Author: Stefan Petrucha
Publisher: Philomel Books / Penguin Young Readers
Release date: March 1, 2012
Source: Advance Readers Copy
Audience: Young Adult
Good Reads Description:
Carver
Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an
orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him. But when he is
adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency,
Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he
finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking
down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter
panic. When the case begins to unfold, however, it’s worse than he could
have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons
comes into question. As the body count rises and the investigation
becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies.
Full
of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New
York City Police Commisioner Teddy Roosevelt, Ripper challenges
everything you thought you knew about the world’s most famous serial
killer.
Kate's thoughts on this book:
Ripper by
Stefan Petrucha was a fun read for me. Being a history groupie, you
always find that there are certain places, people, myths, and mysteries
that pique your interest. The case of Jack the Ripper is one of those
interests of mine, so I was especially excited to read this book. As I
read, I began to see past the history and appreciate the writing style
of the novel as well as the characters introduced. To be honest, it
reminded me of another one of my favorite adult mysteries, Caleb Carr’s The Alienist.
The book’s setting of the
turn of the 20th Century allows the author to explore the advances in
forensics and early investigative techniques. Petrucha takes full
advantage of the opportunity. I thank him for it! The novel’s pacing and
adventure makes it a great read for those guys who like a good mystery.
(There is romance, but it isn’t overwhelming. It is more of an
opportunity to give Carver, our hero, someone who is unconditionally in
his corner.) The story of the Ripper does include some disturbing
murder and mayhem, but it doesn’t get too explicit or overpowering.
The
characters were intriguing. I loved seeing Mr. Petrucha’s take on Teddy
Roosevelt. He really gave us an opportunity to relate to such a
life-sized personality in US history. The themes also jumped out at me:
the idea that your fate is our own no matter who your parents are, where
you grew up, but what actions you take. No person should be
pigeoned-holed especially as they are just discovering themselves.
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For more information about author: Stefan Petrucha
