Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper, 2)

This review was originally posted on the Goldilox and the Three Weres blog. Hunting Prince Dracula continues a short time after the end of Stalking Jack the Ripper with Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell making their way to the best forensic medicine school in Europe. I loved everything about this book! The mystery, the gothic horrorness of the location, the adventure, the characters, Audrey Rose and Thomas working together, the banter, and of course, flirty Thomas. Let's be honest. We all needed more flirty Thomas in our lives. It was just so perfect! The wait for book three is going to drive me crazy! I sat down and inhaled most of this book in one day around work and my other responsibilities. The plot starts off with a bang and just keeps going! I had so much fun reading it! I loved how Kerri Maniscalco weaved together the pieces of true history and gothic horror elements to make such a compelling mystery! Also, the banter between Audrey Rose and Thomas is even better in this book than the first! Their relationship is absolutely fantastic in every possible way. I'm even more on board with the CressWorth ship after I read this than I was before and that's saying something. This book is full of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat to find out what's going to happen next. I know I said it earlier, but the mystery was seriously very well done. I kept making guesses and I kept being proved wrong. Let's just say there were a lot of surprises when the reveals happened. Thinking about it now, I probably should have picked up on a few things but I’m actually glad that I wasn’t even thinking in that direction because all the reveals were AMAZING! I totally flipped my lid at one reveal in particular! If you've read it, you know which one it is. OMG! I had to reread it like five times till it sunk in. Kerri Maniscalco’s writing is so detailed and atmospheric that I found myself easily imagining the castles and forests of Romania even though I don't know much about the time period or the place. What I loved the most is that the light tone from the delicious banter brought a much needed levity to a horror story that broke up some of the more serious moments and made it easier to stay on top of what was happening. To quote the book, “I am wholly bewitched” with this series. It is perfect! And I just need more Audrey Rose and Thomas adventures in my hands now! The author mentioned that she seeded clues to what the next book is going to be about in this one but I still have no clue. It doesn't matter. I'll still be counting down the days cannot wait for the third book when I can read more of Audrey Rose and Thomas's adventures! I seriously can't wait to see what mysteries they'll encounter next! ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Likes Let me first say that Audrey and Thomas' banter is the best thing I have ever read. I would 10/10 recommend them for a darn comedy show. Thomas knows just how to antagonize Audrey and I literally love them together so much as partners. Audrey is calulating and intelligent, while Thomas is witty and deductive. Yes, I said deductive, just like Sherlock Holmes. He very much reminds me of that character, with a little bit of Moriarty thrown in. Audrey is plagued by men still thinking less of her because of the time (the year is 1888) and that she isn't capable of doing forensic work. She surprises everyone once again in this book by figuring out clues that nobody even thought of looking at or considering. I love Audrey's strong willed nature and her thirst for adventure and sleuthing. She is someone that I wouldn't mind being best friends with! Thomas compliments her perfectly and provides comic relief as well as honest-to-goodness panty-dropping lines. He also appreciates Audrey's knowledge,unlike some other characters in the book who don't believe in her. I would very much like my own Thomas Creswell, but alas, he does not exist. Audrey especially struggles during this book to decide if her feelings for Thomas are simply platonic or something 'more'. I think the best part of this series is that a relationship isn't forced and it very much focuses on the development of a friendship/partnership rather than an instant love story. I also find the writing in this book to be very fluid and it grips you at every turn. I was completely enveloped the entire time and I read this entire book in one night because I couldn't pull myself away. I also like the fact that Kerri focuses on a different famous murderer and formulates an entire fictional story around the history that already exists. I love learning about the history as well and I am so anxious to see the title of Book 3! (Dis)likes There isn't much I don't like about this book, other than that I wish it never ended. I would also like to point out that we are introduced to an LGBT character in this book and I am LIVING for it. It wasn't a main plot point but it was bold and made me squeal a bit. This book weaves in Romanian culture as well as many different personalities and that's something that I think the author does very well. I did not know much about Romania before reading this book and the only other book that had that culture in it was And I Darken (which I did not like). I liked reading about urban legends that are told in the country and how it related to the fictional story she was telling. I have also been intrigued by the real Vlad Dracul and have watched many documentaries on who he really was, which is fascinating, and makes me want to watch more after reading this book. It also makes me want to make a quick trip to Romania because it sounds gorgeous and I really need to visit a castle like the one Audrey & Thomas studied in ASAP.

Kerri Maniscalco has done it again! I thought this was a great sequel to Stalking Jack The Ripper. The descriptive paragraphs making me truly feel I’ve been transported back to 1888. I love a good, whodunnit story and the unpredictability, never knowing what the outcome will be and where the story will take you. I have always loved the Victorian era and the legends surrounding vampires so this book was a perfect read. Mr Thomas Cresswell being as charming as ever and Audrey-Rose being the most wonderful protagonist. I am oh so very excited for Escaping From Houdini. Here’s to the next adventure!

Wieder ist dieses Buch einfach nur toll. Ich muss nur zugeben, dass ich wieder Probleme hatte mit dem Anfang. Je weiter ich las, desto leichter fiel es mir, bis ich komplett verzaubert war. Das Buch ist gut durchdacht. Wieder habe ich nicht mit dem Mörder gerechnet. Auch war die Spannung da, die einen antreibt weiter zu lesen. Thomas ist in diesem Buch emotionaler. Er zeigt mehr von seinem wahren Ich und sorgt sich um Audrey Rose. Trotzdem bleibt er seinem Charakter treu und wird kein liebestoller Trottel. Audrey Rose hat immer wieder mit Erinnerungen an Jack the Ripper zu kämpfen. Sehr passend in ihrer Situation und gut durchdacht. So ist sie nicht kalt, sondern menschlich. Trotz ihrer Angst überwindet sie diese immer wieder und zeigt, was für eine Kämpferin sie ist. Auch der 2. Teil war einfach großartig und ich bin schon gespannt auf Teil 3. Hoffentlich wird Thomas' und Audreys Geschichte nicht ausgewalzt...

I love the story but the physical book that came was not the cover I ordered and in poor condition

Muy buen manejo del suspenso, te envuelve y te hace continuar para saber quién es el asesino y quien no

mia figlia era felicissima