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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fantastic New Twist on Jack the Ripper, February 10, 2008
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Robert Cavendish is bereft with grief at his father's recent passing. He was also surprised to learn his father bequeathed Robert a mysterious journal to be read after his death. Read by him and him alone. As he reads the journal, he comes to realize that he holds in his hands the actual rantings and admissions of Jack the Ripper! But that, as they say, is only the beginning. From those pages Robert discovers the answer to old mysteries and atrocities, answers that lead him down a path of horror and insanity. What affect can the secret ravings of a murderer such as Jack the Ripper have on a person? And what connection did Robert's father have to this secret journal?
I was immediately struck by the enormous amount of research that went into A Study in Red (The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper). It brought 18th century London to life, making the story almost palpable. For over a hundred years, the mystery of Jack the Ripper has been investigated, written about, and discussed, but never like this. I could feel the cobblestones under my feet, hear the horses and carriages and smell the foul air of the London back alleyways.
The journal was an interesting tool, bringing the reader directly into Jack's world and the insanity inflicting him. Experiencing the journal with Robert was intense as the mysteries unfold page by page. The suspense kept me engrossed well into the late evening hours, just as Robert had... I can feel the goose bumps now.
The identity of Jack the Ripper has been explored, but never in such a deliciously nail biting manner. Although fiction, the possibilities of who Jack really was and where he came from as well as his unfortunate victims felt all too real thanks to the obvious hard work of the author to create this sensational tale.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth it...., May 14, 2008
I usually don't like Jack the Ripper fiction works, but I found "A Study In Red: The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper" very different, yet sickeningly fascinating. I was unable to order my copy when it was first released so as you can imagine, I was very excited to order this work. Filled with illusion, I began reading and found a very exciting, suspenseful thriller. Dr. Cavendish speaks in the first person of a his fright filled days reading a journal handed down to him after his fathers passing. Dr. Cavendish soon realizes this is the journal of none other than Jack the Ripper himself.
As pointed out by another reviewer, it did seem to drag out... Especially some of Dr. Cavendish's ramblings between reading journal entries. I also found the over use of exclamation points a bit annoying, but that's just me. The entire storyline of John Terrance Ross could have been omitted and did little to fuel the already thrilling work. I didn't really care for who JtR turned out to be, but that aside, the story itself was very intriguing.
Overall, this was a GREAT book and a quick read as you will NOT want to put it down. Like Dr. Cavendish, I found myself unable to sleep peacefully until I was finished reading. I highly recommend "A Study In Red" and give Mr. Porter 4 stars on a job well done! I will be looking forward to Mr. Porter's next work, hopefully another tale about Jack.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Study in Red, February 23, 2009
I received this book late afternoon on a Friday and completed it in the afternoon on the following day. Talk about not being able to put a book down! This is extremely well written, and the tremendous amount of research the writer did really shows. It is as if he got into a time machine and traveled back to that time with a tape recorder and took notes. The language, the locations, the details - frighteningly accurate.
This is a whole new perspective on the subject of Jack The Ripper, which includes the feelings and perceptions of the killer himself. I would strongly recommend A Study in Red to anyone who is fascinated with this long-unsolved mystery or to anyone who is looking for a story that will absolutely captivate its reader. Superior job. Joyce
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