Tag: kerri maniscalco

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My Favourite Books of 2025

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. As you will have seen last week I shared my least favourite books of the year so far, excluding December as that month has not finished yet, and now I am sharing my favourite books of each month so far this year.

January – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

This year started off with a bang. I had been putting this book off since it came out, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it and now, I think about it every day. It also started a dragon obsession, I now own over ten dragon teddies.

February – Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin

I read this book one night while I was in the hospital as it was a deal on my kindle and I ended up absolutely loving it. I can’t wait for the third book to be released in January.

March – Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Another book I had been putting off, I liked the first two but I didn’t love them but this one I must have read it at just the right time because I loved this one. It was fun and action packed.

April – Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

This year is definitely the time for reading the books I have been putting off, this is another one. It is the final one in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I loved getting to see the end of this story though I love the characters and would want to spend every day with them, currently this is up there as my favourite book of the year.

May – In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price

This book follows Lizzie and Darcy as they solve mysteries together, I adore this series and while there are some things I would change about the two characters I will read any book by this author.

June – The Protest by Rob Rinder

The third in his series, following a lawyer who gets more involved in solving cases than a usual lawyer. I love this series, I have so far read every book the day it came out. The mysteries are great but I just love Adam and can’t wait to see what happens to him next.

July – A Deadly Night at the Theatre by Katy Watson

The fifth? I think, in the three dahlias series. Even though this was my favourite read this month, this was my least favourite of this series so far. I felt that the relationship between the three lead characters was different and not as good as usual. But I still loved it.

August – Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Oh the nostalgia. The emotion. This book has my heart definitely. It was beautifully told and made me understand Hyamitch’s character a lot better.

September – The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

A great mystery, as usual from Janice Hallett. I love the way these stories are told through mixed media, it makes it much more interesting.

October – Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

I loved this book. It had both a gothic and a historical feel about it. It was much darker than I expected it to be but I really enjoyed it, I loved the character of Dora.

November – Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell

The third in the Way of the Argosi series, a spin off of the Spellslinger series. I have loved following Ferrius Parfax and seeing how her character became what it is in the Spellslinger series. This series is all about adventure and the unlikely hero. I love it.

What are some of your favourite books of this year?

Monthly Wrap Ups

November Wrap Up!

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a lovely day. It is the end of the month and that means it is time to discuss the books that I did and did not read in November.

What books did you read this month? Did you enjoy them?

From my November TBR:

  • Immortality by Dana Schwartz – I did not get around to reading it this month
  • Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I decided, after putting two on my November TBR, not to do any rereads this month so I did not read this one
  • The Guest List by Lucy Foley – I did read this book. I have been putting it off for a long time but I have finally read it and I thought it was good, not amazing but good enough.
  • The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrews – I did read this.
  • Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – this was the second book that I put on my November TBR as a reread, so I did not read this.
  • Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies – I did read this.
  • Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft – I did not read this
  • To Steal From Thieves by M K Lobb – I did not read this.
  • A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna – I did read this.
  • Agency of Scandal by Laura Wood – I did read this.
  • Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell – I did read this.
  • Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas – I am writing this a little early, I have a week left of November and in that time I plan on finishing Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn.

Outside of my TBR I also read The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding and A Quiet Life in the Country by TE Kinsey.

That means in November, I read a total of 8 books so far this month, but I might be able to add three more to this if I manage to read the three Sarah J Maas books.

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End of year TBR

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Happy Friday bookish people! How are you all today? I hope you are all well. We are so close to the end of the year now, the time of cosy reading is here and with more time on my hands I have been thinking about the books I haven’t managed to read yet this year that I am still wanting to get to.

What books do you want to get to before the end of the year?

The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tail by Antony Johnston

A festive murder mystery where I have enjoyed the rest of this series, I will be putting this on my December TBR.

Queen of Shadows – Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

At the start of this year I wanted to finish the Throne of Glass series and the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and so both of these are on this list.

The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding

I am intrigued what this will be like because of who it is written by, and it is only a short book so I am excited to read it.

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

I have started rereading the stalking jack the ripper series and I remember this second one being my favourite of the series so I am excited to get back into it.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

I would love to be able to finish this series before the end of the year, I read the rest at the beginning of the year and then I took a pause because I wasn’t sure if I would like Nesta in this book but enough is enough, it is time to finish the series.

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber

I can’t wait to read this! Stephanie Garber is easily one of my favourite authors and I love everything she writes, I have been itching to read this since I got my hands on a copy.

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I recently got hold of second hand copies of this series. I remember absolutely loving it when I was younger so I’d like to do a reread and see what I think of it now.

A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey

I recently bought this book after being recommended it, and I would like to read it soon so that I know whether or not I would like to continue with the series into next year.

A Death in Diamonds by S J Bennett

Another mystery series I have loved all the books in so far, but I have been putting this one off as I need to be in the right mood to read it, but I would like to finish up this series before the end of the year.

Murder at Midwinter Farm by Helena Dixon

I have read and loved all of the Helena Dixon, Miss Underhay series so far and this book is coming out before December so I will be buying and reading that immediately.

Monthly TBRs

November TBR!

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. It is November and now that I am free from my PhD work (at least until January), I have a lot more time to read and that makes me very excited – so many options!

What are you all planning on reading this month?

Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell

Agency of Scandal by Laura Wood

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

To Steal From Thieves by M K Lobb

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Immortality by Dana Schwarz

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Uncategorized

My Favourite Spooky Books

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. As it is getting so close to Halloween and October/Autumn is when we all start reading the spooky/atmospheric books I thought I would share some of my favourites with you all.

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Mansicalco

This novel follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth, an upper-class woman in Victorian London and her desire to train as a surgeon in a time when women were not allowed to, alongside this it features the murders of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Audrey Rose teams up with Thomas Cresswell to solve the mystery. This is one of my favourite books of all time, I love the mystery and I love the romance. The time period provides a spooky, dangerous atmosphere that keeps you reading.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

This novel follows Emilia, a witch and when her Twin Sister Vittoria is murdered she summons a prince of sin to find out what happened. It is dark, brooding, enchanting, just overall incredible.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

I have seen that a lot of people are divided on this book, some like it and some don’t. For me personally I loved the isolating feeling of the location and the mental confusion of whether there was something fantastical and at the same time sinister going on or whether Effie is imagining it. I devoured this book in one day.

Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore

I believe this book is listed as a YA read but it is still sufficiently spooky. It follows a girl who enrolls in a prestigious school to find out more about her father and she gets dragged into a mystery concerning the school library, a curse, and an annoyingly handsome ghost.

Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin

This novel is somewhere between cosy crime and historical crime. It follows Arbie and Val as they team up to solve mysteries. I absolutely loved this series. Arbie is a writer whose books send him to locations to explore ghost hunting, even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts, and due to this keeps accidentally running into val and running into crime scenes. These two characters are the epitome of chalk and cheese and yet they work together so well. I can’t wait for the next book coming in 2026.

Murder at Highgate Cemetery by Irina Shapiro

This novel opens with the body of a young girl who has been murdered, suspended from an angel grave in the cemetery. It goes from there to be told from two perspectives, Gemma Tate a crimean war nurse who has returned to London and found herself in trouble when her brother dies, and Sebastien Bell a Police Detective who is strugglign in his own personal life. They keep running into each other and although Sebastien keeps telling Gemma to stay away from the crime for her own safety, they end up working together anyway.

The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis

This series follows the Bronte sisters as they solve various mysteries. For me this is the spookiest in the series. The sisters end up investigating a woman who it seems has vanished into thin air and there are constant references to dark, gothic manors and ghostly occurrences. Very creepy but very good. I have just read the last in this series and I loved them all.

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

Graveyard Shift by M L Rio

This is only a short novel but I loved how it all came together, how slowly we learnt things about the group of people who accidentally ended up together in the wrong place at the wrong time and witness something they shouldn’t have.

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

City of Ghosts by V E Schwab

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

What are some of your favourite spooky books?

Book Tags

Back To School Book Tag!

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Happy Friday Bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today! It is September and that means children are going back to school. So, I thought it would be fun to do a back to school themed book tag challenge. I found this one on monstrumology.com

English – name your favourite authors (or books) writing style: Erin Morgenstern

Particularly the whimsical, lyrical writing from The Starless Sea. One of my favourite books ever.

Maths – a book that made you frustrated: Ulysses by James Joyce

Parts of this book have no punctuation. Need I say more.

Social Studies/History – your favourite book from a different time period: A Little Princess

I have always loved this book, reading it is a very nostalgic experience for me. It is sad and heartwarming in equal measure.

Art – your favourite book with pictures: The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant.

This book follows Cordelia Hatmaker and her friends as they discover the secrets of their world and this is complimented by beautiful illustrations in the book and on the cover. It is stunning.

Drama – a book you would love to turn into a movie: the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco

It is so gothic and atmospheric, Victorian London, a bit of murder and mystery and romance. I would be front of the queue to see this as a film.

Music – name a character you think would have the same musical taste as you: Evangeline Fox from Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

I think she is quite whimsical and would like songs from musicals and disney, maybe a bit of country all of which I like.

Lunch – a food you would love to try: castle banquets

Honestly, I don’t mind which one, but definitely castle banquets. They are always described as lavish and covered in gravy. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy gravy. I would have it on everything.

Bus ride home – a book or author that is relaxing: Spellslinger series by Sebastien de Castell.

I don’t know what it is about these books, there’s magic, rebels, high stakes, murder, secrets and yet the whole tone is soft and comedic and just every time I think of it I feel calm and relaxed.

Extra credit – a book someone else told you to read and wound up enjoying: Lireal by Garth Nix.

It was suggested I read this, although they did not tell me it was not the first book in a series, because they had read it and liked it but they thought I would love it. Honestly to begin with I didn’t believe them, the synopsis didn’t hook me, but once I started reading I loved it.

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The Best Fantasy Fiction So Far This Year

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. Following on from last week where I shared the top ten crime fiction books I have read so far this year, today I am doing the same thing but this time it is with Fantasy books. Crime and Fantasy are my top two genres to read, I do read books from other genres but these two are my favourite.

So far this year I have read 22 fantasy book (actually 23 because I am currently reading Ignite Me by Taherah Mafi but when I made this list I hadn’t started this book yet). My least favourite of those 22 so far was To Sway A Bard. This is a short novel about a thief who is planning a heist and the Sheriff who is trying to stop her. Hoesntly, the premise sounded amazing, exactly what I love to read but the actual book did not go the way I hoped so it’s down at the bottom with my least favourite reads of the year.

So, the top 10 fantasy books I have read so far this year are:

In number 10:

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber. This is the second book in the Once Upon A Broken Heart series. The first book was okay, I didn’t love it but I did love Stephanie Garber’s writing and her other series, Caraval, is one of my all time favourite series, so I wanted to keep reading. This second book was much better than the first. I enjoyed how the characters developed and that there seemed to be a more engaging plot in this book. I did not like the ending, that’s why it’s in tenth place here, it has a trope that I really hate to see so I am hesitant about going into reading the third and final book in this series.

In number 9:

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. I won’t write any thoughts here, I will put them altogether with the other books in the series which (spoiler alert) are higher up on this list.

In number 8:

Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell. This is the first in the spin off, prequel series, that goes with Castell’s Spellslinger series – another of my all time favourite series’. In Way of the Argosi we follow a young Ferrius and we see how she starts on the path to becoming an Argosi. I really enjoy how the writer builds the layers for characters in this series. She starts out as a scared young girl and we really get to go along on the journey with her as she figures out how strong she is and as she learns what is the best thing to do. I thought without Kellen in it I would not enjoy this series as much, I don’t usually enjoy prequel’s because I sort of know how they end but this one surprised me, I loved it and I hope to finish all three books by the end of the year.

In number 7:

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas. I started this year with the idea that I was going to finish ALL of the Sarah J Maas books on my shelves, because I own all of them and I had only read the first book in each of her series’ – A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass and Crescent City House of Earth and Blood. So, I had big goals for this year to get through all 13 other books that I owned in these series’. At this point, it is August and I am making progress in this goal but I’m not sure I’m going to make it but hey, we shall see. I did read Crown of Midnight. Which, to begin with was very slow going. It was a little boring with all the information you get at the beginning but then once the action gets started it hooks you in and I started to really enjoy it and I am excited to get around to Heir of Fire next.

In number 6:

Unravel Me by Taherah Mafi. This is the second book in the Shatter Me series which follows Juliette, a girl who has been in prison for a long time because if she touches you then you die is basically the premise. I enjoyed the first book but I loved the second book. The writing is done in a way that you really feel like you are inside Juliette’s head, feeling what she is feeling and there are so many parts that are absolutely heartbreaking.

In number 5:

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. I did warn you this one was coming and yes, the first book in the series is up higher on the list and I will give my thoughts with that one.

In number 4:

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the second book in the princes of sin series, the spin off of the Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy. This one follows Prince Gluttony and his rivalry with a newspaper journalist. I did enjoy this one, it wasn’t as good as the rest of Kerri’s books in my opinion, a bit too cinderella-y for me but I still enjoyed the tension and the way the mysteries are done in the plot. Also, it has dragons. The next book in this series follows Prince Sloth and I cannot wait for this book to come out, I will devour it the day I get it. Unfortunately that won’t be until February.

In number 3:

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas. As I was saying, I planned to read all of her books that I had not read yet, this year. So, I have currently read four out of five of the ACOTAR series and ACOWAR is so far my favourite out of the series. I like the balance between battle and romance within this book, although I do kind of think the series could have ended nicely here I appreciate getting to spend more books with the characters.

In number 2:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Here it is. Okay, honesty. I spent two years refusing to read this book, I didn’t think I would like it and it got so popular so quickly I was cautious about it. Then I got a cheap copy of the first book and I absolutely loved it. And now I have multiple t-shirts, seven dragon soft toys, a bunch of pins and other merchandise and I have read all three books in the series… I might like the series a little bit.

In the top spot, number 1 is:

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the fourth and final book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. It follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell as they uncover different mysteries like Jack the Ripper, a killer who mimics Dracula, a circus with Houdini in it and this final book they come up against the serial killer H H Holmes. I adore this series. I love everything about it.

What are some of your favourite fantasy books you have read so far this year?

Book Reviews

Book Review: Capturing The Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

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Happy Monday bookish people! How are you all today? I hope you are all doing good.

In April I finally got around to reading Capturing The Devil by Kerri Maniscalco, the final book in the four book series which includes: Stalking Jack The Ripper, Hunting Prince Dracula, Escaping From Houdini and then Capturing The Devil. I read Stalking Jack The Ripper a while ago now and completely fell in love with the book, the series, and Kerri Mansicalco’s writing. Honestly, I love everything she writes and with finishing this book I can happily say I have read all of her published novels which is a nice achievement.

Blurb/Synopsis:

In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer—or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World’s Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they’ve heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another.

Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end—together and in love—or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?

My Review:

This series follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell as they encounter different dangers, learning about themselves and each other in the process. In this final novel they go up against the murderer H H Holmes and his infamous murder castle. Without spoiling anything I can say that this book is a fantastic finale. You’ve followed these characters journeys from London, to Dracula’s castle, to a ship with Houdini and now to America, I grew so attached to these characters that there were points in this book I was literally holding my breath, I couldn’t see how they were going to make it out this time. You get to see all the woven threads come together, all these links back to the first novel – Stalking Jack the Ripper – and you get to see how it all ends. There are so many twists and turns the pages turn themselves, I couldn’t stop reading. Audrey Rose is a very strong willed female character and in this final book you see the effects of everything she has been through catching up to her and that, although realistic and necessary, was sad to read. You care for the characters so you can feel their emotions while you are reading, Kerri Maniscalco for me is one author that can make me cry and terrify me at the same time.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Have you read this series? What did you think of it?

Monthly Wrap Ups

April Wrap Up!

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. What a month April was. For me personally, there were many highs and lows to do with family and learning how to juggle those things alongside my PhD was difficult but here we are finally at the end of the month and things have settled down a bit. Anyway, in terms of reading I had a good month. I finished my TBR and I got through a couple of extra books too which was surprising alongside everything else but a nice bonus. It was also a good month for enjoying the books I was reading.

What was your favourite book that you read in April? I have started making a list of my favourite book that I read in each month of this year and then in December I’ll be able to see what my top ten books of the year could be. So far the list is: January – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, February – Murder By Candlelight by Faith Martin, March – Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun by Elle Cosimano and April – Capturing The Devil by Kerri Maniscalco.

What I read in April: from my TBR –

  • Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun by Elle Cosimano – I had written my TBR for April around the middle of March and it turned out that I had time to squeeze this one into my March reading instead. I had been putting off this book for a while because I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue the series after book two, it was starting to feel a bit samey but I decided to read it and I ended up loving it and subsequently bought the next two books in the series which i am excited to get to.
  • Phantasma by Kaylie Smith – I did read this. After all the hype I was excited but apprehensive to get to this one because I had heard so many opinions, mostly positive, and I thought it probably wouldn’t live up to the hype. I will be posting my full review of this book on the 12th May.
  • The White Queen by Philippa Gregory – I did read this – there may be some historical inaccuracies within the novel but as a lover of history from the 1400s to the 1600s I still enjoyed this novel.
  • Capturing The Devil by Kerri Maniscalco – as you can see from above I did read this and it was my favourite read of April (though it was a close race between this one, unravel me and murder at highgate cemetary). This was the final book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and I will be posting my full review of it on the 19th of May.
  • Reckless by Lauren Roberts – I did read this and I did enjoy it, I see where the negative reviews are coming from with the lack of substance to the plot but I generally just enjoy being in this world with these characters and that cliffhanger was quite something. I am looking forward to reading the final book in the series and seeing what happens.
  • Murder At The Country Club by Helena Dixon – I did read this and like all the other books in the Miss Underhay series it was fantastic.
  • Unravel Me by Taherah Mafi – I did read this. This is the second book in the Shatter Me series. This series has a way of sucking you in. I had some issues with Juliette’s character in this book and how little she stood up for herself but I also recognise that she needs the time to grow into that and I have a feeling it is going to happen in the third book. Otherwise I loved this book, its nearly 500 pages and I devoured it in a day easily.

Outside of my TBR I also read: Murder On Board by Helena Dixon, Murder At Highgate Cemetary by Irina Shapiro and Graveyard Shift by M L Rio that I was gifted for my birthday. Overall this means I read 10 books in April which I am very pleased with. There was only one that was a bit of a slog to read but everything else I really enjoyed, hopefully my reading in May will be just as good!

Monthly TBRs

April TBR

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is already April, I don’t know about anyone else but that has snuck up on me. What are you planning to read this month?

For this month I have tried to put together books that are a mix of genres so that I can have something fresh in between the big fantasy books.

My April TBR is:

Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun by Elle Cosimano

Unravel Me by Taherah Mafi

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Capturing The Devil by Kerri Mansicalco

Reckless by Lauren Roberts

Murder At The Country Club by Helena Dixon