Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco Series Review

Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Kerri Maniscalco sweeps you back in time in this addictive mystery series rife with murders, infamous murderers and a swoon-worthy romance. Follow Audrey Rose and Thomas as they investigate the dark alleys of London, explore the hidden corridors of Dracula's castle, survive a midnight carnival and navigate.... They will need every skill in their arsenals to solve the mysteries and escape form these infamous murderers. And along the way, they may discover that there is more to their partnership than what they originally bargained for.

This series was a rollercoaster... for good and bad reasons. While there were twist and turns throughout this series, ultimately, the series went downhill after the first and second books. Feel free to jump around to the review you would like to read:

• Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2)
• Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3)
• Becoming the Dark Prince (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3.5)
• Capturing the Devil (Stalking Jack the Ripper #4)

Stalking Jack the Ripper

(Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)

Born and raised as a lord's daughter, Audrey Rose Wadsworth is expected to be the proper lady in society. However, unbeknownst and against her father's expectations, she secretly slips away to her uncle's laboratory to pursue her passion in forensics. When a series of disturbing, mutilated corpses turn up on the examination table, Audrey Rose together with the darkly attractive Thomas Cresswell, are thrust into investigating serial murderer. But the murderer may be closer than they realise.

"Wield your assets like a blade, cousin. No man has invented a corset for our brains. Let them think they rule the world. It's a queen who sits on that throne. Never forget that."

I can finally say that understand the hype behind this series. Or at the very least the hype surrounding the first book. Set in London during the Victorian era and the time where the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper prowled the streets, this story had a dark, mysterious undertone.

Art by Gabrielle Bujdoso

I loved the protagonist Audrey Rose and her progressive views towards women in science. However, I did notice her prejudice towards the "prim and proper" women of society, and I would've loved her more if she didn't hold these prejudices against her fellow peers. That said, I did love how her cousin, Liza, expanded her perspective on this topic. And as Audrey Rose herself said that women can be as equally beautiful on the outside and incredibly smart and determined on the inside. 

Someone who I equally or more so loved was the dark and mysterious Thomas Cresswell. What can I say other than I'm trash for these dark, brooding male love interests. Honestly, I am trash for this archetype and no one can shame me for it. The moment he was introduced I immediately knew that he was going to be the love interest and honestly, I couldn't be mad at the predictability of this romance plotline because I stan Thomas Cresswell. 

In terms of the mystery, I found it interesting and engaging, albeit gory and disturbing. The things Jack the Ripper did were horrific and this book made me go down the black hole of this unsolved mystery... and let me tell you it was incredibly disturbing. While I enjoyed the build-up to the conclusion, the final reveal/climax was predictable given certain hints the author dropped regarding who was Jack the Ripper, and I was a little disappointed in how the reveal was handled. Though I will say the ending was definitely shocking. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I cannot wait to see how this series will unfold. Fingers crossed that the books keep on getting better and better. 

Hunting Prince Dracula

(Stalking Jack the Ripper #2)

Shocked and horrified from the discovery of Jack the Ripper's identity, Audrey Rose is haunted by illusions created by her own grief-stricken mind. To help cope with her past trauma and pursue her dream she is given the opportunity to study in one of the world's leading academy for forensic medicine located at the infamous castle of Vlad the Impaler in the heart of Romania. Accompanied by Thomas, she hopes to escape her troubled past. But the past soon catches up to her when a string of eerily familiar murders turn up in town. What is more terrifying is that the murders resemble the Vlad the Impaler's method of killing. Has the immortal prince risen from the grave?

"Monsters are only as real as the stories that grant them life. And they only live for as long as we tell those tales."

I'm so happy that this book did not disappoint. My favourite aspect of this book was definitely the setting. The story was set in Romania in the infamous castle owned by Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula, and current residence of a well-known and respected medical school. The castle reminded me somewhat of Hogwarts with its secret tunnels, though there is more of a dark undertone given the history surrounding the legendary figure. 

What I love about our protagonist, Audrey Rose, was how strong, determined and progressive she was. She didn't condone all the patriarchal nonsense society throws her way, and she is so determined to pursue what she loves. In this instalment, her anxiety and PTSD were prevalent in light of the conclusion of Stalking Jack the Ripper. It was so heartbreaking witnessing her grief over losing her brother, however, she still pushed through. I wouldn't say that she was completely healed by the end but she was stronger compared to the beginning. Her anxiety and PTSD also made her lose her sense of reality as her mind conjured up illusions, which made for an unreliable narration and added a bit more intrigue to the mystery.

In terms of Audrey and Thomas's blossoming relationship, they definitely grew as a team and as a couple in this story. Not only did they receive the education to further their careers as medical investigators, but they also grew to understand each other better. Though, I have to say that I was annoyed at Thomas at the beginning for failing to note Audrey's mental health with a certain scene in one of the classrooms 

Art by Gabrielle Bujdoso

The mystery itself was interesting with the whole inspiration deriving from Vlad's killing methods. And I did enjoy the build-up to the climax which I found fast-past and somewhat horrifying because of my arachnophobia. However, in terms of putting the pieces together, I would have preferred a more drawn out detective-like build-up because certain revelations were just a little bit too convinient. The over-the-top nature of the climax was what ultimately let down the mystery. The climax was quite dramatic and a little too unbelievable at parts for me to be completely in love with the mystery. 

Overall, I had a fun time reading this and I can't wait to seem more of Audrey and Thomas, and whatever horrific historical mystery Maniscalco will draw inspiration from in the future. 

Escaping From Houdini

(Stalking Jack the Ripper #3)

Aboard the RMS Etruria, Audrey Rose and Thomas are en route to New York to aid in another string of disturbing murders. They expect to be entertained by a travelling carnival filled with circus performers, acrobats, fortune tellers and a charismatic escape artist on their week-long voyage. However, what started as a simple cruise across the Atlantic soon escalates to another string of murders involving the brutal butchery of high society women. This time, they're trapped on a ship in the middle of the ocean with no hope of escape. Audrey and Thomas must put an end to the murderer's path of destruction before it's too late.

"The promise of death was as alluring, if not more so, than the prospect of falling in love..."

And this is where the series goes downhill. First off, I just want to say that this book will probably (most likely) infuriate Audrey and Thomas stans because that is what this book did to me. So having said that please be warned that this is mostly a rant review and some spoilers ahead.  

What pissed me so much and ultimately ruined the reading experience for me was the unnecessary love triangle introduced in this book to create unnecessary (and aggravating) complications between Audrey and Thomas's relationship. And yeah, it will make there bond stronger in the end BUT I just hate all these complications because of MISCOMMUNICATION! Like, if you're going to create a love triangle mid-series at least DO NOT use miscommunication as a tool to drive that wedge in a relationship. Oh and that's the other thing I HATE love triangles mid-series. If it was in the first book then I would probably not hate is as much as I do but since it is mid-series on a couple that is pretty much endgame and I ship I love then it's a massive NO from me. The whole love triangle aspect ruined my overall reading experience and I skimmed those parts because I was infuriated with Audrey Rose for just going back behind Thomas's back. *me slamming my head on the book whenever I get to those scenes* I swear for all of Audrey Rose's intelligence, she lacks common sense. Like what kind of person chooses to honour the word of a questionable stranger over someone they love and have a genuine history and connection with. *me slamming my head on the book whenever I get to those scenes* Her actions in this regard made absolutely no sense to me and, again, this is why I hate love triangles mid-series because apparently, they make the heroine/hero lose their intelligence and common sense.

Art by Gabrielle Bujdoso

Okay... rant over. In terms of the actual mystery, the crime scenes were honestly intriguing having a carnival as a setting for the story. I actually found the idea of murders happening on a ship in the middle of an ocean mixed with the eccentricity and thrill of a carnival such a great backdrop for a quite gruesome mystery. And I was intrigued by the mystery. I enjoyed reading and imagining all the various tricks and acts being displayed, some of which are done by the famous Houdini. The carnival itself was highly entertaining and interesting. However, I'll say that the reveal and ending left little to be desired. I found the actual mystery to be predictable since I guessed the suspect the moment they were properly introduced, and well... the predictability of the mystery didn't really help in boosting my rating of this book. Not to mention the reveal was a bit too cliché in its attempted dramatics and villainous monologue. The ending left me feeling drained and disappointed as I slogged my way through all of that to get a sub-par ending. I mean I'm continuing this series for that Thomas novella and the last book and I'm hoping the finale will make up for the 400+ pages I pushed myself through. 

The only good thing about this book is Liza. Honestly, I want her to be my cousin. Like she gives off the aura of a hopeless romantic but she's probably the smartest out of all of them when it comes to romance. That girl knows when to be swept up by the magic and when to set her foot down. She repeatedly tries to evoke common sense into Audrey, warning her to make dumb choices that will irrevocably hurt the person she loves. What I got out of this book is that Liza is a star and deserves more love. My rating mostly reflects how much I enjoyed her character.

So will I continue on with this series? Yes because I know that Audrey and Thomas are endgame and nothing will change that (I hope). I'm just hoping the novella will lift my spirits though I'll probably feel heartbroken for Thomas since I just hope that I'll actually enjoy reading it. And I hope that the finale will make up for this massively disappointing third instalment in this series. All I want is good feelings when I think of this series.

Spoilers!

This is spoiler territory. Okay so Mephistopheles, the unnecessary point to our love triangle, had an interesting outlook on the world and I quite enjoyed his views regarding science, engineering and the "magic" of the carnival. What hindered my enjoyment is the stupid love triangle. Why couldn't he have been a friend like all those boys in the Academy? It would've greatly (and I mean greatly) improve my overall enjoyment. But, nope! I got the accursed love triangle in the end. And regarding the whole mystery surrounding love really cheapened the atmosphere for me. I can't say exactly why I felt that way but the reveal that the whole motive of the murderer was about "vengeance for my slain love" was a whole new level of drama I was not happy to go down on. However, that said I'm pretty sure this feeling is just because of me absolutely HATING that love triangle. I just couldn't get past my distaste for it

Becoming the Dark Prince

(Stalking Jack the Ripper #3.5)

Delve into the into the mind of enigmatic and charismatic Thomas Cresswell. This short novella features a collection of scenes during and after the terrifying voyage to America in Escaping from Houdini.

"I will not become a monster for you. The kind of love I crave isn't cruel of possessive... I will never manipulate you. No one should. And if they do? They aren't worth your time." 

Honestly, this novella is getting this rating purely for my love for Thomas Cresswell. He is one of my book boyfriends because of his progressive views, hilarious banter and steadfast commitment and respect. He is an absolute gem. This short novella gave us a brief insight into Thomas's internal monologue and we really got to witness how deep his love for Audrey Rose is and it was absolutely precious. He is precious. The things he does and is willing to do for his beloved is just goals and I loved his modern-thinking when it came to their relationship. It was obvious how much he cared about Audrey Rose and we all need someone like in our lives.

I would love it even more if we got more of their relationship than what was featured in this novella or if it featured a collection of Thomas's perspective throughout the series so far. The snippets into their relationship included a heartfelt moment aboard the RMS Etruria and their first few days after arriving in New York. I would highly recommend reading this short novella before picking up the last book in this series. 

Capturing the Devil

(Stalking Jack the Ripper #4)

Capturing the Devil witnessed the rise of an infamous mass-murderer in America with the World Fair as his sinister playground. Audrey Rose and Thomas have landed in America after surviving the deadly voyage aboard the Etruria. However, the devil never sleeps and in the twisted streets of New York and Chicago, an old enemy begins a new trail of murders that will have the pair delving into the past to finally bring his reign of terror to an end. 

"The lesson is not lying down and allowing yourself to be stabbed, child. It's in pushing yourself up and battling back."

I’ll be straight to the point. I'm disappointed in the conclusion of this series. The first book, Stalking Jack the Ripper started the series with an engaging mysterious atmosphere and a romance that you couldn’t help but fall in love with, and both elements had equal page time. However, while I did love the way that Audrey and Thomas’ relationship ended, I couldn’t help but notice the heavy-handedness of their romance as opposed to the mystery. It felt as if the author knew that her readers were hardcore fans of Audrey and Thomas that she decided to just mainly focus on their relationship. instead of that balance between a twisted mystery and a swoon-worthy romance.

A criticism I saw was that people found the beginning too jarring in that Audrey and Thomas's relationship was back to being rock-solid. I didn’t felt this way, however, the way their relationship was portrayed may be quite confusing for readers who haven’t read the novella. I highly advise that you read the novella, Becoming the Dark Prince, as it bridged the gap between their romance and the whole beginning of this book will make a lot more sense. 

In terms of writing, the metaphors, similes, satanic references and all the figurative language were honestly just WAY too much. I don’t know why but the writing kept on getting worse and worse the further I read. I don’t know if it’s just a me-thing that I’ve read a lot more books since the first book that have absolutely beautiful and lyrical writing or what. The writing had me rolling my eyes, cringing while reading those steamy scenes (do not let Maniscalco write those scenes because they tried to be "poetic"/"flowery"/"revolutionary" that I couldn't take the moment seriously and ended up ruining those moments) and speeding along just to get to the actual meat of the story. To think I wanted a smutty adult novella with Audrey and Thomas... maybe if another writer took on that project I might be convinced to pick it up. And I have to say that the way the mystery was handled was very disappointing. 

The synopsis led me to believe that this book will centre around the World Fair murders, and while that was somewhat true, that plotline only began half-way into the book. The first half focused primarily on Audrey and Thomas’ upcoming wedding, and while I’ve been waiting for them to get together at last, of course, someone came along to disrupt their fairy tale ending. I’m so over it at this point with all the wedges in their relationship. Just get them together so that the story can revolve around the murders. I love Audrey and Thomas together but I was equally promised a mystery and I didn't get that.

Art by Gabrielle Bujdoso

I was expecting the most twisted and dark investigation, judging from the inspiration and the lack of focus on that let the book down. I felt as though I was reading a romance with a mystery undertone instead of the detective mystery story with a romance subplot like in the first and second book. Comparing this book to the first and second, I felt that Maniscalco didn’t utilise her setting nor her inspiration enough to give me that thrilling mystery I was so looking forward to. I just wished that she spent way more time developing the mystery and just capture the magic of the first two books. 

There was so much potential with the mystery aspect given the historical context represented, and I was so underwhelmed with the execution. It was such a great stage for the final book, and I'm honestly shocked that Maniscalco didn't seize the opportunity to give us a bloody and disturbing mystery. As I mentioned, the actual mystery began half-way into the book so it didn't give us time to explore the fair and set the atmosphere, and while there were moments where the author tried (and failed) to capture the grandiose of the fair, in the end, everything about the mystery felt flat. Again, if only the relationship wasn't so centred and the mystery was given more care and attention, then this book would've been 5 stars. 

In terms of memorable or favourite characters in this story, it has to be Liza and Audrey's grandmother. Two incredible women who honestly proved to be smarter than Audrey Rose when it came to navigating the real world and badass in their own unique ways. I love these two and enjoyed the little page time they got. When it came to the relationship, I was overall happy that Audrey and Thomas finally got to be together amid the infuriating, unnecessary trials that just so happened to piss me off to no end (I absolutely hate love triangles introduced midway through a series). When I finished the book, I was relieved that they finally got their happily ever after because after reading this series, it was satisfying to finally witness the conclusion to this dragged out relationship. 

Sadly, my rating mainly reflects my happiness for Audrey and Thomas’ relationship and the conclusion which was great but would’ve benefited even more if the mystery was better built-up and the story focused on that. I'm disappointed to say that this series didn't finish as strong as I hoped for.