Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco is an introduction for YA readers into the marvels of historical fiction, more specifically, the historical fiction murder mystery realm. But the problem I have with it is that it doesn’t feel like a truly memorable book, and its subject matter is the Jack the Ripper case which is an attention-grabbing case. In Stalking Jack the Ripper, you get a typical YA narrative voice from a privileged girl who has grown up in a sheltered, wealthy family, a dark and broody male character of interest who doesn’t really provide much substance, a plot that should be engaging and detailed and fast-paced with the content and facts we know of the case and the hysteria created by these murders, and a romance that feels simultaneously insta-love and barely simmering. It doesn’t sound appealing when I list it off like that because in the grand scheme of things it isn’t, but let me give t some benefit of the doubt and dissect the story for you all. Strap yourselves in because today’s post is a long one.

I was intending to give this a middle of the road rating for the sake of acknowledging it as a book, an introduction to a genre and sub-genre I love to read, but I couldn’t even do that without coming across roadblocks. In trying to remember character names (because yes its been a few years since I read the series and no I couldn’t remember even their names), I went to Goodreads and came across a review that I couldn’t agree with more. I want you to know that I don’t use Goodreads anymore, the exception being for a local indie author’s book a few weeks ago that I was kindly asked if I would like to review, but this review had me thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to jump back on to give a fair review for some books that I find to be far askew in their hype. It can honestly be so upsetting as a reader to think that the problem is you for not liking a popular book and your reading can take a huge hit because of it. If there were more of these reviews that went into more detail, more breakdowns of categories and portions to their reviews, and highlighted what kind of reader would like this book, that would be so much more helpful than a one-liner and a star rating.

Back to the review. I find some YA protagonists can be very self-centred, sheltered and almost angelic in the sense that they cannot do any wrong. While it is fine to have these characters start in a place like this, I need character development. I need characters to find out that their privilege and their lack of awareness or knowledge of the world around them is detrimental to their abilities to understand the conflicts at hand. If characters continue to be closed-minded and prejudiced how are they meant to solve things? How are they meant to get answers? Unfortunately, Audrey Rose is one such character who doesn’t change in the face of such serious circumstances. You can argue and say that her being a mortician’s aide (forgive me if her uncle isn’t a mortician, but he deals with dead bodies in some capacity) like she is with her uncle gives her a different view of life, but if so then she doesn’t apply what she’s learnt from the dead to her everyday life. There are other female character who have worked with the dead in historical fiction murder mysteries – Lady Kiera Darby from Anna Lee Huber’s The Anatomist’s Wife, for example – who hold a lot deeper of an understanding of their station, what consequences of the public finding out about their involvement with the dead, and who have to deal with said consequences when all hell breaks loose. Hero Jarvis from C.S. Harris’s Sebastian St Cyr murder mystery series is a character from extreme wealth and privilege, yet she uses her station to uncover the truth of the lower class struggles and fights for them, even when knowing that those around and herself could be scrutinised and face serious consequences for her supporting such notions. These women carry with them a truer sense of character for their times than Audrey Rose does and that could simply be due to a disconnect with the setting for the author which is a shame because I wish this could serve as a jumping off point for readers entering the genre.

A key part of historical fiction is the history part of it. It may go without saying, I know, but authors cannot always stick with the facts of history with their stories, but they will do their best to research and stay as accurate as possible while given their story the freedom to flourish and take artistic liberties where need be. I cannot say there is much historical accuraccy with this one, aside from the basic outline of the Jack the Ripper cases and even that’s a stretch. I completely understand having characters that need to be as close to the true detail as possible, but there is a point where things don’t feel right anymore and we cross that line a few times in Stalking Jack the Ripper. This also includes the scientific norms of practice and understandings too, by the way. Scientific progress is one of those things that can be difficult to pin down and get right in a period fiction, especially as an author new to the genre, but it does not excuse the inaccuracies and blatant disregard for truth and fact. I don’t mean to be harsh, but I get annoyed when a historical fiction is more a book with a loose historical vibe and no continuity or grounding in the time frame it’s set in. The crux of Stalking Jack the Ripper could easily have been taken into a contemporary YA fiction, maybe something akin to a high school killer situation or a small town dark fantasy with a serial killer wanting to find immortality.

I cannot and will not get into the lacklustre, puppy-love romance of this series. I think I mentioned long ago (or in my fictional boys post) that Thomas Cresswell was like a first boyfriend. Now, I stand by that but it’s in a different light. He gives nothing and has nothing to contribute to this relationship. Audrey as a character is someone I would never be able to be in a room with which should speak volumes. I also cannot talk about the ending of this book due to spoilers, but also due to the fact I can’t remember half of it and the other half is not good.

If you’re new to historical fiction, or you’re coming over from the YA fantasy or YA contemporary spheres and want some books to dip your toes into the genre, then let me just make it clear for everyone. Stalking Jack the Ripper is not a good choice for you. You may decide to pick it up later and maybe I’ll be wrong and it is a great book in your eyes, but it is not a good historical fiction book. There are many others out there you should give a go, such as Lavender House by A.C. Rosen or the aforementioned The Anatomist’s Wife by Anna Lee Huber, or my favourite historical fiction murder mystery series to date, Andrea Penrose’s Murder on Black Swan Lane. All of these have a fantastic historical setting, fast-paced action, great chemistry between characters and budding romances, and their historical accuracy is respectful and highlights the social and political environments of the time as well which shape the story world further, making them even better reads.