Showing posts with label Jackaby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jackaby. Show all posts

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Title: Ghostly Echoes
Series: Jackaby #3
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Release Date: August 23rd 2016
Source: E-arc from the publisher.  Thank you Algonquin Young Readers! 

Summary from Goodreads:
Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancĂ©, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

Review

Ghostly Echoes is the third book in the Jackaby series and probably my favorite thus far. This main mystery in this book focused on characters we are introduced to in books one and two. Jenny is the ghost that currently resides in Jackaby’s house and her murder is the main focal point in Ghostly Echoes.

The previous two books introduced Jenny’s back story slightly but it was a nice change to have this book focus on a character the reader has already grown attached to as oppose to introducing new characters and plot lines. Compared to the first two books, Ghostly Echoes was more suspenseful and faster paced. Everything about the mystery had me flipping through the pages in one sitting, so much more was at stake. The reader also learns more about Jackaby’s past really developing him as a detective and overall more dynamic character. The underlying humor is still sprinkled through out, I enjoyed Jackaby’s eccentricities and Abigail’s spunk and dedication.

Ghostly Echoes is the perfect mix of mystery and the supernatural. As the story progresses it gets weirder and weirder, stranger characters appear and the stakes climb to life or death situations. This third installment of the Jackaby series will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more of the Sherlock-like world.


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Stacking The Shelves (169) - June 25th

Stacking the Shelves - hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews - features books that you bought, borrowed, rented from the library, received for review, etc.

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Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Title: Beastly Bones
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Release Date: September 22nd 2015
Source:ARC from BEA 2015


Summary from Goodreads:
“I’ve found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I’ve known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality.”

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.



Review

Fans of Jackaby will not be disappointed, Beastly Bones brings new adventures, eccentric characters, crazy phenomena, and witty conversation.    Jackaby's wild and unfiltered personality shines through the whole book.  His lack of social awareness and overall lack of politeness had me laughing out loud.  His eccentric personality is perfectly complimented by Ms. Rook's over thinking but strong personality. The character dynamics are one of my favorite aspects of the story.

The mystery afoot is a magical and supernatural one as expected and had me surprised until the very end.  The plot was full of action and adventure, never really slowing down in this quick read. There are a good number of characters introduced in this book, so make sure to pay attention, I did have to flip back a couple of times to ensure I had my characters straight.  Charlie, a character from book 1, does make a great addition to the cast of characters and I hope to see more from him in the future.  (Hopefully there is a book 3!) The reader even gets just a hint of romance!

Similar to Jackaby, Beastly Bones has a serious Sherlock feel to it but nonetheless is a fantastic read! It is a light-hearted fun mystery suitable for anyone wanting to laugh out loud while joining a detective and his assistance take on the unimaginable.



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Jackaby by William Ritter

Title:Jackaby
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Release Date:September 16th 2014
Pages: Hardcover, 304 pages
Source: BEA 2014

Summary from Goodreads:
“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.


Review

I love Sherlock Holmes (especially the BBC show!) and have tried to get into Doctor Who but have had little success there.  I was hoping that Jackaby was going to be a mix of the two with a dark and haunted New England setting and I am here to report that it was in fact an absolute mix of both Sherlock and Doctor Who. Unfortunately, I was TOO much like Sherlock and Doctor Who for me.  I felt that Jackaby lacked some originality.

The story had the same feeling as every Sherlock Holmes movie, and especially the BBC version: a witty sarcastic main character who has unusual detective practices and generally seems crazy.  The Doctor Who comparison was seen in regards to the main female lead, Miss Rook; she was like Doctor Who's Companion. So take both of those main characters and throw in some mystery, wild paranormal/supernatural pieces and you get Jackaby.

Once I got past those very close similarities, I was able to enjoy the story more.  It was a nice standalone detective mystery with a fast paced plot.  The characters were easy to like; Jackaby is full of wit while on the other hand Miss Rook is full of surprises, being an independent female during an era where it is not socially acceptable.  Once of my favorite aspects of the story was the lack of romance, it was so nice to fully dive into the mystery without having an romance squeezed into the short book.

All in all, Jackaby was a quick enjoyable read, full of creatures, ghosts, banshees, and more.  As long as the reader knows that the story lacks some originality and is super similar to Sherlock, the book is a fast paced and enjoyable read.  
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Stacking the Shelves (84) - August 9th

Stacking the Shelves - hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews - features books that you bought, borrowed, rented from the library, received for review, etc.

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What books are stacking your shelves??

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