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flajol's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting construction based around the crimes of Jack the Ripper, working in several longstanding theories about those involved in the murders.
Starting out in 1912 on the Titanic as it begins to sink, the story quickly moves back to 1888 and jumps around quite a lot within that year. One thread follows the murderer in the run up to September '88, another follows Mary Kelly as she struggles to climb out of the lifestyle she's tumbled into. I quite liked the way the timeline hops about - it added tension just where needed, and Scarrow drip-fed clues about identities and motives with the constant back and forth.
I don't normally read crime thrillers, and it took me a while to get through this one. I enjoyed it though, and would happily read more by this author.
Starting out in 1912 on the Titanic as it begins to sink, the story quickly moves back to 1888 and jumps around quite a lot within that year. One thread follows the murderer in the run up to September '88, another follows Mary Kelly as she struggles to climb out of the lifestyle she's tumbled into. I quite liked the way the timeline hops about - it added tension just where needed, and Scarrow drip-fed clues about identities and motives with the constant back and forth.
I don't normally read crime thrillers, and it took me a while to get through this one. I enjoyed it though, and would happily read more by this author.
seddso's review against another edition
5.0
First, the blurb : 1912. Locked in an eerily quiet dining room on the Titanic, a mysterious man tells a young girl his life story as the ship begins to sink. It all starts in Whitechapel, London in 1888...
In the small hours of the night in a darkened Whitechapel alley, young Mary Kelly stumbles upon a man who has been seriously injured and is almost unconscious in the gutter. Mary - down on her luck and desperate to survive - steals his bag and runs off into the night.
Two days later, an American gentleman wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He has suffered a serious head injury, and with no one to help him remember who he is he starts to wonder how he will ever find his way home.
One terrible truth links these two lost souls in the dark world of Victorian London - a truth that could ruin the name of the most influential man in the land...
Back in 1912, as the Titanic begins its final shuddering descent to the bottom of the frozen, black Atlantic, the truth behind a series of murders that have hung like a dark fog over London for more than two decades is about to be revealed... the identity of Jack the Ripper.
I didn't read the blurb, which is unusual - I just bought it via a Kindle daily deal thing. Am glad I did. This book was riveting, didn't expect the Jack the Ripper plot and all the twists and turns that came with that story - the author kept me gripped to the very last sentence. Stunning book, can't wait to read more by this author.
In the small hours of the night in a darkened Whitechapel alley, young Mary Kelly stumbles upon a man who has been seriously injured and is almost unconscious in the gutter. Mary - down on her luck and desperate to survive - steals his bag and runs off into the night.
Two days later, an American gentleman wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He has suffered a serious head injury, and with no one to help him remember who he is he starts to wonder how he will ever find his way home.
One terrible truth links these two lost souls in the dark world of Victorian London - a truth that could ruin the name of the most influential man in the land...
Back in 1912, as the Titanic begins its final shuddering descent to the bottom of the frozen, black Atlantic, the truth behind a series of murders that have hung like a dark fog over London for more than two decades is about to be revealed... the identity of Jack the Ripper.
I didn't read the blurb, which is unusual - I just bought it via a Kindle daily deal thing. Am glad I did. This book was riveting, didn't expect the Jack the Ripper plot and all the twists and turns that came with that story - the author kept me gripped to the very last sentence. Stunning book, can't wait to read more by this author.
chelseycatterall's review against another edition
4.0
Regardless of how gruesome the photos (which actually still exist on the web), or the details of his horrific actions, our culture is taken by the elusive story of “Jack the Ripper”. Perhaps it is the constant mystery; the fear of an unsolved case with plenty of proof, and yet, at the same time, so little. Perhaps it is the fact that we know, if this were to have happened in modern day, advanced science and DNA testing would have greatly increased the likelihood that this man, women or group of people would be behind bars. Though all the possibilities are speculative, the truth remains that our minds fill in the gaps of what the officials could not find. And this is exactly how Alex Scarrow builds his thrilling tale, THE CANDLE MAN.
The novel begins with Mr. Larkin, an aging man with cancer, speaking with a muscle-diseased young woman as the Titanic slowly sinks below the Atlantic Ocean. Both man and woman know that their inevitable fate almost guarantees their demise on the boat, and so they choose to share a drink together. As the young girl giggles from the drink, she asks Mr. Larkin if he has anything he would like to share before he meets his untimely death. And so the story unfolds.
For the entirety of the novel, Mr. Larkin’s identity within the story remains a mystery, however we know he is one of several men involved in an extremely high-profile and convoluted case. Scarrow weaves together intricate pieces to make a story which exudes such power and illustrates raw writing talent. This was a complete page-turner, with surprises behind every dark corner. His imagery of the Gothic Victorian scenery made the whole story play out on the streets of London in my mind. I could feel the moisture on the wet cobblestone roads and smell the dank stench of uncleanliness lurking in back alleys and in old run-down pubs.
This book was such an exhilarating read! My first Scarrow novel, but most definitely not my last. This is also my first Victorian thriller and all I can think of is “how did I not try this before?!” With picturesque scenes, an abundance of secrets and more than enough suspense to keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning, this book seemed to have it all. Plus, who would have thought to intertwine two of the most debated catastrophes of the time into one story?! Bravo, Alex Scarrow, bravo!
The novel begins with Mr. Larkin, an aging man with cancer, speaking with a muscle-diseased young woman as the Titanic slowly sinks below the Atlantic Ocean. Both man and woman know that their inevitable fate almost guarantees their demise on the boat, and so they choose to share a drink together. As the young girl giggles from the drink, she asks Mr. Larkin if he has anything he would like to share before he meets his untimely death. And so the story unfolds.
For the entirety of the novel, Mr. Larkin’s identity within the story remains a mystery, however we know he is one of several men involved in an extremely high-profile and convoluted case. Scarrow weaves together intricate pieces to make a story which exudes such power and illustrates raw writing talent. This was a complete page-turner, with surprises behind every dark corner. His imagery of the Gothic Victorian scenery made the whole story play out on the streets of London in my mind. I could feel the moisture on the wet cobblestone roads and smell the dank stench of uncleanliness lurking in back alleys and in old run-down pubs.
This book was such an exhilarating read! My first Scarrow novel, but most definitely not my last. This is also my first Victorian thriller and all I can think of is “how did I not try this before?!” With picturesque scenes, an abundance of secrets and more than enough suspense to keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning, this book seemed to have it all. Plus, who would have thought to intertwine two of the most debated catastrophes of the time into one story?! Bravo, Alex Scarrow, bravo!
neenstar's review against another edition
5.0
Loved, loved, loved this book. My first taste of Alex Scarrow and am now looking to read his other books.
Such an interesting view of an old tale, told so differently from the rest.
Love, horror, intrigue, such a good recipe.
I found myself yelling at the characters, warning them of their impending fate like any good horror ;o)
The story was so spellbinding that by the time I read the Epilogue, I had to try hard to remember the Prologue. IMHO they were a waste of paper and not vital to the story.
Such an interesting view of an old tale, told so differently from the rest.
Love, horror, intrigue, such a good recipe.
I found myself yelling at the characters, warning them of their impending fate like any good horror ;o)
The story was so spellbinding that by the time I read the Epilogue, I had to try hard to remember the Prologue. IMHO they were a waste of paper and not vital to the story.
cin19's review against another edition
4.0
"He’s just a man, remember. Don’t mythologise him"
Very interesting reimagining of the Ripper legend. Given the subject matter, it can be quite gruesome in parts
Very interesting reimagining of the Ripper legend. Given the subject matter, it can be quite gruesome in parts
storm_pentz's review against another edition
5.0
Spectacular book. Would definitely read it multiple times.
This is the sort of book that even though you know the ending you know there are things you have missed out. It has taken two of my favourite topics and intertwined them a bit. We have the Titanic and Jack the Ripper.
The time lines are so important when reading this book
It will definitely help you keep on top of everything going on at all times. The story has different time lines and characters and watching the author inteweb everything is amazing and done so clean and crisp.
There are certain scenes that just totally take you by surprise at how dark and beautifully it is written .
This is a winner for me
This is the sort of book that even though you know the ending you know there are things you have missed out. It has taken two of my favourite topics and intertwined them a bit. We have the Titanic and Jack the Ripper.
The time lines are so important when reading this book
It will definitely help you keep on top of everything going on at all times. The story has different time lines and characters and watching the author inteweb everything is amazing and done so clean and crisp.
There are certain scenes that just totally take you by surprise at how dark and beautifully it is written .
This is a winner for me
emilybookin's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, the story was compelling enough to be enjoyable the whole way through, but I did have some problems with this book.
More minorly, there were a number of continuity errors that really ground my gears. For instance, if a murder took place on the 9th, the next day on the 10th we’d be told the murder had been reported on everyday in the newspaper for the last three days. And I’d be like… hmm?
I forgave it the first time, but for that type of mistake to occur more than once is just poor editing.
But more significantly, I had some ethical concerns. If you’re going to use the real names and identities of women who were brutally murdered, you have to be extremely mindful of how you portray them, and I didn’t think Alex Scarrow’s portrayal was particularly respectful at times. I think perhaps he relied too heavily on the assumption that these events happened over 100 years ago and therefore sensitivity around the victims is less of an issue now, and I don’t agree. Towards the beginning of the book, two of the women are described as being involved in “baby farming”, a thriving business whereby they murder unwanted newborns for money. There’s a part in the book where Annie Chapman remorselessly murders a 6 month old child. But there’s absolutely nothing to suggest any of these women were involved in crime, and it seems a gross and unethical manipulation of the facts to take the identities of real women whose reputations as prostitutes have already afforded them limited sympathy from the public, and then imply they were also criminals who murdered babies. Annie Chapman sold flowers and crochet to make money, but it worked for the narrative that she murdered children to make money, so that's what Alex Scarrow chose to run with.
If you're going to embellish or stretch the truth, there needs to be an author’s note that clearly separates the fact from the fiction.
I’ve done my best to take this with a grain of salt and still consider the story itself, how well it reads and how entertaining it is, but that’s not everything in literature, especially when you’re writing on real events and real people. Unfortunately this tarnished the book a little for me, which is frustrating because were it not based on true events I would’ve been more able to get swept up in this dark, gory Victorian thriller. I just wish Alex Scarrow had taken a little more care.
More minorly, there were a number of continuity errors that really ground my gears. For instance, if a murder took place on the 9th, the next day on the 10th we’d be told the murder had been reported on everyday in the newspaper for the last three days. And I’d be like… hmm?
I forgave it the first time, but for that type of mistake to occur more than once is just poor editing.
But more significantly, I had some ethical concerns. If you’re going to use the real names and identities of women who were brutally murdered, you have to be extremely mindful of how you portray them, and I didn’t think Alex Scarrow’s portrayal was particularly respectful at times. I think perhaps he relied too heavily on the assumption that these events happened over 100 years ago and therefore sensitivity around the victims is less of an issue now, and I don’t agree. Towards the beginning of the book, two of the women are described as being involved in “baby farming”, a thriving business whereby they murder unwanted newborns for money. There’s a part in the book where Annie Chapman remorselessly murders a 6 month old child. But there’s absolutely nothing to suggest any of these women were involved in crime, and it seems a gross and unethical manipulation of the facts to take the identities of real women whose reputations as prostitutes have already afforded them limited sympathy from the public, and then imply they were also criminals who murdered babies. Annie Chapman sold flowers and crochet to make money, but it worked for the narrative that she murdered children to make money, so that's what Alex Scarrow chose to run with.
If you're going to embellish or stretch the truth, there needs to be an author’s note that clearly separates the fact from the fiction.
I’ve done my best to take this with a grain of salt and still consider the story itself, how well it reads and how entertaining it is, but that’s not everything in literature, especially when you’re writing on real events and real people. Unfortunately this tarnished the book a little for me, which is frustrating because were it not based on true events I would’ve been more able to get swept up in this dark, gory Victorian thriller. I just wish Alex Scarrow had taken a little more care.
goodbookin's review
3.0
Overall, the story was compelling enough to be enjoyable the whole way through, but I did have some problems with this book.
More minorly, there were a number of continuity errors that really ground my gears. For instance, if a murder took place on the 9th, the next day on the 10th we’d be told the murder had been reported on everyday in the newspaper for the last three days. And I’d be like… hmm?
I forgave it the first time, but for that type of mistake to occur more than once is just poor editing.
But more significantly, I had some ethical concerns. If you’re going to use the real names and identities of women who were brutally murdered, you have to be extremely mindful of how you portray them, and I didn’t think Alex Scarrow’s portrayal was particularly respectful at times. I think perhaps he relied too heavily on the assumption that these events happened over 100 years ago and therefore sensitivity around the victims is less of an issue now, and I don’t agree. Towards the beginning of the book, two of the women are described as being involved in “baby farming”, a thriving business whereby they murder unwanted newborns for money. There’s a part in the book where Annie Chapman remorselessly murders a 6 month old child. But there’s absolutely nothing to suggest any of these women were involved in crime, and it seems a gross and unethical manipulation of the facts to take the identities of real women whose reputations as prostitutes have already afforded them limited sympathy from the public, and then imply they were also criminals who murdered babies. Annie Chapman sold flowers and crochet to make money, but it worked for the narrative that she murdered children to make money, so that's what Alex Scarrow chose to run with.
If you're going to embellish or stretch the truth, there needs to be an author’s note that clearly separates the fact from the fiction.
I’ve done my best to take this with a grain of salt and still consider the story itself, how well it reads and how entertaining it is, but that’s not everything in literature, especially when you’re writing on real events and real people. Unfortunately this tarnished the book a little for me, which is frustrating because were it not based on true events I would’ve been more able to get swept up in this dark, gory Victorian thriller. I just wish Alex Scarrow had taken a little more care.
More minorly, there were a number of continuity errors that really ground my gears. For instance, if a murder took place on the 9th, the next day on the 10th we’d be told the murder had been reported on everyday in the newspaper for the last three days. And I’d be like… hmm?
I forgave it the first time, but for that type of mistake to occur more than once is just poor editing.
But more significantly, I had some ethical concerns. If you’re going to use the real names and identities of women who were brutally murdered, you have to be extremely mindful of how you portray them, and I didn’t think Alex Scarrow’s portrayal was particularly respectful at times. I think perhaps he relied too heavily on the assumption that these events happened over 100 years ago and therefore sensitivity around the victims is less of an issue now, and I don’t agree. Towards the beginning of the book, two of the women are described as being involved in “baby farming”, a thriving business whereby they murder unwanted newborns for money. There’s a part in the book where Annie Chapman remorselessly murders a 6 month old child. But there’s absolutely nothing to suggest any of these women were involved in crime, and it seems a gross and unethical manipulation of the facts to take the identities of real women whose reputations as prostitutes have already afforded them limited sympathy from the public, and then imply they were also criminals who murdered babies. Annie Chapman sold flowers and crochet to make money, but it worked for the narrative that she murdered children to make money, so that's what Alex Scarrow chose to run with.
If you're going to embellish or stretch the truth, there needs to be an author’s note that clearly separates the fact from the fiction.
I’ve done my best to take this with a grain of salt and still consider the story itself, how well it reads and how entertaining it is, but that’s not everything in literature, especially when you’re writing on real events and real people. Unfortunately this tarnished the book a little for me, which is frustrating because were it not based on true events I would’ve been more able to get swept up in this dark, gory Victorian thriller. I just wish Alex Scarrow had taken a little more care.
dkwaye's review
5.0
As soon as I read the first few lines I fell in love with Scarrow's writing. Soon, I was completely charmed by everything else. It feels like it's been forever since I read a really good 21st century (as in 'written in...') novel!
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