Escaping From Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper, 3)

I have so many emotions about this book and that's why I've really put off writing a review for it. I'm also hoping to do a review of this book on my channel as well, but until then...here we go.Escaping From Houdini follows Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell as they get on a boat headed for America along with Audrey Rose's uncle and Thomas' chaperone. One the boat there is a traveling magic troupe led by the mysterious Mephistopheles and joined by Harry Houdini himself. As a string of murders are revealed, Audrey Rose and Thomas must figure out who has killed these people before they dock in America and escape forever.As most of you probably know, I love this series to death. Last year I read both Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula and became obsessed with them. I really love Audrey Rose as a character and I love the relationship she has with Thomas Cresswell. They both balance each other out so well and they really work well together as a team.However, in this book, the powers that be have placed a roadblock between Audrey Rose and Thomas. That road block is none other than the charismatic and possibly dangerous Mephistopheles.He is always wearing his mask and his act never seems to be put to rest entirely. However, quite early on, he develops a fascination with Audrey Rose and strikes up a deal with her. He will help her with her murder investigation as long as she helps with the final act and, in turn, she can't tell Thomas about what is going on.As the sweet little bean he is, Thomas never asserts himself with Audrey and never tries to lay claim to her. He is always telling her that he would respect any decision she made; whether to be with him or not to be with him. He wasn't interested in having her if she wasn't completely interested and in love with him.Some people really hated this love triangle, and I can really see why, but I absolutely loved it and felt like it was well done. I really liked that Audrey realized that there was someone else out there who could interest her in a romantic or sexual way, but in the end decided that despite that she only wanted Thomas. I feel like it's normal for someone who has only ever loved and been with one person to have some doubts and possibly entertain the idea of someone else.Audrey Rose never seriously considers Mephistopheles as a romantic partner, and I think that's what makes this love triangle feel safe. She never fully lets herself become interested in him, despite the fact that she and Thomas aren't technically in a relationship. She knows, deep down, that Thomas is the only one for her. However, she does become intrigued by Mephistopheles' mysterious ways.EDIT: I am genuinely shocked at how many people took the love triangle (if it could even really be called that) seriously. Like...people got actually frustrated because of Mephistopheles' unrequited interest towards Audrey Rose? Like...did y'all ACTUALLY believe that she was going to end up with him? Or even have legitimate feelings towards him? For me, he was just a fun addition to add in some drama. I was never actually worried about him winning over Audrey Rose. Maybe it's because I don't take romance that seriously in books so I just didn't take his advances all that seriously. Or maybe it's because I actually bothered to pay attention while reading and saw how little interest Audrey Rose actually had in him... I mean, it could be either one of those things. I just don't understand how, after reading this book, people can really still believe that the love triangle was that big of a deal. First, people wanted the books to spend more time on the investigations than the romance. Valid. But now people want the books to spend more time on the romance? I'm genuinely so confused. Make up your minds people!I also really loved this murder mystery because I was left guessing the entire time just like the second book! Everytime I thought I knew who it was, it wasn't them. I think Kerri Maniscalco has really elevated the mysteries with each book and I can't wait to see what she does with the fourth book!Something else I really loved that happened at the end of the book, is that Audrey Rose is hurt and needs to use a cane to get around. She doesn't see this as something to lament or feel sorry for herself about. She has no issue with using a cane to walk with and doesn't see this as a hindrance to living her life. I would love to see more of this approach to disability in books because I feel like so many portrayals view disability as something horrible and life ruining.Overall, I really loved this book! There were some things that weren't perfect, but I enjoyed myself so much and I can't wait for the next book in this incredible series!

The third book in this amazing mystery series, while still deliciously dark and grisly, as well as entertaining and humorous, is not as compelling as the first two installments, unfortunately. I don’t know if I’m in the minority for saying this but I can’t lie and say this was a perfect book. At least, for me, it wasn’t.I stand by the belief that Audrey Rose is an exceptional female protagonist. I really enjoy the balance in her character. Her love for forensic pathology does not deter her love for elegance and (Victorian perceptions of) feminity. She enjoys considering the state of dead things just as much as she loves wearing beautiful dresses. She continues to challenge the norms of her time and luckily her “I’m not like other girls” attitude has dissipated since the first book. Her thoughts are more focused on understanding her true self and coming into acceptance of it.One of my favorite aspects of this book is the repartee between her and Thomas Cresswell, whom I love dearly. I really enjoy their playful banter. It’s littered with so much humor and romance. Unfortunately, in this book, while we are still gifted with that wonderful display of romance between the two, Thomas has kind of faded into the background. He feels more like a secondary character rather than a deuteragonist now.In the first book, I had some qualms that Thomas overshadowed Audrey Rose’s forensic skills. The second book rectified this by giving Audrey Rose a more involved role in the case as she carried out most of the forensic footwork while Thomas acted mostly as the love interest and support. Because of this, they felt more like equals that were integral to the narrative. But in this book, it really did feel as if Thomas was placed in a backseat role. We barely got to see him in all his forensic glory.And this was due largely in part to the very sudden introduction of a new love interest who was far too similar to Thomas. I don’t need another Thomas. One will do. Also, I wasn’t on board with the disingenuous drama the love triangle created. It was completely unnecessary and only took from the story. I feel like there are other ways to show Audrey’s understandable hesitation in dedicating herself to a potentially married life with Thomas.In regards to the mystery, even though it was dark and grisly and gory, it wasn’t as compelling or clever as the previous cases. The clues weren’t well-embedded into the narrative and so it felt as if the mystery were created in sections rather than a whole. And when the killer was revealed, it was very anti-climactic and unsurprising. I think this was because the author focused too much on Audrey Rose’s romantic upheaval and also too much on the extravagant detail of the carnival. Even though I’m a sucker for magic and circus themes, I couldn’t help but notice that the carnival environment somewhat detracted from the development of the mystery.There are many flaws in this book but they don’t take away from the enjoyability of the story. I wish the mystery had been as intriguing as Audrey Rose’s character development in this book but overall I was pleased with this one. I’m very excited to see what comes next in the series, especially now that Thomas and Audrey Rose have had their mandatory YA moment of romantic weakness. I can’t wait to see where their relationship goes from here and what sort of adventures they’ll get up to together. Because I’d love to see them working more as a team rather than as separate brilliant minds. A book about a genius married couple working in forensics, solving grisly cases together, would be FANTASTIC.

I like that the book has pages with words printed on them.

This book. Oh my god, this book was incredible. 3 books in and I still can never work out who the killer is and still feel as shocked as I did when I read Stalking Jack the Ripper.I really enjoyed it, at first I was worried it would be a little slow and maybe not as good as the previous two, but within a few chapters, it was an intense as the others. I was a little frustrated with the introduction of the new love interest, throughout Audrey Rose has been a strong character who didn't have any romantic moments until the last book, and even that took two full books to get to. I love Thomas's character too much to want to see her with any other, and I think she did too ultimately.I loved the brief steamy make-outs scattered throughout, whenever the book got too serious a scene would be thrown in to ease the tension and make my heart flutter like I was the one in the room with him, not her. I must have highlighted a passage in every scene that was remotely romantic!I loved that we got to see more of Liza also, when we were first introduced to her in the first book I was worried she would be used simply as a plot device to highlight how different Audrey Rose is, but instead she is shown to be the strong character she is and it just shows that you can come across as a more traditional Victorian young girl but still be as badass as the non-traditional girl.I loved their relationship, it was just as it should be between family, there was no competition, despite Liza not being interested or familiar with the work Audrey Rose does, she was still included and still listened and supported them all during their time. Just as Audrey Rose was there for Liza. It made me wish I had the same depth of relationship with cousins of mine.I cannot wait for the fourth, and I really really hope the series will never end!

The audiobook was very good; the one person who narrates the whole thing does different accents and tones of voice to liven up the cast of characters, to make it feel like it isn’t just one person.But Escaping From Houdini makes Audrey Rose an unlikeable narrator, and the plot only makes sense because she acts senselessly and runs around in circles. I’d say only 50 - 80 pages of this book were actually enjoyable for me. Audrey Rose also becomes a massive hypocrite in believing her female cousin isn’t capable of thinking for herself - exactly what Audrey Rose criticises men for in books 1 and 2.Honestly I was extremely relieved when this book was over. The only good thing about it was Thomas Cresswell and the interesting setting (a cruise liner at sea where someone is murdering people). I wouldn’t rush to recommend this.

I really enjoyed this book! I’m very intrigued to see what’s next for Audrey-Rose and Thomas.

Amazing copy. Looks brand new

Arrived without any marks on the dust cover so that’s an amazing start! The story itself is absolutely amazing, couldn’t recommend it enough!