Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
Rating: 3.5/5
Goodreads Synopsis: In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer—or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World’s Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.
Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they’ve heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another.
Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end—together and in love—or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?
Review: Another series over and done. I’m really glad I was finally able to pick this up and read it. Even though it wasn’t as entertaining as the other books in the series, it’s a very well written ending to a great series. I enjoyed reading the book and while I was immersed in Audrey Rose’s world, I felt that the world building lacked compared to her other novels. It didn’t grip me as much as the previous books did. However, I did really enjoy the character development in each of the characters, and also loved seeing old faces in this last novel. Would I read another Kerri Maniscalco book? Simple answer, definitely! Complex answer, definitely, but only if it’s within the same genre as Stalking Jack the Ripper series. Let’s break it down a bit further.
As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of the world building in this novel. It’s not that it was non-existent, but it lacked in compared to her other books. In the previous books in the series, you can always feel the foreboding just by her description of a certain place or certain area. I missed that sense of creepiness in this book. Mind you, Maniscalco was able to capture the darkness of New York City and the enlightenment of Chicago, but I just wanted more from her. Even with all my complaints about the novel, I still highly enjoyed my reading experience.
To be honest, the main aspect of the novel that I did enjoy is the relationship between Audrey and Thomas. I just love the two of them and if ever I wanted to root for any couple, it was these two. I was really at the edge of my seat the whole time in regards to where they were going, but I’m pleasantly surprise that I highly enjoyed the obstacles that they went through. It made the ending a bit more bittersweet in my opinion. I also love seeing Audrey interact with other people. I feel that the first three books were just Audrey and Thomas, that it’s a lot more interesting how Audrey is with a different set of people. I’m also glad that Maniscalco decided to include other characters from previous books, it was a nice touch for the finale.
Out of the four books in the series, I really did enjoy the mystery in this novel the most. I think maybe because it finally concluded the overall mystery arc from the first novel. However, since the mystery is technically touching on real murders from that era, it took away from the impact of the situation. We all know the Ripper murders were never solved, and this novel didn’t really do justice on the mysteries surrounding the case.
All in all, the series was a good one and the ending was just as good. Everything was tied up in one pretty bow and I loved how the author ended the story for the couple. I’m definitely going to read more of Maniscalco’s future books and can’t wait for her to release a new series.