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4.0 out of 5 starsSickert may have been odd -- but was he really Jack-the-Ripper?
ByLibrarianon February 28, 2017
Cornwell here restates her highly speculative assertion (as previously presented in her PORTRAIT OF A KILLER and CHASING THE RIPPER) that Walter Sickert, a famous painter, was also the infamous Jack-the-Ripper. While she succeeds in demonstrating that Sickert was eccentric (but which truly great artist isn't to some extent?) she does NOT succeed in proving -- at least to MY satisfaction -- that he was a murderer, let alone that he was the Ripper. Yes, there is typical (and quite interesting, though questionable) Cornwellian forensic "evidence" presented, but even that cannot overcome other factors that would tend to preclude him as a viable suspect. Much of this book is thus sheer conjecture and innuendo -- but making the same argument over and over again doesn't necessarily make it any truer with each repetition.
I have read numerous other books about the Ripper murders over a long lifetime, more than a few of which claimed to identify the "real" Jack; some of them actually made compelling arguments for THEIR (varied and different) candidates. Rather recently, Russell Edwards in NAMING JACK THE RIPPER used forensic DNA evidence to support HIS candidate; I distrust his overall methodology but tend to be more inclined to believe his choice of perpetrator (someone frequently identified in the past by others as well). But being "more inclined" doesn't mean I am in any way fully convinced.
Cornwell's book, while it was fascinating to read, also left me unconvinced. Of course, YOU might decide otherwise, so give the book a try and make up your own mind. After all, it IS well-written, and whether she's right or wrong, or whether you agree with her or not, it's still an intriguing case to read about, ponder, and discuss. In so doing, however, you may also choose to read a more encyclopedic work (such as THE COMPLETE JACK THE RIPPER by Donald Rumbelow), one that provides objective, impartial information about ALL the possible Ripper suspects; you may be surprised at how your initial predilection for any one candidate (whether Sickert or someone else) might, ultimately, be swayed by examining other strong contenders.
ADDENDUM: If you are concerned about whether or not this book is worth purchasing in light of Cornwell's previous ones on the very same subject, remember this: If you purchase this as an ebook from the Kindle Store and read it within 7 days, and WITHIN THAT 7-DAY PERIOD decide it is not to your liking FOR ANY REASON, simply call Amazon customer support at 1-866-321-8851 (toll free) to return/remove it for a FULL REFUND. That way you cannot consider yourself gypped if you decide this was a less-than-honest effort to merely sell another book. I do, however, think you will be pleased enough by this book to keep it.