Escaping from Houdini is the third book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco and will debut on September 18th, 2018. I received this as an ARC at BookCon and nearly died from it! (Seriously, I was almost trampled getting in line for this!) But, it was totally worth it! If you haven’t read Stalking Jack the Ripper or Hunting Prince Dracula, I will link their description on Goodreads so you can check them out!

Here is part of the synopsis from Goodreads:

In this third installment in the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series, a luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of scandal, madness, and horror when passengers are murdered one by one…with nowhere to run from the killer. . .

(Please follow the link attached to read the rest of the synopsis!)

I read both Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula last winter (I know, I know, I’m late to the party!) and absolutely adored them! If you have not read Stalking Jack the Ripper yet, here is the synopsis from Goodreads and here is the description for Hunting Prince Dracula on Goodreads.

These books are historical, young adult fiction and they are fantastic! They are all murder mysteries (I think I’m starting to see a trend here with my taste) but are so creative and witty at the same time. Audrey Rose is one of my favorite characters as she embodies the sass of the late 1800’s with grace and side eyes.

Meanwhile, Thomas, her uncle’s assistant and Audrey Rose’s soulmate (in my opinion) is hilariously sarcastic and witty with Audrey Rose, while also being aloof and professional. I loved both of them in the first two books and I loved them in this one too!

Just like books one and two, the plot leaves me questioning what the heck is happening! Every time someone is murdered, I find myself examining the scene along with Audrey Rose and trying to piece together the clues. I think Kerri does an amazing job hinting at who the killer is without making it too obvious, but not making it so hard that we’re all dumbfounded at the reveal.

The characters are all amazing and spunky, including the new ones introduced in this story. I thought each of their backstories and arcs were well defined and heartbreaking, while also being completely realistic. It was so refreshing to get to know these characters and add another layer to Audrey Rose’s character.

The one thing about this book that I disliked was the ending! Now, Kerri has confirmed that the ending is different in the final draft and the book is overall 40 pages longer. So, I am not going to talk about the ending, since it is being changed anyways and I am disregarding it in my review and rating until I’ve read the finished copy.

I honestly adored this book and I am so sad to hear we only get one more book after this and then it’s done! I want to keep following Audrey Rose and Thomas on their murder mystery journeys and see where their life goes. Unfortunately, my dreams will not come true and I am stuck enjoying these four books from Kerri.

Overall, I would give this book stars and I would definitely recommend it to a friend!

If you haven’t read Stalking Jack the Ripper yet or Hunting Prince Dracula, make sure you do so before September 18th because you do not want to miss out on this book!

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If this book sounds good to you or you enjoy historical fiction, I would suggest A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee!