I was curious and this is a good true crime. I don't know if the all the hypotesis work but it's an entertaining read
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Investigation Charles Lechmere : Was He Jack The Ripper?
Thought-out the years there have been different suspects brought who was thought to have been or might have been Jack the Ripper from members of the Royal family to even famous authors, but this is the first time that I"ve ever read a book where some one has asked was and could Charles Lechmere have been Jack the Ripper . And I have read quite a lot about Jack the Ripper, And I do have to say this author did an amazing job on bring his case to life by the way he brought all of the information about the people , the case and the time period to life . And while I did enjoy it this book , there is still a part of me that saying we're still not sure if he really is Jack the Ripper.

Theories about the identity of Jack the Ripper are legion & a plethora of suspects have been proposed over the decades, but is there a suspect who has been overlooked all this time? Charles Lechmere (aka Cross) was a carman who was on the way to work in the early hours when he discovered the body of the first canonical Ripper victim, Mary Ann Nichols. Lechmere, along with another witness who happened along the way shortly after, alerted a police officer on his beat nearby & gave evidence at the inquest, but the fact he gave an incorrect name & that the timings were fuzzy was never picked up on. Could the Ripper have been in-situ at the first murder & hidden in plain sight all along?

First of all this is a intriguing theory & the book is written in a very accessible way for those not familiar with the murders. It gives brief synopses of the five canonical victims, considers other possible victims, & either excludes or rules in the usual suspects. All this takes up 80% of the book, & Lechmere is not really discussed in any detail until almost the end. This could be because there is scant information about his life apart from the usual birth/marriage/death, but it just seems strange that the subject of the book would only appear in, at most, 20% of the book. It is very readable though & the theory is worth considering. 3.75 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I was excited for the opportunity to read INVESTIGATING CHARLES LECHMERE - Was He Jack the Ripper by Neil Norman. I love true crime, and like many have always been fascinated by the mystery surrounding the notorious Jack the Ripper. The book has a straight forward easy to read narrative approach, which I liked. But as I read, some parts seemed almost….too casual. I don’t know how to explain it more succinctly. Instead of a well researched informative narrative text, it came across in some parts like a very casual writer piecing things together. Some sections would be repeated almost word for word, and there were a lot of basic grammatical error… But to me, it read more like a very lengthy blog post.

I do appreciate the effort and research that Norman put into writing the book. But it lost some of the topic authority for me based on the style of writing.
I’m still giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ since I recognize that writing style is a personal preference.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This isn’t my normal genre! I don’t read too much nonfiction or true crime anymore. Someone in a group suggested this title and I was lucky to be granted a wish copy. I really liked this book because it’s well done. It explains the case, the victims, the possible suspects and the reasoning of why they believe Lechmere is the Ripper. It all read very well and made sense. It was quite riveting in fact and I finished it in about a day, reading a lot of it on my lunch break. I think this author did well to explain his reasoning and the thought process. It did give me a lot to think about regarding the case.

This is a solid read for anyone new to and interested in Victorian England, and of course more specifically, the Jack the Ripper mystery.

I will preface this by saying that, while I am obsessed with everything Victorian, I actually knew next to nothing about the case other than general timeframe. While I love mysteries, and occasionally do dip into true crime, it's not usually a genre that attracts my attention for some reason. So I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to enjoy this book.

That ended up being not an issue at all! While the title mentions 'Charles Lechmere', one of the key suspects, he doesn't actually take center stage until perhaps the last 30 pages or so. Instead, the book does a wonderful job introducing the readers to each of the victims followed by each of the suspects before digging deeper into analyzing Jack the Ripper's methodology and the titular person.

Despite my limited prior knowledge, I will say the author does present a compelling case, while still acknowledging areas where investigations regarding other suspects might still lead to different outcomes. It felt like a fair and balanced presentation overall.

Because of the length of the book, it is on the shorter side around 200 pages or less, some sections -- particularly those about some suspect profiles -- felt a little too brief. A few times I found myself wishing for more detail regarding why certain suspects were dismissed. But, also, going too deep might've hurt the book's pacing especially as they weren't the focus. Honestly, the fact that I wanted more probably just means the book succeeded in sparking my curiousity.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. As heartwrenching as it was to read about the victims, the book sheds light on the dark side of Victorian London and is a good introduction for any budding Ripperologist.

Jack the Ripper revealed?
“Investigating Charles Lechmere” is comprehensive summary of the canonical Ripper cases, and similar crimes discounted as his work. This establishes the author’s credentials as someone who has undertaken an almost forensic study of the crimes; the victims, the nature of the injuries, a psychological profile of the killer, and an analysis of the suspects and their whereabouts when the crimes happened. The author draws up a full list of suspects and makes the arguments for and against their identity as the gruesome Jack. And finally, presenting the case for Charles Lechmere as the guilty man.
I am no Ripperologist – more someone with a general interest in the late 19th century – and so I was surprised how many of the suspects were identified in the later part of the twentieth century – hence – enter the subject of this book, Charles Lechmere.
It is no spoiler (given the title of the book) that the author believes Charles Lechmere was indeed the Ripper. So who was this man?
Lechmere was a cabman (the 19th century equivalent of a white van man) who knew the streets of London like his own hand. He lived in Whitechapel and familiar to many of the women on the streets. His job involved being abroad at night, allowing him to move around without suspicion. And the kicker is, he found one of the bodies. And that’s where it gets interesting, because piecing together and reviewing witnesses’ statements at the time, it seems likely the victim was still alive when Lechmere ‘discovered’ her. It’s entirely plausible that may have pretended to find her to cover his tracks. Added to that he gave a false name…and the circumstantial evidence starts to build a strong case.
An absorbing read that makes a strong case. See what you think!

I have always been fascinated by true crime and I think a big part of that started when I learnt about Jack The Ripper at school, it fascinates me how someone could do something so horrific and no one have any idea who he is or why he did what he did. So when I saw this book I knew I needed to read it and review it and I am so grateful that I got the chance too.

The book is really well written and is informative without being overpowering with the information, It definitely gave me lots to think about while I was reading it and afterwards.

"Investigating Charles Lechmere: Was He Jack the Ripper" by Neil Norman is an insightful book that details the gruesome murders of London's notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper. A man who has made his mark on not only the world of criminology but also in pop culture, the biggest question remains: who was Jack the Ripper? Norman explores the possibility of Charles Lechmere, a man with a mysterious presence, as being the man to hold such title.

This book is an interesting source for those who want an in-depth account of the murders executed by Jack the Ripper. A common theme throughout that Norman highlights is the suffering and alcoholism that many of the Ripper's victims suffered from, and he makes it a point to note that such events were an effect of the times. While I enjoyed the information, it was given in extensive, bulky paragraphs that lost my interest and made me have to reread the pages several times. There isn't a lot of personification in this novel, as Norman tells the story through facts, rather than stepping into the shoes of these victims and exploring the setting at an interpersonal level. I enjoyed his investigation into Charles Lechmere, but it felt like an afterthought, and I wish that there would have been more focus on his life and connection to the women who fell victim to the Ripper's crimes.

There are numerous books about Jack the Ripper and his identity remains a mystery. Neil Norman presents a compelling case for Charles Lechmere as the perpetrator. As with most compelling cases, we’ll probably never know the truth, but if you enjoy true crime or Ripper books, this is a must. It’s well written in that the scene is set well with detail of the area, the times, the police and the social climate. There’s good context to the victims as well. So often secondary to Ripper stories, the reader can place the victims from the detail given. The author also explores other possible victims and the investigation. Looking back, the police action was woeful but the benefit of hindsight has done little to resolve the mystery. I like this book for the social context and the sympathetic treatment of the victims. There are insights into many aspects of the case and food for thought. A fascinating series of photos at the end, including one of Lechmere and some interesting pictures of the Whitechapel area. An extensive index, bibliography and other source material is food for further reading. Fascinating and well argued.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early review copy.

A must read if you are a fan of true crime and especially a fan of all the mystery involving what has to be one of the biggest true crime stories in the world: Jack the Ripper.
A very interesting view on the victims, possible suspects and according to the author the true identity of the ripper.