Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson
Date of publication: September 2019
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World's Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.
Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they've heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him---and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device---is another.
Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end---together and in love---or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?
Capturing the Devil is the final book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I have to say that I am really sorry to see this series end. I have enjoyed this journey with Audrey Rose and Thomas immensely. This final installment was everything I would want in a series finale. I'm not going to talk plot too much. I don't want to spoil any of the previous three books. In fact, I would urge anyone coming in at this stage to go back and read the first three books. If not, you will be spoiled for the series by starting here. It will be worth your time, I promise.
Having said that, this book takes place right after the events of the third book, Escaping from Houdini. The entire series comes full circle as the duo hunts for a serial killer who is abducting women in Chicago. For the reader, it may be obvious who the killer is, but is it really that obvious? You'll have to read to find out. Along with the mystery, the romance finally comes to a very satisfying and sigh worthy conclusion. There is a little angst, but it only strengthened their relationship. As I said, these are characters that I am sad to see go. I can't recommend this series enough. I look forward to seeing what this author has in store for us next.
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson
Date of Publication: Setpember 2018
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.
But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?
Escaping from Houdini is the third book featuring forensic scientists in training, Audrey Rose and Thomas. The story takes place about 2 days after the events of the second book. This time around, we find our couple on a ship bound for America. The ship has a "carnival" themed nightly show for the duration of the voyage. When there is a murder on opening night, Audrey Rose and Thomas get pulled in to investigate.
While not my favorite of the three, I did enjoy this installation. The thought the mystery was really good and I didn't figure out the killer's identity. The characters from the traveling show were fun and mysterious. We even get to spend some time with the not yet famous Harry Houdini. As in the first book, the events in this one aren't really historically accurate, but I didn't mind. I also loved the ending.
There is one aspect of the book that made me lower my rating of it, however. Audrey Rose has to go undercover, in a manner of speaking, to help solve the case. I don't want to spoil things, but she acts in a way toward the Ringmaster that I didn't agree with. The author did put an explanation in her notes at the end of the book, but I just didn't care for it. It seemed out of character for her. I was disappointed that the author chose to go in that direction.
Despite that, this is a fun YA series that I highly recommend. I can't wait to see what is next for Thomas and Audrey Rose!
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: Little Brown & Company
Date of publication: September 2017
In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco's haunting #1 debut Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?
Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.
But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.
Hunting Prince Dracula is the second book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. This one picks up pretty soon after the events of the first book. I would say you should read them in order, because this one will spoil the first book. Once again, we follow Audrey Rose and her friend Thomas in their forensic adventures. This time, they are in Romania to learn more about forensics.
I really enjoyed this one, maybe even more than the first book. The setting of the story is really creepy. The house has a bunch of rooms with "traps" in them. Beware to anyone who hates spiders. Let's just say that one scene freaked me out. Aside from that, the mystery was fun. There were a couple of twists. We get to know more about Thomas and his background. I just love the relationship between Audrey Rose and Thomas. Their banter is so much fun and made me laugh often. One of the things that I really liked was the way the author showed howAudrey Rose was affected by the events of the first book. She had to overcome a bit of PTSD. It made her more realistic. Anyone who had gone through that would defintely feel some after effects.
I highly recommend this series. I've enjoyed my time reading it. I can't wait to pick up the nest book in the series.
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Date of publication: September 2016
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.
Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.
I had heard mixed things about Stalking Jack the Ripper, so I was a bit reserved going into the book. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. The premise is that Audrey Rose wants to study forensic medicine under her uncle. Determined to ignore societal norms, she teams up with Thomas Cresswell, her uncle's student, to catch Jack the Ripper.
I thought this book was a lot of fun. Is it historically accurate? Not really. In the author's notes, she lays out what she took creative license with and what was accurate. Despite that, I still enjoyed the book. I absolutely loved the relationship between Audrey Rose and Thomas. They had fun bantor and I loved their budding romance. The two of them were just overall really enjoyable characters to read about. As for the mystery, I did call the ending. However, it didn't ruin the journey for me. I would definitely recommend this one. I am looking forward to reading more in the series.
