Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation [Hardcover]

Trevor Marriott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

There have been countless attempts to solve the brutal murders committed over 100 years ago by Jack the Ripper, but this most famous of British criminal cases finally benefits from a clear, professional eye to analyze the evidence with all the benefits of modern investigative techniques. Former murder squad detective Trevor Marriott considers a mystery that has enthralled millions. Casting aside the rumors, fantasies, and urban legends which have haunted this case for so long, he produces some startling results: while it has long been accepted that Jack the Ripper killed only five women, Marriot believes there were up to nine victims. Most astonishingly of all, a previously unconsidered suspect who also committed murders in America and Germany has been firmly put in the frame. All previous theories are refuted in what may possibly be the final word on the Ripper murders.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Over the last century, there have been countless attempts to solve the brutal murders committed by Jack the Ripper. What this most famous of British criminal cases has always required is a clear, professional eye to analyze the evidence, using all that modern forensics has to offer. Now former murder squad detective Trevor Marriott does just that, casting aside the rumors, fantasies, and urban legends—with startling results. He asserts that the tally of victims may be far higher than previously believed, and that the real killer, a completely new suspect, had unique access to the area of the murders. Jack the Ripper: The Forensic Profile may be the final word on Britain's most grisly and notorious secret killer.

About the Author

Trevor Marriott joined the Bedfordshire Police in 1970. During his time as a detective he was assigned to murder cases and was also in Special Branch. Throughout this highly successful career, he developed a fascination with the unsolved Whitechapel murders, looking at the century-old case through the experienced eyes of a modern-day criminal investigator. The knowledge and insight into the criminal mind gained by interviewing murderers, rapists and robbers proved invaluable in his work to pinpoint the real perpetrator of Britain's most notorious serial killings.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 310 pages
• Publisher: John Blake (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844541037
• ISBN-13: 978-1844541034
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,939,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Total waste of time, April 10, 2006

By 

S. Dedalus (Tampere, Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation (Hardcover)

After reading a review that gave a five-star rating to this utter disappointment of a Ripper book I was compelled to write a few words of my own. Having been an enthusiast on the Ripper case for some fifteen years and collecting all the books on the subject I considered worthwhile I have to say that "JtR: The 21st Century Investigation" by Trevor Marriott was one of the worst I've come across (which is saying a lot remembering all the Harrison/Cornwell -style achievements). It reveals absolutely nothing new of the case, no 'ignored facts' whatsoever.

Anyone who has read "The Ultimate JtR Sourcebook" (which definitely reveals everything you need to know about the coroners inquests and all other official files, newspaper articles and such authentic material), or Philip Sugdens excellent "The Complete History of JtR" will find very little rewarding in this book. Mr Marriotts deductions throughout the book sound more or less vague: "Martha Tabram is not considered by many to be among the Ripper victims, but to my opinion she might as well have been one", and so on. Every basic fact, speculation and reference is offered in a very matter-of-fact, uninterested and selective style.

Keeping in mind that the theory of JtR being a sailor, and thus being able to avoid capturing more easily was put forth already in 1888 and countless times since, mr Marriotts 'discovery' on the final pages of the book seems hardly worth the trouble. His tireless search of all the vessels whose arrivals and departures on the numerous docks of London and vicinity coincide with the time of the murders gives us dozens of ships from England, Germany, Holland etc, all of which have more than insufficient crew lists to begin with.

In the end the reader is left with a feeling not unfamiliar to the spirit of the book in general - "Okay, JtR might have been a sailor on one of those ships, then again he might not have..."

Whether you are an expert or a novice on the Ripper case I seriously doubt that you can find anything of true interest in this book. To me it was both a waste of time and money.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite, April 9, 2007

By 

Cioran Sellers (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation (Hardcover)

Not without interest but many of the conclusions pompously put forth by Mr. Marriot are hardly convincing. Indeed the leaps of logic made by the author, a former police detective, rather worry me about the competence of the police in general. And while claiming he looked at the evidence with lofty impartiality it seems clear he views the evidence through the prism of his theory that a merchant seaman committed the crime and moulds the evidence to fit his foreordained conclusion.

Particularly weak is the final section when he pins the crime on one Carl Feigenbaum, who indeed did commit a murder but one that seems to me to have little relation to the crimes of Jack the Ripper. He also tries to tie him into all sorts of murders around the world based on newspaper accounts of murders that were considered (however arbitrarily) to be like the Whitechapel murders. The fact that he can't even prove his suspect was even in the appropriate countries doesn't deter his arrogant certainty that he has finally unmasked Jack. Thus his remarks at the end of the book that he is the only one to look uncritically at the evidence and to have solved the case for everyone but those obsessed with the mystery of the case comes across as both as feeble and unintentionally revealing of his own foibles.

Still not worthless, though by all accounts that are better books on the subject out there.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars a total rip-off, November 28, 2006

By 

sfc567 (alabama United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation (Hardcover)

this book is a complete and total rip-off. the publishers blurb tauts new victims and a new suspect. in reality the "new" victims are old news and their new suspect is a flat out lie there is no new suspect only a vague theory about the ripper being a seaman which is also old news. save your money there is literally nothing to this book but a well written and misleading publishers blurb.