The Ripper’s Shadow: A Victorian Mystery

Living in Whitechapel is hard for everyone. Photographer Sarah Bain is barely getting by, relying on nude photos of prostitutes to stay afloat. But when one of them turns up dead, and then another, Sarah believes the Ripper is using her photos to select his victims. Horrified, she takes it upon herself to try to protect her other subjects before the killer strikes again, but her loyalty just might end up getting her arrested…or worse.

The Ripper’s Shadow had a daunting task ahead of it: putting a new spin on the Jack the Ripper murders. But, intriguingly, figuring out Jack’s identity is only part of the story. The rest of the novel is dedicated to how Jack started and what linked his victims. It’s a clever tactic filled out by a rich and varied cast of characters, all of whom are victimized in one way or another throughout the story.

The pacing is a little stop-start, and by the end you’re fatigued by all the twists and turns, but it’s still an engaging glimpse at the seamy underbelly of Whitechapel, a story populated by those struggling to survive, the downtrodden, the disadvantaged, and those abused by the whims of powerful men.