Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Audrey Rose Wadsworth has a privileged life with a wealthy family. After her mother dies, a rift appears in her family as her father isolates himself. She turns to science and throws herself into studying anatomy and forensics at her uncle's laboratory against society's expectations and her father's wishes. One day, the body of a mutilated woman is delivered for her uncle to collect evidence in a disturbing case of multiple murders. Audrey throws herself into the investigation along with an annoying but brilliant rival Thomas Cresswell despite the risk of danger and irreparable damage to her reputation.

Stalking Jack the Ripper is the story of Audrey and her unconventional science education, her endeavor to solve the true crime mystery, and her first love. Some of these aspects work better than others. Audrey is a smart young woman who suffers from "not like any other girl" syndrome. She soundly rejects other women as frivolous and beneath her, which left a bad taste in my mouth. Victorian society pressures women into a certain mold that doesn't necessarily show how they are inside. This goes against her anachronistically modern view of women and their abilities. I relate to Audrey's grief about her mother's death and the negative changes she sees in her father. Her grief also led her to learning about anatomy and forensics. She takes courses dressed as a boy and stays silent even though she knows the answers. As a whole, I didn't hate Audrey, but she annoyed me.

The biggest problems I have are with Thomas Cresswell, the picking and choosing of what part of Victorian society are used, and the way the villain is treated. Thomas Cresswell is incredibly intelligent and also incredibly arrogant. His condescending nature has a misogynistic tinge to it as he mocks Audrey for not being as educated as him (because women are barred from classes). He seems to be there only to be better at everything than Audrey. I didn't find him likeable in any way and grew even more annoyed that she grew attracted to him when he's so awful. The book played lip service to some aspects of Victorian society at the beginning and then completely ignored them by the end. Audrey gallavanting around the city with Thomas and no chaperone would have destroyed her reputation. The final nail in the coffin of this book was how they treated the villain when his identity was revealed. Audrey and Thomas has the audacity to offer him resuming his normal life if he agrees to stop murdering. I felt so angry reading this because this isn't the action of a hero and it shows such privilege.

Stalking Jack the Ripper is not my favorite book. It has numerous flaws that include an annoying love interest who puts her down at every turn, inconsistencies with Victorian society (either go with it or ignore it), and an infuriating protagonist. My favorite part of the book is Audrey's view of anatomy, how she's adapted to work with the bodies, and her skill at finding clues. I also didn't guess the mystery before the end, which is rare for these teen mysteries. I am a sucker for Victorian era mysteries and this one lost me. I won't be continuing the series.

My rating: 2/5 fishmuffins

The Innocents (1961)

Miss Giddens becomes a governess for two adorable children, orphaned and financially cared for by their rich and uninterested uncle. At first, she is delighted to care for Flora while Miles is away at school. When he's expelled and returns home, both children have bouts of odd behavior. Unexplained noises and visions of a man and woman haunt Miss Giddens, increasing in intensity as time goes on. She is convinced the children are possessed by spirits of the dead and vows to save them.

The Innocents is first and foremost a beautiful film. In a time when color was the norm, the black and white color sets the mood of the story as well as the dramatically lit scenes, crumbling statues, and mysterious figures. Miss Giddens is the story's unreliable narrator who grows convinced that the children she cares for are possessed by the ghosts of a valet Peter Quint and the previous governess Miss Jessel, who were in love and had a very public affair. She sees their figures and Quint’s face clear as day, but no other character acknowledges them. The film never confirms or denies the existence of the ghosts and cases can be made for either side. I personally find it a little more interesting if the ghosts are merely figments of  Miss Giddens' imagination.

The title could refer to the children, who are by definition innocent. The odd behavior that puts off Miss Giddens is in Miles' almost flirtatious manner and both children's acting as if they have a secret. Flora nonchalantly described a spider eating a a fly in a creepy manner. These can be fairly normal children's behavior. They imitate grown ups, spontaneously kiss people, describe things without being aware of the connotations, and have their own secrets. Miss Giddens may be coloring the situation with her own meaning that comes from someone fairly innocent herself as a spinster in the suppressed Victorian era. Whether the children are possessed or just precocious, the tragic ending is the same and equally heartbreaking.

The Innocents is a beautiful movie that is a gothic horror classic. The atmosphere built and maintained is masterful at capturing Miss Giddens’ mental journey as the house and spirits grow more and more oppressive. Miss Jessel’s figure on the edge of a river is iconic. The scene occurs in broad daylight, but her face is slightly blurred. It amps up the tension and has been copied over and over in film. This film is well worth a watch.

My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins

Long Live the Queen

Xandra Vardan has finally accepted the goblin crown and sits as their official matriarch. Life has never been more complicated since the factions are all vying for the goblins to be on their side (except the humans). Things are even further complicated when a creature created by the nefarious labs experimenting on halvies is going around killing people with the ability to shapeshift to look like anyone. The already strained relationship between aristocrats and humans is pushed to the breaking point, which will possibly lead up to another uprising. Xandra has to figure out a way to unite against all the factions against whoever is behind the mad scientist labs in order to keep everything from descending into chaos.

I've been eagerly waiting for the last installment of the Immortal Empire series. I love the world it's set in and each book reveals more and more about it. It's not the typical steampunk and is set in modern times with modified Victorian sensibilities and fashions because she still holds the throne. Technology and society have still progressed, but are all colored with a Victorian lens. The glimpses of the other countries are also intriguing. Since the United States don't have the aristocracy, vampires and werewolves are revered actors, performers, and inhabit popular culture. Also, seeing people from history in much different roles than what they were remembered for is fun to read and hard to predict. The world is a unique mishmash of the two time periods and it's addictive. I think this is the last Xandra's story, but I hope other stories are told within this awesome world.

The plot takes off at breakneck speed and doesn't stop. It had so many crazy twists and turns that I couldn't guess what would happen next. Ali, the young girl made from Xandra's DNA, is the most volatile and mysterious character. I thought Xandra's reactions to her would become cringe inducting and horrible, but she kept her head. Characters tend to lose their brains when children get involved. However, when Ali proved to be too dangerous, Xandra valued her existing relationships over a monster she had never met before who she happened to share genetic material with. Xandra grows a lot within the novel. She absolutely accepts the goblins  and her own goblin nature despite their gruesome habits. Her relationship with Vex is refreshing because they are truly equals. So many paranormal romances feature these horrible, domineering alpha male types that I simply don't find attractive. Vex is strong, but doesn't put down Xandra or push her around to show it. I also found their love story quite sweet, which is hard to do when carnage and plots to overthrow the queen are happening all over the place.

Long Live the Queen is a satisfying ending to Xandra's story. It was an exciting story with unpredictable twists and turns along the way. The characters are all interesting or infuriating in their own ways. I will definitely be reading more of Kate Locke and I also recommend her teen series written as Kady Cross.

My rating: 4.5/5 fishmuffins