Jack Knife [Mass Market Paperback]

Virginia Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2007

Whitechapel, London, 1888.

For Inspector Jonas Robb, each night brings new terror. But this night is different. It's brought two strangers-David and Sara-who have arrived in London seemingly with no past. What they do have is incredible knowledge about the Whitechapel fiend known as Jack the Ripper. Because David and Sara do have a past. It just happens to be in the future.

Sent back in time, they're in pursuit of a 21st-century madman whose purpose is to change history. As the body count rises, Sara and David realize that their quarry and Robb's have become linked in a way that threatens not only Victorian London, but the very fabric of time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This debut novel features an intriguing setup that, unfortunately, becomes bogged down in a too-busy narrative: American time travelers from the year 2007 find themselves in 1888 London on the trail of a dangerous interloper from their time, just as the escalation of the legendary Jack the Ripper murders has driven the city into a frenzy. Wary that they or their quarry, Jonathan Avery, might change history in a way that would eliminate their own time line, partners-of-convenience Sara Grant and David Elliot simultaneously search for their target while attempting to assist Scotland Yard Insp. Jonas Robb in thwarting the sadistic serial killer—who may be one and the same. What they don't realize is that Avery has taken a much larger role in events, and that it may be too late to salvage their future. A keen sense of history (such as the inclusion of lesser-known Ripper suspects Francis Tumblety and Michael Ostrog) bolsters this fast-paced pale, but Baker piles on bite-sized scenes and jarring shifts among characters to overwhelming, disorienting effect. (Feb.)
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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Jove (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515142522
• ISBN-13: 978-0515142525
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Implausibly plausible, February 22, 2007

By 

Howard V. Tayler (Orem, UT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Knife (Mass Market Paperback)

Jack Knife is a tale of Victorian England, Jack the Ripper, and three unfortunate time-travellers. If you can get past the time-travel itself, and the too-high-tech gadgets the folks from 2007 are carrying back into the past, you'll love the book. Virginia really did her homework on this one, and banged out a fantastic first novel.

Jack Knife has all the elements of a great horror tale, along with some of the upbeat optimism of science fiction. Add to that the convincing depiction of how nasty Whitechapel was a hundred and twenty years ago (and apparently STILL IS) and you're in for a great ride. I couldn't put it down.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb and Intriguing, January 30, 2007

By 

Minou Janvier "Bee" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Knife (Mass Market Paperback)

Baker's retelling of the Jack the Ripper tale is a tight, gripping read. A roller coaster from the beginning, switching back and forth between charactors, showing every action, every emotion. Her charactors are real people, with real emotion. Her language is exquisite, with little touches that really grab you. She manages to make the women stand out as real people, not just faceless victims of an insane killer.

It's hard to believe this is her first novel, considering the eloquent and beautiful language, the strict plot adherance, and the delightful characterizations. Sara and Robb are real people, and you can almost taste David's frustration with Sara. And then there's Jack. Oh yes. Few villins ever come that tasteful and delicious. Hannibal would like Jack. They'd get along just fine.

Jack Knife isn't the sort of book you read when you've got to get up in the morning. Because once you start, you can't stop. Great read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing read!, March 8, 2007

By 

Mark Steele (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jack Knife (Mass Market Paperback)

It took me 10 or 15 pages to get into this book, but once I did I was sucked along right to the finish. My employer is probably happy I finished it, since my productivity has gone back up. I was impressed by the detailed representation of Victorian England, and felt the characterization was good--it didn't take long to start caring what happened to these people. The plot did an admirable job of keeping me guessing where things were going--the heroes and villains were both strong and kept throwing monkey wrenches into each others' plans. Can't wait for the sequel!