I, Ripper by Stephen Hunter

I rated I, Ripper by Stephen Hunter a 3 out of 5 pages. While the novel had thriller elements and brings the reader into the depths of the depraved mind of the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper, it sometimes fell short with the actual depth that I was expecting. The novel reimagines Ripper's personal story, entertwining it with an Irish journalist who is set on finding the next big story and uncovering the identity of Ripper, at any cost. Every chapter or two switches between Ripper and the journalist as they bob and weave each other, each one shorty behind or ahead of the other, in a lurid game of cat and mouse. The reader should be warned that there are certain, descriptive scenes of an obscene nature that may be traumatic and/or triggering to some. 

I appreciate the gore, the details, the effort that was taken to attempt to place the reader into the mind of a monster that, in real life, no one truly knows. The chapters told from Ripper's point of view were impressive, wild, scandalous and what kept me pushing through to the end. 

The chapters dealing with the internal monologue and details of Jeb the journalist, I felt took away from the overall story. While I think his character was designed to be this way, Jeb came across as boring, self-depricating, and narcacisstic. Jeb's point of view was overshared and it took away from the premise of Ripper, his thoughts, and the crimes. At some points, I felt myself needing to remind myself that this book was about Ripper and not Jeb. 

Overall, I just wanted more about Ripper and the inner workings of his mind, comparable maybe to a Criminal Minds profile. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a palate cleanser in between a series or if you are just looking for an easy read.