by Jennie Godfrey

A Mystery/Thriller, 2024 by Hutchinson Heinemann, 464 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

• This one is based on the real crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper, but you wouldn’t need knowledge of that case to enjoy the book. 
• There are parts of this one that drag. They spend a lot of time off topic, leaning about this girl and her friends. It’s not as mysterious and thrilling as you expect. 
• I will say this one reads like a YA coming-of-age more than an A mystery/thriller. There are mystery elements, but even those come across as YA. The book may be miscategorized, honestly. 

What I Did Like:

• If you approach this one as a coming-of-age YA story with a sort of mystery twist, it is possible to adore this main character. From this angle, her naiveté lends to the story being told and she reads realistically. 
• This book takes a look at various things people might do that seem suspicious to one another. It sort of explores the depth of “bad” that people might do, with lots of variations there on that theme. That exploration is really where this one excels. 
• The reading of the names of the true Yorkshire Ripper victims was a nice touch.

Who Should Read This One:

• Fans of coming-of-age young adult stories interested in how those might mesh with a mystery story.

My Rating: 2 Stars

• As a YA Contemporary coming of age story it may have been a bit higher but as an adult thriller it was problematic.