“Escaping From Houdini” – Kerri Maniscalco

In this third installment of Maniscalco’s Ripper series we find Audrey aboard the RMS Etruria on her way to America to assist her uncle with a case there. However, the dazzling cruise liner isn’t the unsuspecting voyage she signed up for. The haunting Midnight Carnival is aboard as the entertainment, but on the very first night a passenger winds up dead at dinner! Things only get more complicated as they travel further and further into the sea. Isolated and running on limited time it’s up to Audrey, her Uncle, and Thomas, to find out who is committing these heinous acts; while not falling into the illusions herself.

Honestly, I’m here for Maniscalco. You must realize how much I love her by now since I’ve been praising her for three books and as many weeks. This was a great addition to the series and I loved it. I can’t wait to see what more Maniscalco comes up with.

Loving every minute of the drama, the action, the adventure, the death, the mystery. Brava!

“Stalking Jack The Ripper” – Kerri Maniscalco

Picture it, Whitechapel London, 1888, women are being found brutally murdered, organs missing from their bodies… and no one knows who is responsible. Meanwhile Miss Audrey Rose Wadsworth, daughter of a Lord with all the wealth and privilege one could have at the time, is secretly studying forensic science with her uncle and alongside the insufferable Thomas Cresswell. When the investigations begins to hit a little close to home Audrey takes matters into her own hands, trying to solve this vicious murder before anyone else dies, and before it’s her own kin sent off to Bedlam.

This is one of those books that I would see in the store and be like “oh that looks interesting” and then never buy it or would “put it on my to-read list” and then never read. Anyway, I had recently read the HistoryChannel publication of Jack The Ripper that they released, a short little 100pg magazine about his reign of terror in 1888, and I was in a Ripper mood so I was like “why not” and I finally got it out of the library.

Let. Me. Just. Say. That I wish I had written this book. It was everything I love about reading, honestly. It was captivating, well written, it was fun, it had horror, suspense, thrill, a little romance, a little science,  gore, and it was set in Victorian London? Yes please! Honestly, I was enamored. I immediately sought out the sequel but sadly it wasn’t available so I am having to read something else in the meantime. Great job Maniscalco honestly. Pure delight. I can’t wait to see what “Hunting Prince Dracula” (The sequel) is like!

Happy reading!

“Prom Night In Purgatory” – Amy Harmon

^ this is the photo that made me think of Dean that I mentioned in my previous post

Anyway: “Prom Night in Purgatory” is the sequel to “Slow Dance in Purgatory” which left me with that frustrating ending that I had to immediately move forward from and onto the sequel (thank Chuck for reading books years after they’re written so their sequels can also be written).

I. Loved. This. Book. I was mad at this book and how it went. I was flailing about the ending. I was frustrated with the characters. I mentioned it before I know this book is cheesy. I get that a girl who falls for a ghost-like-person-guy is weird. I get that it’s a sappy high school romance book and not Dickens (which just so happens to be Johnny’s favorite author so take that). But I don’t care. This book hit me. I loved the drama, the romance, the twists, the vaguely “Back To The Future” over tones (“Earth Angel”? Really?). In my humble opinion the sequel was good. Most of the time sequels drop the ball, and I think this one was well plotted. It wrapped everything up, despite my being mad about it. It was well executed and a page turner. The romantic sap in me was thrilled to read a book about doomed love and heartbreak.

You’ll definitely want the sequel after you read Slow Dance and this sequel was worthy of continuing the series.

Happy Reading!

“Slow Dance in Purgatory” – Amy Harmon

Okay… so, backstory, I literally read this book because the cover of the sequel (and the title) reminded me of Dean Winchester (the love of my life) in an AU. So I was like “well might as well read them”. And then SHE DESCRIBED JOHNNY (the main boy) AS SMELLING OF SUNSHINE AND LEATHER. This is not only a beautiful description but LITERALLY the EXACT WORDS of how I described the scent of Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) that time I hugged him (okay, that sounds creepy out loud…) but anyway. It was so specific and so perfect I fell in love a little bit more with this book and the characters.

So the premise of the book is that Maggie can see ghosts/spirits. She largely ignores this fact about her life. Until she sees Johnny. Johnny died in the 1950s in a tragic accident at the school, where he’s remained ever since. Maggie and Johnny form a friendship and a romance that transcends space and time but it’s destined to end in tragedy.

Honestly loved this book. Yeah, it’s cheesy I get that. Yeah I know I went in with a bias because of my love of “Supernatural” and everything not the show Supernatural. But come on! Ghosts. Tragedy. True love!? What’s not to get excited about? I love Maggie, her backstory and her traits. I love Johnny his tragedy and being. I love Gus and Irene and Shad.

Also the book ends on a cliffhanger. Like a pretty frustrating one so I was very glad the second book was already written. I’m currently reading it and dying.

I think this book is great for the sappy romantic and the occult lover. And if you’re both its a perfect combo!

I’ll let you know shortly how the second book is. . .

“The Gunslinger” – Stephen King

Roland is the last of The Gunslingers on a mission to find The Man In Black and gun him down. Traveling across vast deserts and treacherous mountains he will stop at nothing to find The Man In Black and end it. Blending myth and fantasy King weaves a tale of life, loss, and all consuming revenge.

Stephen. King. Writes. Novels. 

You might read that and go “gee, thanks for the update” but no. I mean he really writes novels! He doesn’t write books. He crafts stories and worlds, and he details everything down to the graffiti on the wall and the peppering of white in the bus drivers hair. He. Writes. Novels. When you read a Stephen King novel you have to be prepared to lose yourself in a whole world. You don’t get to read a little bit on lunch break, you get invested. You get submerged.

I had always wanted to read “The Gunslinger” because:
A. “Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came” by Robert Browning is honestly my favorite poem in the history of poetry. I did a report on it. So realizing “The Gunslinger” was about ROLAND GOING TO THE DARK TOWER. Like, Lord save me but I had to read it.

B. I love alternate realities

C. I love Good v. Evil. I’ve been obsessed with it my whole life. In King’s world I love that Flag/The Man In Black is constantly weaved throughout his stories. I fell in love with it in “The Stand” and “Eyes of the Dragon” and I love seeing this theme again.

D. Gunslinger is a really cool word.

The desire to read this novel was increased when I saw the movie was coming out (I’m a read the book then watch the movie kind of person). As it turns out (shocker) the book and movie were completely different. I loved everything about Elba’s performance and the movie itself was fitted for an audience the way a movie should be, but it’s always a little heartbreaking when a story isn’t able to come alive in the same way as a book. That’s also kind of the beauty though; how a novel can make everyone envision something different by using the same words. Imaginations are really cool.

The anguish Roland carries and the feeling of being lost and journeying is felt in every word in the book. The book feels tired, like the very act of reciting the story is daunting, it’s completely encompassing. I still have to dive into the rest of the series but I’m going to have to take it slow. King is an author to be read, processed, and discussed.

Happy reading.