stalking jack the ripper (stalking jack the ripper #1) by kerri maniscalco

✨✨✨.5☆☆

the short version:

gothic girlboss solves crimes in corsets. this is victorian murder mystery meets slow-burn enemies-to-lovers—with a dash of anatomical dissection. it’s dramatic, atmospheric, and a little predictable, but still a fun time if you like your murder with a side of banter.

the vibes:

🔪 victorian forensics & true crime energy
🌫️ foggy london streets + body count
🧤 heroine who refuses to be Proper™
🖤 morally suspicious love interest with suspiciously good hair

the plot:

audrey rose is a young woman in victorian london who would rather be elbows-deep in a corpse than attending tea parties (relatable). she secretly apprentices in forensic science under her uncle, which leads her right into the middle of the jack the ripper murders. she teams up with thomas cresswell—a charming, insufferable boy with sherlock holmes energy—and together they follow the trail of bodies and clues straight to a Big Twist Ending™ (that you might see coming).

my thoughts:

okay, this was dramatic and a little unhinged, but i had a good time. audrey rose is the kind of heroine who is constantly reminding everyone (and herself) that she’s not like other girls—and honestly? she isn’t. she’s performing autopsies in full skirts and heels. respect.

thomas is peak smug fictional boy. if you like sarcastic know-it-alls who flirt mid-crime scene, he’s your guy. their banter gave me life, even when the plot slowed down a bit (which it did—some middle chapters dragged).

also, this is gothic-lite. it has the vibe—foggy streets, secret labs, dramatic reveals—but it’s more vibes than scares. if you’re looking for full-on horror, this probably won’t cut it (pun intended).

the mystery itself? good, not mind-blowing. i guessed the twist, but i still enjoyed the journey. this is definitely more about the characters and the vibes than the actual “whodunit.”

final verdict:

✨✨✨.5☆☆

read this if you:

• love girl detectives with big victorian sleeves and bigger opinions

• enjoy historical settings with a spooky twist

• are here for witty banter and slow-burn tension

skip this if you:

• want a complex, twisty mystery (this one’s a bit predictable)

• don’t vibe with “i’m not like other girls” energy

• prefer your gothic fiction actually scary