Capturing the Devil

Stalking Jack the Ripper #4

by Kerri Maniscalco

In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer---or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World's Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they've heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him---and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device---is another.

Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end---together and in love---or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Romance, Historical, Fantasy, Thriller

464 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

I'm mostly on instagram--where I'm always ready to talk fictional crushes and nerd out over books. (Okay, okay. And I've also been known to share snippets and teasers from my upcoming novels, if you're into that sort of thing...) Please feel free to chat with me there @KerriManiscalco. I love talking with fellow readers!


Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.

She is the #1 NYT and USA Today bestselling author of the STALKING JACK THE RIPPER quartet, the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED trilogy, and her forthcoming adult debut, THRONE OF THE FALLEN, set within the KINGDOM OF THE WICKED universe. Two other un-named titles will also be set within the KOTW world and will follow two different princes.

For more information, visit Kerri online:
www.kerrimaniscalco.com
www.facebook.com/KerriManiscalcoAuthor

Follow Kerri on Instagram:
instagram.com/kerrimaniscalco

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10/19 UPDATE:

good morning and welcome to the world, little book. the last five years of writing these stories and getting to know these characters have been the best, but now it’s time for me to say goodbye and send Thomas and Audrey Rose off.

i absolutely adore this conclusion–it ends where it all began for me. what you thought you knew about a killer in Stalking Jack the Ripper might just be another mystery waiting to be solved. i hope you’ve loved the hints i’ve dropped along the way…

Stalking Jack the Ripper intros the world and players.

Hunting Prince Dracula finds them in a castle much like Holmes’ Murder Hotel.

Escaping From Houdini was an emotional journey into Hell.

And now Audrey Rose and Thomas are finally Capturing the Devil they’ve been hunting. Or, at least they’re trying to.

as you join me in solving the final Stalking Jack the Ripper mystery, please remember one thing:

Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal, dear reader.

thank you, thank you, thank you for going on another adventure with me.

xoxo

9/8/19 UPDATE:

there are now TWO days left until pub!! which means there's only one day left to get your CTD pre-order prizes:

US readers snag them here: https://bit.ly/2O07rcZ
INTL readers have an option here: https://bit.ly/2kvHd3X

AHHHH SO CLOSE NOW!!!!

9/4/19 UPDATE

i did my first virtual book launch last night!! if you missed it, no worries! you can still watch it (and order signed books) for the next 30 days! i'll also pop in and answer and series/publishing questions in the comments.

https://talkshop.live/stream/1999

SIX DAYS LEFT, FRIENDS!!!!!!


8/26/19 UPDATE

today is the last day to pre-order a personalized copy of CTD from Mysterious Galaxy bookstore (they do ship INTL!), so please snag yours if you were waiting for a personalized copy! xoxo https://www.mystgalaxy.com/Maniscalco...

8/13/19 UPDATE:

to celebrate the ONE MONTH mark until pub day (!!!), i released the official CAPTURING THE DEVIL book trailer on my social media and website! i hope you enjoy it!!! xoxo

7/18/19 UPDATE:

the PREORDER PRIZES have been announced!! details and FAQ here:
https://kerrimaniscalco.com/2019/07/1...

6/5/19 UPDATE:

I currently have TWO chapter samplers up for grabs on my Instagram account! Contest ends on June 10th! (This will likely be the only giveaway I host due to limited supplies.)

UPDATE:

COVER REVEAL is scheduled for Monday! (4/29/19)
I'm also releasing an ENTIRE CHAPTER. 11 am EST. xoxo

***

1/8/19 UPDATE:

i've released the second quote from CAPTURING THE DEVIL on my IG, tumblr, and twitter. (Facebook and my website will follow.) it's the first Cresswell quote. hope you enjoy! xoxo

***

1/7/19 UPDATE: the official synopsis is here!!!! also??? the release date has been pushed up to September 10th!!!

***

i'm SO excited to share this final adventure with you!! its scheduled release date is 9/26/19 and there will be a cover reveal, full synopsis, and other fun announcements early in the New Year.

for now, i'm finishing up this draft and enjoying every second of it. xoxo

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Rachel Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

I'm so sad to say goodbye to this series 😭
I became so attached to these characters.. their personalities and flirty banter was everything 💓

[Grace (BURTSBOOKS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My enjoyment of this series totally dwindled as it went along. I was in love with the first two books, there was a perfect balance of murder and mystery and entertaining banter between our two main characters. As the series went along though slowly it became more about over dramatic romance and less about spine chilling plot. I love Audrey Rose and Thomas as characters and they are a great pair but having to spend 75% of a book I thought would be a murder mystery listening to them proclaim their undying love was not my cup of tea, to say the least. I wanted wayyyyy less romance and much more murder and in the end this series just didn't deliver what it promised to initially and I can't help but feel disappointed.

I will never forget the way the first chapter in Stalking Jack the Ripper made goosebumps rise on the back of my neck as I witnessed Audrey Rose cut into her first cadaver. I had so much hope after that moment, for the premise and the characters and I just wish this series continued along the vein of science and flaying open dead bodies that it started on.

This wasn't a bad book by any means, it's just not what I wanted it to be, unfortunately.

[She-who-must-not-be-named · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're looking for 'mystery' in this book, look somewhere else. Because the only 'mystery' here is how I even finished this book :/

After the disastrous experience of having read Escaping from Houdini , I was scared to pick up this book. But it looks like all my worst fears came true. I loathed this book. So much that I had to keep a bucket and a mop next to me if I felt the need to throw up.

My love for this series progressively declined.

In Stalking Jack The Ripper , Audrey chides and challenges society's expectations of how women should 'be'. Despite the sexist society at the time, she is unafraid to pursue her interest, i.e Forensics under her Uncle's tutelage.

In Hunting Prince Dracula, Audrey grapples with the horrors she endured in book one and shuts off her ears to headmaster's and fellow students' attempts to put her apprenticeship down.

In Escaping from Houdini , she becomes an entirely different person altogether. She makes questionable decisions and hurts Thomas' feelings multiple times. The investigative elements dropped with increasing drama and an unnecessary love triangle.

In Capturing the Devil , the investigating elements dropped to an all-time low. Reasons why I loathed the book:

1. This book had 50 per cent drama, 49.9 per cent exaggerated romance and 0.1 per cent mystery crammed at the end for the sake of, uh, formality.

2. R.I.P logic. If you think you are anywhere near to finding a serial killer based on quotes from Frankenstein, words of a misogynistic madman about Devils and their late night abduction activities, then get your hopes up. We can all be detectives!!!!

3.Repetition of words. The words 'Devil', 'Devilish Prince', 'Devilish this', 'Devilish that', 'Devlish my foot' instilled so much fury in my blood vessels that my poor Kindle would've been in pieces if I didn't practice meditation every day.

4. Too much Romance.

The lead investigators talk about sex when they're together, do the nasty when they're together and alone and think about sex when they're not together. Classic.
Even the serial killer was bored and did his best to grab their attention.

5. The killer. So obvious, so obvious. If you follow a lot of articles on crime and criminology, you'll take seconds to guess him/her.

It is obvious that this wasn't exactly a pleasant read for me, but there were some things I liked. Like Sir Issac Mewton-the cat, Lisa and Audrey's bond, Audrey's bond with her father and Thomas' sarcasm. These things gave me my high and calmed my veins down. (That sounds SO wrong oops)

Time to remove this book from my 'mystery' shelf.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars I love you dear, Audrey and Thomas but I’m unhauling my hardbacks. I’m just not feeling it any more.....



Faecrate Capturing The Devil Book Hangover Recovery Kit! Click on the link under the pic to see all of the GOODIES!



THE GOODIES LINK

[Tucker Almengor · Rating 5 out of 5]

➵ Stalking Jack the Ripper (#1) - ★★★★★
➵ Hunting Prince Dracula (#2) - ★★★★★
➵ Escaping from Houdini (#3) - ★★★★★
➵ Capturing the Devil (#4) - ★★★★★

-------------

”I was born with the devil in me…
And he has been with me ever since.

Basically me throughout the entire book:



I’m sure some people had the tiny nagging voice in the back of their head whispering What if the final book is awful? What if Kerri pulls a Veronica Roth on us? but not me! I have an unbeatable (and slightly unrealistic) faith in this woman to create a story that will satisfy. And I am happy to announce that it did!

The fourth and final (NO! WHYYYY) book of my favorite series was amazing. The characters, plot, and audio were superb and I honestly could not have asked for more. This final book did an amazing job of wrapping up every plotline and loose end in one beautiful and spectacular bow.

Even though I loved all the plotlines, I’ll discuss my favorite one first! Audrey Rose and Thomas! I have never shipped a couple so hard and guess what guys…. THEY HAD SEX! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH That scene had me beaming. I have never met two characters more perfect for each other.

And then, of course, we have the mystery which, in my opinion, was just a tiny bit lacking. Objectively, it was a decent mystery but I felt like Kerri was trying too hard to shove it in there with the Audrey-Rose-&-Thomas’s-Wedding-Conundrum plotline which would have made a great book on its own. That said, she delivered on that classic thrill and adrenaline that we all know her for!

Another thing I really wanted to note was Audrey Rose’s disability. In Escaping from Houdini, she gets stabbed in the leg.

In the last few chapters of Escaping from Houdini and throughout the entirety of Capturing the Devil, Audrey Rose uses a cane and has a limp. I wanted to note this because not only is it a great rep but it’s also Own Voices as Kerri has an invisible disability. I thought it was super cool that she put a bit of herself inside the main character!

Overall, this book was amazing, emotional and so hard to finish because I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters.

Bottom Line:
5 Stars
Age Rating: [ R ]
Content Screening (Spoilers) - Educational Value (2/5) - [How to properly handle cadavers, what to do for poisoning] ~ Positive Messages (3/5) [Feminism, love, strength] ~ Violence (4/5) - [Gore, murders, poisoning, concusion] ~ Sex (4/5) - [Two characters engage in passionate and mildly detailed sex multiple times] ~ Langauge (0/5) - [No langauge] ~ Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Poison, legal alcohol consumption, sedative drugs]
Trigger and Content Warning - Loss of loved ones, poison, sedation, concussion, kidnapping, dead bodies
Reps: [Lesbian, Disability*]
Publication Date:
Publisher:
Genre: Mystery/Romance
*Own voices
--------------------------------
BONUS SPOILER DISCUSSION! SPOILERS AHEAD!

[Credit: Tara Spruit Art]
Okay, so the first spoiler-y thing I want to discuss is the sex scene between Thomas and Audrey Rose! For real, that scene made my day! After three f**king books, they finally did it and I could not have been happier. And then there’s Ms. Whitehall. That b*tch can burn in hell. And finally, the wedding between Audrey and Thomas. Even though it didn’t happen for real until the last page, I was so happy!

**************

[9/12/19] -

Goodbye, Thomas
Goodbye, Audrey Rose
Goodbye, Liza
Goodbye, Uncle Jonathan
Goodbye, Mephistopheles
Goodbye to the series that means so much to me that there are no words in the world to describe it.
Goodbye, Stalking Jack the Ripper

*************

[9/10/2019] - [9/10/2019] - POP QUIZ! Anybody recognize this voice?


*************
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*************
The book trailer is out!!!!
*************
ONLY 71 MORE DAYS!
*************
YOU GUYS THOMAS IS GETTING HIS OWN NOVELLA. I HAVE OF COURSE PRE-ORDERED IT
*************
FRIENDS WHO ARE GOING TO BEA, I am willing to trade a limb for a (signed if possible) chapter sampler of this, which will be at BEA. If you get your hands on one and are willing to trade for it, message me. I am willing to trade it for just about anything!
*************
Okay, but what is Audrey Rose holding on the cover? Also, DO YA'LL SEE THE RING ON HER FINGER? AUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! ICaN'tEveN!!!!
*************
welp, apparently they're not doing ARCs for this one. now, i'm sad
*************
OMG! It's about the Murder Hotel!!! FSDHFJKHFJDSHFJSKDF
*************
OMG! WE HAVE A COVER! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! WE HAVE A COVER!!
*************
Cover reveal is in Monday!!!!!!! Eeekkk!! https://kerrimaniscalco.com/2019/04/2...
*************
I wish I could sum up the emotion I am feeling. I mean this is the last book in my favorite series. I am excited and heartbroken at the same time.

| Goodreads | Blog | Twitch | Pinterest | Buy this book | Reddit

[Rachel E. Carter]

After this series there will never be a book by Kerri I don't read. Wow. Just love her writing and Cressworth so much.

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOW AVAILABLE!

Stalking Jack the Ripper: 🌟🌟
Hunting Prince Dracula: 🌟🌟🌟
Escaping from Houdini: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Becoming the Dark Prince: 🌟🌟🌟
Capturing the Devil: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Shall we see about solving another gruesome murder, my love?" -Thomas Cresswell, confirmed angel



If you hear sobbing around the world on September 10th, it's likely due to the fact that Capturing the Devil released and we're all having to say goodbye to Thomas Cresswell... I mean, the series. Yes, totally the series. It's no secret that I jumped onboard the Stalking Jack the Ripper series fashionably late, but I'm so glad that I decided to finally give these a try, and it was really nice to be able to binge them all back to back without waiting for years between releases. 🙃 My relationship with these books has been tumultuous, so you can be assured I'm not blowing smoke by recommending this installment, as I have been brutally honest about my feelings toward each book as I've read them. Minor spoilers in the remainder of the review for the previous books in the series.

When I began Stalking Jack the Ripper, I was sorely disappointed due to the fact that the culprit is evident from the beginning of the book. Many, MANY fans encouraged me to keep going, and that the rest of the books were a huge improvement from the first, which they were right about. I found myself the oddball out in finding my favorite installment (and now possibly tied with this one) being Escaping from Houdini, maybe because I love books set on cruise ships, traveling carnivals, and over-the-top drama. Each book seems to give us a case that is pertinent to that installment, while also giving us some sort of twist pertaining to the overall arc of the series, and I love this!

Going into Capturing the Devil, I had some ideas about how things would wrap up. Having read the author's notes in the afterward of each novel, I gleaned that she was writing these books based off of popular conspiracy theories sprinkled with historical facts, which makes for an engrossing read. IMO, there aren't enough engaging historical mysteries in the YA realm, and the author does a fine job of creating an oppressive, haunting atmosphere in each setting, so much so that the setting is a character itself. There was a nice little twist at the end; it will shock some and others might say "I knew it all along!" Either way, the beauty of this tale is that it isn't dependent on this twist, due to the fact that we have a hardcore heroine with the wickedest cane in the world, a tender romance that has been tested by time and trials, and a satisfying wrap-up to give everyone the fuzzies.

This series is definitely one that you want to read in order, and even though I had a rocky beginning, I'm glad that I invested the time and energy into knowing these characters and solving the mysteries.

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy!

[Maditales · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why did this book completely ruin everything that happened in book 1??? That is so unnecessary and just not believable and in my opinion very stupid.

[Nastassja · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is set in stone then: my affection toward this series is truly dead. In spite of being very enthusiastic about the whole business of writing a snarky review, part of me feels very sad because, in the beginning, Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the series, was one of my favorites. But the magic is gone, and if I to pick up book one and book four and compare them, I'd see two absolutely different books in style and message. Maybe 'it's not you but me' situation, but I highly doubt it because a series that started from solving gruesome murders with witty and intelligent characters, turned into a quest of finding a husband.

Here goes a short summary of Capturing the Devil CAPTURING A TITLED HUSBAND OR HOW RICH PEOPLE DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER WHEN THEY HAVE A WEDDING TO PLAN. BEWARE THE SPOILERS!

So Audrey Rose and Thomas love each other; they want to get engaged to consummate their undying love. But wait, it's not enough: they have to marry as soon as possible, in two weeks time, to be precise! Thomas is a lord, his father is a duke and his mother was a distant relative of Dracula (yes, that Dracula). What an excellent breed we've got here!

Audrey Rose is such a feminist! She's ready to marry at 17 y.o.; moreover, she's ready to take his family name because - for a second - it's her choice, unlike her own family name that was given to her at birth without her consent. Poor child!

Most young women of my station married at about twenty-one years, but my soul felt older, especially after the events on the RMS Etruria.

So the upcoming nuptials are nearing, and our love-birds decide to consummate their progressive engagement with sex on the night before the wedding. Of course, the groom is such a glorious stud and he practices physically a lot... by moving cadavers. What a sport you've got here, lad!

“How is it you’re so… defined?” I asked, running my hands over his surprisingly hard chest. “Do you take secret sword lessons I ought to know about? This”—I motioned to him—“makes no sense.”
“Truthfully?” Thomas laughed, seeming to release a bit of his own nerves. “I pick up cadavers every day in the laboratory. All that body-hauling business keeps me quite fit and healthy.

All cadaver-related fun aside, morning comes and our lovers are standing in the church, ready to tell their vows when the priest asks if anyone has objections to this union, and, oh horrors, a woman runs into the church and declares they can't marry because she is the one and only fiancee of Thomas's! *gasp*

How exciting!

Some tears later, we find out that Thomas's evil Duke of a father does not want his son to marry below station *how scandalous* and so he forged his son's signature on a paper that says he has to marry this another girl, who is, at least, a daughter of a marquise. And here Thomas can't hold it together anymore and threatens to forsake his title and inheritance to be with the woman he loves. But the Duke can't be duped so easily and so he threatens to marry Thomas's younger sister off to an old oaf *double gasp*

And the most interesting part is characters have only known each other for short five months! FIVE MONTHS and they ready to marry and love each other eternally. How modern, how feminist, indeed!

Mr. Thomas Cresswell—my insufferable yet most decidedly charming partner in crime solving—and I had danced around the subject of both courtship and marriage. I’d agreed to accept him, should he ask my father first, and hadn’t expected everything to unfold quite as quickly as it had. We’d known each other for just a few short months—five now—but it felt right.

In all that delusional fever, nobody seemed to give a shit about the serial killer who opens up whores like tin cans. It seems I am the only one who cares about whores more than royal weddings.

All of the above was happening for about 30-40% of the book, until, oh blessing, the characters seemed to finally remember about the killer! From that point on, things straightened up a little bit, and my interest piqued at the murder investigation. To my delight (not really), some scenes between our love-birds were good enough to remind me a little bit why I loved this series so much in the first place. But, overall, the whole murder business was distilled with an overabundance of romance that poured off the pages like a thickening syrop: too sticky to digest it without a cringe.

Thomas Cresswell, who was one of the best male characters for me once upon a time, completely and irrevocably turned into a spinless sidekick of the heroine, who doesn't know what real feminism really means.

But, of course, I still have to give it to the author: research for this book was amazing, and the setting was quite authentic, in my humble opinion. And I always liked Kerri Maniscalco's writing style, so in that area, I don't have any scores to settle.

All in all, Capturing the Devil is a masked romance novel about capturing a husband who knows his way with cadavers. It was sexy at times (not the cadavers business), it was gruesome at times, it was decently written - but the magic is gone and I have nothing else to add except, "Rest in peace, my love."

[Lucie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

✅ Murders to solve
✅ Tension
✅ Thomas and Audrey Rose
✅ Walking in while she’s in the bath
✅ Romance, angst, and sexy moments
✅ Funny banter
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 Identity of the serial killer easy to figure out
❗️❗️ Trigger warning : autopsies and graphic descriptions of dead bodies

4 stars, but I'm adding .5 stars just for Thomas ❤️

“The world needed to be better. And if it wasn’t possible for it to be better, we, its inhabitants, needed to do better.”

Overall, I really loved reading this series. Capturing the devil is a satisfying ending to Audrey Rose and Thomas's adventure, and even though there are some parts of the series that I enjoyed less, the adventure as a whole is worth it. This series is dark and funny at the same time, and I completely understand now why I heard so much about it in the last few years, and why everyone is in love with Thomas and Audrey Rose.

This book is more similar to the first one. The setting and the vibe are similar, and the series of murders are related to Jack the Ripper. I have to say that, once again, I was not surprised by the identity of the murderer. This series is good, but even though the intrigues are well written and developed, the guilty parties are not too hard to identify. The only time I really struggle and couldn’t decide who was the most suspicious was while reading the third book.

While the identity of the Devil was quite obvious, the last third of the book was really intense and it kept me at the edge of my seat. Even though I knew that somehow things would work out for Audrey Rose and Thomas, I couldn't help being anxious to know what would happen next, and how they would manage to stay alive and catch the serial killer.

The first part of the book focuses on Audrey Rose and Thomas's relationship, and there is a bit (a lot) of drama and angst. I can see why some people didn't like this part of the book, but I have to admit that I loved it. Objectively, I’m not sure if this betrothal-drama twist was really necessary because we'd just got out of the whole jealousy and love-triangle drama from the third book, but the angst lover in me enjoyed reading this book even though part of me wished to just see them be happy together and dive into another mystery.

“Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal.”

It's hard not to adore Audrey and Thomas. I love that they treat each other as equals despite the fact that the book is set in the late 19th century. I love their banter and their wits, and the few sexy scenes between them were steamy and delightful.

“Thank you for the shoes, Thomas.” I looked at the stack of boxes, teetering precariously close to the edge of the settee now. He caught my stare and nudged them back to safety. “All of them. It was very sweet. And highly unnecessary.”

“Your happiness is always necessary to me.” He tilted my chin up and kissed the tip of my nose. “We’ll find new ways of navigating the world together, Wadsworth. If you can no longer wear heels, we’ll design flats you adore. If you ever find those no longer work, I’ll have a wheeled chair made and bejeweled to your liking. Anything at all in the universe you need, we will make it so. And if you’d prefer to do it on your own, I will always step aside. I also promise to keep my opinion mostly to myself.”

“Mostly?”

He considered that. “Unless it’s vastly inappropriate. Then I’ll share it with gusto.”

I'm in love with Thomas. Even more, now that I know that his view of a perfect evening is a cat and a good book... Why do I always fall in love with fictional characters? ❤️😩
That scene in the bath... and the night before their wedding... That was hot. 🥵 Thomas gives me butterflies. He is so sweet and perfect. 😍

1. Stalking Jack the Ripper ⭐⭐⭐⭐
1.5 Meeting Thomas Cresswell ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Hunting Prince Dracula ⭐⭐⭐.5
3. Escaping from Houdini ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
3.5 Becoming the Dark Prince ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5



Follow me on Instagram 🙂

[♛ may · Rating 1 out of 5]

so new plan, we're going to pretend books 3 and 4 of this series never happened

“Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal.”

i'm so ridiculously annoyed at what happened but also i can't be bothered bc ever since i finished book 3: Escaping from Houdini, i've felt my attachment to this series begin to dwindle and ITS SO SAD BC I LOVE THOMAS AND AUDREY SO MUCH

a few reason why this totally sucked (in my honest, gracious, humble opinion)

1. !!conflict out of thin air!!!

having thomas and audrey's wedding interrupted to announce that thomas was already engaged to another girl THAT HAD NO HINTING FOR THE PAST 3 BOOKS OR ANY REMOTE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION other than to bring a ~shocking plot twist~ was sloppy at best. that specific scene took me out of the story and made me feel an instant disconnect from the book

2. audrey rose's ridiculously repetitive monologues

a grand portion of this book was us, the poor reader, being trapped in audrey rose's head while her mind turned into a broken record. honestly it was like reading the same pages on loop. all her inner turmoil over her feelings for thomas and her grief for her brother and her fear of the new Jack the Ripper repeated a BILLION times in a billion different lines and it added NOTHING to the plot or conflict's development.

it was incredibly tedious to read and i am so Exhausted

3. WHERE WAS THE PLOT

the real mystery of this book was finding the plot because she went missing 🤭

okay seriously, the reveal of the big bad mystery was almost impossible to figure out,,,,,,,,bc there was no clues, hints, or development guiding us.

the killer doesn't EVEN HAVE ANY PRIOR RELEVANCE TO THE STORY SO YEAH, NO CHANCE OF SOLVING THIS CASE

look, i love the soft, romantic scenes between thomas and audrey as much as the next stan but i cannot get over the fact that the story element of this book was lacking so BADLY, it ruined the rest of the book for me :(

4. our happily ever after
ma'am,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,thomas and audrey's BIG, overwhelming problem (thomas being falsely engaged to a girl his father chose for him) was SOLVED BY THE QUEEN

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the queen,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,got involved in the marriage of two random kids

how are you going to convince me eye- i wish i had words

see, if that wasn't a problem to start with, then we wouldn't have required this rushed, totally unnecessary, sloppy reveal. bc honestly that random plot twist did nothing to help the story and everything to ruin it

5. audrey rose, our feminist icon 101

this is a problem i've felt throughout all the books.

audrey rose is very forward thinking, which we love, but maybe too much. to a point where it feels unrealistic.

she doesn't feel like she was born in victorian society, she takes note and fights against big infractions against women but she also notices very small things that makes it feel more like she was born in the 21st century.

AM I MAKING SENSE???

it just feels really heavy handed to me and i wish it was more delicately done or maybe if audrey showed more inner conflict over the restrictions that she was born to accept vs. what her mind/heart fight against it would feel more genuine idk


anyways, i still love my boy thomas, the love of my life, but he deserved WAY MORE page way

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friggin fabulous book!!!! I can't say it enough how much I adore this fantabulous series!!!! From book 1 Stalking Jack The ripper to this 4 th and final book Capturing the devil. Audrey rose and Thomas are incredible and watching their journey has been intoxicating and I don't think I will ever forget this couple!!! Kerri Maniscalco is a fabulous storyteller and her words flow with beauty and grace. I have loved how she has taken intriguing characters from the past and brought them back to life. From Jack the ripper to dracula to houdini to the infamous H.H. Holmes. I've watched and read a lot about the connection between Jack the ripper and americas first seriel killer HH holmes and loved how Kerri interwove it into capturing the devil. I don't know how many times I stopped reading this book just so I could take a deep breath! So many twists and turns for these lovers,but Kerri did a awesome job on wrapping up their story. Also we got to read more about the mysterious and sexy bad boy Ayden!!! I would love to read more about him,I need to know more about his past. He is a very intriguing character with many secrets. Can't wait to see what's next for this amazingly talented writer! Until next time luv's💞💋

[toointofiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd disembowel the world and bathe in its blood if someone murdered him.

⚠️Trigger Warning: Graphic Death, Violence⚠️

This book is perfection! Not only does it repair all the damage from Escaping from Houdini that its ending and the novella couldn't fix, but it also details the most shocking case in Audrey Rose's and Thomas's careers. The White City Devil is Audrey Rose and Thomas's most horrific foe to date, and one who has a personal connection to both of them, especially Audrey Rose. He is certainly something to fear. Also, Audrey Rose recurringly mentions throughout the series that: 1. she constantly feels watched, no matter where she is, and 2. that she refuses to become the kind of monster she hunts, both of which are spectacular foreshadowing for the events of this book.

Even though the whole wedding sub-plot between Thomas and Audrey Rose is barely a conflict and is entirely anticlimactic, especially in comparison to the shock of the main plot, I can't find it in me to hate that my babies are finally happy and officially together and that this issue barely makes a dent in their feelings and behavior toward each other.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

#1: Stalking Jack the Ripper ★★★★★
#2: Hunting Prince Dracula ★★★★★
#3: Escaping From Houdini ★★★★★
#3.5: Becoming the Dark Prince ★★★★★
#4: Capturing the Devil ★★★★★

All these years later, I finally let myself say goodbye to Audrey Rose and Thomas by finishing the series, and I'm so glad to have seen how their story ended now. RTC!

Buddy read with Misty! ♥

[Grace (irisroman & evajacks' version) ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

･:*:･ﾟ⁀➷ 3.75/5 ★

A pretty good conclusion to the series! 💛💛 This book in particular wasn’t my absolute favorite, but i would definitely recommend this series overall 🥹🫶

➷ “Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal.”

Tropes:
🏰 Historical setting
🏰 Murder mystery
🏰 Badass fmc
🏰 YA

I was a bit unsure how i would feel about this book bc i loved the first two in this series, but the third one really let me down. And while i had a few issues, i still enjoyed this one! ✨️

⤹ Tw: death, gore, murder, sexism

Let’s get into my thoughts! 🌻

ೃ⁀➷ Writing & plot:

This was my seventh Kerri Maniscalco book and i think the reason that i keep reading her books is that i really enjoy her writing! The way she writes develops such a good atmosphere in all of her books and the historical setting in this one made the atmosphere and vibes even better. Even if her books aren’t my favourite, i will definitely keep reading them bc i always enjoy her writing 🫶

As for the plot of this book, it was okay. The mystery itself was pretty interesting, but i feel like it was overshadowed by all of the romantic drama happening. By the time we actually started focusing on the murders instead of the drama, i wasn’t invested enough in them to care that much 🤷‍♀️

However, I realised after reading this book and looking it up, that it’s based on a real life serial killer! That was honestly super fascinating to me and the way the murders in the book mimicked the actual way the serial killer murdered his victims was honestly crazy 🫢🫢 It shows you that this series was really well-researched.

➷ “You do say you like a man with a rather large—”

“Stop.” I held my hand up. “I beg of you. My uncle is right there.”

“Brain.” He finished anyway, grinning at my reddening face. “You truly astound me with the direction your filthy mind travels in, Wadsworth.”

ೃ⁀➷ Characters:

I honestly really like the characters in this series! After spending so many pages with them, i’m sad to say goodbye 🥺🥺

➵ Audrey Rose: not my fav fmc but i still like her! She felt a little whiny in this book to me, but i still loved seeing her defy societal expectations once again. GIRL POWER 👸

➵ Thomas Cresswell: the highlight of this series!!! 🤭🤭 His flirty banter is absolutely everything and the way that he loved audrey rose in this book was so so sweet. I love him sm ahh 🥹💗

ೃ⁀➷ Romance:

‼️ spoilers in this section ‼️

➵ Audrey Rose and Thomas:

Thank goodness they finally get a happy ending!! After all the romantic drama in escaping from houdini and this book, i’m so glad they’re finally officially married. The Miss Whitehall situation in this book was honestly pretty annoying and i wish we spent a lot less time on that issue and more time on the mystery. However, i still love them as a couple! After everything they’ve been through in this series, they deserve sm happiness 🫂🎀

‼️ spoilers have ended ‼️

➷ “It is a sad truth that we do not live in a world where differences are accepted.”

ೃ⁀➷ In conclusion:

Overall, a satisfying conclusion to a very fun series 🥹🫶 I would recommend these books if you’re looking for:

✔️ Fun mysteries
✔️ Easy to read
✔️ Historical setting
✔️ Flirty romance

If you like murder mysteries and historical books, definitely give this series a try! 🌻✨️

Side note: i read most of this series in audiobook form, and i would definitely recommend the audiobooks! 🎧 The narrator is really good + these books are super fun to throw on when you’re doing something else 😚

《 2024 Challenge: Book 75 of 115 》

･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ

ೃ⁀➷ pre-review:

➷ an enjoyable conclusion to the series 💛💛 i'm going to miss these characters 🥺

rtc 🌻

･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ

ೃ⁀➷ preread:

➷ last book in this series let's goo!! 💛💛 I'm so excited to see thomas cresswell one last time 😚

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal”.

¡Así es como se acaba una saga! ¡Qué final tan increíble el que le dio Kerri Maniscalco a estos libros de Stalking Jack the Ripper!

Thomas y Audrey Rose han pasado por muchísimas pruebas en los pocos meses en los que se han conocido. Tuvieron que investigar los horrendos asesinatos de Jack el Destripador en Londres, luego se enfrentaron al legado de Vlad el Empalador en Rumanía y, finalmente, sobrevivieron a un carnaval de asesinatos a bordo de un transatlántico. Ahora, sus investigaciones los han llevado a Chicago, justo en medio de la Exposición Mundial, pues están apareciendo cuerpos que parecen haber sido tallados por el mismísimo Jack el Destripador. Pero eso no es posible porque ellos mismos vieron cómo moría ese ser en Londres... ¿o no? ¿Habrán atrapado a la persona equivocada mientras el verdadero destripador los seguía desde Londres hasta Chicago?

No saben cuánto amo estos libros, de verdad. Kerri Maniscalco crea una combinación perfecta de misterio, romance, luz y oscuridad. Me encanta cómo toma las teorías de conspiraciones sobre asesinos en serie y las convierte en una trama tremendamente entretenida. Y es que, debo admitirlo, por más horripilante que sea, la historia y las teorías sobre Jack el Destripador y H. H. Holmes siempre me han parecido fascinantes. Y si unimos eso a que el romance oscuro entre Thomas Cresswell y Audrey Rose Wadsworth se hace más intenso en cada libro... bueno, pues para mí tienes allí un libro perfecto.

De verdad, creo que hoy en día hay muy pocos personajes masculinos que me hagan suspirar tanto como Thomas. Él es un hombre que ama como nadie a Audrey Rose y se lo demuestra no sólo con cómo actúa, sino con sus creencias. Lo mejor es que apoya en todas sus decisiones a Audrey Rose y nunca le impone absolutamente nada. ¡Y pensemos que es un hombre del siglo XIX! Podría sencillamente hacer que la obedeciera, pero él no es para nada así y me encanta por eso. Es la perfecta combinación de un gran caballero con un sinvergüenza descarado que no pierde ninguna oportunidad para hacerla sonrojar, besarla y decirle lo mucho que espera la noche en la que por fin estén casados. En serio, es que son una pareja sin igual.

Lo único que debo objetar sobre su relación es que todo el debacle con Miss Whitehall (ya lo entenderán si lo leen) me pareció bastante fuera de lugar. Fue un recurso para crear drama y que, al final, se resolvió con una pequeña reunión y un telegrama. Pero, oye, es una pequeñísima queja al lado de todo lo que me hicieron sentir cuando los leía decirse sus votos, lo mucho que se aman y... bueno, otras cosas ¿que POR FIN pasaron después de tres libros esperándolo!

Ahora, creo que el giro que le dieron al hecho de que tal vez no habían capturado al verdadero Jack el Destripador en Londres fue magnífico. Una vez Kerri Mansicalco empezó a revelar la verdad en Capturing the Devil mi cabeza fue conectando las pequeñas pistas que nos había dejado al respecto en los anteriores libros. ¡Todo un Rowling-move! No podía parar de leer cuando me di cuenta de hacia dónde estaba yendo la trama y el peligro que corrían los personajes. ¡Y es que, de verdad, casi se mueren! Los capítulos finales son imposibles de dejar y sólo lees y lees esperando esa batalla, ese enfrentamiento fatal que decidirá si gana el bien o el mal. Es espectacular.

Yo sólo espero que estos libros no sean el final de Cressworth porque los necesito en mi vida.

[Stacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welp. I officially don’t have words. This was an epic roller coaster of feels and I loved every single page of it.

Full review to come.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.5 Cressworth Supremacy STARS***

Es exagerado sí pero no puedo evitar darle las 5 estrellas a este libro y la razón es THOMAS CRESSWELL.

Es increíble lo mucho que lo amé en este libro, aparte que la mayor parte tuve una sonrisa en la boca, suspirando de amor, me hizo llorar de felicidad y otras porque casi me parte el corazón, ¿Qué el libro tuvo sus fallas?, sí las tuvo sobre todo en la parte del misterio, pero todo queda eclipsado por… sí adivinaron THOMAS CRESSWELL.



Al igual que en los libros anteriores la autora siempre toma un personaje de importancia histórica ya sea un asesino o alguien importante y en eso basarse para desarrollar la historia y contar su propia versión de los hechos en esta ocasión toca el turno de HH. Holmes o Dr. Holmes un asesino en serie de EE.UU. que confesó haber asesinado 29 mujeres, no se sabe con certeza el número de víctimas pero gracias a las investigaciones en su castillo se cree que fueron alrededor de 200 mujeres.

Esta versión libre o retelling de HH. Holmes viene con un twist y que a la vez cierra un ciclo de Audrey Rose con el primer libro.



HISTORIA

Otra vez tenemos de vuelta a Audrey Rose y aThomas Cresswell su partner in crime y ahora prometido, con una nueva aventura ahora en NY y Chicago cazando a un asesino que tiene un estilo muy similar a Jack The Ripper su primer caso en Londres y durante su investigación van descubriendo que puede que haya una posible conexión.

En paralelo con el nuevo caso de investigación tenemos el romance de Audrey con Thomas los preparativos de su boda las dificultades que tienen que enfrentar por quienes no los quieren juntos.

PERSONAJES

AUDREY ROSE WADSWORTH: En este libro ella me encantó creo que se redimió por todas las burradas que hizo en el libro anterior y romperle el corazón a mi bebesito Thomas.
Aquí ella defendió su amor siempre estuvo segura de lo que sentía y nunca dudo, lo protegió y fue valiente.
Enfrentó sus demonios y mostró una gran fuerza y en cuanto a la investigación siempre fue una pieza clave para descubrir al asesino mostró inteligencia y astusia. She´s THE GIRL.
Audrey Rose I forgive you

THOMAS CRESSWELL
Él es PURE PERFECTION!!!! No nos lo merecemos SO FUCKING SPECIAL.
Tiene un charm de aquí a las estrellas, es sassy, coqueto tiene un corazón enorme su inteligencia y su don de la deducción al estilo Sherlock Holmes GURL amamos y por si fuera poco es heredero a un ducado y ustedes saben que los duques ARE MY WEAKNESS
El amor que le tenía a Audrey Rose es demasiado bonito, él siempre le dio su espacio, que ella eligiera que se sintiera libre que fuera su igual
Aunque no era el personaje principal sin duda es el MEJOR personaje de la serie y sin él no hubiera sido lo mismo.
Yo durante mi lectura estuve en enamorada, en derretida en TODO y fue gracias a Thomas mi bebesito hermoso LO AMO LOCAMENTE CON LOCURA. I´m obsessed with him

En cuanto al romance y la relación de Audrey y Thomas tenemos la culminación de lo que se cocinó a lo largo de 3 libros, la tensión sexual, su amor, su amistad It´s all about the chemistry
Tuvimos algunas escenas steamy que obviusly AMAMOS, cheesy, and funny creo que no tengo ninguna queja todo en ellos fue PERFECTO




Este libro le dio vida a mi corazón literario y realmente me hizo muy feliz una razón más para darle 5 estrellas.
Es el cierre perfecto para la historia no puedo quejar de que hubiera querido un epílogo de años después OBVIOUSLY!!! Pero eso es por mi ser codicioso que siempre quiere más, pero es que nunca voy a tener suficiente de THOMAS CRESSWELL (siempre en mayúsculas).

La serie se convirtió en una de mis favoritas, tiene de todo gore, crimen, misterio y romance, los personajes son adorables y los voy a extrañar mucho, THOMAS CRESSWELL te voy a llevar en mi corazón forevah.❤💕

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It is a sad truth that we do not live in a world where differences are accepted.”

It's over 😭😭 I can't believe it. I almost started crying at the epilogue, because it's all over now and it was so sweet and I love Thomas 😭

Anyways, this book was so creepy. The atmosphere and everything held this eerie air around it.

This book was also full of Cressworth things, and I didn't mind that. I love them together so much.

The murder mystery was also insane: I hadn't expected any of that, but I guessed the murderer for the first time in this series, but I actually looked the murderer up (after they had been revealed of course) and it all connected and my mind was blown.

And the characters, who MAKE this series, along with the murder mysteries and atmosphere. Audrey Rose has fixed all of her mistakes from Escaping from Houdini and she is so fearless in this book. She risked her life multiple times, and she is so smart.

And now Thomas Cresswell, who has my whole heart. He is the best love interest ever. He loves Audrey Rose so dearly and he is so smart and I want him in my life😭 And those words he said were chef's kiss. And that letter he wrote her-

This book was also stock full of DRAMA. One instant almost had me crying, it was so sad. But A LOT happens in this book. A lot.



Overall: I don't wish this to be over, the plot was great, characters: incredible. I will always hold these characters in my heart.

“Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal.”

5 stars

[Nadhira Satria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let's pretend the third and this book doesn't exist ok?? :)







pre read review:
ok but like I need more than four books

update: THAT FUCKING COVER OH MY GOD

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would've loved to have read a book of Thomas and Audrey being husband and wife and working on a case.😔

[Cindy ✩☽♔]

4/29/19
Still don't love the cover model, but, from the second half alone, this is my favorite cover for the series
---
I hope at the end, regardless of whoever they have to take down in this book, we get to see Audrey and Thomas as married. I love them both so much and I want to know they're going to be happily solving crimes together for the rest of their lives.

[jessie · Rating 1 out of 5]

WELCOME BACK TO UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME

I swear if anyone else is telling me that magic tricks are science…

I was wrong. I don’t have any kindness to spare.

Remind me again folks, am I reading a murder mystery or a stupid reenactment of Pride & Prejudice? Am I reading historical fiction or romance?

Aside from the fact that this book is more grueling romance than actual murder mystery, it’s also a snoozefest. It’s so BORING. If I came looking for a 19th century romance, I’d be reading p&p. I didn’t come here looking for that; I came here for a thrilling finale to one of the most popular YA mystery series. What exactly went wrong??? I do not need this bullshit.

If you’re like me and you come here looking for a murder mystery, don’t bother; start from chapter 34. I had it jotted down because that’s when the crime solving actually starts. But up until that point, it is 33 chapters of 19th century soap opera with unnecessary marriage drama that we didn’t ask for and sure as hell didn’t need.

Now for this book, since it’s a finale — and I set high standards for finales — I expected something more from it. Something different, something more exciting, whatever. But what happened in this book is so far away from what we call an ‘epic finale’ and for me, it’s even worse than the third book. For the better half of this book, we get marriage romantic drama that is not necessary. I don’t need it. I hate it. This book doesn’t even focus on crime solving. I don’t know what Kerri Maniscalco wanted to achieve by that stupidly ridiculous romance that dominates this book. It’s just unnecessary and a complete waste of pages. I’m not here to read about a slightly altered version of Wuthering Heights. There are lots of stuff about dress shopping, tea parties and courting stuff that bored me to death, and there are too many lavish descriptions about fabrics and food. It’s anything else BUT mystery.

I know that this book is supposed to serve as a closure to Audrey Rose and Thomas’ story but as someone who doesn’t ship Cressworth (especially after what happened in book 3) this book is full of nonsense. I couldn’t even bring myself to care about plot anymore, I basically skimmed through it.

While I think the stupid love triangle in book 3 was quite enough, apparently we have to suffer through more unnecessary romance drama. After the ‘cheating’ scandal Audrey Rose did with Mephistopheles in book 3, in this book, she was convinced she was doing herself a favor:

While sailing on that cursed ocean liner, I’d played a role that convinced everyone, even Thomas, that my affections had shifted. I’d mastered emotional manipulation; I’d become a living sleight of hand.

Look at her arrogance talking. BITCH YOU’RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE! Maybe the reason why people fell for your ‘act’ was because you ACTUALLY FELL for Mephisto! Have you ever considered that? You fell in love with a weird guy in less than ONE WEEK!

The romance quality of this book is horrendous. The mystery is secondary. We are served with a very unnecessary marriage drama in the beginning of the book, or in other words: loads of bullshit. We could cut that shit out and we could’ve had a 100 page novel instead of 400. And the fact that the entire marriage fiasco was solved so easily? What is the POINT??? Why set up 200 pages of unnecessary drama only for it to be solved with a flick of a hand? WHY???

The killer reveal is also the worst in this entire series. At least we had that thrill of guessing who the murderer is throughout book 1 up until book 3. If you know stuff about world-renowned serial killers, you must’ve heard about H.H Holmes. He’s the only murderer throughout the series that is based of a real person with a name. But the thing is, he didn’t even appear until like the last 150 pages or so. I was promised from the synopsis that we’re going to face a murderer who is so stealthy it’s so hard to catch him; his identity doesn’t matter, catching him is the hard job. Well sorry to rain on your parade but Audrey Rose beat him up with a gas can or something. Talk about ‘stealthy’.

Now out of my kindness, I would give this series an overall of 2.5 stars. It isn’t that good and the characters also don’t appeal to me. It’s a series that just comes and goes. Forgettable. Though I find the concept grand — a 19th century girl from a rich family solving murders — there are many things that went wrong with this series. Overall, I find the mystery to be… plain. They don’t have the rush and the element of surprise. The murderers are easy to guess and they — all four of them — don’t have an interesting background story nor motive to do murders. They’re just… unhinged. Personally, I think the series reached its’ peak in Hunting Prince Dracula and went downhill after that. While we all know of the infamous love triangle in Escaping from Houdini, Capturing the Devil doesn’t have any redeeming qualities that I desperately need to bring back my excitement and love for this series. Audrey Rose, our main heroine, is so full of herself and her angry feminist retorts paint her not as a good protagonist but rather an arrogant one. She doesn’t develop any significant traits that make her likable for the entirety of the series. She spends the entire series convincing readers that she’s ‘not like other girls’ though it was becoming apparent that it was hypocrisy talking. She said she doesn’t care about men but fell in love with Thomas on first sight BIG LOL. She’s just a high born lady, sipping tea and opening up dead bodies and she wants to convince us she’s different. Maam, you’re not. Thomas Cresswell, the insanely charming love interest tries so hard to be Sherlock Holmes with his deduction skills. He’s also an endless flirt and instead of swaying me to root for him, I ended up getting so irritated. This series could be so much more if the characters had been more enjoyable but we also didn’t get that, sadly.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this. This series has been one of my faves (to the point where a lot of people associate it with me) and I was just really disappointed. This book ended up being like 75% romance and the murder mystery was a side plot that barely seemed to exist except to break up the drama between Audrey Rose and Thomas. And the drama wasn't even good drama. It was all stuff that obviously was going to be resolved, and it was just so frustrating that this series that had such great mysteries ended with the mystery barely being important to the story. I think the parts of the mystery we did see are some of the best parts and I wish there was more of a focus on those. I did enjoy getting to see Noah again, and I still really like the narrator of the audiobooks, but this book wasn't for me.

I'm going to use a spoiler tag to point out some of the things I really, really disliked in this book:

Besides the romance I listed above, the drama with it was so pointless. They are literally about to get married and then they can't cause somehow Thomas is already betrothed to someone else. Like wtf. I was seriously at the point where I was like, good they are getting married so we can get to the real plot, but nope. Additionally, how did they not know who Thomas's father is at this point? Like, it was a huge shock for them, but like, they are part of the London aristocracy, so shouldn't they know that? Like if they can gossip about him at a tea party in the first book, shouldn't they know who he is?

I said that I like the mystery a lot in this book, and that is very true, but I did still have some issues with it. I hated that everything ended up being connected to the Ripper murders, and basically change Nathaniel's involvement in the murders - THREE BOOKS LATER. I might not know that much about HH Holmes, but like that just makes no sense honestly. Also, why did Audrey Rose think it was a smart idea to confront him by herself and to tell no one where she was going? Like, it's been pounded into our heads how smart she is, so why was she acting so dumb this book?

I really truly love the feminist side we see in this book, but sometimes it felt too forced. Also, I wish I counted all the times Audrey Rose said she didn't want to be caged and she wanted to make her own choices in this book, especially since she really didn't even make that many choices for herself? I obviously have no issues with her wanting to marry Thomas, but she's literally 17 and she's like 'ok cool i'm going to go from my father to Thomas with no independence in between and marry below the normal age in society, and it's all great because Thomas lets me make my own choices.' Idk, it just grated on me because she talked about it so much, and it didn't really seem like she was making her own choices. Idk.

Also, this literally happened:

Thomas: i won't consummate my marriage and you could be my mistress, so we can still be together even if we aren't married
Audrey Rose: i won't be your mistress because it will ruin my family
-several chapters later-
Audrey Rose, apparently forgetting everything she said about not being his mistress, continues to sleep with Thomas anyway



I'm sure there are other things that happened that I also was not happy with, but I am blanking on them now, and even just thinking about these things is making me so frustrated, so I'm going to stop here and try to pretend like this book never happened.

[Nash (all too unwell) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The world needed to be better. And if it wasn’t possible for it to be better, we, its inhabitants, needed to do better.”

Buddy read with Naomi who like me was fangirling over Thomas the entire time💖

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 stars

After the mess that was Escape from Houdini, this was a million times better. This was like a reminder so as to why Cressworth is our favourite ship. And needless to say, I loved it

Plot

A new murder. A copycat killer. Oooh and a wedding!

Thomas and Audrey Rose are determined to find the new notorious murderer in New York. Old wounds re open and the killer long thought dead is now back. They must now solve the case while making sure they get married without some very specific people *murderous glare* ruining it.

YES, THAT'S IT.

This book is more focused on the Cressworth wedding rather than the serial killer. I really enjoyed it!
This is the first time I kinda knew who the killer was because they were super suspicious and kept doing creepy things. I wish there was a bit more focus on the killings :(

There was a lot of unnecessary drama especially with Thomas's father and Miss. Whitehall. I really have no idea why it was even there if it was going to get so easily solved at the end. When the wedding was stopped, it made me extremely sad and I wanted to see it solved in a way that would heal my broken heart. But it wasn't ugh .

Also, why was Mephisto here? I have absolutely no idea


Writing

“At some point, we're all someone's hero and another's villain. It's all a matter of perspective.”

“Outside forces will always be out of your control. One thing you can control is how you choose to live. If you wake up fearful of every bad thing that might happen, you miss out on the good. Death will come for us one day. Worrying about tomorrow only accomplishes ruining today.”


I really enjoyed it. Thomas and Audrey rose's conversations were literal perfections. I loved it soo much!
I have now decided to read Kingdom of the Wicked because of how much I loved the author's writing. Hopefully it's as good as this one!

“You do say you like a man with a rather large—”
“Stop.” I held my hand up. “I beg of you. My uncle is right there.”
“Brain.” He finished anyway, grinning at my reddening face. “You truly astound me with the direction your filthy mind travels in, Wadsworth.”

Characters

Audrey Rose

“It is a sad truth that we do not live in a world where differences are accepted.”

I have forgiven Audrey Rose for her behaviour in Escape from Houdini. She was great in this book. She was all the things I love. Brave, funny, sassy, loving and kind. She would do anything for the ones she loves. She is also very determined. She rarely whines. She will make you wish you never crossed her.💖💖

I was really happy that she didn't blame everything on Thomas after the broken wedding. She acted sensibly. and hence, I LOVE HER even more<333

I will miss her now that the series is over😭




Thomas

“I despise being the one having an emotional dilemma. It’s much more enjoyable being the one consoling you. You haven’t even offered to let me sit on your lap. You’re terrible at this.”

Is it possible for someone to be as perfect as Thomas James Dorin Cresswell, the love of my life💖.
Not only is he clever, but charming, funny, brave and handsome hehee. He will do anything for the ones he loves. He also named his cat Sir. Isaac Mewton.
Wow can he get any cuter💖💖💖
He was PERFECT in this book. He took care of Audrey Rose. He helped her solve the murder. When the big problem came, he maintained a cool head and worked hard to find solution instead of lashing out.
Thomas has now set unrealistic expectations in men



It breaks my heart to know that he isn't real.

Mrs. Harvey and Grandmama were AWESOME.

LIZA is one of my favs. She was awesome here toooooo. TBH, she is always awesome


Romance

“My love for you will be a constant in a sea of unknown variables. We may fight or be cross with each other, but our love will never fade or wilt.

"You are my heart, my soul, my equal. You see the light in me when I’m lost within darkness. When I’m cold and distant, you’re as warm as autumn sunshine, bathing me in your glow. If I am the night, then you are the stars lighting up my endless dark.

I actually cried during the vows. It was soo beautiful😭😭
I'm actually getting teary-eyed rn :")

The love between them is so pure and beautiful. they love each other for their flaws and their good parts. They ​would do anything for each other
And I would do anything for them🥺

They broke oods for each other and they would do anything to keep each other happy. WHAT IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN THATT
*cries*

I felt soo bad for them because of all the shit they had to go through to be together. But Im glad it all worked out. my love for this ship is eternal💖💖💖🥺😭





Arent they ADORABLEEEE


Final thoughts

The worst part of finishing this series was that I will never get the experience this again. Im obsessed with this series and I recommend this to EVERYONE



Im off to happy cry again
Nashita out🤞



Here are some cute Cressworth memes🥺💖

|Blog|Pintrest|

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*Stalking Jack the Ripper -4⭐ (Review)
*Hunting Prince Dracula - 4⭐ (Review)
*Escape from Houdini - 4⭐ (Review)

My rating system:
5⭐ - I loved it soo much! New favorite
4⭐ - It was really good! But something was missing
3⭐ - It was nice..but had more potential
2⭐ - I did not like it at all!... It could have been soo much better
1⭐ - Nope. Just No. I hate it

[Alice &#x1f52e; · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You fell down. So? Will you stay there, weeping over skinned knees? Or will you brush off your skirts, adjust your hair, and carry on? Do not relinquish your grasp on hope. It's one go the best weapons anyone possesses.”

Not really a review because I'm very biased. This is my comfort series and I love it with all my heart.
Capturing the Devil wasn't really focused on the mystery which I thought was a bit odd but who actually reads these books if you're not in it for Cressworth? The actual mystery was predictable but it's still not getting anything less than 5 stars. Fight me.

Anyways.. I miss Audrey Rose already

[Ashlee » libraryinthecountry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful and exciting ending for Audrey Rose and Thomas. I loved this conclusion and it really is just what the series needed.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal.”

I don't normally write reviews because I'm not the best at formulating coherent sentences, especially when it's about a book I would sell my soul for, but THIS BOOK DESERVES ME TRYING

This has been a whirlwind of a series, filled with unforgettable, perfectly flawed characters who will forever hold a piece of my heart with them, an eerily vivid atmosphere that made you feel as if you were going to fall right into the cobblestone streets of old New York and solve mysterious murders with your favorite couple oN EARTH. *cough* Cressworth *cough*

I'll never forget especially, how wonderfully special this reading experience was because I got to share it with one of the loveliest people alive, Katie 🥰 Our back and forth messages, collectively losing it over Thomas Cresswell, sending each other our annotations and crying over how downright incredible this book is made me fall even more deeply in love with these books and these characters.

I will never forget all of the emotions these books made me feel, and how UTTERLY BRILLIANT KERRI MANISCALCO IS!!! I know I go on and on about Thomas, but there are so many other things that make me love this book! The writing, the storyline itself, the twists and turns, every aspect of this series is so masterfully crafted, it's no wonder it's now one of my all time favorites!!

If you haven't picked this series up but my constant crying over it has piqued your interest, i would HIGHLY recommend you give it a try! I promise you won't regret it :)