Squishy Minnie Bookstore Squishy Minnie Bookstore
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Events
  • Storytime
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Shop

Book Review – Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerry Maniscalco

By Fergus on 14/03/2019

Stalking Jack the Ripper is a gripping, fast-paced novel written by first-time author Kerri Maniscalco. The novel follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth, a young woman apprenticing with her Uncle in a mortuary deep within the alleyways and public houses in 1800s London. Wadsworth is soon caught up in a dangerous set of mass murderers as a killer—deemed ‘Jack the Ripper’ wreaks havoc on women in the dark of the night. Audrey Rose, along with her friend Thomas, steak away into the London night to try and halt Jack the Ripper and imprison him for his crimes. However, as Wadsworth delves deeper into the mysteries that plague darkened corners in the middle of the night, Wadsworth will realise that the true nature of this barbaric killer might just be closed to her than she ever thought.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. As a boy who consumes too many horror movies, creepy podcasts and dwells on YouTube conspiracy theory videos, I knew I had to take this book to the counter and buy it immediately. Jack the Ripper had always been a focal point of interest for me, and there are a myriad of novels that cleverly hide monsters and magic in the streets of archaic London.

One of the driving forces for the novel’s success was our protagonist. Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a silver-tongued heroine with no time for nonsense. Readers are sure to pick up on her courage and intelligence. Throughout the novel, Wadsworth continues to defy the stereotypes associated with women at the time. Wadsworth is the only woman working alongside her uncle, and continues to shut down men who deem that the job of autopsy is in no way a job for a woman. Wadsworth’s attitude towards this makes for a perfect heroine.

Another positive remark on the novel was the fact that, even though there are elements of romance sprinkled throughout the novel, it is in no way a central point, and readers are sure to be able to distance the romance subplot from the actual narrative. Time and time again, we have seen young adult novels narrated in the first person by girls in which romance is the central focus; however, in Stalking Jack the Ripper, this certainly is not the case. Wadsworth constantly displays her independence and intelligence without men needing to aid her, making her a strong individual, as well as being interesting to follow on a literary journey.

All in all, this novel was a great success. The characters were fantastic, the use of literary devices was spectacular, and the novel on the whole kept me up for several hours at night wanting to devour each chapter. For a début novel, this book certainly ranks high on my list of suspenseful novels.

RATINGS:

CHARACTERS: 10/10
WRITING: 9/10
PLOT: 8/10

OVERALL: 9.5 / 10

Posted in Book Review.
Share

Categories

  • Book Review (54)
  • Books (4)
  • In Store Events (12)

Archives

  • September 2020 (2)
  • July 2020 (10)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • March 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (6)
  • August 2019 (8)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (6)
  • January 2019 (2)
  • November 2018 (5)
  • August 2018 (2)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (1)
  • May 2018 (1)
  • April 2018 (2)
  • February 2018 (4)
  • November 2017 (2)
  • October 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • April 2017 (4)
  • February 2017 (4)
PreviousBook Review – The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius
NextBook Review – The Girl Who Fell by Violet Grace

Related Posts

  • 14/11/2018

    Book Review – Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

    In the first book of a fantastic new middle-grade series ‘Tilly and the Boookwanderers‘ we follow Matilda ‘Tilly’ Pages, an eleven-year-old book lover who is cared for by her loving …

  • 03/08/2018

    Book Review – Stone Girl by Eleni Hale

    Eleni Hale’s Stone Girl is an incredibly powerful and honest story about the Australian foster care system. Drawing on elements of Hale’s own childhood, the novel is a confronting look …

  • 14/11/2018

    Book Review – A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier

    A Curse of Ash and Embers follows Elodie, who is sent away from her stepfather, mother and siblings to work at Black Oak Cottage. But as Elodie journeys there, she …

  • 24/07/2020

    Book Review – The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs

    The Conference of the Birds offers readers with a fifth dive into Ransom Rigg’s world of the much-adored literary peculiars. In this novel, which carries on directly from ‘A Map …

  • 25/02/2020

    Book Review – 1984 by George Orwell

    In 1984, one of modern literature’s most celebrated works, readers are introduced to Winston Smith, who lives in a dystopian society in which everything–from actions, movements, careers, and, even in …

  • 25/02/2020

    Book Review – The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

    Marcus Zusak’s captivating debut novel follows the story of Liesel, who witnesses the death of her younger brother while on a train through Germany. When she discovers a novel hidden …

  • © 2025
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Events
  • Storytime
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • Shop