Cover Image: The Return of the Ripper?

The Return of the Ripper?

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

If you are fascinated by everything Jack the Ripper, this book is a must read. Frances Coles was murdered in 1891 is thought to be the last victim of Jack. History has always told us he stopped in 1888, but the way Frances was killed is so much like Jack the Ripper's MO that it is hard to deny he was still active, possibly for his last hurrah. Jack the Ripper will forever remain a mystery and fascination of true crime lovers.

Was this review helpful?

Oh another true crime about Jack the Ripper I hear you cry!
Don’t worry it won’t uncover anything you don’t already but it will fill in some details with its detailed research into the subject matter. It covers the 5 victims and looks at the possibility of another. The identity of Jack the Ripper will always be up for debate as there was no physical evidence that could ever be tested even today with every advancement in forensic science.
But the details given in the events of such old cases will always be fascinating to me.

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook. #netgalley #returnoftheripper #truecrime

Was this review helpful?

In the early hours of a cold February morning in 1891, the murdered body of Frances Coles was discovered beneath a railway arch in London’s Swallow Gardens. The nature of her wounds, the weapon used to inflict them, and the murder site itself were clear indicators for many that London’s most famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, had returned. This is a great suspense. I love the history of Jack the Ripper so this book intrigued me right off the bat and did not disappoint. highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed learning about a possible return of Jack the ripper. But likely it probably a copy cat instead but still a good read.

Was this review helpful?

❥ 3 stars ☆

Jack the Ripper is probably known as the first serial killer to most people, and that’s also how I know about the name. He was the first one who got famous in the media and is therefore seen as the first serial killer, even if he actually wasn’t the first.

Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the Whitechapel district in London, England in 1888. The serial killer is still unidentified, and the cases he is involved in remains unsolved to this day. The Police had many suspects and they brought in hundreds of people for questioning but they could never tie any of them to the crimes. Most scientists agrees that he had 5 victims, who are known as ‘the canonical five’, but it’s unknown exactly how many victims he had. His attacks involved women who worked as prostitutes, who lived and worked in the slums of the East End of London.

The Return of the Ripper? is about the case of Frances Coles, a murder that happened in Whitechapel in 1891, and the possibility of it being another victim of the Jack the Ripper and whether he had come back to Whitechapel or never disappeared. What’s different about this case is that they had a serious suspect, which they didn’t have for ‘the canonical five’ cases. The book is examining the Frances Coles case and if the suspect in this case could have anything to do with the earlier murders in Whitechapel and potential links between them.

I think the book title is a bit misleading, and the book doesn’t give us any new answers. Since Jack the Ripper remains unidentified and the murders connected with him remains unsolved, it’s impossible to know or decide whether he was involved in this case or any others. The book was well written and it goes through this case, tells us about Jack the Ripper and ‘the canonically five’ cases so it can still be a interesting read for anyone who hasn’t read about it before.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the ARCof this true crime book investigating if the ripper returned. It was interesting to me

Was this review helpful?

An interesting book to read on Jack the Ripper and who he maybe? Lots of behind w scenes research on this dark period of history.

Was this review helpful?

The Return of the Ripper, by Kevin Turton takes an in-depth look at the murder of Frances Coles on the morning the 13 February 1891. The book looks at how detectives searched for her identity, a motive, and a murderer. And looked at similarities between the Jack The Ripper victims three year earlier who also had their throats slashed however found no connection . The did police arrest a man for the murder, but after the coroner’s inquest,he’s was released and the case remains unresolved.

It was well researched however I did find it a little repetitive at times but is a enjoyable read.

Recommended to true crime readers.

Was this review helpful?

An interesting book about a possible murder by Jack The Ripper and the story of this serial killer.
It's well researched and informative.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Was this review helpful?

Jack the Ripper has always interested me & so I was keen to read this book as I felt it might add an interesting new perspective. I wasn’t wrong.

This book looks at another murder in Whitechapel and wonders whether this too could be the work of ‘Jack’. Frances Coles’ story is interesting & you do learn a little bit more about her & how she operates which isn’t something you always get with stories about JtR.

The prose is pitched about right, enough to be interesting & factual but not at such a high level that it turns you off reading. The length of the book is about right, going into just enough detail.

After covering Frances’ story the author recounts the stories of the Canonical Five. I was initially a bit sceptical about this as it’s hard to think what can be added to something that has been recounted, delved into & pawed over so many times. However these chapters didn’t feel like a re-hash of previous books so it does work & helps round off the story.

Having finished, I’m not sure that the book adds much to the Jack the Ripper story or even whether Frances Coles would be classed as a victim of his. I think there are much better candidates for Ripper victims, which the author also touches on in the book. Definitely something to ponder on & an interesting read to find out more about other people that met an unfortunate end during that period.

Thank you to the publishers & NetGalley for this advanced reading copy.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
If you enjoy Jack the Ripper books and the different theories surrounding the murders then you will enjoy this one. I thought the research was well done and the book was interesting.

Was this review helpful?

In 1888–1891, at least 10 women were murdered in the Whitechapel district of East London, England. Some of their cases are footnotes compared to Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Kelly—the canonical five who are considered victims of the serial killer newspapers nicknamed Jack the Ripper. All 10 murders remain unsolved.

In The Return of the Ripper, Kevin Turton takes an in-depth look at one case, the death of Frances Coles. The well-paced narrative begins with her early morning murder on 13 February 1891, then follows the detectives searching for her identity, a motive, and a murderer. Like the earlier killings, the victim’s throat was slashed, her body was found accidentally, and no witnesses saw what happened. Tying a few clues together, the police arrest a man for the murder, but after the coroner’s inquest, he’s released.

After laying out Frances Coles’ case, the author describes Jack the Ripper’s profile, the arrested man’s story, how the other nine victims’ murders fit, and what the investigators knew. For armchair gumshoes, Turton provides a map of the murders, images of Whitechapel, and a who’s who list, along with his conclusions.

Prerelease book provided by NetGalley and Pen & Sword Books Ltd. for review consideration.

Was this review helpful?

A very interesting read. Well researched and explained in understandable term.

It can get a little repetitive at times but very enjoyable

Was this review helpful?

If you are a fan of all the Ripper theories, you may like this book. I tend to read or watch anything involving the 1888 Ripper case myself. But I'm not sure how I feel about Turton's "The Return of the Ripper?"

I can see how any murder that occurred during the Ripper's reign and perhaps even a few years later, could be attributed to him. But the murders suggested here, just do not seem to fit the profile as much as the author is trying to squeeze them into the victim count.
The Ripper showed an obvious escalation with the canonical 5 victims, with Mary Kelly being the most extreme killing he has been accused of, so why his next supposed victim would be a simple strangeling or even the stabbings would be attributed to him? Neither of the stabbings, even with the throat cuttings, was not as vicious as the Ripper's signature.

I do believe the Ripper continued his killing, and I think there are more than 5 victims. But I would be more likely to look at him leaving Whitechapel, perhaps even England, and heading to the States to continue his crimes.

An interesting read, but I don't think the case of these women being a victim of The Ripper has been proven.
Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

In 1891, the body of Frances Coles was found under a railway arch in London. While this sort of event was not exactly a rare occurrence, there was something about this death that piqued the interest of the police and the press. Frances had sustained horrific wounds, reminiscent of those carried out by a killer three years earlier. Was Jack the Ripper back?

I have read many books about the five canonical murders attributed to the infamous Jack the Ripper and am also aware of other potential victims. Frances Coles was not a woman I knew too much about, however, so was intrigued to find out how she fit in with what happened in Whitechapel over 130 years ago.

The author has clearly done a lot of research into the case, taking us on a journey to late Victorian London, showing us how dangerous life could be for those less fortunate. The police investigation is shared with us as they find their prime suspect yet find it increasingly difficult to prove that he is, indeed, their man. I found the investigation process fascinating as the police, without the benefits of modern forensics, struggled to get the definitive evidence that they needed.

Fans of reading about the Whitechapel Murders will be pleased to see that there is a succinct section about the canonical victims and also information about some of the other women thought, potentially, to have died at his hand.

This is a good bookshelf addition for true crime fans, especially those with an interest in murders of the Victorian era.

Was this review helpful?

This is an incredibly well researched book giving a very detailed description of the events of the night of Frances Coles' murder and the following Police investigation and media reporting. The book also goes over the original 5 victims and the possibility of another.
We will never know who Jack the Ripper was, there is no physical evidence that could be tested and no DNA database of people living that long ago, so going into this book it's obvious you're not going to get any definitive answers, the murder itself never being solved and the Ripper murders were never solved either.
But the details given and insight into the way the Police dealt with everything from the crime to the investigation and exploring the lives of the people involved was all fascination.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read and review this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Was drawn to this book by the blurb plus I liked jack the ripper crime case. I was intrigued by this because I always wanted someone to create a different out look for him. And this book didn't let me down at all. 5 star book. Might reread it later on in the year. Highly recommend this book and already told a few people that they need to read this. I was drawn to it by the blurb because it sounded instering to read.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars

Overall, I found this book to be fairly informative but also vague in the information that was being presented. I guess I was hoping for a bit more straight-forward information than what I gathered from the book, but otherwise no complaints. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley, Pen and Sword, and Kevin Turton for the advanced copy of The Return of the Ripper? in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a well written and researched book, and I enjoyed it.

Was this review helpful?

I love the world building in this book! The author presented the information in a way that engrosses the reader and keeps you in the world. I like that I was able to sit and read it all in one go. I didn't go in expecting the original case to be solved, but I was curious how closely her murder could be tied to those original slayings. All in all, I really enjoyed this and look forward to adding it to my physical shelf later this year!

Was this review helpful?