I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper. It was a book I will always hold dear, mainly because I was enchanted by the gloomy Victoria
Delightfully morbid.
I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper. It was a book I will always hold dear, mainly because I was enchanted by the gloomy Victorian London ambience and disturbingly fascinated by the gruesome murders and their riddles. Yet Hunting Prince Dracula, with its mystifying touch, with lores whispered by supersticious villagers and seemingly crazy professors, medieval orders and forests covered in white snow yet somehow tainted by crimson blood and chilling howls, is the reason I bowed to Kerri Maniscalco's exquisite pen.
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“Has the Immortal Prince returned?”
After the tragic events of Stalking Jack the Ripper, Wadsworth and Cresswell head to Romania, to attend the Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science. But the prestigious Academy hides many secrets, from dark corridors and chambers to brutally murdered corpses that indicate one thing; the Impaler Lord has returned, seeking blood. Whose blood though and why, that's a different story. Trying to reason with evidence of the supernatural while fighting the nightmares that haunt her, Audrey Rose must find some answers and give justice to those who have already perished, before her time comes to join them in the eversleeping realms of Death.
“There's nothing quite like the aroma of a bloaded corpse to get one in the mood for adventure.”
My dear Mr. Thomas Cresswell cound not be more right. From the grey streets of Victorian London, Kerri Maniscalco transferred us to Romania, and painted with her colourful palette Dracula's castle and picturesque villages, blending red with white. White for the blinding snow. For the innocence lost. For the shroud that covered the victims of a villain utterly terrifying, that made your stomach churn with disgust and terror. Red for Wadsworth's lips, lips that craved to taste Cresswell's with a searing need. Red for the Prince of Blood, and his horrendous domain. For the autopsies performed by brilliant students who could not shut down their humanity. The atmosphere was eerie. Foreboding. Danger lingered in every corner. Everyone was a suspect, and everyone a potential victim. There were many times I wished for Ms. Harvey's traveling tonic to help me steel my nerves and keep reading. But in this deadly and macabre puzzle that gave you gooseflesh and toyed with Wadsworth's (and your very own) sanity, between the constant suspense and the legends of warrior societies and a brutal Prince worshipped by his countrymen, Kerri Maniscalco managed to ease the tension and make your lips curl up with mirth. I suspect you already know the reason.
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“I have a feeling you haven't invited me here for kissing. Though it never hurts to ask. You're dressed for sneaking about Dracula's castle. Be still my thawing, dark heart. You certainly know how to make a young man feel alive, Wadsworth.”
And along this witty and charming duo, you also felt alive. Belly rumbled with laughter, heart that pounded rapidly with the snarky dialogues that oozed sarcarm yet tenderness and affection at the same time, lungs that ran out of air when tension was too much to handle, Cresswell and Wadsworth are a couple the likes of which you haven't encountered so far. Wadsworth struggled with her demons, and the wounds the events of the previous book were raw and fresh, depicted in a powerful and devastating way. I won't lie and say that I was on board with every decision Wadsworth made. I think that she could become so fixated on her independence that she misinterpreted the attempts to protect her as actions to cage her, and she could be really unfair towards Cresswell. But she came a long way overcoming her emotional trauma, and her development was evident. Her sharp mind and equally sharp tongue make her a remarkable heroine. Now let's talk about Cresswell.
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“You've stared fear in its nasty face and made it tremble. You will make it through this, Wasdworth. We will make it through this. That is a fact more tangible than any dream or nightmare. I promised I'd never lie to you. I intend to honor my word.”
As my dear friend Nastassja once said, Mr. Thomas Cresswell turns bloody and creepy into sexy so, so easily. While his social skills are still rusty, and his good intentions don't always work out as planned, his arrogant and (completely) inappropriate remarks, his flirtatious ways and the intensity of his feelings towards Wadsworth make him utterly delectable. Their scenes crackled with pent-up tension, and you couldn't help but pant a little even when there was no touching involved. Only heated stares. Innuendos. Sinful thoughts. And a love deep and powerful. From every challenge, they emerged stronger. Together and as individuals. I think I'm in love with them both.
All in all, a delicious and macabre tale, with the perfect blend of suspense, horror, Romanian folklore and sparking romance, Hunting Prince Dracula surpassed its predecessor and established Wadsworth and Cresswell as the new hot duet of crime solvers!
*ARC generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
BEFORE Delightfully morbid, with the perfect blend of suspense, horror, Romanian folklore and sparking romance, Hunting Prince Dracula surpassed its predecessor and established Wadsworth and Cresswell as the new hot duet of crime solvers!
Alright, of course there will be more words, I just needed to give you a proper motivation to grab this extraordinarTwo words. Thomas Cresswell.
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Alright, of course there will be more words, I just needed to give you a proper motivation to grab this extraordinary book, and an obnoxiously yet damnably brilliant British boy seemed like a good idea. Now that I have your attention, let's move on, shall we?
“One taste of warm blood is never enough, Miss Wadsworth.”
Jack the Ripper. The Whitechapel Murderer. Leather Apron. Whatever you call him, he's still the same; a monster that lingered in the shadows, bathed in blood and gore and terrorized London with his brutality and depravity. There are numerous theories about his identity, but none of them was confirmed. And so, Kerri Maniscalco crafted her own tale. A tale of heroes and villains.
“There’s nothing better than a little danger dashed with some romance.”
Audrey Rose Wadsworth was not a proper lady. She chose science over blind faith, and spent her afternoons cutting up dead bodies rather than taking her tea with actual proper ladies, discussing eligible bachelors and gowns. Her dark curiosity was never satisfied, so she cut and stitched and cut and stitched, until one day the mutilated body of a prostitute shook her to the core. And it was not the last. Assisted by an insufferable mortuary student, she made the solution of these horrible crimes her top priority, while her family was falling apart and Jack the Ripper was always one step ahead, solidifying his reign of terror. But sometimes answers can do more damage than good.
“Fear is a hungry beast. The more you feed it, the more it grows.”
Stalking Jack the Ripper was macabre. Gruesome. Ghastly. Morbidly fascinating. The descriptions could be so graphic, that bile rised up my throat. The ambience so eerie, I couldn't suppress my shivers. The mystery so tangible, my heart bet frantically in my chest. Kerri Maniscalco's palette contained gloomy colours, grey for the mist that covered London, black for the shadows that hid the Ripper's work, mixed with crimson red, for all the blood that was spilled. And in the middle of this canvas of death were two young forensic students, a boy and a girl, whose skills and wit would make Sherlock Holmes and Watson proud.
Wadsworth. A girl determined to be both pretty and fierce, a girl that fought for what she wanted, sick of the stereotypes against women and eager to prove them wrong. And while I couldn't help but admire her for her spirit, I did get angry at her a couple of times. I should hate to be judgemental, but why why why was she so reckless and impulsive? When there is a serial killer on the loose, who targets women and his savagery is unprecedented, you don't leave your house late at night, lurking near the sight of the murders, based on the belief that he won't attack you.
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Cresswell. A rich young man, cold and distant when it comes to murders and corpses, but with a fire burning within him that awaits for the moment to be ignited. His replies are always witty and sarcastic, he is aware of his marvelous deduction skills and vast knowledge, and this makes him arrogant, but he is caring, and loyal, and I am so smitten it's ridiculous!
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“Without lifting his head from his own journal, he said, “Not having any luck figuring me out, then? Don’t worry, you’ll get better with practice. And, yes”—he grinned wickedly, eyes fixed on his paper—“you’ll still fancy me tomorrow no matter how much you wish otherwise. I’m unpredictable, and you adore it. Just as I cannot wrap my massive brain around the equation of you and yet adore it.”
Get a spoon because I am a puddle of goo! Wadsworth and Cresswell are always bickering, driving each other crazy, and the attraction between them turns slowly into something deeper that does funny things to your stomach (which is pleasant after all the ugly things the body parts and fluids have done to said delicate stomach), while the tension sets you on fire!
“I don’t blame you, I am rather attractive. The tall, dark hero of your dreams, swooping in to save you with my vast intellect. You should accept my hand at once.”
It's been a while since the last time I read a book that didn't focus on epic battles and wizards or romances,so it was a big decision to sta4.5 stars
It's been a while since the last time I read a book that didn't focus on epic battles and wizards or romances,so it was a big decision to start a crime novel.But I am actually glad that I did,because Deadly Messengers was an engrossing,compelling thriller that dealt with many serious issues and social struggles and had me biting my lips until they bled.
When ordinary people,without provocation,suddenly start killing that wasn't merely a mystery to be solved,it was a nightmare beyond comprehension.
Deadly Messengers follows freelancer Kendall Jennings and detective Lance O’Grady's attempts to explain three massacres that set an entire city in turmoil,committed by people who didn't fit the mass murderer's profile.I can't say more to avoid spoiling the story,but I can assure you that the lines between right and wrong,good and evil are very blurry and that's what makes this book's concept unique.
Complete the mission,stay straight and true.
Being inside a killer's head the moment he embraces the savage side of human nature was both disturbing and fascinating.Susan May did an incredible job in painting their psychology,their motivations,their determination and the regrets,and while you were appalled by their actions you couldn't help but feel a little sorry and wonder whether it could be you the one who pulls the trigger.Is evil born or made or is the murderer just a victim of fate?That's a question with various answers.
The main characters,Kendall and Lance were very realistic.Kendall wasn't the badass journalist you would expect;on the contrary,she was insecure,her interest in the cases at first was a means to pay her rent and she couldn't face the demons of her past.Lance was prejudiced against her and rude,his point of view showed the ugly side of being a detective,how the blood and the death can suck the life out of you and make you think the worst of people,lose faith in mankind.But these traits actually made them more likeable.They weren't polished,they were scarred.
As for the plot,up to a point the mystery was tangible,and after some facts were revealed,you could feel your stomach clenched with agony and dread,the suspense was slowly and steadily building.Susan May knew how to toy with your emotions and make your brain work relentlessly.
All in all,an intriguing and captivating story I would recommend to readers who want something different and deeper than their average crime books!
*Free copy generously provided by the author*...more
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