White Chappell, Scarlet Tracings

Iain Sinclair knows the mythical paths of London like no-one else. In poetic often painfully intense prose, he conjures up the half-dead spirits that stalk the streets of this seedy town. The landscape is dominated by dodgy second-hand book dealers skulking in the shadows obsessed by the Ripper murders, and by the vicious presence of Jack himself, the embodiement of powerful evil forces embedded in the fabric of the city. If you only ever read one novel about Jack the Ripper, or never wanted to read one, White Chappell, Scarlet Tracings is a must. A warning though: it is not for the faint-hearted.