Tag Archives: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories

Monkeys by Steve Rasnic Tem

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Monkeys
Author: Steve Rasnic Tem
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 22nd November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: No, a monkey.

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Synopsis

Told entirely from the point of view of the victims – a different take on the Jack the Ripper murders.

Thoughts

I love the lower class register that is used in this story from the very beginning. It immediately highlights the fact that the victims of the Ripper were from a lower socio-economic group. Straight away I was drawn into their lives and tone of voice. Something difficult to remove from my brain.

This is one of those retellings that is incredibly disjointed. It works well due to the fact that there was a lot of confusion around the murders. The disjointed, incomplete feeling to this narrative highlights that fact. It kind of left me feeling a little lost and confused – which I think is the feeling that Tem was going for.

This short story wasn’t what I expected at all. I left it feeling kind of confused and a little bit hazy. But in the best way possible…

 <- They All Love Jack ReviewKnowledge of Medicine Review ->
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They All Love Jack by Nick Sweet

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: They All Love Jack
Author: Nick Sweet
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Mental health
Dates read: 15th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Indeed, I am sure a psychiatrist would argue that all of the business I underwent with Sally – and that Sally underwent with me and my parents – must have something to do with my lust for killing whores…

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Synopsis

Everyone loves Jack. Or at least, that’s what he thinks as he shares his adventures and journey. Steadily becoming more and more unhinged as time goes on.

Thoughts

This short story is a little overwhelmingly scary – it’s all written from the point of view of Jack. And it starts out kind of normal. You’re not entirely sure if this is actually jack, or someone who is trying to get into his headspace… but then it becomes steadily more and more unhinged. And scary. And intense. And just downright crazy. Like I said, steadily more and more unhinged.

I did really enjoy the psychopathic wordplay throughout. It reminded me a little of the Jack letters, made his psychopathy all the scarier and was just thoroughly enjoyable. If not, as I said, a little terrifying. There is something that’s unsettling about reading a story from a first person point of view as they slowly descend into madness…

There are a lot of theories as to why people commit murders – the motives behind Jack the Ripper. This one firmly sits in the camp of previous sexual abuse… by the mother. And on that charming note, I’ll leave you at that. Because, quite honestly, ew.

 <- The Ballad of Kate Eddowes ReviewMonkeys Review ->
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The Ballad of Kate Eddowes by David Bishop

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Ballad of Kate Eddowes
Author: David Bishop
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Music
Dates read: 6th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: She could have sold them on her own, just by singing.

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Synopsis

Kate Eddowes wasn’t just a victim, she was also a person. And one man is determined to make sure that she’s remembered for that.

Thoughts

This is a great flickering story – it jumps between the present and the past surrounding Kate Eddowes murder. And brings to life the woman who lost her life. By showing the before and after of her murder, The Ballad of Kate Eddowes brings to life a woman who is only normally considered as a victim, and not a being in her own right.

This short story is all about making the victims of Jack the Ripper REAL. They’re not just people who were killed, but they lived a life beforehand. They left behind lovers and friends, enemies and people who would miss them. It’s the most realistic and touching of the stories so far in The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection. Because it diminishes Jack’s acts and highlights what he destroyed…

There is music interspersed throughout this story. After all, it’s a ballad of love and loss. One that will make you stop and actually consider who was lost before you think about who did the taking.

 <- An Anatomically Inspired Tale ReviewThey All Love Jack Review ->
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An Anatomically Inspired Tale by Betsy van Die

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Overview
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Title: An Anatomically Inspired Tale
Author: Betsy van Die
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Crime
Dates read: 31st October 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Which brings me to why I brought you here.

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Synopsis

She’s collecting memorabilia. He’s a descendant of one of the cops on the Ripper case. What they uncover together is unbelievable and deserves to be put in a museum.

Thoughts

It took me a little while to click as to why and how this was a Jack the Ripper tale. The only clue I had was the fact that it was in a Jack the Ripper collection. But, as the story unfolded and the macabre collection was added to, it became a little more understandable. And then I kind of loved it.

Rather than being a conspiracy, murder or historical retelling of Jack the Ripper, this was a far more contemporary and approachable story. It has also been, by far, one of the least gruesome and gross stories in this collection thus far. After all, it was about uncovering the past through artefacts, not trying to relive it or recreate it like so many other Ripper stories…

I really liked that this featured one of the detective’s grandsons, and not the Ripper’s descendants. It made the understanding of the obsession that must have driven these men and the grasping of what they faced a little more approachable and a lot more intriguing. Because, after all, one of those men might have uncovered the truth and left clues for the future generations… we may never know.

 <- My Name is Jack… ReviewThe Ballad of Kate Eddowes Review ->
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My Name is Jack… by Andrew Darlington

Book Review, ,
Overview
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Title: My Name is Jack…
Author: Andrew Darlington
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 2 (Managed to read it… just)
My Bookshelves: Crime
Dates read: 18th October 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: He brandishes the bat.

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Synopsis

They’re all colours and they’re all connected. But what happens when the yellow member is certifiably insane? Do they stop him from his rampage, or join with him forever?

Thoughts

This story was really and truly weird. And not in a, huh, that was a little weird, but fun kind of way. Just in a… yup. That was weird. I don’t know how to feel about it kind of way.

Which is pretty much all I have to say about it. I’m not sure what was happening. I definitely didn’t really get into the flow of it. And I still think about the short story with a lot of confusion while I’m trying to write this review. The language was kind of good (which is why I actually read it). But it was a little too convoluted and confusing for my poor little brain…

 <- A Child of the Darkness ReviewAn Anatomically Inspired Tale Review ->
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A Child of the Darkness by Brett McBean

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: A Child of Darkness
Author: Brett McBean
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Family, Historical fiction
Dates read: 15th October 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: He looked out and watched with wonder at the falling rain.

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Synopsis

He’s the son of the Ripper… and he’s finally found him. But now he wants one last favour from the man who abandoned him.

Thoughts

Many of the stories in the The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection have a bit of a focus on genetics. What would the children of the Ripper be like? The grandchild, the many times great-grandchildren? And mostly I’ve enjoyed them… but something about this slightly more fantastical take on the same story gave me a few heebie jeebies. Not sure why, but it definitely made me feel not so comfortable.

Of all the stories I expected to read, one where the child begs the father to perform another murder really wasn’t one of them. Especially when the child is doing it to regain his sight… and there’s something completely off about him as well. Although I can’t pinpoint that one so closely. It’s just uncomfortable and weird. This entire story. Weirdly uncomfortable. Not one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is a fairly clever story, but not one that I would be likely to read again. There is just something about it that is a little too intensely creepy for my taste. But it’s still very well written, and a completely imaginative Jack the Ripper story… one that is probably going to haunt me for a little while longer.

 <- It’s All in the Genes ReviewMy Name is Jack… Review ->
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It’s All in the Genes by Cara Cooper

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: It’s All in the Genes
Author: Cara Cooper
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!),
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Crime, Easy reading
Dates read: 26th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: She never sits still, is always up and about, and fiddles with everything.

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Synopsis

She thinks that she’s finally found the love of her life. But, when she finds out that he’s been seeing another woman… she might just crack.

Thoughts

This was a nice, creepy little contemporary take on the Jack the Ripper mythos. For starters, it is in present day and deals with his descendants. For another, it is written from the point of view of one of these descendants. You spend most of the time wondering who is about to get themselves murdered… and just what genetics do mean for the serial killer gene… or if there even is one. Actually, this definitely swayed me towards the belief in a serial killer…

Nature versus nurture is a constant debate. One that seriously fascinates me. This tends more to the angle of nature. That genes can give us certain tendencies that aren’t great. Alright, not great is an understatement… this is talking about serial killers with no real purpose other than death. It makes yo concerned for who the real descendants of Jack the Ripper could be… if there are any (I’m kind of hoping not).

The flip in the culprit of the story took me completely by surprise. I like that there were two people who had a genetic tendency to be killers. The genetics aren’t really what I blame their actions on (we’re all masters of our own fate), but it still made things incredibly tense and spine tingling as I read about the different backgrounds of two people who aren’t overly nice. But it does raise a number of questions.

 <- The Keys to the Door ReviewA Child of the Darkness Review ->
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The Keys to the Door by William Meikle

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: The Keys to the Door
Author: William Meikle
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction, Horror
Dates read: 20th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: And, by Jove, I did indeed feel something: a certain coldness and dampness in the air.

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Synopsis

Mary was born on the same night as a horrific murder took place. Now, they’re trying to exorcise the Ripper and give the young woman her bid for freedom.

Thoughts

Unlike every other short story in The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection, this one had an intriguing element of fantasy. Nothing too overt, but enough that I had a bit of a smile and a feeling of fantasy nostalgia hanging across my face when I turned the last page. And a few goose bumps, considering the fact that it had a kind of horror spin on it.

The poetry of having the woman who is the primary victim also being born on the same night as the final Ripper victim and having the name of one of his victims helped to add to that eerie feeling. The setting of an old building, a candlelit room and a haunting spectre further compounded this feeling. It made this one of the more enjoyable stories and, ironically, less dark than many of the others in this collection.

I liked the sense of closure at the end of this tale. It not only put the spirit of Jack the Ripper to bed, but also let the lead detective finally say his own goodbyes. It also hinted that the darkness within the killer was something more than just the average serial killer… which I kind of like since we will never know who it was, or why they did it.

 <- A Head for Murder ReviewIt’s All in the Genes Review ->
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A Head for Murder by Keith Moray

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: A Head for Murder
Author: Keith Moray
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 11th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Who better, the prince has reasoned, than the greatest batsman of his day to save the day.

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Synopsis

A group of gentlemen gather to play cricket and discuss their passions. But does one of them have a head for murder?

Thoughts

This story felt so very, very British. After all, it starts off with the cricket whites and a bunch of gentlemen playing the age-old sport. Just something which is far too English to be ignored… and then it jumps over into the realm of Jack the Ripper and things get really intense really quickly.

I’ll admit, while I was reading this story, I wasn’t really paying attention. But I gave it a low score because even though I wasn’t paying attention, it also didn’t draw me in at all. As I’m trying to write this review, I just have these vague recollections of moments throughout the tale. Nothing obvious and concrete… all just very… vague.

From my hazy memory of this tale, I remember that Jack the Ripper was moving in more privileged circles… I liked that it took this spin. Most of the other stories thus far in the The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection have taken more of a working-class angle to the killer or the telling of his choices. This, instead made it sound as though he was of a higher class and far removed from the realities of the victims who he butchered.

 <- The Face of the Killer ReviewThe Keys to the Door Review ->
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The Face of the Killer by Violet Addison and David N. Smith

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
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Title: The Face of the Killer
Author: Violet Addison & David N. Smith
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction, Race
Dates read: 25th August 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: On its back was a single wooden coffin, its sides stained with blood.

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Synopsis

He thinks he’s seen the face of the killer, and he’s determined to help find him. But could he have been mistaken? Did he really see the face of the killer?

Thoughts

This is the first story in the The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection which deals with racism as an aspect of finding the killer. Although there was an obvious aggression towards Jews at the time, none of the tales in this collection have specifically addressed this topic. Which made this kind of amazing. After all, a tale of perceptions, understandings and inherent racism is always going to be a good kind of read.

This was a story that seemed to be about the “true” identity of the killer. About what he actually looked like, not about how easily misconceptions can occur. But I liked this angle much better. After all, we’ll never truly know who the Ripper was, and all we have to go on are reports based on others’ thoughts and perceptions.

My favourite part of this short story was the ending. The feeling of shame and guilt that the narrator felt when he realised that he let his prejudice destroy a good man’s life. And the moment when he realises that his actions had consequences, although he is not necessarily held responsible for them.

 <- His Last Victim ReviewA Head for Murder Review ->
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