John Matthews (5)

Letters From a Murderer is an exciting read full of many twists and turns putting an interesting spin on the Jack the Ripper murders. Matthews does a great job with his world building drawing the reader into New York in 1891. His attention to detail is superb and the reader gets a really good feel for the period. The two main characters, Argenti and Jameson, are both developed really well and prove to be the perfect partners to solve this case and begin a friendship that will hopefully show more endure into another adventure. This case brings up painful moments from the past for both detectives, and I enjoyed how Matthews tied what was currently happening to what had happened in their past. Both characters really grow during the course of the investigation, and their two differing detecting styles really compliment each other. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters of Lawrence and Ellie. They both really added to the overall story. The book's main mystery is well done full of suspense as well as many twists and turns. I also liked how Matthews complicated matters for the investigation with interference from an outside party. Overall this book proved to be a great read that I would most definitely recommend for any mystery enthusiast. I am definitely hoping to see another adventure with Argenti and Jameson.

Received a copy of Letters From a Murder through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. show less

Angry Robot may be one of my favorite speculative fiction publishers, but when it comes to their Mystery/Crime imprint Exhibit A, I have to say I'm pretty much clueless. Naturally, I was curious about their books, and Letters From a Murderer immediately caught my eye. After all, historical fiction is one of my favorite genres after science fiction and fantasy, and Jack the Ripper is the subject of another great book I read recently, and for that reason my interest in Ripper stories was still show more very much piqued.

However, there is one notable aspect about this Ripper story -- it takes place in New York, 1891. This was around the time when the string of brutal murders in Whitechapel and east London seemed to have stopped, leading authorities to speculate that the killer must have died, gotten arrested, or moved on. So when the book opens with a prostitute in New York found murdered in a similar way, uncomfortable questions are raised about whether or not the Ripper might have crossed the Atlantic.

While I know it's not exactly new, this idea is something I've personally never encountered before in a Jack the Ripper related novel. There are whole new dynamics at work here, admidst the complexities of the city's criminal underworld as well as dark secrets in the main character Finley Jameson's past. As one of the original English pathologists on the Ripper case, Jameson is teamed up with New York detective Joseph Argenti, and together they try to catch the murderer before he can claim more victims. The "Letters" in the book's title have a two meanings, referring to the messages the killer sends to the press taunting the police, as well as the symbols found carved onto the victims' bodies.

I enjoyed this, even though I'll admit I didn't fully appreciate the cleverness of the story until well into the book, when the major "twist" was revealed to shake things up. Before this, the book held my interest but did not exceed my expectations; the plot held a lot of the usual elements I would expect from a novel of this genre and type. In this historical mystery, the "history" takes more of a backseat as this is a mystery-thriller first and foremost, complete with gang violence and corruption, conspiracies and lies. Some of the characters fell into familiar archetypes, like the mob boss Tierney (evil and insane) or Jameson's assistant Lawrence (the troubled but brilliant intellectual). On the other hand, this can be seen as a postive if you prefer books that are reminiscent of classics like Sherlock Homes, as this one definitely has that vibe.

The best part, however, is something I can't really talk about much in my review for fear of spoilers, but the aforementioned dark secrets in Jameson's past have a lot to do with it. Suddenly, everything that came before in the novel held more significance and meaning, including the details I thought were just par for the course in Jameson and Argenti's investigation. For a book that I didn't think was going to surprise me, it sure threw me for a loop there, keeping me guessing and wondering and beating myself up for not realizing before that this was where the author was going.

Alas, that little side plot in the story was over all too quickly, but the remainder of the book set a much more rigorous pace, with an exciting mix of suspense and mystery as our investigators have to try and solve the puzzle and deal with Tierney's men at the same time. I thought everything unfolded naturally and came together very well at the end, and fans of crime fiction or historical mysteries will probably find lots to like about this one, especially if you have an interest in Sherlock-Holmes-style books or Jack the Ripper stories. show less

This book took a long time to get going and I nearly gave up on it but I am very glad that I didn't. Once it going it was an amazing adventure encompassing many different facets. From a crime family trying to go straight and not always succeeding to an aid worker kidnapping a child and going on the run. The last few chapters will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions as you try to decide who is telling the truth.

November 1891 New York and after a prostitute is found murdered there are concerns that Jack the Ripper has travelled from England. Or is it a copycat murder. One of the original surgeons/criminal analysts, Finley Jameson, is in New York and he teams up with Detective Joseph Argenti to investigate the case. But this is not the last body discovered.
A story and mystery that I enjoyed reading, with its cast of complicated characters. Hopefully this is the first of a new series. If so this is a show more very good solid start to it.
A NetGalley Book show less