“A thrilling finale! Capturing the Devil was a riveting conclusion to this gripping mystery of Jack the Ripper.”
Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf and Ink
The Story
Audery Rose Wadsworth has made it to New York. Although, not in one piece. She is still alive (thank goodness), but with limitations after the events of Escaping From Huidini. Wadsworth is more in love with the dashing Thomas Cresswell than ever (I am too). But, when missing women begin to crop up along with unsolved murders, these murder cases and women all lead to one place: Chicago. Once in Chicago, Wadsworth and Cresswell’s investigation begins to narrow to a possible culprit and their love for each other and their hope for a future together will be tested and their ending uncertain.
My Thoughts
Kerri Maniscalco has redeemed herself. In this final chapter in Audrey Rose’s story she has created a thrilling conclusion to her Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I must confess, I was not intrigued in the last novel, Escaping From Houdini. In all honesty, I was apprehensive about finishing the series. But, I’m glad I gave in and finished because Maniscalco did not disappoint.
With terrifying and heart stopping moments, the pages blurred as the ending drew to a close.
There was a mix of elements that made this story a perfect ending: historical fiction, filled with thrills and suspense, a captivating detective story, and a dash of delicious romance. Having a feisty heroine, Audery Rose, who does not cow to Victorian era societal norms will have readers cheering her on until the final page. And Thomas Cresswell is Audrey Rose’s true match being equal parts witty as he is handsome, he is a refreshing character who embraces Wadsworth’s forwarding thinking. Her fearlessness in the macabre and stalwart passion for science and forensics all endure Audery Rose to her dark prince (and her readers too).
One thing to note…
I only had a few critiques and it was towards the end. Without giving too much away, my concern with this particular scene right before the end was it felt a bit slow. It was such a high stakes, heart-pounding, how is this going to end moment. You can feel it in the description of where Audrey Rose is and her state of mind. However, instead of intensifying the cat and mouse chase there seemed to be a tad bit much of internal contemplation. There was less on the cusp instinctual survival mode, which was sadly replaced by dialogue. I understand why Maniscalco used dialogue, but it began to slow a very active scene. Also, I was a bit confused in the end on how exactly a character got out of a building (even the character seemed bewildered as to how that happened too).
Although these critiques are minor, it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
Capturing the Devil is a romantic thriller readers will not want to miss!
Happy Reading ̴ Cece
RATING: 
– Satisfyingly Inked
Publisher: jimmy patterson
Publication Date: September, 2019
Pages: 464
ISBN-10: 0316485543
ISBN-13: 9780316485548
Audience: Young Adult; ages 15 and up
Jacket Art: Carrie Schechter and Shutterstock
Jacket Design: Faceout Studio, Derek Thornton
Similar Books Recommended by Sheaf and Ink
Stalking Jack the Ripper, Kerri Maniscalco
Hunting Prince Dracula, Kerri Maniscalco
Escaping From Houdini, Kerri Maniscalco
This book was definitely better than the previous one but I still did not like it as much as the first book in the series.
3.5 stars 🙂
The first book was my favorite out of the four. I had difficulty with Escaping Houdini, it felt slow and didn’t have the same force the first novel had. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the final outcome.
One of my most favorite reads from this year. I have so many emotions right now but all I can say is that I’m so, so proud of Audrey Rose and Thomas, of their growth, of their development both individual and together and I can’t put into words how much I’m going to miss them.
This makes me so incredibly happy! Thank you for sharing and yes I completely agree with you. It’s always bitter-sweet when a series comes to an end.