Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

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“Hurry along, then,” I said, grabbing my journal. “I want to sit by the window.” “Hmm.” “What now?” I asked, losing patience. “I usually sit by the window. You may have to sit in my lap.” (Can you see why Thomas is my favorite character?)
Groomed to be the perfect highborn Victorian young lady, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has a decidedly different plan for herself. After the loss of her beloved mother, she is determined to understand the nature of death and its workings. Trading in her embroidery needle for an autopsy scalpel, Audrey secretly apprentices in forensics. She soon gets drawn into the investigation of serial killer Jack the Ripper, but to her horror, the search for clues brings her far closer to her sheltered world than she ever thought possible.
 The amazing thing about this book is that the mystery is literally the least of my concerns. Of course, Audrey Rose is running around for months trying to figure out who the murderer is, but it felt like a road that she followed that led her to confrontation with the multitude of characters that she had issues with. Before the story is through, she argues with her uncle, classmate, father, brother, and kind of her aunt too. The murder is what pushes her to do these wild things that get her into trouble. Finding the criminal is what forces her to prove herself and disobey her father’s wishes. And finally, Jack the Ripper is the one who opens her eyes. But throughout the story, the investigation itself doesn’t take much precedent. The story is still absolutely brilliant, mainly because of Thomas. If you want to know who he is, read the book!!! Apparently, the murders are extremely brutal, but I just closed my eyes. Just kidding, I skimmed, okay? Still, keep that in mind, if disfigured corpses are not your thing. And Audrey Rose is apprenticing in forensics, so she spends her free time cutting open bodies. Just warning you. Even though they’re dealing with such a terrifying murdered, Audrey Rose always sneaks in a joke or two. And Thomas is a great sidekick? More like partner. Audrey Rose and Thomas reminded me so much of Zoe and Digby (Trouble is a Friend of Mine) that I actually almost cried. Actually characters like Thomas are really fun to read about but would probably be really annoying in real life. The climax was great, with a terrific plot twist. The murderer actually gets an incentive, rather than just killing for fun. Anyways, this was an amazing read and I can’t wait to get on to Hunting Prince Dracula!

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