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    I, Ripper
    I, Ripper
    I, Ripper
    Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

    I, Ripper

    Written by Stephen Hunter

    Narrated by Michael Page

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The electrifying new thriller from New York Times bestseller Stephen Hunter takes you deep inside the mind of the most notorious serial killer of all time: Jack the Ripper.

    In the fall of 1888, Jack the Ripper slaughtered five prostitutes in London’s seamy Whitechapel District. He did not just kill—he ripped with a butcher’s glee—and then, after the particularly gruesome slaying of Mary Jane Kelly, he disappeared. For 127 years, Jack has haunted the dark corners of our imagination, the paradigm of the psychotic killer. We remember him not only for his crimes, but because, despite one of the biggest dragnets in London history, he was never caught.

    I, Ripper is a vivid reimagining of Jack’s personal story entwined with that of an Irish journalist who covered the case, knew the principals, charted the investigation, and at last, stymied, went off in a bold new direction. These two men stalk each other through a city twisted in fear of the madman’s blade, a cat-and-mouse game that brings to life the sounds and smells of the fleshpot tenderloin of Whitechapel and all the lurid acts that fueled the Ripper headlines.

    Dripping with intrigue, atmosphere, and diabolical twists, this is a magnificent psychological thriller from perennial New York Times bestseller Stephen Hunter, who the San Francisco Examiner calls “one of the best storytellers of his generation.”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 19, 2015
    ISBN9781480535251
    I, Ripper
    Author

    Stephen Hunter

    Stephen Hunter has written over twenty novels. The retired chief film critic for The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism, he has also published two collections of film criticism and a nonfiction work, American Gunfight. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

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    Reviews for I, Ripper

    3.5/5

    61 ratings12 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The publisher has a worthy description of this novel. "I, Ripper is a vivid reimaging of Jack's personal story entwined with that of an Irish journalist who covered the case, knew the principals, charted the investigation, and at last, stymied, went off in a bold new direction"--Publisher. -- Fiction....Jack the Ripper...Serial murderers -- London (England) .... 19th century Suspense fiction/mystery fiction. Notes: Includes bibliographical references
    • 2/5
      Okay so I'm all pumped up, I'm ready to read this book, I've got my popcorn and I'm ready to dive in! I got about halfway through this book and it just falls flat on its face. I'm serious folks. I am a huge fan of the times and of Jack the Ripper stories. This one just didn't do it for me.The book was extremely gory which was a pleasant surprise for me but I felt like the author tried to make up for the flat parts by being overly detailed in the gore. The characters were, dare I say, drab to say the least. Even Jack the Ripper wasn't very interesting in this book and that is sad ☹️This book may be for some people but it definitely is not for me.
    • 4/5
      Author Stephen Hunter has taken an interesting tack in his historical novel about Jack the Ripper, the notorious (and still unknown) killer who stalked the Whitechapel District of London in 1888. Like others who have tackled the tale, Hunter has his own theories and plays them out in a compelling piece of fiction that falters in only a couple of places.Hunter revisits one theory about letters sent to the police during the time period, ostensibly from the killer – that at least one of them was a fabrication coming from an untrammeled press trying to capture London’s imagination and thereby sell more papers. The character involved in this particular hoax splits narration of the novel with diaries written by Jack himself, and the technique allows Hunter to take on two distinct voices as the action moves to its climax.The identity of the journalist is marginally possible, though unlikely; if there ever were diaries, they have never come to light; and the fate of Jack – probably the weakest part of the tale -- pretty well wanders off into convenient thriller-resolution territory, though it does make an interesting suggestion about the genesis of a popular British play.Overall, it’s an interesting read, though the “diary” entries are not for the squeamish.
    • 2/5
      Okay so I'm all pumped up, I'm ready to read this book, I've got my popcorn and I'm ready to dive in! I got about halfway through this book and it just falls flat on its face. I'm serious folks. I am a huge fan of the times and of Jack the Ripper stories. This one just didn't do it for me.The book was extremely gory which was a pleasant surprise for me but I felt like the author tried to make up for the flat parts by being overly detailed in the gore. The characters were, dare I say, drab to say the least. Even Jack the Ripper wasn't very interesting in this book and that is sad ☹️This book may be for some people but it definitely is not for me.
    • 5/5
      I, Ripper was great fun to read. Hunter does a masterly job of alternating the narrator's story with that of Jack's diary, bringing you inside the heads of the serial killer and the man determined to catch him. Although Jack was known for gruesome murders, Hunter doesn't subject the reader to gratuitous gore and violence. It was entertaining, fast-paced, and steeped in Dickens' London. Jack's identity is revealed at the end and, although it was initially surprising, Hunter tied up the loose threads very nicely. But we know that Jack was never found, so the ending wasn't as satisfying as one would expect. No fault of Hunter's for trying, though.
    • 3/5
      I've always been a big reader of true crime, in particular Jack the Ripper, so when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I, Ripper didn't quite live up to my hopes and expectations, but it was still a good read.So what did I like about I, Ripper? It was very clear that Hunter had done extensive research, and really thought about what he was writing. The creative technique of alternating chapters of a (fictional) reporter's memoir with passage from Jack the Ripper's (fictional) diary was a really unique one, and one that served the narrative well, building a lot of tension.However, even with a creative format and that built up tension, this book still seemed to move pretty slowly. It took me a lot longer to read than I had anticipated it would. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why, but maybe Hunter stretched the book out longer than he should have. Had the book been a bit more condescended, it might not have dragged at all.I did suspect the big final twist from rather early on in the book. It was a bit disappointing that it was telegraphed so much, at least in my opinion.Hunter definitely has something here, a unique and well-researched fictional take on a topic that has been covered many different times, in many different ways. This may not have been the best version of the story I've ever read, but it was still a good read.
    • 3/5
      Set in Victorian London, Hunter’s tale is an enthusiastic retelling of the events of August through November 1888, when an anonymous serial killer dubbed “Jack the Ripper” stalked the streets of Whitechapel.The book is told in alternate viewpoints with each chapter. One point of view is told by a journalist, named Jeb, who investigated the murders and is recording it in his memoirs, twenty-four years later. The second account is the diary of Jack the Ripper, himself. I liked how this was done as it gives the reader an insight into Jacks madness and allows us to have both an insider’s and outsider’s perspective at once. The book does a magnificent job of drawing its audience into the time period, largely through its use of language. The crimes make up almost half the book and they are not for the squeamish or those who become queasy easily. Each crime is related in minute detail, the descriptions are drawn from the case history, but the author also adds his own flourish, as well. One can't help but feel sorry for the women who had these despicable acts done to them. The revealing of the serial killers identity stretches believe, but these are unsolved crimes so the author had to have someone to pin it on. Overall, I, Ripper is an enjoyable, if graphic, plunge into the minds of a murderer and a tabloid journalist. It is well researched and full of historical insights.
    • 3/5
      Have we had enough Jack the Ripper? Good enough, creepy. Reviewed for Booklist.
    • 4/5
      Everyone knows the name Jack the Ripper, and we all know that he murdered poor London prostitutes and was never caught, but what we don't know is what type of person he was, Was he upper class? What made him kill all those women? How did he escape and what happened to him? Stephen Hunter takes us to the dank and foggy streets of Whitechapel where we follow a reporter in search of the story of the day. Through his eyes, we feel the excitement of the chase and the fear that something wild and menacing is threatening the city. In alternating chapters, Hunter then puts us into the mind of Jack the Ripper and we see both sides of a very tense cat and mouse game. Excellent story!
    • 4/5
      ** I received this in a Goodreads “First Reads” giveaway **

      JEB
      Jeb is a young newspaperman working for the Star, an afternoon newspaper fighting for readers and their pennies among the more than fifty newspapers coming off the presses and then hawked by the newsboys of London in the late 1800’s. He starts his career as “the intermittent substitute music critic” but when Harry Dam, the night crimes reporter, is not available one night Jeb is sent to cover “a nice juicy murder” that has just taken place in Whitechapel. This is the break that Jeb has been waiting for. Jeb had no way of knowing he was about to be introduced to the work of “Jack the Ripper”. As it turns out Jeb is very good at his job (and apparently has a very strong stomach) so soon earns the respect not only of the reporters from other papers but of the “Blue Bottles” (police) as well. They allow him up close and personal access to the carnage The Ripper leaves behind. This is 1888 and forensics are unheard of, the head of the police department is a laughing stock, yellow crime scene tape does not exist and Jeb is in his element.

      Before long he is beginning to form his own theories and suspicions about “Saucy Jack”. Although an adamant tee-tote he aggrees to attend a party one evening where he happens to meet Thomas Dare a linguistics professor at a prestigious university. Not being an abstainer, when he is in his cups Professor Dare enjoys bragging about his linguistic knowledge and how is able to see “the beneath” in writing. When a letter arrives at the newspaper allegedly penned by Jack himself and then a sign written in blood is left to taunt the police Professor Dare is convinced he can help Jeb discover the killer’s identity through linguistics. Jeb has first hand knowledge of the crime scenes and Dare has the resources and patience to put the clues together. Between the two of them (ala Sherlock Holmes … Jeb’s literary hero) they develop the first “profile” of a killer and then set out to trap him.

      As any good newspaperman should, Jeb tells a good portion of this story as his first person, eyewitness account. Then, as now, the media is quick to come up with catchphrase names for serial killers and Jeb takes the credit for naming Jack the Ripper, rightly so because Jeb is also a nickname – he has a secret identity of his own.

      JACK
      The rest of the account of that bloody “autumn of the knife” we hear from Jack himself. Jack keeps a journal where he writes out the meticulous planning and thought that goes into each of his kills before he carries them out. Then when the evil deed is accomplished he comes back and records exactly what happened. Being privy to a serial killers journal is gory reading, and Jack holds nothing back. He gleefully recounts every detail and takes a great amount of pleasure in the fact that he has bested the local police and stymied “the Yard”. Of course Jack never signs his journal entries.

      MAIRSIAN
      Mairsian is one of the fallen angels walking the streets of Whitechapel. Like so many of her fellow ladies of the evening she has an unfortunate liking for gin. Unlike some of the other ladies Mairsian has a home, parents and family. From her ramshackle room she pens letters to her mum assuring her that she is being careful and not be worried. She only “entertains” gentlemen now and has a guardian angel in the form of a nice man who doesn’t beat her to shove her about. She promises to be home as soon as she can lose her taste for the gin so her parents can be proud of her again.

      Mairsian’s letters to her mum are interspersed between Jeb’s account and Jack’s diary giving an insight into what the ladies of Whitechapel were thinking while Jack was on the loose.

      “Saucy Jack”, “Leather Apron”, “The Whitechapel Killer” and “Jack the Ripper” – nicknames all – because his true identity is still unknown, 127 years after his killing spree. Countless books, both fiction and non-fiction have been written about Jack the Ripper. Add television programs and movies into that mix and you would be hard pressed to find someone not familiar with Jack the Ripper. I have read a handful of books about the subject myself and in my opinion Mr. Hunter holds his own. He does not profess (as some other authors have) to solve the mystery, but appropriately he does give us his culprit in the end. There is no doubt that this book is meticulously researched, Mr. Hunter incorporates not only accurate accounts of the killings he also draws a clear picture of the social values of the time, the poverty, filth, overcrowding and danger of the area and how the Ripper case added to the anti-Semitism rampant at the time. This is excellent historical fiction written in the era's manner of speech and peppered with colorful cockney phrases. While reading it amused me to catch certain references to modern day police procedures and newspaper terms, which the characters in the book claim to “invent” (like the profiling) or wish such a thing existed so they could somehow have at their disposal. It made me smile and that’s a good thing when I’m reading about Jack.

      Because I received an Advance reader Copy I cannot quote from the book’s text but there is a note from Mr. Hunter on the back of the book in which he writes “I hope you find it a blazing fast hansom ride through the gritty, sensual, blood spattered streets of London’s Whitechapel in the autumn of the knife … with the devil himself as your driver.” It was a bloody good ride.

    • 4/5
      This is an inventive book by Stephen Hunter which is completely outside of his Bob Lee Swagger series (a pause of thanks that Bob isn't used to solve the Jack the Ripper murders). Instead we have the story through through 3 diaries/series of letters: the Ripper, a journalist and a London 'working girl". The Ripper diary is the most disturbing and the gore is outside of Hunter's usual style, but is unfortunately part of the deal (apparently the author considered using a pen-name to separate this from his modern day gunslinger tales of the Swagger family).The journalist element is the most clever part of this and stating his name would be something of a spoiler since it is held back until towards the end. But let me say that someone with literary and drama interests will be intrigued. I think it might actually be more fun to know the name when you read from the beginning so, if you must, peek at the last words of Chapter 40 if you really have to know.A minor quibble: would a late 19th century music critic have described Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata as being in the A Minor key? I've read that is a very late 20th century idea. It was called A Major at the time.
    • 4/5
      Approaching the nineteenth century’s most infamous serial killer in a unique and disquieting manner, Stephen Hunter’s “I, Ripper” pulls out all of the stops to create an incendiary tale of madness and mayhem. The story of those fatal 1888 months comes primarily from two perspectives: that of Jack the Ripper himself and that of a budding Irish journalist who becomes entwined in the killings. Both narrate in the first-person, Jack in diary entries as the events unfold and the journalist after twenty-four years have passed. Occasionally interjected between the two are letters from a prostitute named Mairsian. What results is an unsettling glimpse into London’s underworld and the various possibilities regarding how and why the murders unfolded.Hunter craftily utilizes dualism to achieve what Saucy Jack’s motivations and thought processes may have been as well as how the killings were perceived and even exploited by the news reporters of the day. As a result, this psychological thriller tends to be graphic and at times crude, particularly concerning Jack’s epistolary narrative, but the distinctive viewpoints also serve to shed fresh light on the details of the case, one that continues to shock and intrigue over a century later. And just like the events themselves, “I, Ripper” contains shocking twists and unsettling theories.I received a complimentary copy of this novel from The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review.