{Audiobook} Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

Title: Jackaby
Author: William Ritter
Narrator(s): Nicola Barber
Series: Jackaby, book #1
Length: 7 hrs 21 mins
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers/Recorded Books
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss, won signed copy, purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

I put off reviewing this book, well, because I'm lazy. And honestly, that summary does a great job of telling you what you're going to get with Jackaby. When it says Doctor Who meets Sherlock, it means it. You've got the paranormal aspects of Doctor Who set as the backdrop for a murder mystery the likes of which Sherlock would love to get his hands on.

Just like the two BBC shows that seem to be at least partly the inspiration for Jackaby, this novel includes a healthy dose of humor to the story to lessen the effects of the grisly tale held within its pages. I love a great mystery novel, but it can't always be murder and mayhem, especially when there's little to no romance to be had to distract you from the gruesomeness.

Much like Sherlock, Jackaby is the type of character to find romance a very unnecessary diversion from the matter at hand…even a complication. So, the romance is left to young Abigail, who seems to have struck the fancy of Detective Cane. Though the thought has been planted, it's unlikely we'll see any real swoons until later in the series. And I applaud that…this isn't really the type of mystery novel to really call for a love story.

Ritter has created such a rich world in Jackaby that I found myself immediately immersed in it, as if I, too, were walking the streets of New England, trying to crack the case. Set near the turn of the century, the depiction of New Fiddleham and what lurked there was elaborate and breath-taking. The story was unique in its execution, and I found myself at the end of the story before I knew what had happened.

Jackaby does, however, remind me of another series I started listening to right around the same time: The Paper Magician trilogy, which I briefly reviewed on Goodreads. If you enjoyed those books, you'll likely enjoy this new Sherlockian series and vice versa. Also, Nicola Barber is a fantastic narrator for this series. I've listened to many audiobooks performed by her, and I've never been disappointed. Her accent also lends an air of authenticity to the story.

And what a story it was! I've always been a fan of Sherlockian-type mysteries, and William Ritter's Jackaby is no exception. I just saw that the cover for the sequel was revealed while I was on vacation last week -- that or I missed it recently -- and I might love it even more than this one. Which was why I was finally inspired to write my review for this amazing book.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

William Ritter began writing Jackaby in the middle of the night when his son was still an infant. After getting up to care for him, Will would lie awake, his mind creating rich worlds and fantasies—such as the one in New Fiddleham. Will lives and teaches in Springfield, Oregon. Jackaby is his first novel.

Find William:

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