Title: Escaping from Houdini
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson (Hachette Book Group)
Date published: September 18, 2018

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

In this third installment in the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series, a luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of scandal, madness, and horror when passengers are murdered one by one…with nowhere to run from the killer…

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a travelling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

– My Review –

What an atmospheric read! Throughout most of Escaping from Houdini, I felt as if I myself was also on the RMS Etruria (the ship which Audrey Rose and Thomas are travelling toward America on)! I could hear the dark waters sloshing against the sides of the ship and could also hear the steam coming out of the stacks. The atmosphere in Escaping from Houdini was quite eerie and mysterious, and I loved it! At the beginning of this book, we pick up right where we left off at the end of Hunting Prince Dracula, and while I was sad that the characters were leaving my motherland behind (because I definitely would have enjoyed reading about more of their adventures there), I was also excited for the next mystery that was about to unfold on the RMS Etruria.

(Note: I also listened to parts of this book in audiobook format and highly recommend it in that medium as well! I really like that they used the same narrator as for books 1 and 2, and find that she does a fantastic job of acting out Audrey Rose’s parts, as well as altering her voice and accent for parts spoken by other characters!)

As the synopsis explains, a number of murders take place, and it’s up to Audrey Rose, her uncle, and Thomas to find the killer before more bodies start piling up. I definitely got a taste for how trapped the characters must have felt on the ship as more and more people died and the killer was still on the loose. The stakes were high, and it was all quite thrilling! Adding the element of the circus troupe was definitely interesting, though I wish that I had enjoyed some of those parts (and the included characters) a little more.

Some of Audrey Rose’s choices were a little frustrating, but I understand that she was quite affected by the voyage and the murders as well, and it’s realistic that things happened the way that they did. All in all, I really did enjoy Escaping form Houdini, and greatly look forward the the fourth and last book in the series, and seeing how the adventure will continue and then eventually wrap up!

Note: You can read my reviews for the rest of the series here!

– About the Author –

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats. Her first novel in this series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history. For more information, visit Kerri online at her website, her Facebook page, her Twitter, and her Instagram!

– Purchase Links –

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!