The Last Dance of Mary Kelly is a breathtaking work of historical fiction that dares to reclaim the narrative of one of history’s most misunderstood women. E. David Brown delivers a deeply empathetic and richly atmospheric portrait of Mary Kelly—not as a footnote in the grisly ledger of Jack the Ripper’s victims, but as a vibrant, complex, and courageous woman whose life deserves to be remembered for far more than its tragic end.

In this gripping and gorgeously written novel, Mary emerges from the shadows of history. Fleeing poverty and the ghosts of her past in Ireland, she finds work in a gritty London textile factory—grinding labor, yes, but also community, resilience, and a burgeoning sense of identity. Brown doesn’t romanticize the era; Victorian London is vividly rendered as a soot-streaked, coal-choked metropolis filled with sharp contrasts and quieter cruelties. It’s a place where injustice hides behind civility, and survival often hinges on the kindness—or silence—of strangers.

The novel’s beating heart lies in Mary’s involvement with the workers’ movement and her cautious alliance with Bryson Ward, an American journalist drawn to the city’s underbelly in search of truth and headlines. Their dynamic is tense, touching, and layered with trust, betrayal, and a shared determination to uncover the truth. But it is Mary’s own growth—her fight for agency, her resistance to being defined by men or circumstance—that makes this story so powerful.

Brown’s prose is elegant and evocative, his research meticulous yet never overwhelming. The novel peels away the sensationalism of the Ripper mythos and replaces it with humanity. Each chapter builds with subtle tension, and as the inevitable nears, the dread is palpable—but so is the hope that Mary’s life will finally be seen in full light, not just shadow.

The Last Dance of Mary Kelly is not just historical fiction—it’s historical justice. It’s a novel that forces us to remember the woman, not the headline. For readers who love stories that honor the forgotten, that question the easy answers of history, and that leave a lasting ache in your chest, this is an absolute must-read.

Jaw dropping and gripping historical account of the last days of Mary Kelly and an American journalist in London. At the time of the workers movement with political and newspaper censorship keeping those who were perceived to know too much or to stir trouble were silenced atrociously. Recounting what transpired and how some met their tragic ends is told with remarkable detail that made me squirm and jaw drop. The story ends with such unexpected moments. I strongly enjoyed this book.

A good decent fictional account of who Mary Kelly may have been.I loved the atmosphere of Victorian London and I thought it was pretty imaginative.It very much kept my interest throughout and kept me wondering just how many experiences like these did Kelly have.I've always been interested in the victims stories so I can honestly say this book nudged my interest just a little deeper.

It was hard for me to finish the book.

On the one hand, it intrigued me to find out who the murderer was (even though in the end my initial guess was correct, so no twist on that) and also learn about the historical background behind the story.

On the other hand, however, I found it very hard to read its way of writing and after I finished the book I had to turn to the internet to understand what the author was trying to depict.

I was excited to read this one, described as sort of a reimagining of the life of Mary Kelly, final victim of Jack the Ripper. Alas, it was a struggle for me to finish. I felt that it was a stretch for the author to make that connection between Mary and journalist Bryson Ward. This caused the story to drag for me at parts. The descriptions of Victorian-era London were excellent, though, causing me to feel as if I were actually there.

I was interested to read a historical fiction about Jack the Ripper, I was not disappointed. This book was an interesting premise to write the final victim of Jack the Ripper. The book was well done.

Mystique continues to swirl around Jack the Ripper and his victims to this day. I read a lot about this topic and was excited to receive this digital ARC. Mary Kelly was one of his victims and her life reimagined by author E. David Brown is told here. The idea is brilliant and Brown makes it clear he has done such thorough research he was able to add his own spin. With that mindset, I dove in.

Though well written, my heart and mind felt no connection to the characters so I was not as engaged as I wanted to be. I felt my mind wander and had to reel myself in at times. It did feel realistic with the inclusion of the grittier aspects of Mary's life and circumstances and I appreciate the historical bits and dark atmosphere. I liked my reading experience but alas, didn't love it.

Mary Keyy and Jack the Ripper? This story will tie it together for you. It will keep you up reading until the last page.

2.5 stars

Overall a very promising and interesting premise--however, it failed to deliver for me.

I was very intrigued by the idea of reading the story of Mary Kelly, one of the victims of Jack the Ripper. I appreciated the care the author took in describing the Whitechapel of that time and giving details, however, the rest of the plot was a miss for me. I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters, and at times I felt like I was struggling to finish the book.

Also--the chapter lengths were very uneven at times to the point that it was distracting. A few chapters were two pages long and others were longer.

I wish I could have enjoyed this book more, as I was very intrigued by the plot.

The premise of this book is exciting – a new take on the last of Jack the Ripper’s victims, the Mary Kelly of the title. It promises to focus on Mary’s life rather than life and hints at a twist with part of the book’s description reads “Until you turn the final page you won’t know the whole story.”
Unfortunately, for me at least, the book failed to deliver and it was a struggle to reach the end. There is a bold attempt to build Mary’s character, but failed to connect me, the reader, to her.
Again, the blurb promises a gritty description of London; something altogether more sinister and real. This is achieved, but in a way that dragged me out of the story. An example was the use of offensive words to describe certain religious and ethnic groups within society. The terms were written on a poster read by Mary and whilst I appreciate the language of the day was not politically correct according to modern standards, the use jarred badly in a novel written in the 21st century. I never quite shook off the distaste of seeing those terms in print, and for me at least, severely detracted from the read. Just my opinion…others may disagree, and argue it was a valid use as it reflected the language of the day.

I enjoyed the idea of a historical fiction novel featuring Jack the Ripper’s victims before the murders. It was well written and had that mystery element that I was looking for. E. David Brown wrote this respectfully and was invested in the story.