Info: Algonquin Young Readers, copyright 2014, 299 pages
“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. -Goodreads description
The Rundown
I fangirl big time over good historical fiction. Add in a good mystery and a heavy splash of the supernatural and for me it's sold! This book was pitched to me as a twist on the classic Sherlock and Dr. Watson so naturally I was like "Yes please!" I finished it in just a few days (a feat when you have a one year old and your "quiet time" is manning the reference desk & teen department at a public library).
Abigail Rook is just cool. She has a lust for adventure that simply wasn't allowed in this era for women, so she pockets her tuition money and heads off to explore. She leaves England, joins a failing and disappointing dinosaur dig, and uses the rest of her funds to board a ship bound for America. What she'll do when she makes port...well that's part of the adventure, right?
After spending her first day unsuccessfully looking for work, Abigail finds herself at the offices of one R.F. Jackaby, investigator of the paranormal. I loved Jackaby from the start! Imagine the detective version of Sheldon Cooper if you're a Big Bang Theory fan. Insanely intelligent and lovably awkward. He's in need of an assistant and she in need of work. From there the two set off as the town of New Fiddleham is rocked by a string of horrific serial killings that Jackaby is certain is the work of something inhuman.
Trolls, shape shifters, fairies, seers, and banshees all make appearances as the bodies pile up. It's a classic "who done it" mixed with humor, ghosts, and other creatures we believe only exist in our imaginations.
Just shy of 300 pages it's a quick read for mystery, supernatural, and historical fiction fans. Encourage reluctant readers to give it 40 pages and they too won't be able to put this book down as they try to piece together the clues of a killer hidden in plain sight right along with Jackaby & Abigail. Fans will be happy to know that the sequel, Beastly Bones, hit shelves in September 2015, so no waiting for your next Jackaby fix!
Rating: 5 Stars. You totally must read this book!
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