The Judas Reflections: Murder In Whitechapel

In The Judas Reflections, Judas Iscariot, having failed at his suicide attempt, has been forced, like Cain before him, to walk the world as an immortal, seeking redemption. He is hunting the thirty pieces of silver he was paid for his betrayal of Jesus in hopes that he can buy back forgiveness and his soul. To this end, he has also committed to trying to do good although his old sins of greed and selfishness often get in the way.

In this novel, he is living in London during the time of Jack the Ripper. As an act of atonement, he is determined to hunt down the killer himself. Unfortunately, things are not always what they seem and Jack is a lot more of a threat than Judas (now known as Emmanuel) had imagined. It seems there is one more immortal walking the earth and Judas may be outmatched by evil.

I quite enjoyed this tale of sin and redemption. Judas is a likeable and complex character. I was intrigued by Roderick, his Irish partner, whose origins are only hinted at. I also found the descriptions of Victorian England very interesting, especially those of Whitechapel. Author James Aiden does a very good job of evoking the poverty and lack of hope its inhabitants lived with daily. Given this is a story about Judas Iscariot, there are some Christian themes involved. However, these aspects add to the story but don't overwhelm it. 

I am not sure but I can guess, given the ending of the story, that this is just one book in a series and I look forward to reading more of Judas' search for the coins.

Emmanuel Ortiz holds an ancient and dark secret…
His real name is Judas Iscariot.
Forced to walk the earth as a cursed immortal, Judas’ disguise as Emmanuel does little to ease his eternal loneliness. Having recovered nine of his thirty blood coins, his focus is not yet on redemption for his treacherous role in the betrayal of Jesus Christ.
Distractions come easily for the rich entrepreneur and sometimes sleuth who presently resides in England, 1888. Fascinated by the spate of murders in London’s poverty stricken Whitechapel, Emmanuel soon realizes the killings resemble others he is familiar with, and the bloody signature of killing and taunts speaks to the unholy talents of yet another immortal…an enemy from long ago.
This knowledge fuels his determination to track and apprehend the infamous Jack the Ripper at any cost.

Born in Denver Colorado, Aiden James is fascinated by Gothic history and the supernatural. Aiden currently lives with his wife and two sons in Tennessee.
Michelle Wright was born in London's east-end into a family of psychic mediums, her passion for writing started young. By her early teens she had published stories in magazines and wrote scripts for school plays. In later years becoming a psychotherapist and journalist in-between practicing her psychic skills she travelled extensively. Having lived in Spain and the US she now resides in Belgium.

I am not so sure what to say about this book or how to rate it. I love reading mystery and suspense books and Jack the Ripper is a great character to use building up a good story. Combined with the quite interesting idea of Judas becoming immortal to pay for his betrayal I was curious how it worked out in one story. After finishing the book I am asking myself what I read. In a way I liked reading the story. I loved the style but I did not find the story that exciting. You are living in Judas, or Emmanuel as he is called now, head reading his thoughts. This is entertaining enough and I like the way his whole live is playing part in the story. This is done so well you can really feel along and get angry when he is angry and worry when he is worried. Still this was not enough to make the story exciting. There is not really a puzzle idea thing are just happening and going on and I never really felt excitement for him getting close to Jack or not. I liked the character of Roderick. He seems like an great fellow and I wonder who he is supposed to be in history. I was not able to guess. I am curious about other work by both writers. I loved their choice of words and the writing style was soothing and enjoyable. I will probably try the other books in the Judas series.

Author: Aiden James & Michelle Wright Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press ISBN-13:  9781620071984 Pages:212 (paperback)
Format: eBook Curiosity Quills Press: various