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The Jekyll Revelation
While on routine patrol in the tinder-dry Topanga Canyon, environmental scientist Rafael Salazar expects to find animal poachers, not a dilapidated antique steamer trunk. Inside the peculiar case, he discovers a journal, written by the renowned Robert Louis Stevenson, which divulges ominous particulars about his creation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It also promises to reveal a terrible secret—the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Unfortunately, the journal—whose macabre tale unfolds in an alternating narrative with Rafe’s—isn’t the only relic in the trunk, and Rafe isn’t the only one to purloin a souvenir. A mysterious flask containing the last drops of the grisly potion that inspired Jekyll and Hyde and spawned London’s most infamous killer has gone missing. And it has definitely fallen into the wrong hands.
Unfortunately, the journal—whose macabre tale unfolds in an alternating narrative with Rafe’s—isn’t the only relic in the trunk, and Rafe isn’t the only one to purloin a souvenir. A mysterious flask containing the last drops of the grisly potion that inspired Jekyll and Hyde and spawned London’s most infamous killer has gone missing. And it has definitely fallen into the wrong hands.
493 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2016
2665 people are currently reading
3479 people want to read
About the author
Robert Masello
34 books613 followers Robert Masello is an award-winning journalist, TV writer, and the bestselling author of many novels and nonfiction books. In addition to his most recent book, THE HAUNTING OF H.G. WELLS, he has written the #1 Amazon Kindle bestseller, THE EINSTEIN PROPHECY, and many other popular thrillers, including THE JEKYLL REVELATION, THE NIGHT CROSSING, BLOOD AND ICE, THE MEDUSA AMULET, and THE ROMANOV CROSS.
He is also the author of two popular studies of the Occult -- FALLEN ANGELS AND SPIRITS OF THE DARK and RAISING HELL: A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE BLACK ARTS.
His books on writing include WRITER TELLS ALL, A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS, and the classroom staple, ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING.
His TV credits include such popular shows as "Charmed," "Sliders," Early Edition," and "Poltergeist: the Legacy."
A native of Evanston, Illinois, he studied writing at Princeton University under the noted authors Robert Stone and Geoffrey Wolff, and served for six years as the Visiting Lecturer in Literature at Claremont McKenna College.
He now lives and works in Santa Monica, CA.
He is also the author of two popular studies of the Occult -- FALLEN ANGELS AND SPIRITS OF THE DARK and RAISING HELL: A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE BLACK ARTS.
His books on writing include WRITER TELLS ALL, A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS, and the classroom staple, ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING.
His TV credits include such popular shows as "Charmed," "Sliders," Early Edition," and "Poltergeist: the Legacy."
A native of Evanston, Illinois, he studied writing at Princeton University under the noted authors Robert Stone and Geoffrey Wolff, and served for six years as the Visiting Lecturer in Literature at Claremont McKenna College.
He now lives and works in Santa Monica, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 492 reviews
December 24, 2016
”My desk, however, I knew in every particular, and in a matter of seconds I had found a matchstick and lit the oil lamp by which I worked at night. It flared a pale green before turning to white, but, in the sickly burst of light, I saw myself--or what should have been myself--in the mirror above the desk. In horror, I leapt back, away from the gnarled, grimacing face that glimmered in the glass. The black hair was mine, the hollow cheeks, the drooping moustache--but the mad gleam in the bulging eyes was not, the cruel curl to the lip was not, the hunched shoulders were not. My fingers rose to touch my face, but even they felt foreign--their tips were blunt and course, their nails long and jagged. The back of my hand, normally a fragile alabaster, was dusky and spotted. I slumped down into my chair, afraid to look any longer, afraid that my wits had forever slipped their moorings.”
Robert Louis Stevenson...who lurks behind those eyes?
Robert Louis Stevenson, accompanied by his wife Fanny, step son Lloyd, and their Skye terrier Woggins, arrives in Davos, Switzerland, to see Dr. Carl Ruedi in the hope that, where other doctors have failed, he will find a cure for RLS’s diseased lungs. Stevenson has a number of stories knocking around in his head, fed to him nightly by his Brownies, if only he can live long enough to write them.
On the other side of the world in Topanga Canyon, California, in a different century, Rafe Salazar, an environmental scientist, has found a dilapidated antique trunk that was once on the bottom of the lake, but an extended drought has revealed it in its watery grave. Inside are old clothes, but most importantly, there is a journal containing the last words ever written by Robert Louis Stevenson and a flask still holding a wee dram of liquid.
I don’t see RLS lounging with the rest of the patients, but then the special elixir that Dr. Ruedi has prescribed had him scampering about following his natural curiosity. It does look oddly like a slumber party.
Stevenson is soon made uneasy about the prescribed experimental treatments that Dr. Ruedi is insisting will make him well. Strange things are happening in the middle of the night. There are howlings, thumps, and oddly wrapped packages being carried by Ruedi’s minions. When Stevenson starts drinking the special concoction called Valtellina that was created in Ruedi’s laboratory, he starts to feel good, really good. He knows there is something wrong with feeling this good, but then as Oscar Wilde once said, “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”
Salazar is living in a crappy trailer and has to listen to that scumbag Lazlo fighting with and making love with the woman he adores, Miranda. She was thrown out of some of the best schools available, while Salazar has learned to get by on his “native intelligence.” He wonders when she will quit trying to punish her parents for being too rich and for caring too much and start to live her life for herself. Meaning, when will she start to see him the way he wants to be seen? Besides his ongoing issue with Lazlo, he also has been tussling with a couple of redneck assholes intent on depleting the whole wildlife population of Topanga Canyon.
Richard Mansfield as Jekyll and Hyde.
Stevenson escapes Davos to move to London in time to see his famous book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, performed by the amazing Richard Mansfield, whose transformation from Jekyll to Hyde right on stage is so ghastly and so authentic that women are fainting in the audience. In real-life, on the streets of Whitechapel, there is a dreadful beast who is eviscerating prostitutes and writing boastful letters to the police about his future intentions. ”I shan’t stop ripping till I do get buckled.”
Mansfield is a suspect, but so is Robert Louis Stevenson. After all, one plays a demonic man, and the other one brought one to life with the nib of his pen. The potion that Dr. Ruedi continues to supply one of his most famous patients does create a transformation in Stevenson that goes beyond what science can understand, but does it make him into a rogue capable of...murder?
As Salazar reads in the 21st century about the trials and tribulations of Stevenson’s search for the truth in the 19th century, he becomes more and more fascinated with the life and works of the great Scottish author.
Jack was busy!
Robert Masello acknowledges in the back of the book that he drew heavily upon the wonderful biography of Robert Louis Stevenson written by Frank McLynn, which I had the pleasure to read a few months ago. Masello plays fast and loose with dates, having Stevenson in London in 1888 when he was already departed from San Francisco for adventures in the South Seas. Stevenson would have been fascinated with the Ripper murders if he had been in London at the time. The play based on his book was playing in the West End when the Ripper murders began, and Mansfield and Stevenson were both “suspects” for the murders, which is of course ridiculous...or is it?
Masello also has a couple of scenes where Bram Stoker appears briefly to interact with Stevenson in the midst of his investigation. Stoker was working for Henry Irving at the famous Lyceum Theatre where Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was being performed. These scenes were especially serendipitous for me as I just finished reading a biography of Stoker, Something in the Blood, last week. If you like literary mysteries set in Victorian times, you will enjoy not only getting to know RLS, but also getting a glimpse of the man he might have been if he hadn’t fought hemorrhaging lungs for most of his life. A bit of history and a bit of speculation all add up to a fun time for this RLS admirer.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visithttp://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Robert Louis Stevenson...who lurks behind those eyes?
Robert Louis Stevenson, accompanied by his wife Fanny, step son Lloyd, and their Skye terrier Woggins, arrives in Davos, Switzerland, to see Dr. Carl Ruedi in the hope that, where other doctors have failed, he will find a cure for RLS’s diseased lungs. Stevenson has a number of stories knocking around in his head, fed to him nightly by his Brownies, if only he can live long enough to write them.
On the other side of the world in Topanga Canyon, California, in a different century, Rafe Salazar, an environmental scientist, has found a dilapidated antique trunk that was once on the bottom of the lake, but an extended drought has revealed it in its watery grave. Inside are old clothes, but most importantly, there is a journal containing the last words ever written by Robert Louis Stevenson and a flask still holding a wee dram of liquid.
I don’t see RLS lounging with the rest of the patients, but then the special elixir that Dr. Ruedi has prescribed had him scampering about following his natural curiosity. It does look oddly like a slumber party.
Stevenson is soon made uneasy about the prescribed experimental treatments that Dr. Ruedi is insisting will make him well. Strange things are happening in the middle of the night. There are howlings, thumps, and oddly wrapped packages being carried by Ruedi’s minions. When Stevenson starts drinking the special concoction called Valtellina that was created in Ruedi’s laboratory, he starts to feel good, really good. He knows there is something wrong with feeling this good, but then as Oscar Wilde once said, “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”
Salazar is living in a crappy trailer and has to listen to that scumbag Lazlo fighting with and making love with the woman he adores, Miranda. She was thrown out of some of the best schools available, while Salazar has learned to get by on his “native intelligence.” He wonders when she will quit trying to punish her parents for being too rich and for caring too much and start to live her life for herself. Meaning, when will she start to see him the way he wants to be seen? Besides his ongoing issue with Lazlo, he also has been tussling with a couple of redneck assholes intent on depleting the whole wildlife population of Topanga Canyon.
Richard Mansfield as Jekyll and Hyde.
Stevenson escapes Davos to move to London in time to see his famous book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, performed by the amazing Richard Mansfield, whose transformation from Jekyll to Hyde right on stage is so ghastly and so authentic that women are fainting in the audience. In real-life, on the streets of Whitechapel, there is a dreadful beast who is eviscerating prostitutes and writing boastful letters to the police about his future intentions. ”I shan’t stop ripping till I do get buckled.”
Mansfield is a suspect, but so is Robert Louis Stevenson. After all, one plays a demonic man, and the other one brought one to life with the nib of his pen. The potion that Dr. Ruedi continues to supply one of his most famous patients does create a transformation in Stevenson that goes beyond what science can understand, but does it make him into a rogue capable of...murder?
As Salazar reads in the 21st century about the trials and tribulations of Stevenson’s search for the truth in the 19th century, he becomes more and more fascinated with the life and works of the great Scottish author.
Jack was busy!
Robert Masello acknowledges in the back of the book that he drew heavily upon the wonderful biography of Robert Louis Stevenson written by Frank McLynn, which I had the pleasure to read a few months ago. Masello plays fast and loose with dates, having Stevenson in London in 1888 when he was already departed from San Francisco for adventures in the South Seas. Stevenson would have been fascinated with the Ripper murders if he had been in London at the time. The play based on his book was playing in the West End when the Ripper murders began, and Mansfield and Stevenson were both “suspects” for the murders, which is of course ridiculous...or is it?
Masello also has a couple of scenes where Bram Stoker appears briefly to interact with Stevenson in the midst of his investigation. Stoker was working for Henry Irving at the famous Lyceum Theatre where Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was being performed. These scenes were especially serendipitous for me as I just finished reading a biography of Stoker, Something in the Blood, last week. If you like literary mysteries set in Victorian times, you will enjoy not only getting to know RLS, but also getting a glimpse of the man he might have been if he hadn’t fought hemorrhaging lungs for most of his life. A bit of history and a bit of speculation all add up to a fun time for this RLS admirer.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visithttp://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
February 7, 2017
Disclaimer the first: I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but that has not influenced my review in any way.
Disclaimer the second: if you wrote the word “Victorian” on the side of a pile of horse feces, I would probably read it, especially if there were elements of the fantastical or supernatural involved (though I shudder at least a little at the thought of supernatural feces…okay, maybe I shudder a lot). So, that predisposition may make me inclined to view this story more favorably than someone without that predilection might (though someone with a strange fascination with supernatural fecal matter may feel differently).
Disclaimer the third: sometimes I start reviews with too many disclaimers.
Disclaimer the fourth: see previous disclaimer.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was popular upon publication, and it has retained that popularity down through the years by virtue of the fact that it remains a fascinating exploration of humanity’s dual nature. The story suggests not that we are bad people trying to pretend to be good (or simply good people), but, rather, that we each have within us good and bad, dark and light, and our whole being comprises those two parts. That’s a powerful statement, particularly coming, as it did, at the height of Victorian prudishness, a time when table legs needed to be covered lest they get, ah, a rise out of gentlemen who would see them and, perhaps, turn their thoughts to other types of legs.
And, let’s face it: it’s also just cool to read about a dude drinking a potion that turns him into a sadistic monster.
Masello is the latest in a long line of writers to riff on Jekyll and Hyde, and he does so to good effect in The Jekyll Revelation, mining the life of the story’s author, Robert Louis Stevenson, to craft a narrative that creates a highly entertaining origin story for the inspiration of Jekyll and Hyde (in the form of an elixir created for Stevenson to help him combat his ill health). The book features parallel narratives, with the more interesting of the two detailing Stevenson’s creation of Jekyll and Hyde after the aforementioned elixir begins to do strange things to him and his subsequent connection to the Jack the Ripper killings, which may or may not involve his stepson (bum bum bum).
The other narrative, set in present day, tells the story of an environmental scientist in California who stumbles across a trunk that contains Stevenson’s journal recounting the story of Jekyll and Hyde, the elixir, etc., as well as a flask full of the elixir itself, still potent after more than a hundred years of laying around in a swamp. Wildfires, biker gangs, meth houses, free-spirited love interests, and general madcap hijinks ensue.
Masello does a masterful job of creating distinctly different voices for each narrative even as he ties them neatly together thematically, though I was much less enamored of the present-day story. Frankly, I would have omitted it entirely and focused solely on the Stevenson narrative, which, with the other tale removed, would just about approximate the length of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (it would also approximate the length of an unrolled pack of Bubble Tape, but that’s neither here nor there; I think I just have a craving for Bubble Tape at the moment, which is as odd and random a craving as I’ve had in at least the past three hours…it’s entirely possible that I’m pregnant).
While Jekyll and Hyde and Jack the Ripper stories are the literary equivalent of Starbucks stores (you can’t go more than a shelf in a bookstore without finding one), Masello finds a unique angle and ties them together in such a compelling way that he manages to score some points for originality.
Given that and my love for all things Victorian (including table legs, which I will neither confirm nor deny stimulate me in a way normally reserved scandalous websites), we’ll go with 4 stars for the Stevenson narrative and 3 for the present-day piece; overall, 4 stars. A worthwhile read if you share my proclivities (though Jebus help you if you do).
Disclaimer the second: if you wrote the word “Victorian” on the side of a pile of horse feces, I would probably read it, especially if there were elements of the fantastical or supernatural involved (though I shudder at least a little at the thought of supernatural feces…okay, maybe I shudder a lot). So, that predisposition may make me inclined to view this story more favorably than someone without that predilection might (though someone with a strange fascination with supernatural fecal matter may feel differently).
Disclaimer the third: sometimes I start reviews with too many disclaimers.
Disclaimer the fourth: see previous disclaimer.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was popular upon publication, and it has retained that popularity down through the years by virtue of the fact that it remains a fascinating exploration of humanity’s dual nature. The story suggests not that we are bad people trying to pretend to be good (or simply good people), but, rather, that we each have within us good and bad, dark and light, and our whole being comprises those two parts. That’s a powerful statement, particularly coming, as it did, at the height of Victorian prudishness, a time when table legs needed to be covered lest they get, ah, a rise out of gentlemen who would see them and, perhaps, turn their thoughts to other types of legs.
And, let’s face it: it’s also just cool to read about a dude drinking a potion that turns him into a sadistic monster.
Masello is the latest in a long line of writers to riff on Jekyll and Hyde, and he does so to good effect in The Jekyll Revelation, mining the life of the story’s author, Robert Louis Stevenson, to craft a narrative that creates a highly entertaining origin story for the inspiration of Jekyll and Hyde (in the form of an elixir created for Stevenson to help him combat his ill health). The book features parallel narratives, with the more interesting of the two detailing Stevenson’s creation of Jekyll and Hyde after the aforementioned elixir begins to do strange things to him and his subsequent connection to the Jack the Ripper killings, which may or may not involve his stepson (bum bum bum).
The other narrative, set in present day, tells the story of an environmental scientist in California who stumbles across a trunk that contains Stevenson’s journal recounting the story of Jekyll and Hyde, the elixir, etc., as well as a flask full of the elixir itself, still potent after more than a hundred years of laying around in a swamp. Wildfires, biker gangs, meth houses, free-spirited love interests, and general madcap hijinks ensue.
Masello does a masterful job of creating distinctly different voices for each narrative even as he ties them neatly together thematically, though I was much less enamored of the present-day story. Frankly, I would have omitted it entirely and focused solely on the Stevenson narrative, which, with the other tale removed, would just about approximate the length of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (it would also approximate the length of an unrolled pack of Bubble Tape, but that’s neither here nor there; I think I just have a craving for Bubble Tape at the moment, which is as odd and random a craving as I’ve had in at least the past three hours…it’s entirely possible that I’m pregnant).
While Jekyll and Hyde and Jack the Ripper stories are the literary equivalent of Starbucks stores (you can’t go more than a shelf in a bookstore without finding one), Masello finds a unique angle and ties them together in such a compelling way that he manages to score some points for originality.
Given that and my love for all things Victorian (including table legs, which I will neither confirm nor deny stimulate me in a way normally reserved scandalous websites), we’ll go with 4 stars for the Stevenson narrative and 3 for the present-day piece; overall, 4 stars. A worthwhile read if you share my proclivities (though Jebus help you if you do).
April 22, 2017
The tantalizing cover and the intriguing blurb made me interested in the book. The identity of Jack the Ripper is a subject I find fascinating and I was curious how Robert Louis Stevenson would fit into this story. This book has two storylines and in the present storyline are we introduced to Rafael Salazar who is an environmental scientist. He discovers in an old truck a journal that turns out to be written by no other than Robert Louis Stevenson and the present storylines alternate with the journal entries.
I found the intro of this book promising with Robert Louis Stevenson trying to find if not a cure something that would make him better since he had been suffering from bad health since he was a child. And, it's now he meets a doctor that will change his entire life. In the present time, Rafael Salazar is studying coyotes in Topanga Canyon when he and his trainee Heidi stumbles on the trunk with the diary. But, the trunk also has a flask containing a portion that would be best to leave alone.
As much as I enjoyed the beginning of the book did it come a time after I read little over half the book when I found myself questioning whether I should continue reading or not. The story started to become a bit dull, and I found myself not enjoying either storyline. However, I did not give up and the story picked up. Well, at least the journal entries got better, I still did not find the present storylines that interesting with Rafe having trouble with his sister Lucy, the meth heads and his puppy love for Miranda. And, as I came to think of now when I'm writing the review, Heidi who was with him when he found the trunk and later on when they almost died in a car crash just disappeared from the story. And, that was just too bad because I liked her. I can't say that Rafe and Miranda interested me that much, but for the story to take the obvious direction was it necessary. And, here we have the big problem for me with this book. It was too often pretty obvious what would happen, no twist to the story that astonished me. Although the ending, the last entry in the journal both solved a question that I had back in my mind and was an interesting turn of event.
Still, I'm glad to have read the book. It may have had some weak moments in the middle of the book, but the story picked up towards the end of the book even Rafe started to interest me a bit more than when he was having trouble with the meth heads and Miranda's boyfriend Laszlo.
I want to thank 47North & Little Bird for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley!
I found the intro of this book promising with Robert Louis Stevenson trying to find if not a cure something that would make him better since he had been suffering from bad health since he was a child. And, it's now he meets a doctor that will change his entire life. In the present time, Rafael Salazar is studying coyotes in Topanga Canyon when he and his trainee Heidi stumbles on the trunk with the diary. But, the trunk also has a flask containing a portion that would be best to leave alone.
As much as I enjoyed the beginning of the book did it come a time after I read little over half the book when I found myself questioning whether I should continue reading or not. The story started to become a bit dull, and I found myself not enjoying either storyline. However, I did not give up and the story picked up. Well, at least the journal entries got better, I still did not find the present storylines that interesting with Rafe having trouble with his sister Lucy, the meth heads and his puppy love for Miranda. And, as I came to think of now when I'm writing the review, Heidi who was with him when he found the trunk and later on when they almost died in a car crash just disappeared from the story. And, that was just too bad because I liked her. I can't say that Rafe and Miranda interested me that much, but for the story to take the obvious direction was it necessary. And, here we have the big problem for me with this book. It was too often pretty obvious what would happen, no twist to the story that astonished me. Although the ending, the last entry in the journal both solved a question that I had back in my mind and was an interesting turn of event.
Still, I'm glad to have read the book. It may have had some weak moments in the middle of the book, but the story picked up towards the end of the book even Rafe started to interest me a bit more than when he was having trouble with the meth heads and Miranda's boyfriend Laszlo.
I want to thank 47North & Little Bird for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley!
March 3, 2018
Working in Topanga Canyon in California, Environmental Scientist Rafael Salazar spies an antique steamer trunk. It's definitely out of place, revealed only because of the bad drought conditions in the canyon. Little does he realize the items inside the trunk will not only reveal the identity of Jack the Ripper but also bring to light circumstances that changed the life of the famous author Robert Louis Stevenson. As he reads a journal written by Stevenson, the whole story unfolds. A flask containing remnants of a dangerous elixir used by Stevenson to hold his tuberculosis at bay will bring a long dormant violence to Topanga Canyon.
This story is fantastic! Alternating in time from London in the late 1880s to present day California, this story unfolds a suspenseful and creepy tale, akin to Stevenson's own Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The story is well-written and the plot moves along at perfect speed. Usually I don't like stories that switch back and forth in time, but Masello pulls it off masterfully. I also enjoyed the creative mix of history and fiction. Very creative!
I listened to the audiobook version and it was perfect. One narrator read the present day portions of the story, and another read Robert Louis Stevenson's portions. Very well done! I have hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand everything. At about 12 hours in length, the audio performance took me several days to finish, but I enjoyed every moment!
This is the first book I have read by Robert Masello. He has written several other similar suspense books including The Einstein Prophesy and The Medusa Amulet. I enjoyed this one so much I am definitely going to read more of his work!
This story is fantastic! Alternating in time from London in the late 1880s to present day California, this story unfolds a suspenseful and creepy tale, akin to Stevenson's own Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The story is well-written and the plot moves along at perfect speed. Usually I don't like stories that switch back and forth in time, but Masello pulls it off masterfully. I also enjoyed the creative mix of history and fiction. Very creative!
I listened to the audiobook version and it was perfect. One narrator read the present day portions of the story, and another read Robert Louis Stevenson's portions. Very well done! I have hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand everything. At about 12 hours in length, the audio performance took me several days to finish, but I enjoyed every moment!
This is the first book I have read by Robert Masello. He has written several other similar suspense books including The Einstein Prophesy and The Medusa Amulet. I enjoyed this one so much I am definitely going to read more of his work!
May 24, 2017
I wish this story were true...
I absolutely LOVE when fact and fiction meet, become one and--from their union--an amazing story is born. The Jekyll Revelation is yet another love child birthed by Robert Masello. His vivid imagination takes a few historical facts and weaves them expertly into a story that lures you in and causes you to forget that you are reading fiction.
The portrayal of Robert Louis Stevenson (in the 1800s) was charming, in spite of the source of his inspiration for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His friends and relationships were richly cultivated and I longed to be a part of his world.
The present day narrative was also interesting as you wonder what these two separate tales could possibly have in common. Rafe is a really nice guy, an environmental scientist, who just seems to want to live and let live, yet he constantly finds himself in precarious situations over which he has little or no control. Somehow, though, he stays cool and always does the right thing. The additional characters are a mixed bag--Rafe's beautiful hippie landlord and her incorrigible boyfriend, his brain-damaged little sister, the vicious motorcycle gang, the two degenerate poachers--all add depth and complexity to this brilliant story.
While The Jekyll Revelation does not have the perfect happy ending that I always long for, both stories meet and the wrap-up is satisfying.
I absolutely LOVE when fact and fiction meet, become one and--from their union--an amazing story is born. The Jekyll Revelation is yet another love child birthed by Robert Masello. His vivid imagination takes a few historical facts and weaves them expertly into a story that lures you in and causes you to forget that you are reading fiction.
The portrayal of Robert Louis Stevenson (in the 1800s) was charming, in spite of the source of his inspiration for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His friends and relationships were richly cultivated and I longed to be a part of his world.
The present day narrative was also interesting as you wonder what these two separate tales could possibly have in common. Rafe is a really nice guy, an environmental scientist, who just seems to want to live and let live, yet he constantly finds himself in precarious situations over which he has little or no control. Somehow, though, he stays cool and always does the right thing. The additional characters are a mixed bag--Rafe's beautiful hippie landlord and her incorrigible boyfriend, his brain-damaged little sister, the vicious motorcycle gang, the two degenerate poachers--all add depth and complexity to this brilliant story.
While The Jekyll Revelation does not have the perfect happy ending that I always long for, both stories meet and the wrap-up is satisfying.
February 6, 2017
Here is a story I was really looking forward to, which makes my disappointment even greater. Instead of reading the novel I thought I would enjoy this unabridged audio version, which has an epic running time in excess of thriteen hours. After listening to more than six hours of the story over the last few days I finally gave up. My first problem was the narrator, Christopher Lane. Yes, he can read quite well but he is completely unable to do any convincing accents. The sleeve states the story is "performed" (not read!) by Christopher Lane. I find that a little pretentious, as well as laughably inaccurate. Putting this aside I carried on, but the story was so slow & plodding that I never cared about the characters or their situations. On the good side at least I've found an author & a narrator that I can avoid in the future.
March 9, 2018
The only thing I liked about this book... was that it was an audio and I could do other things while listening to it. THE ONLY THING. Oh, and the ending.
The Jekyll Revelation was not my cup of tea. No, it was really boring. Like... I actually wanted to do my work and go to meetings INSTEAD of listening to a book for fun. I really wanted to enjoy it .. but yeah I didn't.
Okay, so it's told in the past and present - which usually I like.. but yeah, not with this book for some odd reason. It could be because of the narrator.. but I honestly have no idea. Everything just kind of felt slow.. even when I was looking at the pages while the narrator was reading. I kind of wish everything was more fast paced.. or something! Maybe the narrator was bored while reading or maybe he just wasn’t the right guy to read this book. It could also be because of the writing. I don’t know, I feel like I’m in the minority for this book.
The only thing that I did like was when Jack the Ripper was mentioned. Which was probably about half way through the book. I do love any story he is in.. but then I quickly got bored again because Jack wasn't really in the picture anymore. I didn't really care for who "Hyde" was in this book either.
I did like the ending though, because it was over mostly, but it also tied everything together. Both sides came to an end which was kind of intriguing and interesting. Thus, the book was over and I was happy! Ecstatic people!
Overall, it was meh and boring. Will never reread it again in my life.
The Jekyll Revelation was not my cup of tea. No, it was really boring. Like... I actually wanted to do my work and go to meetings INSTEAD of listening to a book for fun. I really wanted to enjoy it .. but yeah I didn't.
Okay, so it's told in the past and present - which usually I like.. but yeah, not with this book for some odd reason. It could be because of the narrator.. but I honestly have no idea. Everything just kind of felt slow.. even when I was looking at the pages while the narrator was reading. I kind of wish everything was more fast paced.. or something! Maybe the narrator was bored while reading or maybe he just wasn’t the right guy to read this book. It could also be because of the writing. I don’t know, I feel like I’m in the minority for this book.
The only thing that I did like was when Jack the Ripper was mentioned. Which was probably about half way through the book. I do love any story he is in.. but then I quickly got bored again because Jack wasn't really in the picture anymore. I didn't really care for who "Hyde" was in this book either.
I did like the ending though, because it was over mostly, but it also tied everything together. Both sides came to an end which was kind of intriguing and interesting. Thus, the book was over and I was happy! Ecstatic people!
Overall, it was meh and boring. Will never reread it again in my life.
January 17, 2020
Just as good the second time around.
March 29, 2017
I have looked forward to reading this book for ages but never made time for it. So when one of my best blogging buddies suggested we read it together to feature on our "Two Bloggers One Book" I was thrilled. However, while it saddens me to admit it, "The Jekyll Revelation" is not the book for everyone. It is very slow in places and I think my love for Jack the Ripper and anything Gothic and Victorian in nature is what helped me through. Also, I would love to give the book 3.5/5 but since Goodreads simply doesn't allow it (and why not BTW?) I guess I must conform and because of the elements listed above, go with 4/5.
"The Jekyll Revelation" is told entirely in two alternating timelines. First you have Rafe Salazar who is an environmental scientist studying coyotes in drought-stricken Topanga, California. Then you have Robert Louis Stevenson's diary which tells the second tale. And let me warn you, it takes a LONG time for these two plot lines to link together in any real fashion. While working in the mountains one day, Rafe stumbles across an old trunk floating in a pond. He finds nothing of interest in it except for some old Victorian clothes and a journal written by none other than Stevenson himself. Rafe's tale takes him on an adventure which has him battling clandestine meth labs and bikers and fighting the feelings for his landlady while struggling to take care of his disabled sister as well and protect the canyon coyotes.
Stevenson's tale is one of mystery and intrigue, with a lot of information dumping scattered throughout. Battling an illness, he and his family travel to a remote location where he can receive experimental treatment. The doctor manages to infuse Stevenson with a tonic containing wolf blood which has some lasting effects on all who take it. Stevenson, who is famous for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" starting penning the famous novel and as time progresses, we learn of his true inspiration for his tale. Also, around the same time, Jack the Ripper begins stalking his prey but is there a connection to Stevenson and his groundbreaking horror tale?
Masello must have a heck of an imagination because there are so many different elements in this book and as if there werem't enough, he even throws a popular theater owner - Bram Stoker - into the mix. At times I found the book confusing and hard to follow and I honestly think Masello could have written two separate tales and the stories would have been just as good. The two really only overlap at the very end and while it was a nice connection, it could have went without happening. Also, maybe I missed something but I think there was an element that never did get wrapped up well. Rafe finds giant tracks in Topanga early in the novel which could not possible belong to the coyotes he's tracking and I'm not sure if the reader ever really learns where they came from. Miranda, the landlady, also encounters that giant wolf and unless I'm mistaken, it's presence is never explained well.
So in retrospect, which sometimes happens after putting my thoughts down on "paper," I'm going with 3/5. I liked the book but it didn't overwhelm me and since I've now taken a good look at my thoughts, I realize quite a few flaws have grabbed hold of my book-filled mind. Overall, if you like Gothic takes, are fascinated with Jack the Ripper (like I apparently am) and don't mind dueling timelines, you might enjoy "The Jekyll Revelation." Just don't prepare for a quick read and at best, just enjoy the slow ride through some often confusing and sometimes terrifying landscapes.
"The Jekyll Revelation" is told entirely in two alternating timelines. First you have Rafe Salazar who is an environmental scientist studying coyotes in drought-stricken Topanga, California. Then you have Robert Louis Stevenson's diary which tells the second tale. And let me warn you, it takes a LONG time for these two plot lines to link together in any real fashion. While working in the mountains one day, Rafe stumbles across an old trunk floating in a pond. He finds nothing of interest in it except for some old Victorian clothes and a journal written by none other than Stevenson himself. Rafe's tale takes him on an adventure which has him battling clandestine meth labs and bikers and fighting the feelings for his landlady while struggling to take care of his disabled sister as well and protect the canyon coyotes.
Stevenson's tale is one of mystery and intrigue, with a lot of information dumping scattered throughout. Battling an illness, he and his family travel to a remote location where he can receive experimental treatment. The doctor manages to infuse Stevenson with a tonic containing wolf blood which has some lasting effects on all who take it. Stevenson, who is famous for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" starting penning the famous novel and as time progresses, we learn of his true inspiration for his tale. Also, around the same time, Jack the Ripper begins stalking his prey but is there a connection to Stevenson and his groundbreaking horror tale?
Masello must have a heck of an imagination because there are so many different elements in this book and as if there werem't enough, he even throws a popular theater owner - Bram Stoker - into the mix. At times I found the book confusing and hard to follow and I honestly think Masello could have written two separate tales and the stories would have been just as good. The two really only overlap at the very end and while it was a nice connection, it could have went without happening. Also, maybe I missed something but I think there was an element that never did get wrapped up well. Rafe finds giant tracks in Topanga early in the novel which could not possible belong to the coyotes he's tracking and I'm not sure if the reader ever really learns where they came from. Miranda, the landlady, also encounters that giant wolf and unless I'm mistaken, it's presence is never explained well.
So in retrospect, which sometimes happens after putting my thoughts down on "paper," I'm going with 3/5. I liked the book but it didn't overwhelm me and since I've now taken a good look at my thoughts, I realize quite a few flaws have grabbed hold of my book-filled mind. Overall, if you like Gothic takes, are fascinated with Jack the Ripper (like I apparently am) and don't mind dueling timelines, you might enjoy "The Jekyll Revelation." Just don't prepare for a quick read and at best, just enjoy the slow ride through some often confusing and sometimes terrifying landscapes.
November 25, 2018
the format this novel was written in made it difficult for me to get into the narrative. I would have rated this a 1 star however the very last chapters were good. What surprised me most was the way the historical chapters failed to hold my attention, while the modern day aspects interested me more.
September 20, 2016
When I got my copy from Netgalley, I honestly wasn't expecting much, having never heard of the author.
Having finished this book, I have to ask, "Why have I never heard of this author?!" I consider myself fairly well read, and have a preference for that area of fiction where horror and history cross over. Even more so when it's crossed with science or science fiction, and more so yet again when the author is able to pull off that intersection without creating infodumps or losing the main thrust of the story within its setting, and moreso yet again when all of the elements are so well blended that they all contribute to the drama and tension of the story.
In "Jekyll Revelation", Masello accomplishes all of this and does it seamlessly, resulting in a literal page-turner of a novel that is as entertaining as it is edifying. This novel is a strong piece of work from an author who deserves to be included with the likes of Dan Simmons, Douglas Preston or Dan Brown when it comes to writing historical dramas. It's a book that will have you running to Wikipedia to learn more about the characters involved, provided you can put it down long enough to do so. Masello's clearly done his homework for this one, and assembled it so perfectly that you cannot see the joins. This is one of three or four books this year that I've so strongly looked forward to my next reading session.
I may not have heard of Robert Masello before this book, but now that I know the name, I can guarantee I'll be looking forward to reading more from him.
Having finished this book, I have to ask, "Why have I never heard of this author?!" I consider myself fairly well read, and have a preference for that area of fiction where horror and history cross over. Even more so when it's crossed with science or science fiction, and more so yet again when the author is able to pull off that intersection without creating infodumps or losing the main thrust of the story within its setting, and moreso yet again when all of the elements are so well blended that they all contribute to the drama and tension of the story.
In "Jekyll Revelation", Masello accomplishes all of this and does it seamlessly, resulting in a literal page-turner of a novel that is as entertaining as it is edifying. This novel is a strong piece of work from an author who deserves to be included with the likes of Dan Simmons, Douglas Preston or Dan Brown when it comes to writing historical dramas. It's a book that will have you running to Wikipedia to learn more about the characters involved, provided you can put it down long enough to do so. Masello's clearly done his homework for this one, and assembled it so perfectly that you cannot see the joins. This is one of three or four books this year that I've so strongly looked forward to my next reading session.
I may not have heard of Robert Masello before this book, but now that I know the name, I can guarantee I'll be looking forward to reading more from him.
November 8, 2016
*4.5 Stars
The Jekyll Revelation is a two for one story. First off, you get a great story about Rafael Salazar, an environmental scientist working in rural southern California. Then, you also get a fictionalized journal of Robert Louis Stevenson. And from me you’re going to get a two for one book review.
Once I saw The Jekyll Revelation, I thought that I should read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I know it sounds terrible, but I had never read this classic before; sure, I’ve seen the adaptations, thought that I knew the story, but now I know and understand that I never really knew Stevenson’s story at all.
My favorite part of The Jekyll Revelation was Stevenson’s journal. I loved how Masello captured the spirit of the times. There was a true distinction between the style, tone and vocabulary of the journal and Rafael’s story. This gave a certain “credibility” to the journal. I felt like I was reading Stevenson’s actual journal.
It is easy to forget that the late eighteen hundreds were a renaissance period in English literature. Masello gives us a vivid reminder through the journal. We get to meet Stoker and hear about Oscar Wilde, and Gilbert and Sullivan. Again, it’s easy to forget that all of these literary icons were working with, and competing against one another.
Masello gave me two underdog heroes to root for. Rafael and Louis both had their challenges and demons to fight. I connected with both and I loved the back and forth journey with each one.
Early on I thought that I knew where each of the stories were going and they both more or less did go in that general direction, but the author took me in some unexpected directions and not exactly where I thought that I would end up. That is the sign of an excellent storyteller.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
The Jekyll Revelation is a two for one story. First off, you get a great story about Rafael Salazar, an environmental scientist working in rural southern California. Then, you also get a fictionalized journal of Robert Louis Stevenson. And from me you’re going to get a two for one book review.
Once I saw The Jekyll Revelation, I thought that I should read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I know it sounds terrible, but I had never read this classic before; sure, I’ve seen the adaptations, thought that I knew the story, but now I know and understand that I never really knew Stevenson’s story at all.
My favorite part of The Jekyll Revelation was Stevenson’s journal. I loved how Masello captured the spirit of the times. There was a true distinction between the style, tone and vocabulary of the journal and Rafael’s story. This gave a certain “credibility” to the journal. I felt like I was reading Stevenson’s actual journal.
It is easy to forget that the late eighteen hundreds were a renaissance period in English literature. Masello gives us a vivid reminder through the journal. We get to meet Stoker and hear about Oscar Wilde, and Gilbert and Sullivan. Again, it’s easy to forget that all of these literary icons were working with, and competing against one another.
Masello gave me two underdog heroes to root for. Rafael and Louis both had their challenges and demons to fight. I connected with both and I loved the back and forth journey with each one.
Early on I thought that I knew where each of the stories were going and they both more or less did go in that general direction, but the author took me in some unexpected directions and not exactly where I thought that I would end up. That is the sign of an excellent storyteller.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2018
I loved how this book jumped back an forth into the past, it was done beautifully without giving me whiplash. It was for me a bit like Joe Pickett(game warden) meets Jack the Ripper. The reference to Jekyll and Hyde was made much more believable by the realistic approach.
December 6, 2016
Received this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
This book takes place in a small desert town following Rafe just after he gets a new shadow at work. They find a mysterious briefcase out in a snake riddled pond. Odd characters showing up in town and people acting a lot differently, almost as if they changed.
Dislikes:
There were parts that seemed overly wordy and just a bit to sluggish in drawing out the plot.
Likes:
This is a unique story concept and something that seems to be very advanced for a retelling. The characters are relate-able and easy to make a connection with.
Overall:
Wonderful story and unique plot concept. Would really liked to have seen more relationship building throughout the book, feel like that would have tied things together and gripped the reader a bit more. But overall, was very interesting and just the right amount of mystery.
Summary:
This book takes place in a small desert town following Rafe just after he gets a new shadow at work. They find a mysterious briefcase out in a snake riddled pond. Odd characters showing up in town and people acting a lot differently, almost as if they changed.
Dislikes:
There were parts that seemed overly wordy and just a bit to sluggish in drawing out the plot.
Likes:
This is a unique story concept and something that seems to be very advanced for a retelling. The characters are relate-able and easy to make a connection with.
Overall:
Wonderful story and unique plot concept. Would really liked to have seen more relationship building throughout the book, feel like that would have tied things together and gripped the reader a bit more. But overall, was very interesting and just the right amount of mystery.
March 30, 2020
What an enjoyable an interesting read I loved how the book went from the past to the present always something different going on throughout the whole book.
January 5, 2017
Not For Me.
June 16, 2023
‘You and your damn Brownies. Talk to Conan Doyle about nonsense like that. Talk sense to me...'
Rafe Salazar, an environmental biologist, is tracking coyotes in Topanga Canyon when he notices an old steamer trunk poking out of a drying up lake. An old journal from the famous author Robert Louis Stevenson is found inside, and the story it tells is as bizarre as the evil the trunk seems to unleash. Told alternatingly between Rafe's story and the story of RLS, we find out about the origins of the famous novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and its ties to the horrific crimes by "Jack the Ripper."
‘We are bound together, you and I, by this business. I feel that I cannot get Mr Hyde out of my skin—he has been awakened and lives inside me now—and I fear that with each day that passes, and each performance I give, his influence grows. Do you think that’s possible?’ His head came up like a jack-in-the-box, his eyes, still lined with a bit of mascara, wide.
‘I think a bit of Mr Hyde lives in everyone, and that’s why the story resonates as it does.’
‘But is it a kind of corruption, a force that, once unleashed, goes unchecked?’
‘That is why we have willpower. To control the impulses and emotions that can only lead to evil.’
‘Pshaw! Evil? Is indulgence evil? Is sensuality evil? I don’t think you believe that, Stevenson, and I don’t think your story says so. I think you hedge your bets. I think it’s hypocrisy you’re after. You just want an acknowledgement of how things actually stand. You want an admission of guilt from the whole human race.’
I'm a sucker for weird and unusual stories like this one, and even more so when I'm familiar with the setting. Topanga Canyon is a weird and somewhat funky place near where I live (Charles Manson briefly lived there), and I'd guess I've even shopped at the store that plays a role in the Topanga part of it - a second-hand store that I always refer to as "Needful Things" because of the weird and unusual stuff you can find there. And while it took a while for me to get hooked by this one - the back and forth was initially a bit off-putting - I was eventually sucked in, reading when I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and finishing it at work this morning. Masello weaves in the story of Robert Louis Stevenson very well, and I frequently had to check to see what was fact and what was fiction. (Fact: RLS was briefly questioned about the Jack the Ripper murders.) 4.5 stars rounded down, although I enjoyed it enough that I might change that and round up.
Rafe Salazar, an environmental biologist, is tracking coyotes in Topanga Canyon when he notices an old steamer trunk poking out of a drying up lake. An old journal from the famous author Robert Louis Stevenson is found inside, and the story it tells is as bizarre as the evil the trunk seems to unleash. Told alternatingly between Rafe's story and the story of RLS, we find out about the origins of the famous novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and its ties to the horrific crimes by "Jack the Ripper."
‘We are bound together, you and I, by this business. I feel that I cannot get Mr Hyde out of my skin—he has been awakened and lives inside me now—and I fear that with each day that passes, and each performance I give, his influence grows. Do you think that’s possible?’ His head came up like a jack-in-the-box, his eyes, still lined with a bit of mascara, wide.
‘I think a bit of Mr Hyde lives in everyone, and that’s why the story resonates as it does.’
‘But is it a kind of corruption, a force that, once unleashed, goes unchecked?’
‘That is why we have willpower. To control the impulses and emotions that can only lead to evil.’
‘Pshaw! Evil? Is indulgence evil? Is sensuality evil? I don’t think you believe that, Stevenson, and I don’t think your story says so. I think you hedge your bets. I think it’s hypocrisy you’re after. You just want an acknowledgement of how things actually stand. You want an admission of guilt from the whole human race.’
I'm a sucker for weird and unusual stories like this one, and even more so when I'm familiar with the setting. Topanga Canyon is a weird and somewhat funky place near where I live (Charles Manson briefly lived there), and I'd guess I've even shopped at the store that plays a role in the Topanga part of it - a second-hand store that I always refer to as "Needful Things" because of the weird and unusual stuff you can find there. And while it took a while for me to get hooked by this one - the back and forth was initially a bit off-putting - I was eventually sucked in, reading when I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and finishing it at work this morning. Masello weaves in the story of Robert Louis Stevenson very well, and I frequently had to check to see what was fact and what was fiction. (Fact: RLS was briefly questioned about the Jack the Ripper murders.) 4.5 stars rounded down, although I enjoyed it enough that I might change that and round up.
April 4, 2017
When I first grabbed this last year to review I thought it sounded like it was going to be a really cool read, but for some reason, I put it off. Now that I finally got a chance to read it I am really disappointed.
It’s got two stories going on with the past being told through the journal of Robert Louis Stevenson and present day in California, where Rafe an environmentalist finds a truck that contains the journal and some old clothing and a bit of potion.
It took me forever to read this and when I did I just really wasn’t that interested in the how the story was progressing, it was just so slow. The journal pieces were really long and boring up until about the halfway mark when Jack the Ripper started to come into play. I will admit to skimming through the journal.
Then the story with Rafe and everyone in the present day part really wasn’t much more interesting. Rafe and Heidi found the trunk but then something happened and they had to leave it behind then some idiots found it and brought to Miranda’s for her old man to look at as they just knew it would have something they could sell in it, but it really didn’t have a lot in it. I skimmed some if it too.
It was really hard to see how these two stories were going to come together and make any kind of sense. The end did clear up most of my confusion but it never really clears up why there is a wolf mentioned in the present day parts. I can only conclude that it must be a descendent of the one mentioned in the past sections?? One may never know.
Overall, I liked the concept, but I really didn’t enjoy it and almost DNFed it but I already DNFed a buddy read a few months ago and didn’t want to do it so soon again…lol. Can’t really recommend it.
It’s got two stories going on with the past being told through the journal of Robert Louis Stevenson and present day in California, where Rafe an environmentalist finds a truck that contains the journal and some old clothing and a bit of potion.
It took me forever to read this and when I did I just really wasn’t that interested in the how the story was progressing, it was just so slow. The journal pieces were really long and boring up until about the halfway mark when Jack the Ripper started to come into play. I will admit to skimming through the journal.
Then the story with Rafe and everyone in the present day part really wasn’t much more interesting. Rafe and Heidi found the trunk but then something happened and they had to leave it behind then some idiots found it and brought to Miranda’s for her old man to look at as they just knew it would have something they could sell in it, but it really didn’t have a lot in it. I skimmed some if it too.
It was really hard to see how these two stories were going to come together and make any kind of sense. The end did clear up most of my confusion but it never really clears up why there is a wolf mentioned in the present day parts. I can only conclude that it must be a descendent of the one mentioned in the past sections?? One may never know.
Overall, I liked the concept, but I really didn’t enjoy it and almost DNFed it but I already DNFed a buddy read a few months ago and didn’t want to do it so soon again…lol. Can’t really recommend it.
October 29, 2016
The Jekyll Revelation by Robert Masello The Jekyll Revelation by Robert Masello is a paranormal horror story that carries a curse from 1880's London to present-day California. It kept me reading "just one more chapter" into the wee hours of the morning. I gave it five stars.
It alternates chapters between Robert Louis Stephenson's life and a tale in Topanga, California. It is a compelling story.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from 47North and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Jekyll-Revelat...
It is in Pre-order status until November 8, 2016 so I could not leave a review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
It alternates chapters between Robert Louis Stephenson's life and a tale in Topanga, California. It is a compelling story.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from 47North and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Jekyll-Revelat...
It is in Pre-order status until November 8, 2016 so I could not leave a review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
September 10, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for honest review.
Please see my full review at www.coffeeandtrainspotting.wordpress.com.
Make sure to get yourself a copy on it's release, you won't be disappointed!
Please see my full review at www.coffeeandtrainspotting.wordpress.com.
Make sure to get yourself a copy on it's release, you won't be disappointed!
February 21, 2018
Well written and well researched, but not all that exciting
September 12, 2017
The Jekyll Revelation by Robert Masello has left me torn. The story is told in two parts, one in the past and one in the present and unfortunately, they are worlds apart in scope and storytelling. Had one part been told this book would have been a masterpiece of historical horror and fiction. If the other tale was told on its own it would have been instantly forgettable. A book that would have been started, put aside and forgotten. But by combining them we have instead, a drowning man whose savior is not strong enough to support him, so together, agonizingly slowly, they both perish.
While on patrol in Topanga Canyon, Environmental Scientist Rafael Salazar follows an endangered pack of wolves, knowing that the dangers of poachers and hidden drug dealers surround him, he stumbles upon a dilapidated antique steamer trunk. Inside he finds a journal written by none other then the renowned author, Robert Louis Stevenson. In the journal, Stevenson tells the origin of his tale, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and also other secrets. The truth of the identity of Jack the Ripper. But in the trunk there is more than the journal, there is also a flask. A flask containing a forgotten potion. A potion that gave birth to London's most infamous killer.
There are two stories here.
The story of Robert Louis Stevenson, who deathly ill, travels deeps into the mountains to a retreat with holistic healing techniques. One of these techniques is to infuse the patient with the blood of a wild animal. A potion that heals Stevenson, returning him to full strength, but in the hands and cruel mind of someone else, it will create a monster.
The next story is that of the Environmentalist, Rafael Salazar whose obsession to protect his Canyon from the criminal element that find this remote area to their liking. But Salazar has no true authority and no respect. When he finds the old chest, he finds it pursued by others who think its contents valuable. But Salazar, reading Stevenson's journal, knows that the chest and its contents is far more than valuable, it is dangerous. The potion inside has the ability to create a new monster.
The story that is that of Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the best tales of historical fiction I have read in some time. The tale of Stevenson learning of the potion that would eventually become the essence of his great story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and then the horror as his inspiration becomes reality in the East End of London. Among the alleys and darkness of Whitechapel. Then to learn that his potion has far more than an inspiring effect on the killer, that it create him. A killer that Stevenson is very close to.
The story of Rafael Salazar pales horribly in comparison. It is slow and disjointed and serves more as a distraction; an interruption to the real story of the book. If there was a simple way to skip the pages on this telling and just focus on the historical fiction, the flow and tempo of the book would be strong and fast.
The Jekyll Revelation is a good book that could have been so much better with a little less ambition and an editor who paid attention.
While on patrol in Topanga Canyon, Environmental Scientist Rafael Salazar follows an endangered pack of wolves, knowing that the dangers of poachers and hidden drug dealers surround him, he stumbles upon a dilapidated antique steamer trunk. Inside he finds a journal written by none other then the renowned author, Robert Louis Stevenson. In the journal, Stevenson tells the origin of his tale, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and also other secrets. The truth of the identity of Jack the Ripper. But in the trunk there is more than the journal, there is also a flask. A flask containing a forgotten potion. A potion that gave birth to London's most infamous killer.
There are two stories here.
The story of Robert Louis Stevenson, who deathly ill, travels deeps into the mountains to a retreat with holistic healing techniques. One of these techniques is to infuse the patient with the blood of a wild animal. A potion that heals Stevenson, returning him to full strength, but in the hands and cruel mind of someone else, it will create a monster.
The next story is that of the Environmentalist, Rafael Salazar whose obsession to protect his Canyon from the criminal element that find this remote area to their liking. But Salazar has no true authority and no respect. When he finds the old chest, he finds it pursued by others who think its contents valuable. But Salazar, reading Stevenson's journal, knows that the chest and its contents is far more than valuable, it is dangerous. The potion inside has the ability to create a new monster.
The story that is that of Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the best tales of historical fiction I have read in some time. The tale of Stevenson learning of the potion that would eventually become the essence of his great story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and then the horror as his inspiration becomes reality in the East End of London. Among the alleys and darkness of Whitechapel. Then to learn that his potion has far more than an inspiring effect on the killer, that it create him. A killer that Stevenson is very close to.
The story of Rafael Salazar pales horribly in comparison. It is slow and disjointed and serves more as a distraction; an interruption to the real story of the book. If there was a simple way to skip the pages on this telling and just focus on the historical fiction, the flow and tempo of the book would be strong and fast.
The Jekyll Revelation is a good book that could have been so much better with a little less ambition and an editor who paid attention.
January 6, 2018
I mostly enjoyed the book, but after getting to the end of it it strikes me that the entire present day narrative could have been completely removed and the book would not have suffered. In fact, it might have been a better story. The two parts, the past and present, were barely connected at all. It felt like present day was just filler between the bits of the real story, and I kept waiting for the connection to happen. It didn't.
The present day was a cute little disjointed story with characters that were never really fleshed out, and some events that were not quite believeable enough, and a little too predictable, to be engaging.
The past was where things were interesting. That part had me engaged, and I liked the characters. They were there and felt like people. If the book had been only about RLS and his family and the events around them, then this book would have gotten 4 stars from me.
Something the author said in the afterword stuck with me. He said he uses real people in his books because he could never come up with characters that interesting on his own, and after reading this book, I think he's right.
The present day was a cute little disjointed story with characters that were never really fleshed out, and some events that were not quite believeable enough, and a little too predictable, to be engaging.
The past was where things were interesting. That part had me engaged, and I liked the characters. They were there and felt like people. If the book had been only about RLS and his family and the events around them, then this book would have gotten 4 stars from me.
Something the author said in the afterword stuck with me. He said he uses real people in his books because he could never come up with characters that interesting on his own, and after reading this book, I think he's right.
November 19, 2017
This is the best book I have read in a long, long time. I did not want it to end. Written both from the perspective of the 1880's with Robert Louis Stevenson as narrator (this is a work of fiction, but I kept forgetting that!) and present day, with the present day narrator being a young Land Management environmental specialist, the story is based from both perspectives, with the focus being on Stevenson's famous tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Oh. My. Gosh. This is fascinating. In present day, an ancient trunk is found sticking out of a pond that has all but dried up due to the drought in California. The rest, as they say, is history.
You MUST read this book!!
You MUST read this book!!
March 10, 2018
This was a tough one to get through. If it hadn't been for a few buddies reading it and telling me the ending was good, I might have DNF'd it.
There are two POV's in the book. The first is a series of journal entries from Robert Louis Stevenson detailing his struggle with TB and the strange medicine that he ends up taking to end his affliction, his writing of several stories including A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and his proximity to the murders by Jack the Ripper. All this should be exciting, but it was a slog to get through especially in the first half of the book. In fact, this POV really doesn't get interesting until Jack the Ripper shows up.
The second POV is from Rafe, a park ranger in Topanga Canyon, CA. His primary focus is studying a pair of coyotes in the canyon. He has some run-ins with the local poachers and drug dealers while in the wilderness. He is in love with his landlady, but that doesn't really go anywhere until the end of the book (an even then it is not very eventful). The main purpose of his POV is because he finds a trunk with the journal in it. However, the author spends an equal amount of time between the 2 POV's. Rafe's is devoted to his adventures which other than finding the journal are completely unrelated to Stevenson's problems. Rafe's adventures are just not very meaningful. I was disappointed.
There are two POV's in the book. The first is a series of journal entries from Robert Louis Stevenson detailing his struggle with TB and the strange medicine that he ends up taking to end his affliction, his writing of several stories including A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and his proximity to the murders by Jack the Ripper. All this should be exciting, but it was a slog to get through especially in the first half of the book. In fact, this POV really doesn't get interesting until Jack the Ripper shows up.
The second POV is from Rafe, a park ranger in Topanga Canyon, CA. His primary focus is studying a pair of coyotes in the canyon. He has some run-ins with the local poachers and drug dealers while in the wilderness. He is in love with his landlady, but that doesn't really go anywhere until the end of the book (an even then it is not very eventful). The main purpose of his POV is because he finds a trunk with the journal in it. However, the author spends an equal amount of time between the 2 POV's. Rafe's is devoted to his adventures which other than finding the journal are completely unrelated to Stevenson's problems. Rafe's adventures are just not very meaningful. I was disappointed.
April 19, 2018
When I first laid eyes upon Robert Masello’s The Jekyll Revelation, I felt excitement. What could be better than combining Jekyll and Hyde with Jack the Ripper? In theory, nothing. Unless it’s this book. With an agonizingly slow advancement of plot and painfully dull characters, The Jekyll Revelation felt like a waste of my time. Thank god there was an audiobook accompaniment, or I wouldn’t have finished it.
The Jekyll Revelation goes back and forth in time, alternating between present day California where Rafe and Heidi (who vanishes halfway through the story, along with the repercussions for Rafe’s actions) patrol the desert and the past, where Robert Louis Stevenson, only just now writing his famed The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is slowly dying from consumption. The latter portions are told in first person, as it is the recounting of Stevenson’s fictional life by journal. Many of these chapters could be removed and the book would be the same.
I guess it could be said that my biggest quarrel with this book is its slow progression. It isn’t until the final quarter of the novel that anything picks up, and by then the present is damn near irrelevant. Sure, there’s some loose ends that get tied up in the present, but it just feels hollow and empty.
Overall, I didn’t like this book. Fellow members of the #spookyfriendsbookclub seem to also have given it up, with only one member still reading it. I likely won’t be including Masello in future votes.
The Jekyll Revelation goes back and forth in time, alternating between present day California where Rafe and Heidi (who vanishes halfway through the story, along with the repercussions for Rafe’s actions) patrol the desert and the past, where Robert Louis Stevenson, only just now writing his famed The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is slowly dying from consumption. The latter portions are told in first person, as it is the recounting of Stevenson’s fictional life by journal. Many of these chapters could be removed and the book would be the same.
I guess it could be said that my biggest quarrel with this book is its slow progression. It isn’t until the final quarter of the novel that anything picks up, and by then the present is damn near irrelevant. Sure, there’s some loose ends that get tied up in the present, but it just feels hollow and empty.
Overall, I didn’t like this book. Fellow members of the #spookyfriendsbookclub seem to also have given it up, with only one member still reading it. I likely won’t be including Masello in future votes.
November 19, 2018
That this book comfortably sits on six separate shelves is one of the reasons it is 4 stars and not 5. What the book contains are two entirely separate stories which are held together by the thinnest thread of coincidence.
One 1/2 is the story of an Environmental Scientist in Topanga Canyon, CA. Rafe Salazar is studying Coyotes and tracking their habitats, living in a rental trailer behind a new age gift shop, crushing on the owner, worrying about his disabled sister, concerned about the drought, alert to the wacko poachers and fairly alarmed by the meth cooking bikers.
The other half, set more than 100 years earlier is the fictionalized diary of Robert Louis Stevenson and his novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Did a trip to a Swiss Health Clinic inspire the work, was it based upon something dark and non fictional. What was the connection between the London premier of the stage show and Jack the Ripper? And what became of his ne'er do well Stepson?
These two stories are blended together in a unique way, and I will admit it mostly worked. But I also think the 'lost diary' of RL Stevenson would have been fine as a stand alone story
One 1/2 is the story of an Environmental Scientist in Topanga Canyon, CA. Rafe Salazar is studying Coyotes and tracking their habitats, living in a rental trailer behind a new age gift shop, crushing on the owner, worrying about his disabled sister, concerned about the drought, alert to the wacko poachers and fairly alarmed by the meth cooking bikers.
The other half, set more than 100 years earlier is the fictionalized diary of Robert Louis Stevenson and his novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Did a trip to a Swiss Health Clinic inspire the work, was it based upon something dark and non fictional. What was the connection between the London premier of the stage show and Jack the Ripper? And what became of his ne'er do well Stepson?
These two stories are blended together in a unique way, and I will admit it mostly worked. But I also think the 'lost diary' of RL Stevenson would have been fine as a stand alone story
July 11, 2017
This was a daily deal on Audible, so I picked it up. An interesting and strange mix. Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack the Ripper, sort-of-werewolves, California, meth heads, motorcycle gangs, tropical islands, medical experiments - all are part of this story. I think I need to try another of Masello's books, and then I'll know how I feel about this book. Huh.
July 9, 2023
Historical fiction mash-ups can be quite enjoyable, especially when handled as a fun read. One can play fast and furious with history, mixing in reality with the imaginary, and completely doing away with the burden of hidden codes and ancient conspiracy theories, which is an easy pitfall that is usually handled more sloppily than not. Robert Masello shoots for the fun and crafts a tale around a “What if…?” solely grounded in reality when he discovered that the play The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde opened on the same night as Jack the Ripper’s first murder. Creepy, eh? Hence, the “What if…” found in The Jekyll Revelation. What if… Robert Louis Stevenson was involved with the Jack the Ripper investigation?
The Jekyll Revelation bounces between a present day California park ranger and Stevenson’s journal from the late 19th Century. Loaded with introductions and characterizations, from both timelines, the first third is slow build-up – and unnecessarily slow at times as the remainder of the novel accelerates to orbital velocity levels. Masello, however, does create good, recognizable characters, albeit on the cliché side for those California players. The true delight is watching the story unfold, in both centuries, through Stevenson’s journal.
Masello postulates with the time-honored literary tradition of men playing God and the results of such dealings. Stevenson takes on the unlikely role of a reluctant action hero, but he’s Scottish so it’s all cool. His park ranger American contemporary is the one who must deal with the crimes of the past in the present, which results in fisticuffs and bullets all around.
American storytelling at its best, eh?
An enjoyable read that gets moving after a heavy start. Most of all, this is fun. Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the advance copy and the magic contained within.
Want more fun and magic? Check out Read @ Joe's
The Jekyll Revelation bounces between a present day California park ranger and Stevenson’s journal from the late 19th Century. Loaded with introductions and characterizations, from both timelines, the first third is slow build-up – and unnecessarily slow at times as the remainder of the novel accelerates to orbital velocity levels. Masello, however, does create good, recognizable characters, albeit on the cliché side for those California players. The true delight is watching the story unfold, in both centuries, through Stevenson’s journal.
Masello postulates with the time-honored literary tradition of men playing God and the results of such dealings. Stevenson takes on the unlikely role of a reluctant action hero, but he’s Scottish so it’s all cool. His park ranger American contemporary is the one who must deal with the crimes of the past in the present, which results in fisticuffs and bullets all around.
American storytelling at its best, eh?
An enjoyable read that gets moving after a heavy start. Most of all, this is fun. Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the advance copy and the magic contained within.
Want more fun and magic? Check out Read @ Joe's
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