Death at Whitechapel (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 6)

This mystery is fascinating for anyone interested in the so-called "ripper murders." The subject has been a repeated topic for investigation and surmise primarily because the crimes were so sensational and the perpetrator was never caught. The authors use one of the conspiracy theories that have arisen in modern times to explain the crimes, using their central characters to investigate at the request of one of their friends among the nobility. I have come across several similar theories, but found the one proposed by the authors as by far the most plausible. Again the picture of society during the 19th and early 20th centuries is fascinating; the authors have managed to capture the character of an era in transition beautifully. The portrait of Churchill will probably surprise many readers; as individuals of the mid-20th to early 21st centuries, we have inherited a more lionized image of the man as Prime Minister of England during it's darkest and most heroic epic, World War II. His rocky path to glory is something with which most of us aren't as familiar, so the character in the book, based as it is on his early life and activities, comes as something as a surprise. Still, that's what historians do, demystify the past, put it into more human terms, and reveal the effects of time and character on the course of events.

This is one of my favorite books in the series. So what if the Jack the Ripper angle wasn't historically accurate. This book is FICTION. I enjoyed it. It's a wonderful mystery. This series and Emily Brightwell's Mrs. Jeffries series are my favorite in the Victorian England genre. The settings are intriguing, the characters are colorful, and I love Charles Sheridan's cryptic telegram exchange toward the end. I highly recommend this series if you like murder mysteries set in Victorian England.

I found the most recent book to be throughly absorbing. I especially like the historical accuracy and details in the story. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the Victorian Era stories.

Since so many fictional women detectives seem to be either a madcap Lucille Ball type detective, or a "I can't get any respect" Rodney Dangerfield type of detective, it was a sure pleasure to find a series where the heroine has brains, courage, a quick wit, and resourcefulness. Kathryn Ardleigh and her husband, Charles, are the main characters in this well-written, well-plotted Victorian series.

I grabbed this one at the airport. I read it through two flights. Having read the biography of Jenny Churchill, I was impressed by how historically accurate the book was. I have just finished this last book in the series, and am now ordering the other five prequels. Gosh, it's an old-fashioned Nick and Nora Charles genre. I had a RIPPER-ROARING time reading this one.