also found the language to be a little too old-timey to my liking. But the story was nonetheless well written, and I liked the cast of characters. The ending too was great (I liked the developed relationships a lot).
The major pluses!
Audrey Rose's relationship with Thomas was cute! I love inevitable love, when it's good. I liked that Thomas let Audrey Rose be whoever, and whatever, she wanted to be, unlike her father. I also loved that I hadn't figured out Jack the Ripper's true identity, so that was a huge surprise.
Now I really want to pick up the next novel. I believe Hunting Prince Dracula will be even better!
Stalking Jack the Ripper was a good book with a fairly interesting concept. I love historical fiction and mystery, and therefore I believed that this would be the perfect book for me. But unfortunately, it wasn't... My main problem with this novel was that I wasn't fully invested in it. The story was boring and uneventful at too many points, and I also found the language to be a little too old-timey to my liking. But the story was nonetheless well written, and I liked the cast of characters. The ending too was great (I liked the developed relationships a lot).
The major pluses!
Audrey Rose's relationship with Thomas was cute! I love inevitable love, when it's good. I liked that Thomas let Audrey Rose be whoever, and whatever, she wanted to be, unlike her father. I also loved that I hadn't figured out Jack the Ripper's true identity, so that was a huge surprise.
Now I really want to pick up the next novel. I believe Hunting Prince Dracula will be even better!