Book Review:  Ripper by Stefan Petrucha

This suspenseful novel, set in 1890's New York City, tells the story of Carver Young, an orphaned boy with a penchant for detective stories and a quick mind.  Carver is "adopted" by a former Pinkerton Detective, Albert Hawking, who sees promise in the young boy.  Carver is on a quest to locate his birth father, yet at the same time Jack the Ripper has turned up in New York and is wreaking havoc in the city.  Carver learns a terrible secret about his father and must save the city before Jack kills again.
Overall I found the pacing to be good, and the action was fast-paced. Some of the historical inaccuracies can be explained away when reminded that this is a work of fiction - the author never declares otherwise.  I enjoyed the book, in all of its dark and suspenseful glory.  The characters were engaging, but I do have to admit that there was not enough distrust for me.  I felt like the "secret" agents were a bit too forthcoming with their "top secret" information, and Carver readily believed anything that anyone told him - he did not have a distrustful bone in his body.  And the fact that everyone listened to a bunch of teenagers is a bit surprising - it almost made the book Scooby Doo-esque.  With all that in mind, the author does pull it together well, and his storytelling is top notch.  I feel like he wants to continue the storyline, but it is a very good stand alone novel as well.  Either way, if you are a fan of thrillers and Jack the Ripper stories, you should try it out!