Mary C. reviewed on 7/12/2010 + 41 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

I have enjoyed the books in this series up until this point. It took far longer for me to read this book than the earlier books.

The premise of the book was fine--another "who was Jack the Ripper" plot. This round of "who was he?" finds Jennie Churchill, mother of Winston, being blackmailed. What is that blackmail? It is a picture of her late husband with a prostitute who was a victim of the Ripper. To whom does she turn to help her and preserve Winston's political future? She turns to Kate and Charles Sheridan who investigate and find conspiracy and cover ups.

Maybe it was me, but I found I was puzzled by something omitted. In the previous book, the Sheridans take under their wing, a boy who helped solve a mystery in Rottingdean. There was no mention of him (unless I overlooked it completely). I would have thought that it would have been mentioned because the books always refer back to previous books in some manner.

The side story of Mrs. Pratt and the dilemma she finds herself in was also unsatisfying. Despite the fact it was a side story, more attention could have been paid to it without losing anything in the main plot.

I will continue the series in the hope that this book was a fluke by not being up to, what I consider, the normal standards of this author.

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