"Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal."
My Rating: ★★★★★
Genre(s): Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, Historical Fiction
Publication: September 10, 2019 (Jimmy Patterson)
***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ESCAPING FROM HOUDINI***
I want to start by saying that I don't have enough words to describe my love for this book. Great characters are the foundation of any great story -- you can get by with a mediocre plot if the characters are great, but even if the plot is amazing, if the characters are flat and unrelatable, then the story will be the same. The quality of a book is reflected in its characters.
Not only does Capturing the Devil have two of my favorite characters of all time (I can't say it enough), but it also has two highly engaging main plots that completely drew me in. Before reading, I saw that this final book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series has some mixed reviews due to the fact that Audrey Rose's relationship with Thomas is one of the two main plots, with the other being the murder mystery. There have been several complaints that there was too much of a focus on their relationship, but I would argue that this aspect of the book only served to strengthen the murder mystery plot.
This book finds Audrey Rose and Thomas first in New York City and then in Chicago, where they hunt a murderer known as the White City Devil, whose victims seem far too reminiscent of those killed by Jack the Ripper. What's worse for students of forensic science like Audrey Rose and Thomas, though, is that there are hardly any bodies to be examined, but there is quite the lengthy list of missing women. Meanwhile, as they try to track down this latest murderer, they must tackle an unforeseen obstacle in their relationship -- a devastating discovery that disrupts their engagement and threatens to keep them apart for good.
It is difficult to describe without giving too much away, but the relationship plot actually serves to heighten the tension of the murder mystery plot, as it causes Audrey Rose and Thomas to become particularly vulnerable in a few different ways in the face of this murderer. I wish I could be less vague about it, but perhaps that's best saved for another post. These vulnerabilities are part of the reason I feel that the focus on their relationship actually worked in favor of the murder mystery rather than detracting from it. Despite what some have said, this is still very much a murder mystery novel!
From the impossible circumstances surrounding Audrey Rose and Thomas's relationship to the nearly-invisible threat of this latest career murderer, it truly seemed impossible at times that the two would be able to make it out both alive and in love. There were several moments throughout this book that either terrified or pained me, and I loved every tension-filled moment of it in that masochistic way that is unique to readers. If a book hurts me, then that is a sure sign that it's a great book. There were so many heart-wrenching moments between Audrey Rose and Thomas, and thanks to Thomas's undying charm and relentless passion (and that aforementioned masochism of mine), these situations only caused me to fall harder for these characters.
It is within these impossible circumstances and that Audrey Rose manages to thrive in spite of her vulnerabilities. The events of this book are a culmination of all that Audrey Rose has learned since she began studying forensic science, and it is clear that she has become a force to be reckoned with. One of the best moments in the entire series is a terrifying and enthralling horror-movie-style "final girl" sequence in which all of the odds are stacked against her. This sequence showcases how truly brilliant and capable Audrey Rose is as she faces a physical manifestation of her own inner demons, and the outcome is beyond gratifying. It is a slap in the face to the backwards notions of Victorian society, and it also allows Audrey Rose to prove to herself that, despite her morbid interests, she is not like the merciless monsters she hunts.
While I did find it fairly easy to figure out who the murderer was, in this case, I don't think that was a bad thing. It was far more interesting trying to understand the killer's motive, making connections to recent events in the killer's past, and learning the truth behind certain previous events in the series (which, of course, shall not be named). In this book, it was less about identifying "whodunnit" and more about figuring out the why and the how of it all. I found it to be immensely satisfying, perhaps more so than the murder mysteries in all of the other books, and it gives closure to Audrey Rose and Thomas's murder mystery stint (four murderers in less than a year? Yikes).
Somehow, Maniscalco made it possible for me to question everything I thought I knew about this world that she created while ensuring that, by the end, it all came full circle. All of my questions about the series were answered, my previous confusions disappeared, and everything made sense in the end. I was pleased to find that, upon reading the last page, there was a sense that all was finally right with the world. Capturing the Devil is, for me, the perfect ending to Audrey Rose and Thomas's story. It is a fantastic blend of mystery, romance, and self-actualization, and though all good things must come to an end, I still wish there were more. The Stalking Jack the Ripper series is easily a new favorite, and it is surely one that I'll be rereading time and time again.
Content Warnings: death, violent death, murder, gore
Synopsis:
In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer -- or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World's Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.
Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they've heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him -- and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device -- is another.
Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end -- together and in love -- or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?
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