Tag Archives: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories

His Last Victim by K.G. Anderson

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Overview
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Title: His Last Victim
Author: K.G. Anderson
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction, LGBTQI
Dates read: 31st July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: After all, his brother, a member of my dressing club, was the friend who’d told me about the opening with Scotland Yard five years ago.

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Synopsis

The police really want to catch the Ripper, and one man decides to embrace his secret side to do so. But, at what cost?

Thoughts

I really wasn’t expecting a tale of a cross-dresser in a collection of Jack the Ripper stories. Like, at all. Although, to be fair, I rarely expect to come across such a tale, so when you’re reading about historical fiction and retakes on a notorious serial killer… there isn’t much that could be farther from my mind.

I enjoyed the idea of a man dressing as a woman to try and catch one of the worlds’ most notorious serial killers. The fact that the man who stops it all is also one of this ilk and grouping just made it all the more fun. Actually, I thought that this could have been a much longer story with many more nuances. Or maybe it’s just my need to read stories which feature trans and cross dressing individuals in a positive light…

The happily ever after in this tale was kind of perfect. Not only was the Ripper stopped, but the narrator also found himself in a moment of happily ever after with an understanding wife. And, everyone who had been a part of the capture of the villain was mentioned in the final words, letting you know that they all lived long and prospered.

 <- Dear Boss ReviewThe Face of the Killer Review ->
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Dear Boss by Nic Martin

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Dear Boss
Author: Nic Martin
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: 12th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: And I had not expected her to be in this way… arrayed.

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Synopsis

Tom needs a good story to keep his job. But, when he starts to cross a line to create one, he might find that the cost is far too high.

Thoughts

I seriously, way too much loved the ending to this tale. There was a gruesome, horrifying sense of poetic justice to the tale and the idea that the true evil walked off into the night all alone. Which, whilst it is something I don’t often appreciate, it was something that worked brilliantly well for this storyline.

From a little back research, I’ve quickly come to understand that there are many who believe that the “Dear Boss” letters are a hoax. One made up by the newspapers of the time to capitalise on the insanity of the time. And the horror. This is the first story I’ve read which uses this as a story plot. One that is quite dark and twisty and more than a little scary. And one that I think worked beautifully well.

Not only does this short story provide what feels like a plausible background to the “Dear Boss” letters, but it also gives a hint as to why there is a bit of mystery surrounding the Ripper’s last victim. The one who some people aren’t 100% is the woman she was identified as. In this case, she may have been a poor schmucks wife instead.

 <- A Small Band of Dedicated Men ReviewHis Last Victim Review ->
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A Small Band of Dedicated Men by Andrew Lane

Book Review, ,
Overview
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Title: A Small Band of Dedicated Men
Author: Andrew Lane
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: 7th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: I really don’t think that will replace “Leather Apron” in the minds of the public.

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Synopsis

Druitt has called together all of the men accused of being Jack the Ripper. Their patrols might stop one killer, but are there more hiding amongst them?

Thoughts

This took a turn that I really wasn’t expecting. I thought that maybe this would be a story of innocents who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I mostly kept thinking this until the very end. Which quickly made me not so happy and more than a little uncomfortable. And incredibly glad that these men are dead, it was just a little too easy to believe this story.

Of all the Ripperologist theories I’ve recently been exposed to, the one that features Druitt is always what I feel closest to. Not necessarily because the evidence against him is the strongest, but more so because of the fact that this theory features in a Science Fiction series that I love (Sanctuary on SyFy). Which means that his central place in this storyline made me sink my nose right into the story and refuses to pay attention to anything around me.

Stories about teams of serial killers and mad men are starting to become a bit more frequent in my reading roster. Which is both terrifying, and kind of fun. There’s a totally different, unsettling feeling to these types of tales and I, for one, can’t wait to read more like this Small Band of Dedicated Men.

<- The Roebuck Cabal ReviewDear Boss Review ->
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The Roebuck Cabal by Martin Gately

Book Review, ,
Overview
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Title: The Roebuck Cabal
Author: Martin Gately
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
Dates read: 4th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: But our knowledge of these suspects may serve a purpose; one of colossal misdirection.

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Synopsis

A cabal of men get together frequently to discuss the occurrence of the Ripper in London. But what if he is walking among them?

Thoughts

I kind of liked this short story, and I kind of found it a little bit slow. It may be because I was reading this late at night and wasn’t really concentrating like I usually would for such a themed story. although I did really love the idea of a group of men meeting up to discuss the horrors of the Ripper, when one might have been amongst them.

This is one of those stories that no matter how many times you read it, you’ll find something new and exciting to unfold. Which is why, like the rest of this collection, I plan on reading it again in years to come.

 <- Flowers of the Chapel ReviewA Small Band of Dedicated Men Review ->
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Flowers of the Chapel by Sarah Morrison

Book Review, ,
Overview
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Title: Flowers of the Chapel
Author: Sarah Morrison
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: 27th June 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Lizzie, dear Lizzie.

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Synopsis

Lizzie is hurrying home to report to her master, with the Ripper on the loose, she knows that she shouldn’t be out alone. But, when she finds out who the true culprit is, her whole world is turned upside down.

Thoughts

I loved this twist on the traditional idea of Jack the Ripper. Instead of being a man, she is a woman. And not at all who I expected. Which of course, made it all the more intriguing and impossible to put down. A little more tragic when the final ending hit.

This was a little sadder than most of the short stories so far in the collection. Most of them are kind of twisted, but this was a bit tragic. I felt Lizzie’s loss and confusion as the final words were read and it made me feel more connected to the trials of the victims. More connected to their fear, pain and suffering. Not only at the hands of the Ripper, but also the fear that must have coated the entire city in the months of his terror.

 <- Oh Have You Seen the Devil? ReviewThe Roebuck Cabal Review ->
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Oh Have You Seen the Devil? by Stephen Dedman

Book Review, ,
Overview
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Title: Oh Have You Seen the Devil?
Author: Stephen Dedman
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime
Dates read: 5th May 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The carter probed the darkness with his buggy-whip, crying something in a foreign language as the tip of the shaft poked Liz’s lifeless body.

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Synopsis

Michael and Liz are having a few relationship issues. Yet, when there is a horror stalking the streets at night, their relationship is truly put to the test. In ways that Michael could never imagine… and it brings him face to face with the devil.

Thoughts

This is an incredibly easy Jack the Ripper story to read. A lot of the literature, mythos and understanding around the man is kind of convoluted. A little bit confusing. And a lot bit intense. This was a much easier short story to deal with. It was more approachable, written in a far more current form of language, and actually incredibly relatable. So it was a nice change of pace compared to the other stories in this collection.

A disproportionately large number of attacks made on women is done by their significant others, or someone close to them. Which means that it kind of makes sense to have a villain in this story who is a significant other. There have even been some theories that there was an intimate relationship (beyond sex) with at least one of the Ripper victims which made him… well Ripperish. This provides a slightly different take on that, but still highlights the idea of a victim being ended by the man she is intimately involved with. Highlights the idea that maybe not everything in the murders was quite as they seem…

 <- Boiling Point ReviewFlowers of the Chapel Review ->
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Boiling Point by Alex Howard

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Boiling Point
Author: Alex Howard
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: 28th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The air was oppressively foetid too from poor sanitation and what smelled like the effluvia of tanneries and glue factories.

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Synopsis

A man finds himself working alongside the most unpleasant of men. But it isn’t until he finds out about the conspiracy afoot that he begins to truly understand how unpleasant he truly is.

Thoughts

This retelling of the Jack the Ripper case took a more conspiracy theory ridden outlook than many others that I’ve read. It played on the idea of racism and people in power carrying these ideals. It even outlaid a future plan for the Ripper until he is stopped. A greatly different point of view in fictional retellings of the notorious butcher that I have read so far.

Normally I find conspiracies outlandish and incredibly unrealistic. This one not so much. It is actually kind of plausible and the fact that it was easily stumbled upon just made it all the more likely to understand. It made me want to read this short story again and look for small hints as to those responsible for the Jack the Ripper conspiracy.

 <- Kosher ReviewOh Have You Seen the Devil? Review ->
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Kosher by Michael Gregorio

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: Kosher
Author: Michael Gregorio
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 26th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The same girl, standing outside a different door, under a big sign that gives the game away.

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Synopsis

Three Kosher butchers stumble across Jack the Ripper late one night. Things don’t quite go as planned, but they definitely have something to celebrate at the end of the night.

Thoughts

The introduction to this story filled me with intrigue. Not because it was a great opening to a story, but it explained where the author’s origin to this story came from. Accompanied by a photo, it made this story seem all the more plausible. And one that I would almost like to imagine actually happened.

One of the suspects of the Jack the Ripper case was Jewish. Or at least, a Jewish man was suspected (even if they didn’t have a specific identity). So I kind of liked that this story featured three Jewish butchers. People who would have been suspect, and indeed, in the retelling, I wondered if they were the villains. After all, a butcher was also believed to be the culprit.

Without giving the ending of this story away, it was kind of fun. But also with a fair amount of commentary on the social and political unrest of the time. It nestled in perfectly with reality and the imaginations of an author.

 <- Ripper Familias ReviewBoiling Point Review ->
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Ripper Familias by Terry Davis and Patrick Jones

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: Ripper Familias
Author: Terry Davis & Patrick Jones
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Family, Historical fiction
Dates read: 26th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Grandfather is quite right about the real police, I believe.

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Synopsis

What happens when you realise that the man you wanted to admire is actually evil personified? How would you react?

Thoughts

We all like to think that family means everything. That there is some kind of tie created by blood that can be impossible to escape. Speaking from my own experiences, that’s not necessarily true. And this story definitely echoes that theory.

Not only does this short story question the ties of family and how important these relationships can be, but it also brings in the Titanic. I love the intersection in history between these two moments, the way that a tragedy turns out to be a saviour for the young man whose family is a little… unwell.

This story is kind of heeby jeeby. Because even though you think that the young boy has made the “right” decision, there is still a sense of unrest. The idea that maybe he is a bit like his grandfather after all…

 <- Catch Me When You Can… ReviewKosher Review ->
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Catch Me When You Can… by M. Christian

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Catch Me When You Can…
Author: M. Christian
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, Horror
Dates read: 11th April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Nah, not that daft piece o’ shite.

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Synopsis

Flashes of life fill out this short story as you take a journey with the victims of Jack the Ripper.

Thoughts

This was a bit of a harder tale to follow than some others. It was kind of jumpy and a little hard to follow. I’m not even 100% sure I understood what was actually going on… I think this was a tale about the five different known victims of Jack the Ripper. Their experiences and the huge gaps in our knowledge of their lives beforehand. The reasons for their murders… and if I’m right, this was actually kind of well done. Leaving me feeling quite confused and as though there is so much more information out there… which is exactly what people who are fascinated by Jack the Ripper feel (I would imagine).

The part that I liked the most about this short story was the very last line. It highlights that there are five known victims, but kind of hints that there is a high possibility of many more…

 <- A Mote of Black Memory ReviewRipper Familias Review ->
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