"This world is full of dragon-slayers." -Jackaby by William Ritter

First of all, I would rate this book sixjellybeans out of ten. As long as all of the jellybeans were good flavors. None of that earwax stuff.

Miss Rook is stuck in the same situation in late 19th Century America as nearly 9 million people over one hundred years later; she’s unemployed and unsure what to do with her life. After running from her parents and the posh life of a wealthy woman, Abigail Rook finds herself at the front door of a mysterious man by the name Jackaby (surprised?) with a wretched frog that makes the place smell if you stare at it. To her delight, he brings adventure. Adventure and danger. Right from the start Abigail is running through the streets of New England to solve a strange death that, according to her odd employer, involves a paranormal being. Nobody else can “see” these beings, and several people believe Jackaby is mad. That’s one way to ruin a man’s pride. The police prove no help against this nonhuman serial killer, and it is all Abigail and Jackaby can do to avoid staying behind locked bars.

I’m a fantasy and mystery person, so the whole prospect of out-of-the-ordinary murder really gets me hooked. What I really love about this use of fantasy is that there isn’t only one unnatural being but several locked in the case. Banshees, ghosts, werewolves, the lot. And the common “beliefs” about these creatures are thrown out the window as other tales and legends are brought into play. Where does the term “banshee” come from? How do certain beings act? Who has magical powers? It’s all a series of tid-bits on lore that you will eventually never need to know, but it’s sure to be a party pleaser!

What I also thought was done pretty well is the murderer itself. Because there was that Jackaby-famous paranormal quality to the serial killer, it was hard to put a finger on anybody. Is it this person? But how could it be if this fact over here is true? The storyline, however, was a little disappointing. The characters would spend too long of a time in one place when the area wasn’t relevant. The apartments, for example. Or the confusion in the woods that just didn’t fit at the end because nobody knew what was happening. Literally nobody.

Recommendation: If you really like Dr. Who and/or Sherlock, this book is known for being a mixture of the two. And for those of you with a taste for fantasy and mystery, but can’t stand lovey gooey romance, there isn’t more than a teaspoon of it in the mixture.

Formula: Mystery + Paranormal + no-Romance + Death = Jackaby’s coat pockets

#fantasy #mystery #historical #death #noromance #katie