This novel begins with Emily and her husband William leaving London, in the grips of Jack the Ripper murders, for a new life in Suffolk. At the last moment, William steps off the train, obstensively to get a newspaper, and disappears.

Emily moves from hope in finding her husband, to despair as she learns he was not the person she thought him to be, to desperation that he might actually BE Jack the Ripper, and then to sheer determination to uncover his killer. Along the way Emily acquires the help of Penny Green (who is the heroine of Organ's 12 book series "A Penny Green Victorian Mystery").

The book has good bones, but at 414 pages on Kindle, the plot is bloated and the pace very slow. I found myself moving ahead to see if the action picked up, but kept on snagging on dialog that filled pages but did not move the story forward. For example, Emily introduces Penny to her landlord (who does not figure in the plot in any way):

You have a delightful cat, said Penny.
Well, he's a bit of a nuisance really, but I love him all the same. I have to brush him every day otherwise his fur becomes all tangled up.
What's his name?
Laurence.
I have a cat, too, she's called Tiger. When I lived in a garret room in Cripplegate, she used to wander about the rooftops.
Goodness me, that sounds quite dangerous!
Fortunately, she was fine, and she has a little garden now.
How lovely. Now go and have you chat together, I'm quite sure you didn't come here to talk about cats with me!

We are given a lot of suspects, much intrigue and subterfuge, and for me, the conclusion felt anticlimatic. But, your results may vary. Personally, the story was too unfocused and didn't hold my attention. 3 stars.

3.5 stars rounded up

The synopsis intrigued me and I was excited to read about Jack the Ripper. However I just didn't connect with the fmc I felt bad that she was duped but I just didn't connect with her. This book was long but had 100 short chapters. This book just wasn't my cup of tea or I was in the wrong head space for this book.

I have read all the Penny Green books so it was nice to see her in this new series and catch up with where she is now. This was certainly a strange one with a husband just disappearing off the train like that and then turning up dead and the wife having to try and solve things as its the time of Jack The Ripper and the police are too caught up in trying to catch him. All in all its a good start to a new series that I look forward to following. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am a sucker for Victorian style murder mysteries. Give me the dingy, foggy streets of London any time, and I will be fairly quickly hooked. With the Whitechapel Widow, it was no different and I feel like I zoomed through this book in about 2 sittings. It's a good murder mystery with intriguing characters though I do feel there were more characters thrown in than I needed. It's not perfect but it's engaging and entertaining.

Emma and her husband are setting off on a move to Suffolk when right before the train departs the station, her husband hops off in order to get a newspaper or cup of coffee. Though he says he will be right back, he does not make it in time and the train departs without him. Emma, who is distraught by the occurrence, turns around at the next station and returns to London, only to discover her husband has utterly disappeared.

Emma now has to figure out what to do and where to go, once she starts to learn her husband was not the man she thought he was, the aunt he said they were going to stay with does not exist, and the house he said they would live in also does not exist. She also quickly learns that in her short time of knowing him and being married to him, he spent all of her money, was fired from his job, and perhaps had dalliances with other women.

When his body turns up, she is determined to find the truth abut William aka Billy, and figure out who she married, Hopefully whoever killed her husband doesn't target her next.

Thank you storm publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

I was sold the moment I realized this book revolves around Jack The Ripper.
The writing is superb and Mrs Langley is a character easy to like and root for.

Penny Blakely, née Green, is absolutely marvelous and the way she maneuvers societal expectations and misogyny; amazing!
This book cemented why I like historical mysteries; the slow, methodical investigation people had to do when they had no phones, fingerprints, google or CCTV etc… interviewing people, reading gestures and social cues, digging into unusual places, I eat it up every time.
I am now interested in reading Emily Organ’s backlist; I expect it to be a fun ride!

This was an interesting Victorian mystery series. While all of London is focused on finding Jack the ripper Emma Langley wants to find a killer as well. Only this killer that she's trying to find is her husband. I enjoyed reading this one and finding a strong female heroine in a Victorian novel. And no I don't find it out of place as I don't believe all Victorian lad's were fainting damsels in distress.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This was an easy to read crime fiction story. The main character was Emma Langley, who is a newly married young women, whose husband disappears as they are moving to a new life. He is found dead shortly after. Set in Victorian London, Emma feels the police are not sufficiently interested in discovering what happened. The police are stretched searching for Jack the Ripper. Emma seeks help from Penny to help her find out what happened to her husband.
The female characters are shown as quite strong in a time when men were in control and believed women were unable to make decisions, and kept as the property of their husband.
This book is the first in a new series, so I'm sure that Emma will develop more as a character. I look forward to reading more.

I enjoyed the slow teasing out of suspects and motives. Emma and Penny are sensible protagonists who sift through the clues using logic and reason. Set against a backdrop of Victorian London, they manage to skirt around society’s restrictions on women. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new mystery series by Emily Organ. Don't miss it.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2025
This book pulled me in from the beginning. It's a spinoff of the Penny Green Series by Emily Organ which is my Favorite Cozy Mystery Series.

Emma Langley seems to have married in haste without knowing her attractive husband very well at all. Obviously he wasn't the man she thought he was and now she fears he's made her life a living nightmare. He deserted her on a train when she believed they were going to start a new life together and then inexplicably and horribly turned up dead.

Emma turns to former investigative reporter Penny Green for help. Penny is now married and a mother of two young children but her interest in solving crimes is still very active. She has been making notes on Jack the Ripper which may or may not help in this investigation. London is on high alert and anxious to catch this brutal killer.

Emma is staying with her landlady because she now has no home and no money. She's decided to investigate her husband's murder and it leads her to more dastardly deeds to discover.

It's heartening to see the friendship develop between these two beloved characters, Penny Green Blakely and Emma Langley. Penny's husband, Inspector James Blakely, comes around and becomes supportive and gives approval to their detective skills. It was a totally satisfying ending which also leaves open the promise of more mysteries to solve. I cannot wait for the next installment of the Emma Langley Victorian Mystery Series.

Emily married just four months did not expect to find herself a widow so soon. Neither did she expect to find out that her husband was a no good philanderer who had scammed a gullible young woman for all she had. 1888 London was tense with the unsolved crimes of Jack the Ripper and unexplained killings were rife. William was just one of them.

Emily was not going to sit back and watch, when she realised that her case was low priority for the local police. Getting together with a former reporter of the local paper, she painstakingly uncovered William’s last few hours and his nefarious activities which led to his death.

The story depicts also the helplessness of women in general, where men controlled their entire lives from behavior to finances and unscrupulous men got away literally with murder. The workings of slums in London are meticulously documented and gives one an insight into how this city operated.

A mystery murder genre with a lot to attract history fans as well.

The title and the description drew me in. William sure was a piece of work. Emma still has a right to know what happened to her husband. I loved Penny. She was a great addition. Emma and Penny made a great team. Halfway through I had a few ideas of how it was going to go, but then something else happens. There was another twist I did not expect. I will be reading more in this series.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a superb job of detailing the various neighborhoods of London during the time of Jack the Ripper. The development of the main character made it totally believable that she could develop from a widow into a very capable amateur detective. I also liked how the author was able to develop her other female detective character, Penny Green, in this story. I am looking forward to reading the next Emmy Langley book, The Poison Puzzle.

In 1888 London, a woman’s grief over her husband’s murder in Whitechapel turns to investigation as she uncovers his secret life and a dangerous web of deceit, putting her own life at risk amid the terror of Jack the Ripper.

Penny Green is back, and with a new partner! Emma Langley is a sweetheart, but also smart and strong-willed. The mystery is atmospheric and engaging, with plenty of twists. I loved the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Whitechapel Widow is the first book in the Emma Langley Victorian Mystery Series, and it is a winner. By Emily Organ this convoluted murder mystery had me staying up long into the night trying to solve Emma’s husband’s murder right along with her. Then there are the killings attributed to Jack the Ripper and scariest of all, the letters written in red. Much to keep one’s attention riveted while reading this book. All being well-plotted and well-written.

Victorian Historical Fiction readers will find Emily Organ, an author not to be missed. The Whitechapel Widow is highly recommended.

This book is set in London against the backdrop of the hunt for Jack the Ripper. Emma's husband abandoned her on a train after and later ends up murdered. Emma, in the course of trying to find out what happened to him, finds that there is a lot she didn't know about her husband. She enlists the help of Penny Green (now Penny Blakely) a former writer for the local newspaper. This is the first book of the Emma Langley Mysteries.

WOW! This book had me from the first page. I did not want to put it down. There were plenty of twists and turns and lots of secrets! I loved that Emma and was such a strong female character in spite of all that had happened to her. I also like the feistiness of Penny Blakley and her refusal to stay in the mold society (and sometimes her policeman husband) wants to keep her in. Two strong women in an excellent Victorian mystery perfect for an afternoon on the couch under a blanket and with a cup of tea. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read this book and give my opinion.

I had not read any of this author's books before, but this certainly won't be my last.

I love historical fiction, and this book does the genre justice! It centers around where Jack the Ripper was, but does not focus on that case. Thus felt very much like Sherlock Holmes. Very prim and proper, but still willing to do what needs to be done to solve the case. I did figure out the killer, but only 1 chapter before they revealed it. This was a cozy-ish read, and would be great for anyone just wanting an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishingfor this eCopy to review

Diving into The Whitechapel Widow was like stepping into the foggy, gas lit streets of Victorian London. The story follows Emma Langley, a widow whose life is upended when her husband, William, is found murdered in the notorious Whitechapel district during the height of Jack the Ripper's terror. As Emma grieves, she uncovers shocking secrets about William's hidden life, leading her on a perilous journey through the glittering drawing rooms of high society and the grimy gambling dens of the East End.

Emma's determination to uncover the truth about her husband's death is both admirable and heart breaking. With the help of Penny Green, a former reporter with a knack for trouble, Emma pieces together a web of blackmail, corruption, and betrayal. The tension builds as she edges closer to the truth, but the danger lurking in the shadows of Whitechapel is never far behind.

The atmospheric writing, and historical detail kept me engaged, and Emma's resilience and journey of self-discovery added depth to the story.

Overall, The Whitechapel Widow is a solid historical mystery

The Whitechapel Widow is a perfect cozy mystery for a drizzly day at home. Cozy up and settle in for a historical setting (Victorian England circa late 1800s?! yes please!) with just enough whodunnit to keep you turning the pages.

This book started off on a great opener and quickly settled into a pace that kept me engaged and interested. I also really enjoyed that there were shorter chapters and multiple glimpses into sub-characters lives and thoughts. I will say, this book can be read as a standalone, but there were multiple references to what must have been previous characters and books that left me hanging a little bit. All the better though! That just means I have a new fun series to tap into!

I was also slightly dissapointed that it did not interweave with Jack the Ripper in a more detailed manner. While the murders are mentioned quite often, based on the description I was expecting more. Instead, a brief "oh someone accused your husband of looking like Jack" and a picture framer uses red ink left me wanting much more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had a job to put it down. I had read a number of the Penny Green books and always enjoyed them. I was good to catch up worth her life. Now Emma Langley had asked for Penny’s help in discovering her husband’s murderer. I loved the way the two worked together and the way life had to be organised around Penny’s two children. Her husband, James, also features in their quest for the truth. The case involves a number of people and secrets. It had me guessing until the end. I will certainly look out for the next in the series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However I did preorder my own copy.

Disappearing husband!

When Emma Langley’s husband fails to get on the train, having hopped off to buy a newspaper, she’s alarmed. What has held him up? They have decided to move out of London and relocate in Suffolk close to where William’s aunt lives.
When Emma reaches Lavenham she leaves her luggage at the station and catches a return train back to London hoping to find William. That doesn’t work out so she returns once more to Lavenham only to find there is no aunt’s house. She stays at the local inn overnight. Puzzled and distressed Emma journeys back to Liverpool Station, London once again and is taken in by her kindly previous landlady.
Together they report her missing husband to the police who open up the possibility that William has deliberately planned his disappearance.
More distressing news follows when William is found murdered. His death pushes open the door to his perfidy, which Emma discovers more of as she continues to investigate aided by ex reporter Penny Green.
Tied up in this are letters written in red ink to various people pertaining to be from Jack the Ripper. Emma is pursuing a dangerous route than runs from high society to seedy gambling joints.
An enquiring Victorian mystery that satisfies.

A Storm ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.