Book Review :: Escaping From Houdini

Book: Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #3
Publisher: James Patterson Presents by Jimmy Patterson Books
Source: Audiobook via Libby
Where to Buy: Shop local! Find your local independent book store at IndieBound!

Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell find themselves aboard a luxurious ocean liner that becomes a floating prison of horror when passengers are murdered one by one...with nowhere to run from the killer.

Goodreads Summary: 
The #1 bestselling series that started with Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula continues its streak in this third bloody installment.... Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow more and more bizarre. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation before more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

My Review: 4 out of 5 Stars!

Check out my full review after the jump! Click "Read More" below to continue! Caution: There may be spoilers ahead, please read at your own risk. 



Do you want to know how to tell if I really love a series? A good indicator is that I make it past the first book, but also that I begin reading the newest release soon after its release date. So far, the only other series that ensnared me as much as this one does is The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. I absolutely LOVE the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, more specifically, I love Kerri Maniscalco's writing. She has a unique way of describing detail that makes me want to continually reread certain passages because they were just so brilliantly written.

Escaping From Houdini is the third in the SJTR series and continues the enthralling relationship between Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell. Cresswell to me is just the most fascinating and pompous characters I've ever read about, and I adore every word out of his mouth. He is easily one of my all-time favorite fictional characters from a book. In this episode of their saga, they find themselves aboard the RMS Etruria, a luxury ocean-liner, heading toward the United States to work on a case. Unfortunately, their next case begins before they even arrive on shore. Amidst a fantastical carnival that is to be the cruise-liner's nightly entertainment, multiple murder victims are found during each performance and only one clue is ever left behind, a single tarot card. Audrey-Rose, her uncle, and Thomas set out to find the person behind these murders before they arrive on shore and the culprit can escape.

The reason I gave this one 4-stars instead of 5-stars was because I wasn't particularly a fan of what happens between Audrey-Rose and Thomas near the end. One reason I love this series so much is because of Thomas and AR's relationship, so when something came between them, I immediately was somewhat turned off and kind of shocked. Other than that though, it's another great addition to the SJTR series. I really do think Maniscalco, in my opinion, is today's Agatha Christie. Her mysteries are so enthralling and I love not knowing what the hell is going on until the last minute.

I hear there is just one more in the series, which makes me sad, but I look forward to reading it at the end of next year!