 Hey guys, welcome back to coming in TV the only place on YouTube. We're all geek culture collides I'm Shannon and today on the show. We're taking a look at I Ripper by Stephen Hunter, New York Times best-selling author of the third bullet This is a fictional account of the Jack the Ripper Whitechapel murders with historical accuracy Here's the back a couple of Reviews on it a rip rip rip roaring novel from Stephen Hunter a real killer of a writer Hunter passes almost everybody else in the thriller writing trade as if they were standing still worth very extravagant rape a Master storyteller I'm a fanatical reader of thrillers and Stephen Hunter has always been one of my favorites few authors of any genre Right with such swagger and verb verb, sorry Here's the side and then usually when I read a book I'll take the I'll take the cover off Because it just gets in the way There it is without the cover some very nice blood red lettering pushed into the spine very nice and then here we have On the cover on the sleeve About the book I'll go ahead and hold it right there You guys want you can pause it and read it The pressing of the title very nice Obviously make it out on the opposite side and about the About the author that you guys pause that real quick Let's go ahead and put that cover back on as it just looks nicer The only time I really take the covers off like this is when I'm reading it just because it gets in the way Have to worry about it flopping around things while I'm reading the book and that just gets aggravating I Will say it's a pretty good read It wants to be a Sherlock Holmes novel but ends up being a Jekyll and Hyde piece a Twist inning that some may see coming but others may not Author Stephen Hunter gets the majority of the historical facts correct, but tends to exaggerate a bit for dramatic flair He takes some liberties obviously with the identity of Jack the Ripper since he was never officially caught but the liberties he takes are So believable and makes sense that you can't help but wonder if his Jack the Ripper may actually be the real deal When you begin reading the book, there are three different perspectives at first that of Jack That of the reporter following the Whitechapel murders and that of a female writing letters to her mother It's mildly confusing until you get used to it as a longtime fan of Sherlock Holmes I got immediately that the reporters part of the novel was trying to read as if written by Dr. Watson With the constant references to a study in scarlet which came out a year before The Whitechapel murders began through the Ripper's diary entries We dip into his mentality and what drives him Or at the very least what the author wants us to believe drives him It isn't till the last the very last two chapters That I Ripper begins to play like an M. Night Shyamalan movie At least one of his earlier movies before he began losing his touch with what made his films so great In the final chapter, I was called back to films like the sixth sense Unbreakable and the village some of Shyamalan's best work Where the book leads you in one direction But at the very end a twist sends you back to the beginning to confirm that the author wasn't trying to pull One past you for an easy ending Research was done to complete the story the historical accuracy as a longtime Ripperologist myself. I feel this is the most plausible account of who Jack the Ripper actually was very good read and Give it a three and a half out of five stars Had I not been so accustomed to twist endings I would have probably been far more surprised by the big reveal and would have given I Ripper a far higher rank If you enjoy murder mysteries in the vein of Sherlock Holmes novels and twist endings like M. Night Shyamalan's earlier work Then you'll certainly enjoy this book The chapters are very light There's a lot of chapters in this book because each chapter does not take up that many pages Just quote at the beginning and we start off with a diary entry Jack the Ripper's diary. I Will not tell you who the Ripper is in this book In case you want to read it, but there's the first chapter right there That's it then it goes into Jeb's memoirs and then that's Jeb's memoirs and then the diary entry Or more from the diary entry and then eventually you get to a letter That's written by a female See where's it at? And though they do it On and off throughout the book adding the die the Just like right here and if you're into Jack the Ripper and you know about his murders his victims You would be correct in guessing who the letters are from when you see the name I guessed it right off the bat. It wasn't that difficult to guess Steven does include a bibliography at the end to show you All the research he put into Getting this book historically accurate as I said he did take a few liberties Just for dramatic effect but very very very well written very Well researched. I mean, I'm astonished at how much research went into this book There's the acknowledgments at the ends about the author Like I said, it's slightly confusing he does write since it's done in the perspective Mainly of Jack the Ripper and of the reporter following the case It the terminology used in the book is very late 19th century There's a lot of slang terms in there that were only used during that period of time a Lot of references that were only only makes sense during that period of time But as I said it it wants to be a Sherlock Holmes novel But ends up turning into an M. Night Shyamalan inspired book Like I said, I'll give it three and a half out of five stars only because I saw the ending coming Because I'm so familiar with Sherlock Holmes and M. Night Shyamalan that I Knew what was coming But it surprised me how thorough Steven Hunter was in getting to that And he didn't take any liberties with That like you could go back and read it again any knowledge that yes, that's He he could have done it that way It makes sense Who the who Jack the Ripper actually is in this book anyway? Like I said Though the names may have been changed or whatever I'm not that well-versed into the Reporters for the case, but I do believe the names were kept the same for the most part And side characters and whatnot But really good read if you're into Jack the Ripper if you're into murder mysteries If you're into the early works of M. Night Shyamalan And if you just love a good Mystery Pickup I Ripper Very good read. I got it at Barnes & Noble is on sale. I think I paid like five dollars for it Can't beat it. I could not put it down Really enjoyed it. So, yeah Head on out to Barnes & Noble or pick go to on Amazon Prime or Amazon Get you a copy It'll be worth it Believe me. That's it for today guys Take it if you enjoyed that video make sure you hit the subscribe button right there So you can stay up-to-date on all things geek culture Also, make sure you check out one of these two playlists on the side for more videos Just like the one you just watched I'm Shannon for Comic Getting TV the only place on YouTube where all geek culture collides Take care Geeks