Jackaby

Jackaby
William Ritter
299 pages
Jackaby

Summary:

“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.”
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2014
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 a debut novel, the first in a series, brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.
“The rich world of this debut demands sequels.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

My Opinion:
FYI: I had been wanting to read this book for a while and have now just gotten around to reading it.

Wow. As I told people all day, this book is a mix of Sherlock Holmes and fairytales, plus a dash of Doctor Who in charisma and follow-ship of Jackaby. As a fan of all three things listed above, this was an enjoyable read for me. The time just seemed to float by. I very much didn't want to be disturbed while reading the book. Jackaby's equivalent to the Doctor's companions are his assistants. Both want to do everything for their detective or spaceman.  I love Doctor Who, so the similar eccentricity of Jacakby was really cool and interesting to read about. Abigail Rook was a great heroine.  No matter what happened, she wanted to try things her own way and experience the world. I admire that quality. Reminds me a little of Rose Tyler. Her love interest was so sweet and his big secret was an nice, pleasant twist. Chief inspector reminded me so much of the inspector from Sherlock. It was uncanny.

The surrounding mystery of the book definitely pulled me in. I had no idea who the killer was until the very end. The clues were most definitely there, but it just didn't click for me. And that is great, i don't want to be able to predict the whole plot of a book. I want to be surprised. Well if you like surprises and quirky, eccentric characters, then this is the book for you. My fellow fans of Wholock definitely should read it.

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