A Knife in the Fog by Bradley Harper

 

From the blurb:  "Physician Arthur Conan Doyle is invited to take a break from his practice to assist London police in tracking down Jack the Ripper. Doyle agrees, with the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Dr. Joseph Bell––Doyle’s inspiration for Sherlock Holmes––agrees to work with him. Soon the two are joined by Margaret Harkness, an author who knows how to use a Derringer as well as she knows the dank alleys and courtyards of the East End where she resides. Pursuing leads through London and Whitechapel becomes infinitely more dangerous for the trio when the hunters become the hunted in this adventurous debut novel and series starter."

My thoughts:  I've always been drawn to novels about Jack the Ripper, and this one is exceptional. I loved the voice Harper creates for Arthur Conan Doyle as he narrates his adventures on the streets of Whitechapel with Professor Bell and Margaret Harkness. Margaret is an equally great character: independent, capable, and fierce. (And apparently a real person, too.) I enjoyed how the author weaves these historical figures into the infamous murder investigation of Jack the Ripper and his victims. This novel is atmospheric and well-plotted. Harper's attention to historical detail really brings London's East End to life. His writing is amazing, and this novel is suspenseful, unexpected, riveting and fun. For me, this was a 5-star read. 

Happy Reading!

Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye

The letter was written in vivid red ink in an oddly erratic script, and it read:

          Mr. Holmes,       

You are a clever one. Arent you? No matter that you may be devillish clever you maybe the very devil, but not so clever that Mr. Nobody doesn't see you. Yes, I see you clear enough, and I may also

          See you in Hell
          Sooner than you think, Mr. Holmes.

3 Reasons you might want to read this one:

• If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and their intricate world of intelligent inquiry.
• If you're fascinated by the mystery of Jack the Ripper.
• If you enjoy good writing, engaging secondary characters, and a compelling story set against the historical backdrop of Victorian London.

This book has all of that and more. It's a very readable and enjoyable mystery. I liked it a lot.

Happy Reading!

A Most Curious Tale...

Title: What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James & Jack the Ripper by Paula Marantz Cohen
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
First Line: Henry James was drunk

My Thoughts: A novel with both Henry James and Jack the Ripper in it...who can resist that? And Henry is not alone. Oscar Wilde and John Singer Sargent both make appearances, as do Henry's siblings, William and Alice. These three amateur detectives work together to try and solve the Whitechapel murders. This novel is an intelligent and well-written mystery. And I like Cohen's witty characterizations of Henry, William and Alice James; she's able to portray their foibles and very real human weaknesses without making them ridiculous. They bicker and nitpick, as all brothers and sisters do, but they're also smart and insightful and very likeable. And the way they go about discovering Jack the Ripper's real identity is unique to say the least. I really enjoyed this novel, from its Victorian setting, to its literary characters, to Cohen's unusual solution to the mystery surrounding Jack the Ripper. Don't you love it when a book exceeds your expectations? This book definitely exceeded mine.

Happy Reading!

Similar read:

     Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough

Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough

Setting: Victorian London. Jack the Ripper is capturing all the headlines, but there's another murderer loose in London: the Thames Torso Killer...and he's even more dangerous than Jack.

Cast of Characters: police surgeon Dr. Thomas Bond, the police inspectors of Scotland Yard, a mysterious Jesuit priest, a young Polish immigrant who sees portents and visions, and, of course, the killer, his innocent victims, and the demonic myth from whence he sprung.

"The Jack they seek--this rabid killer of women--he is nothing. What I seek--the thing I seek--brings mayhem and wickedness in its wake, spreading it like this choking fog across the city. It runs in the water of the river, and it will destroy men's souls."

My thoughts: The way this story is told reminded me a lot of Bram Stoker's Dracula; so if you like that book, I think you'll like this one, too. It's part historical fiction, part detective/mystery story with a supernatural twist. And it's so well-written! I had never heard of the Thames Torso murders, but they actually took place in London in the late 1880s. Mayhem is the first of two books Pinborough plans to write based on real-life police surgeon Dr. Thomas Bond. I enjoy books set in Victorian England, and I found this one, with its Jack-the-Ripper backdrop, especially interesting. Mayhem is an otherworldly mystery that's deliciously suspenseful.

Happy Reading!

Recommended by the author:

     The Thames Torso Murders of Victorian London by R. Michael Gordon