Dazzled by Books

"Jackaby" by William Ritter was so much fun to read. I enjoyed every little bit of it. The cover of "Jackaby" is so gorgeous. I think the cover is just so appealing. I think if I hadn't had heard about this book already that the cover would draw me in just as much.

Abagail Rook is trying to make her way in the world and she ends up in the employment of Mr. Jackaby. Now Mr. Jackaby discourages Abagail Rook every chance he gets telling her that the job is way too dangerous for her. Ms. Rook has a good attention for detail. She ends up being the perfect companion to keep up with Mr. Jackaby. I love Ms. Rook because she has guts. She doesn't let anyone or anything stop her.

Now Jackaby isn't your typical detective. He is a seer. He is able to see the paranormal activity that the normal human eye can't see. He investigates the unknown, the paranormal, the weird, and the ugly. Those things that one can't explain is what Jackaby tries to figure out. The main character is a great reincarnation of the fantastic Sherlock Holmes. Jackaby is a mystery to the reader. The reader wants to get to know the main character better because he is so intriguing. One can't help but want to get to know him better. I am looking forward to knowing more about him.

The one thing about the novels that I didn't like a lot is the fact that the novel was very predictable. There really wasn't as much mystery as I thought there would be. I figured out who the villain was right away. I wasn't sure what the villain was but I did know who it was. In some ways that takes away the mystery of the story when I figured it out right there in the beginning.

The narrator of "Jackaby" caught my attention right away. Nicola Barber is a great narrator. Barber is able to capture the reader or listener and hold them there. Barber really makes the reader feel a part of the story and I really like that. I like how close I was able to get to this book and all I need now is more. I have been putting off reading the second book because I want to listen to it.

William Ritter is a great author. I really liked his debut novel "Jackaby." I have had the pleasure of meeting William Ritter in person. Ritter is a fantastic writer. I love how he writes this Victorian Era with paranormal activity. I really look forward to seeing how Ritter grows as a writer and what he comes up with next in the Jackaby novels.