The Five: the Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

September 23, 2021

The Five: the Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

Jack the Ripper's five victims are dismissed as prostitutes and drunks who deserved to be murdered. But that was a 19th century media depiction designed to sell newspapers, not the truth by any means. The five women were daughters, wives, and mothers, not just victims. They were women who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, placed there by circumstances.

Women's fathers and husbands were usually their only source of financial support in the 19th century. If a woman was widowed or her parents died and she was left penniless, there was often no other way for her to support herself and her children than resorting to prostitution. Some of the Ripper's victims weren't prostitutes at all, just forced to sleep rough because they didn't have the means to rent a room for the night. Cheap gin was a way to forget the horror that their lives had become. Poverty, homelessness, and no prospects for employment drove them to the streets and prostitution.

This is a really insightful look at the Ripper's victims as people and not just as horribly mutilated dead bodies. Very well-researched.

The women who were victims of Jack the Ripper

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

July 12, 2020

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell and her partner Revelstoke Templeton-Vane (i.e., Stoker) are back for their 5th adventure, this time involving Prince Eddy, oldest son of Edward, Prince of Wales.  Eddy has been visiting a house of pleasure run by the mysterious Madame Aurore, and he hasn't been very circumspect about his activities.  He ordered a piece of diamond jewelry for Madame Aurore from his mother's jeweler and billed it to her account, thinking she would never find out (sigh).  Worse yet, Lady Wellie, guardian of royal secrets, has been receiving anonymous notes and newspaper clippings insinuating that Eddy is involved in the Jack the Ripper murders.  Urgently needing a discreet inquiry into both matters, she calls on Veronica and Stoker to investigate and retrieve the jewel before it falls into the wrong hands.  Veronica's mysterious ancestry unexpectedly comes into play as well, and matters between Veronica and Stoker personally continue to heat up.

I really enjoy this series, for the entertaining dialogue and the perils that the characters land in.  I usually don't enjoy mysteries with sleuthing couples since they tend to be simpering and sugary, and the couple are almost never in conflict with each other.  Not so with Veronica and Stoker - their verbal sparring and undeniable chemistry keep things entertaining.  There is enough quirkiness to keep the reader amused - Patricia the Galapagos tortoise is getting married, Lady Rose (Lord Rosmarron's daughter) is scheming to poison her brother (but only a little), and Stoker's brothers make an appearance as well.  I also like how historical characters and events are skillfully woven into the story line.  This series is smart, sexy, and well-plotted, with fast pacing and frequent twists.  The Victorian-style silhouette covers only add to the series' attraction.  The only bad part is that once you finish the book, you want the next adventure, and it's probably going to be about a year before you get it.

If you haven't read any of the titles in this series, I highly recommend starting with the first book, A Curious Beginning, where we first meet Veronica and Stoker.