Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Reader Jordon's calm, clear narration sets the perfect tone for Hollandsworth's true crime historical thriller. From 1884 to 1885, a series of grisly murders galvanized the city of Austin, Tex. Over that time, seven women from all walks of life were killed by an unknown assailant who would come to be known as "the Midnight Assassin." The series of deaths stymied the local police as well as detectives brought in from outside the state to work on the case. Jordan keeps his reading serious with just the right amount of dramatic emphasis to keep the listener involved. His use of character voices is fitting in the context of the story and never distracts from the descriptive narrative. Almost as interesting as this historical whodunit is Hollandsworth's introduction and afterword, where the author tells how he became aware of the murders and his obsession with uncovering the identity of the killer. Hearing him recount his digging through old newspapers and police reports, looking at crumbling photographs, and interviewing the aging relatives of those who were alive at the time of the killings is as fascinating as the story itself. Together, Jordon and Hollandsworth do an excellent job of relaying this engrossing story of America's own Jack the Ripper. A Holt hardcover. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Is it possible that Jack the Ripper spoke with a Texas twang? Hollandsworth, an executive editor of Texas Monthly magazine, revisits a largely forgotten period in American history when the city of Austin, TX, was rocked by a series of brutal murders, most involving young black servant girls. In the mid-1880s, as Austin was in the middle of an incredible growth spurt and proclaiming itself as one of the best cities to live in the United States, horribly mutilated women's bodies were being found. Vigilantes began roaming the streets and virtually every African American male was suspect. The city seemed on the verge of a bloody race riot and newspapers nationwide were filled with blaring headlines about "ghouls," "fiends," and "blood-thirsty monsters." And then the killings stopped. A few years later, the Ripper murders took place in London and some considered the possibility that the Austin killer had moved to a new location. Narrator Clint Jordan does an outstanding job of keeping this suspenseful real-life thriller going to the last chapter. VERDICT While this is a definite purchase for all Texas libraries, institutions in other locales will find Hollandsworth's crime saga a popular addition to their collections. Highly recommended. ["The lively social history of a town on the brink combines with a riveting true crime story that will make this a favorite in regional history collections as well as true crime collections": LJ 2/1/16 review of the Holt hc.]-Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
In the mid-1880s, an ax murderer targeted the women of Austin, TX. Fans of history and true crime won't be disappointed by this fascinating and intricately researched account of a serial killer who predated England's Jack the Ripper. (http://ow.ly/B4Ox305Mqi9)-Krystina Kelley, Belle Valley School, Belleville, IL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The true story of a serial killer in 1880s Austin, Texas. The tension is high throughout Texas Monthly executive editor Hollandsworth's first book. It's clear from the narrative polish that true crime is one of the author's fortes; he provides just the right amount of subtle hinting at a suspect and the accumulation of details left out until the perfect moment. The story may not be new, but it does seem to be forgotten. In 1885, before Jack the Ripperwhom Hollandsworth discusses throughout the bookever wreaked havoc in London, a man (presumed) was attacking women in Austin. "For the first time on record," writes the author, "an American city was forced to confront a brilliant, brutal monster who for some unknown reason was driven to murder, in almost ritualistic fashion, one woman after another." Sometimes terrorizing without resorting to violence and sometimes brutally murdering the women with an ax, the culprit was never found. Plenty of black men were accused and even tried, but all were able to prove their innocence. The attacks stopped as suddenly as they started, and the city eventually moved on. First, though, they debated whether their killer had moved across the Atlantic and taken up residence in London, murdering prostitutes. With the ready-made comparison already echoing through the contemporary accounts, Hollandsworth uses it as well, a little too often. It doesn't quite pan out for readers who are familiar with the well-trod history of Jack the Ripper. Hollandsworth's theory about the killings is intriguing, and he subtly introduces it in such a way that it seems almost obvious that the killer has been pinpointed, but ultimately, there is no real resolution. Investigative techniques of the era couldn't compete with the killer, and there is no evidence left to double-check. Even with the benefit of hindsight, this is a mystery that remains such. Not entirely satisfying but an engaging true-crime tale nonetheless. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
