by Anne Perry
First published 1996
London, 1890. Two years have passed since Jack the Ripper terrorized Whitechapel, but the East End shudders again when another prostitute turns up murdered. Superintendent Thomas Pitt arrives at the grisly scene to find what appears to be a ritual killing. The evidence points to a young man with diplomatic ambitions, threatening to destroy his promising career. Pitt works methodically through the case, ultimately clearing the suspect and sending the real murderer to execution. Victory seems complete until another body appears, killed in the same chilling manner. Now Pitt must confront a terrifying possibility: someone is copying the original murders. As fear grips the streets once more, Pitt races to understand whether he caught the wrong man the first time or if a new killer walks among them. The detective finds himself questioning everything he believed about justice and truth in the shadowy world of Victorian London.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: detective-story, murder-mystery, police-investigation
Setting: East End, Whitechapel
Period: 1890, Victorian Era
Audiobook · Random House Audio
Content warnings: murder, violence