Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation

A must for the Ripper-obsessed

Would you listen to Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation again? Why?

Probably not. The details are pretty gruesome, so once is enough.

What other book might you compare Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation to and why?

Patricia Cornwell's "Jack the Ripper: Case Closed"

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The author identifies a suspect I'd never heard of before, and makes a compelling case for his theory.

Any additional comments?

Let's be clear - the author writes exactly like the former Scotland Yard investigator that he is. The book reads like a precisely written, scrupulously detailed, professionally objective crime scene report. Mariott lays the groundwork for his theory methodically, never mind if it requires that he repeat himself or that he covers familiar ground. In other words,don't expect early Patricia Cornwell. Likewise, Norman Gilligan reads the book with all the passion and drama of a courtroom stenographer.

BUT - as the actual eyewitness testimonies given at the coroner's inquests were read, I slowly became mesmerized. This was real, not the Sherlock Holmes version seen through the lens of a novelist's imagination.

So if you're fascinated by this most dreadful series of crimes as I am, pick this one up and stay with it. Marriott offers the most plausible solution to this 150 year old mystery that I've heard yet, and makes his argument extremely well. I believe him.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

An excellent reference

This is a fascinating look at the investigations into the ripper killings. The daily lives of the victims is vividly illustrated by the testimony of the people who knew them personally as well as the police and examiners who worked the case. The actual facts of this case are more compelling than any fictional account. These accounts serve to underscore the absolutely brutal and soulless nature of the killer.

This book has received some negative reviews on amazon.com. One of the main complaints is that this is a rehash of other books. A good deal of this book does come from verbatim testimony taken during the investigations. This is necessary detail for a serious investigation that adds to the credibility of the work.

The author, Trevor Marriott; a retired police investigator, does raise some very worthwhile points and challenges some long accepted points in the case.

- The Goulston Street graffito; the famous "The Juews..." message, long assumed to be the work of the killer, may have and may not have had anything to do with the killings.

- While not new, Marriott explores killings beyond the canonical five victims that may have been the work of Jack the Ripper.

- Many more...

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Plodding account of an interesting subject

Wow, this book sure could have used a book doctor or decent editor to improve the pacing and structure. It actually presents an interesting and plausible theory as to Jack the Ripper's identity, but feels plodding and padded, probably because a lot of extraneous material was included to expand what should have been an article-length work into a book.

Marriott pads the first 9-10 chapters with exhaustive excerpts from the original coroners' inquests, then spends the next 16 chapters examining existing suspects and theories (and dismissing the work of others because of lack of evidence...ironic, because Marriott's own pet theory relies just as heavily on speculation and circumstantial "if blah-blah-blah, then suspect COULD HAVE..." types of statements), as well as describing his own failed lines of investigation.

Just when I thought this audiobook would never end, we got an extra-long Chapter 28 with a very interesting and plausible (albeit unprovable) assertion as to the identity of Jack the Ripper, and how the Whitechapter murders can be linked to similar killings in Germany and the US.

Never thought to find a book about Jack the Ripper boring, but here you have it. Not recommended for anyone but hard-core Ripperologists.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Poorly Written and Poorly Narrated

The narrator of this book sounds like an automaton, though the book is poorly written to begin with so it's not like he had a lot to work with. Every other sentence starts with the word "however". Its use is gratingly repetitive. The author of this book seems to think too highly of his theories and his investigational inquiries. I didn't mind the lengthy section of coroners' notes and witness testimony. Truth be told that was the most interesting part. The last few chapters absolutely reek of pomposity and self aggrandizement. He makes passive aggressive remarks about other published Ripperologists and then has the chutzpah to declare that he, and he alone, has found out the true identity
of Jack the Ripper.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wonderfully detailed...

analysis of the "Whitechapel Murders." The two reviewers that complain that the book is "dull" and "repetitive" clearly do not understand that this book is not a cheap pot-boiler meant solely to thrill and chill but rather a thorough attempt to go back and research crimes committed during a time when "forensics" did not even include finger-printing, let alone DNA analysis, and try to systematically put together the pieces in a way that might reveal the truth. So...is this a book for the critically and historically minded?--yes. A book for those seeking gratuitous guts and gore and the vicarious thrill of gothic blood-letting?--no. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other places the latter can turn and not nearly enough for the former. So those of us in the former category are grateful for Marriott's "Ripper."

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

I'm Convinced

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the exhaustive archival detective work, and the very clear way in which the evidence was put forward.

What does Norman Gilligan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Yes, the writing is fairly dry. Gilligan brings personality and emotion to the material.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was on the edge of my seat toward the end.

Any additional comments?

I am convinced that Marriott is correct and has, after more than a century, solved the mystery.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

I Wanted to Like This but...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not really. As a reference book, I think this would be helpful with all the detail, but I found that that did not translate well into a recorded book. So much of the first volume sounded like a reading of the transcript of the coroner's inquest. I found this to be pretty slow and not engaging. Also, the narration was done with little inflection and something approaching a monotone.

What could Trevor Marriott have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Summarize more of the records that were read, presumably, in their entirety.

Would you be willing to try another one of Norman Gilligan’s performances?

No.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Doubtful.

Any additional comments?

This recorded book might work well for a researcher but I did not enjoy it.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Fascinating!

Where does Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I think I have become an official Jack The Ripper enthusiast after this book. The author put forth a great investigation and I completely believed his findings. We will never know for sure who Jack The Ripper really is, but the evidence outlined by the author gives us a very likely candidate.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed that the author would set forth the evidence and then explain how it fits into his picture of who he believes Jack the Ripper is.

for me, solved case closed

I have read a lot on this subject and I can't help but feel it has finally been solved, logical and complete investigation, the narration was excellent.

Very disappointing

Author vainly claims to have solved the ripper cases by positing an implausible candidate with a dissimilar modus operandi by positing a combination of 'if's and 'could have's without doing the real work he claims to be doing as an investigator. The narrator was stilted and pompous sounding, not competent.