The Gaslight Stalker

The plot is mixture historical facts about the Whitechapel murdes and fiction. I don't like going into plots as it can spoil the book for others. I will say the author made an excellent job of the facts of Jack the Ripper case, but I personally think his choice of who the killer was abit far-fetched even for fiction but that is my personal opinion . People who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy it worth reading.

Actually 4.5 stars.
This book is a reimagining of the very famous, and still unsolved, Ripper murders in London 1888. It merges fact and fiction, real people and new characters and, basically, puts a new spin on the gruesome murders. I have read several non-fiction books on the subject, and indeed been on a Ripper Tour in Whitechapel, as well as having read a few other fiction versions of the goings on and I found that the author has done a very good job here in his weaving of fiction through the facts as we know them.
Esther is a seamstress. She hasn't had the best of starts in life, losing her parents in a nasty accident but she has managed to keep her head above water with her dressmaking and tailoring skills. She is out one night seeking out Martha, a friend who is down on her luck,to try and persuade her to come home to her husband. She finds her but is unable to get her to come with. Next morning, her friend is found brutally murdered and Esther is called as a witness. In the course of the case, Esther meets a young police detective, Jack Enright, and the two of them team up, both romantically and professionally as they start their own investigations of what happened to Martha. As more people die, Esther, Jack and the other police try and get to the bottom of things but it is Esther's own investigative skills that prove instrumental in finding clues to the perpetrator. But can they prove who killed the women, and why?
I do love a good Ripper story. Ever since I visited London and stayed in Whitechapel I have been interested in the whole Ripper world. And it is a world, believe me! There are so many theories about who and why and this book delivers a very interesting alternative version that, in itself, was quite credible. I loved the way that the fictional elements were seamlessly woven around what we know as fact. The victims, the investigating police, the main players are all here, as well as the world in which the action all happens. We even had a bit of romance thrown in for good measure which also fitted in well with the ambience of what was happening and was in keeping with the time in which the book was set.
It's not a long book but it definitely packed a punch. There was enough description to well set the scene for the time and place but not too much to be distracting. The book flowed well apart from a few disjointed scene changes mid chapter. The characterisation was also good. The real characters were well described to be authentic and the fictional ones fitted in well with them as well as being congruent with time and place. The depictions of the murders was graphic enough to illustrate the heinous nature of the crimes but not too much to be overly gory for effect.
The ending, where we found out the identity of the Ripper was also well done. I won't spoil things but it was quite refreshing and definitely a new spin on the whodunnit list!
All in all, a very good read that kept my attention nicely throughout and left me satisfied at its conclusion. I see that it is a series opener and I would definitely be interested in seeing where the author takes Esther and Jack next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The piercing noise of street hawkers fills the air as Esther Jacobs makes her way through the chaos of Whitechapel. It's August of 1888 and it certainly pays to keep a sharp eye out in regard to those who hover in eerie alleyways and darkened corners. But Esther is on a mission. Harry Turner has asked her to locate his wayward wife, Martha, who tends to drain the last drops of her glass at the White Hart. 'Tis not the company that holds Martha rigid there. 'Tis the drink.

Locating Martha ornamenting the bar, Esther begs her friend to come home with her. Martha promises to be on her way. But evidently Martha's feet have stumbled in the wrong direction. Her body is found the next day on a landing in the George Buildings. She's been stabbed viciously by what appears to be a large weapon or bayonet followed by smaller cuts of a penknife. Whomever Martha encountered in those wee hours was an unbalanced individual filled with rage.......strange since Martha never had any enemies at all.

The Metropolitan Police hold an inquest into Martha's death and Esther must attend since she was the last to see Martha alive. It is here that the storyline ratchets up as more female bodies are found in Whitechapel. Esther feels compelled to assist Jack in his investigation. She wants justice for Martha. They work well together until they have a falling out which will put them at great odds.

David Field has spun his story in a completely different direction in regard to the ol' Jack the Ripper saga. It's clever and filled with detailed police investigative jargon. Scotland Yard will get a foothold here as well.alongside the duo of Esther and Jack. "Never form a firm opinion too early in a case and then try to make the evidence fit your theory."

Field's character of Esther is refreshing with emphasis upon her analytical skills and her street smarts from having to fend for herself after her parents' deaths. He even incorporates timely anti-Semitic riots in which factories are burned and neighbors eye neighbors with disdain. A tough time to make it in London, especially if you are a woman and Jewish.

The Gaslight Stalker is the first book in this series. (I've already ordered the other two.) Smart, fast-paced, and loaded with street banter that takes you on site of the Ripper........and so much more. Well worth a stroll past common lodging houses and the snapping twist of a quick glance over your shoulder.......just in case.

I received a copy of The Gaslight Stalker through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Sapire Books and to David Field for the opportunity.

A compulsive and addicting historical crime novel with a completely different take on the Jack-the-Ripper mystery. This was very atmospheric – all too often authors who set stories in Victorian London rely heavily on the reader having encountered previous works by other authors and London just becomes a sort of short hand for ‘historical setting’. Not so here – it was almost a character in its own right. I loved the police procedural side of this – despite the lack of supernatural element it put me in mind of Alan Moore’s From Hell. Perhaps reading more like a romance crossed with a ‘how-dunnit’, this was an intensely enjoyable read. I’m keen to get the rest of the series now.

I love historical fiction and the author did a great job with research. If you like Jack the Ripper you should enjoy the author's take on it. The book moved slow in a couple places but not so much that it became a struggle to read. I look forward to book 2.

After reading a review for this book I headed to NetGalley to see if it was available to request. Luckily it was and I quickly added it to my TBR list. You see I have a thing for Victorian England era – which some people might be surprised with seen as I’ve mentioned numerous times how I’m not a big historical fiction lover. The Victorian era though just intrigues me and anything to do with Jack the Ripper intrigues me even more.

In The Gaslight Stalker, we meet seamstress Esther Jacobs back in Whitechapel, London 1888. Now for anyone who knows anything about this period in time, you will know it is when the worlds most infamous serial killer was roaming the streets of London, killing women.

Esther has been sent to the local pub to ask her neighbour Martha Turner/Tabram to come home. However, the woman is in desperate need of a few bob and tells Esther to go home and that she will follow shortly. The next day Martha’s body is discovered. She had been stabbed to death.

Esther is asked to attend the local hearing about the case and give evidence as to her last encounter with the deceased woman. Also at this hearing is local constable Jack Enright. Over the course of the next few weeks the two strike up a romantic relationship. With more women meeting a grizzly death, Esther helps Jack try to discover who this elusive ‘Jack the Ripper’ as he has dubbed himself, is.

David Field has blended fact and fiction to do with the Jack the Ripper case to create a wonderful, engaging novel that I fully enjoyed. The setting was very visual and took me back to the late 19th century. The characters were a delight to get to know. The book followed two paths, that of the investigation into the serial killer and the relationship between Jack and Esther. With both the main characters crossing over into both sections.

The book perked my interest from the opening chapter and held it the whole way through. My only one little niggle was that sometimes the relationship between the young couple felt a little overdone, but that didn’t take away my enjoyment.

If you love Victorian era or mystery/crime books with a twist, then this is definitely worthy of a read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sapere books for an e-book version in exchange for a fair and honest review.

August bank holiday 1888 in Whitechapel and everyone is out celebrating until the body of Martha Turner is found brutally murdered.
Her friend Esther, a young Jewish seamstress turned female sleuth, is upset at her friends death and is resolved to find the killer. She meets Jack Enright, a young police constable who she develops and professions and personal relationship with.
Soon more bodies begin to appear and their of whispers of someone callimg
calling themself Jack the Ripper.
Can the police find the killer before more bodies begin turning up?

I enjoy a good crime novel, and enjoy them more if they're well written and set in the 19th or early 20th century - and this one hits the nail on the head for me.

A twist on the Jack the Ripper Murders - which has intrigued people for nor than 100 years. I appreciated how David Field was able to mix fact and fiction so seamlessly; using names of the real victims (apart from Martha Turner) and Detective Abberline from Scotland Yard.

The development of a love interest between Esther and Jack was welcoming because it give the book a more personal touch and made you invested in the characters. I was also found of the way Jack and Esther's personal and professional relationship mingled but this wasn't the only reason for their connection to one another.

I was surprised by the twist in the book and didn't see it coming, although looking back I'm wondering whether there were little hints throughout to get us to the conclusion.

I have read that this is the first book in the Esther and Jack Enright series, I for one will be purchasing the rest of this series because although it wasn't a particularly challenging book to read it was quick paced and enjoyable.

I would class this book as a cosy mystery and it would be well suited to be read on a cold winters day snuggled up with a hot drink.

I really was excited to read this book. The Jack the Ripper case has got to be the biggest whodunit of all time! I love stories during this time period. This book had an interesting plot with a sweet love story alongside. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.