The Little Book Spy: Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

Hello bookish friends! Today, I’ll be reviewing Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco. Back in early November, I finished it... The whole series, it's finished. I'm kind of sad to see the series come to a close, but I was excited to see how it all ends.

About the Book:
Title: Capturing the Devil
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #4
Genre: Historical
Pages: 464

My Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Summary:
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London. 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 encountered 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 Thoughts:
As much as I love the characters in this book, I have such mixed feelings about how the series ended. Before I jump in, I want to make note that there are two parts to this story. The first half was all about the romance between Audrey Rose and Thomas in New York, the second half was about the mysterious murders in Chicago. In the first half, we mainly focus on the brooding romance between Audrey Rose and Thomas. I loved getting to see their relationship bloom throughout the story. Their relationship is one of my favorites. I love how they can be honest and considerate with each other. You get to see these two during their happiest and their most vulnerable moments in the story. Also, I loved Sir Issac Mewton! That is the most adorable name for a cat and it was such an adorable little detail to add in the story. Everything in Audrey Rose and Thomas lives was going perfectly, besides the daunting murder on the loose, until their happy day was turned upside down. After their special day is ruined, they quickly head to Chicago in order to solve their newest murder and avoid the terrible threats that could potentially destroy their relationship. I wish the circumstances for Audrey Rose and Thomas heading to Chicago was a little bit smoother instead of them just running away. For them to grasp at straws for a lead that almost wasn’t there, personally, I didn’t care for it.

Now, the second half of the story wasn't my favorite... Compared to the mystery aspect in Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula, this story lacked most of the mystery. This was kind of disappointing because that's what I loved so much about this series in the beginning. Then, when I learned that Jack the Ripper was not 1 but 2 people, I was confused. Why did the author use the fourth book to change the ending of the first book? After Audrey Rose refused so long and ignored the one person she knew as Jack the Ripper, now we learn that he was influenced by the actual killer. That was slightly disappointing. I feel like if that was the direction the author wanted to go with the books, I wish that it was insinuated that there were two killers in the first book. That way, it would have been easier to follow and made more sense. Overall, I did enjoyed how the story and series ended. I’m looking forward to Kerri’s future book series and I can’t wait to read her upcoming book that she’s been talking about recently.

If you’re interested in checking out Kerri’s pages, the links are below along with places you can get the final book in the series.