Official Review: Daniella Beckett and the Beast of Whitec...

[OvErBookeD]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Daniella Beckett and the Beast of Whitechapel" by A. J. McLeod.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Daniella Beckett and the Beast of Whitechapel by A.J. McLoed is a fictional novel with a supernatural murder-mystery theme that is set in London England in the late 19th century.

Daniella Beckett leads a normal life, and, in fact, her upcoming nuptials to Thomas to will be a pretty bow on the complete package. Yet, she finds herself morbidly fascinated by Jack The Ripper and scours the news for any word of him or his crimes. One night changes everything and her normal life is turned upside down and things as she knows them are about to change.

Theodore had his world shattered when his fiancé was killed and has vowed to hunt down the animal responsible for her death. Fate brings he and Daniella together and the strangers set off on a mission that embroils them in the investigation of Jack The Ripper as they try to bring and end to the Beast of Whitechapel.

I really wanted to like this book. The concept of Jack The Ripper meets a supernatural copy-cat is one that has infinite potential, but the book fell flat. The author had a great deal of difficulty introducing the characters and setting the scenes in a way that would grab hold of the reader. Instead of being gripped with interest as to where the book was going, I found myself tripping over awkward descriptions and the annoying and unnecessary repetition of phrases and words. I could provide numerous instances where this happens throughout the entire book and, frankly, it was so off-putting that I continuously put the book down. After picking it back up, I would have to go back and re-read paragraphs to try and understand what exactly the author was trying to explain.

The plot was promising, but there was no suspense. I think the intention was there, but the writer wasn't able to execute their idea fully. The first half of the book was largely used to introduce us to the characters, yet very little physical description was provided, so I formed no mental picture of a character that I could get attached to. There was a prominent pattern of describing the surroundings and the actions of the characters, but nothing described made me feel as if the novel was actually set in late 19th century Whitechapel. Even the small detail of having the very distinct East London accent tied to the appropriate characters to distinguish them from the rest would have gone a long way.

All in all, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. I appreciated the concept of the book, but could not get past the fact that it is poorly written. This writing short-fall prevented me from becoming invested in the characters and transporting myself to the intended era as I struggled to read through the rest of the book. If the author and editor were to revisit the writing style and review the language used I think that the book could be improved immensely even to the point where I would recommend it to others to read, but as it stands, I would not recommend it for most people.

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Daniella Beckett and the Beast of Whitechapel
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[zeldas_lullaby]

That's a great review! Very descriptive about the shortcomings. I agree that it's important to be able to visualize the characters. The plot does indeed have potential!

[OvErBookeD]

Thanks! I was disappointed, but sometimes it's just a matter of saying to someone "let's revisit this, I think it needs work" and maybe it can be turned around!!

[zeldas_lullaby]

Yep. I don't think you can go wrong with Jack the Ripper and monsters!! I bet the author can make it better!