ARC Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

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Book 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.”
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.

          Comparing a book with some mainstream concepts such as Sherlock or Doctor Who is not something I look forward while reading a book. Yes, it can do wonders for marketing, but it can also create false expectations. Beware of that! As you can see the blurb for this book did just that but I cannot tell you if it's for the better or worse as I didn't read the blurb before reading the book, so I didn't have those kind of expectations.

          One thing is sure you can draw parallels between the three. Jackaby is weird detective in town who has unusual way with investigating crimes and resolving mysterious cases. He is not praised by police or other townsfolk but at the end of the day it's the best they have got. When Abigail finds herself in little town called New Fiddleham she couldn't dream that she would find herself in the middle of serial killings which got stranger and stranger. In desperate need of job she finds an open position as Jackaby's assistant and slowly starts to change her views on the world.

          When I started this book it sounded like a story of mystery and killings, but paranormal elements here surprised me. Everything sounded so real and touchable that I though it would be more Sherlock than Doctor Who like. But at the same time I was impressed how the author managed to put folktales and legends and shape them so they fit the story. It was really well done and I really enjoyed it.

          Despite the references this book had everything I wanted. It was funny, interesting and nicely packed together. I'm sure that many will enjoy it as much as I did. Only things that I can put as con here would be the predictability. But nothing scary, I assure you.

Rating: 4 stars.

Until the next time,