"We women could be called creatures, if only the men who said such careless words accepted our claws were fearsome things when we decided to scratch."
My Rating: ★★★★★
Genre(s): Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, Historical Fiction
Publication: September 18, 2018 (Jimmy Patterson)
***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR HUNTING PRINCE DRACULA***
This third book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series made me so mad -- but like, in the I'm-so-frustrated-and-desperate-to-see-what-is-going-to-happen-that-I-can't-stop-reading kind of way. The kind of mad that makes you want to pull the characters straight from the pages of the book and give them a good slap and maybe a stern talking to, but also the kind of mad that prompts you to give the book a five-star rating and want to reread it the moment you finish. You know what I mean?
If you're confused, read on, and allow me to enlighten you as to this infuriating yet somehow enjoyable experience that is perhaps unique to us readers.
Escaping from Houdini finds Audrey Rose and Thomas -- who are newly and unofficially engaged -- heading to the U.S. aboard the RMS Ertruria, an enormous cruise liner catering to wealthy magistrates, doctors, and the like. Freshly expelled from the Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science following the death of the headmaster's ward, whom they'd discovered had been the killer they were hunting, the two sleuths-in-training plan to accompany Audrey Rose's Uncle Jonathan to New York to investigate another possible murder. What they don't account for, however, is for another particularly sadistic murderer to begin killing the Ertruria's passengers.
Meanwhile, the Moonlight Carnival's mysterious and clever ringleader Mephistopheles promises excitement, danger, and perhaps even death to the illustrious passengers he and his performers entertain. Despite these declarations and the fact that all signs point to a member of his carnival being responsible for the gruesome murders (or perhaps because of it), Audrey Rose makes a deal with Mephistopheles to root out the killer -- a deal that brings her closer to not only the carnival, but the dark ringleader himself.
Unfortunately, while Thomas is still very much a part of this story, it feels as though he is much less present as Audrey Rose becomes more and more wrapped up with Mephistopheles and his carnival. Thomas knows that Audrey Rose has made a deal with a man who may as well be the devil, though he does not know the nature of it. And, despite their recent declarations of love and their quiet engagement, Audrey Rose begins to push Thomas away as she learns what it would be like to be free like the women of the carnival -- free to laugh and dance and abandon the mask she wears for society. Free to practice her talent without the constant judgment of her peers. Free to make her own choices about her life and her future. It is this idea of freedom, coupled with her deep-seated fear of being spoken for, that draws her to a wild, reckless, and infinitely charming man like Mephistopheles. And though her intentions with him are pure, his certainly are not, and Audrey Rose finds herself dancing a dangerous line between her devotion to her investigation and her devotion to her betrothed.
Cue my anger. As a plot device and a part of Audrey Rose's character development, her questionable alliance with Mephistopheles and her pushing Thomas away make a lot of sense, and I cannot be angry with Maniscalco for doing her character justice and allowing Audrey Rose to grow through her mistakes. Her characters are what I love Maniscalco for, and I think that she made some excellent choices with regard to Audrey Rose's development in this book. But while I cannot be mad at the author, I can be mad at Audrey Rose for distancing herself from Thomas and for the proverbial wedge between them that is Mephistopheles -- especially given the fact that Audrey Rose has to know that Thomas would never dream of taking away her freedom. Again, cue the anger, and cue the facepalm.
The tension that is created among these three characters as a result of Audrey Rose's deal with Mephistopheles is intensely palpable at all times, and it was one of the reasons I ended up bingeing this book. Though I was so upset with Audrey Rose for putting herself in such a precarious situation and for how she was treating Thomas, I was continuously dying to know how she might keep herself from crossing that dangerous line. I was terrified that she would do irreparable damage to her relationship with Thomas, and I needed to know whether she would dig herself out of the hole she'd dug for herself, or if she would just end up making it deeper. To me, tension among characters is one of the most satisfying aspects of a story, and there was a whole lot of well-developed, interesting, and nail-biting tension among Audrey Rose, Thomas, and Mephistopheles.
Along with this character-driven tension comes the best murder-mystery plot yet in this series. This killer models their victims after tarot cards, with each murder becoming more horrifying and gruesome than the last. And, with all of the variables aboard the Ertruria -- a carnival filled with many strangely talented performers, the great Houdini being present among them, a mechanically crafty ringleader with a penchant for lying, the tarot cards, severed limbs and an emphasis on sleight of hand . . . . There is so much going on, it's hard to keep track of it all. However, it never feels overwhelming -- there is just more to sort through, which makes the murder-mystery aspect of the plot much more enjoyable to puzzle out. And, fittingly, Maniscalco becomes a master at sleight of hand herself in this book, as her skill with redirection made it impossible for me to be sure of the identity of the murderer until the very end.
Just like with Hunting Prince Dracula, the setting of this book makes the plot. Killer carnival? Okay. Killer carnival on a cruise liner in the middle of the ocean? Yes, please. The fact that there was no escape for the passengers of the Ertruria really served to enhance the plot, up the stakes, and build on that sweet, sweet tension that I do so love.
Escaping from Houdini is a wild ride of, yes, tension, but also intrigue, horrific murder and sleight of hand -- or was it really just magic? It is a page-turner with a heart-stopping conclusion that is both terrifying and satisfying, and I can honestly say that I have never so quickly moved on to the next book -- I just had to know what could possibly be next for my beloved Audrey Rose and Thomas, and there was simply no waiting.
Content Warnings: death, violent death, murder, gore
Synopsis:
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.
But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea.
It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?
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