Telling the story of the most famous serial killer from the view point of women this was an interesting and factual read.

Emma Bet and Maggie were fabulous characters and gave the ripper stories a completely different vibe from what we know and have read in the past. It really is a clever read.

1988 London is well described and I was soon absorbed in getting to know the women and how they managed to do what they did..

It's not a story that I would have typically chosen first, but upon reading, I'm so so glad I did! I loved the take on the Jack the Ripper story but also loved the humour I found in the "wicked women of Whitechapel" stories and their "accidents".
I enjoyed the writing style and found that it was really easy to get into, as well as found that it was easy to pick up and put down (even though I found I didn't want to).
It's definitely one I'll be recommending to my friends and family as I know they'll enjoy this as well!

This is a unique perspective on Jack the Ripper, the story of three women trying to hunt him down and stop him. All three women were likeable and you felt like you knew them, an unlikely trio who join forces and become friends.
I liked the way it was written, you felt like you were in the East End of London in 1888 but unlike some I've read the language didn't feel too old-fashioned, which personally I find hard to read and get in to.
I had worked out who it was reasonably early on but I didn't feel that took away from my enjoyment of the book.

I love this new slant of using the women who are being sought by Jack the Ripper pursuing him rather than the police. A great read for fans of historical murder mysteries. In this version there are three women that really put into perspective what's lacking in the police investigation. Emma, the wife of the lead detective, Maggie, a private investigator and Bet a police station cleaner who overhears things that the others don't. Together the women explore the slums, brothels and parlours of London's underworldunderworld uncovering corruption as they go. I really enjoyed this book and the way it focused on the women not the Ripper himself.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher,HQ for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #TheWomenInTheShadows @HQ

A fantastic reimaging and different view of the murders committed by Jack the Ripper. Three strong female protagonists who try to solve the murders to unmask the savage killer. It's not all serious as there are some elements of dark humour. There's a mix of real people and fictional characters. Definitely worth a read.

The Women in the Shadows by Harriet Fox

London, 1888. A monster prowls the gaslit streets, and the police are looking in all the wrong places, at all the wrong suspects. But three women refuse to stay silent.
Emma, the chief detective’s sharp-witted wife, sees the investigation failing. Maggie, a private investigator, exposes men’s darkest secrets. Bet, a police station cleaner, overhears what others ignore.
Together, they form an alliance to hunt down the killer dubbed Jack the Ripper. But as the women weave through the slums, brothels, and smoke-filled parlours of London’s underworld, they uncover corruption more sinister than they ever imagined.I

This boo grabbed me from the start and I couldn't stop reading
. Loved the fact that whilst it was a story about Jack the Ripper , it concentrated more on Emma , Bet , and Maggie who investigated the horror of the murders. I also liked it that the author did not set them as police officers ( would of been unusual / almost unheard off ) but as the more acceptable roles of women in that era .
It would be great to have further books having these characters in so hopefully a series is in the pipeline .

Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me to read an e-ARC via NetGalley. That hasn’t influenced my review and all opinions are my own!

I’ve recently been reading more historical fiction books, and I can’t even begin to describe how many Jack the Ripper books I’ve read. But there are no books like this, and I’m so in love with the premise of it.

A lot of people know about Jack the Ripper, but a lot of focus seems to go to him instead of the victims. My favourite thing about this book is that it humanises the women. The author’s note at the end reports that Harriet did some research about the women and what their lives were like, and that’s reflected throughout the book. There’s a good mix of ‘real events’ as well as some embellishment of fiction which really gives the reader a glimpse into those women before the atrocities. As a society, we are so obsessed with crime but we don’t really spend time thinking about the victims. So this book really put that idea into perspective for me. The use of the different chapters *as* the women is so clever; a lot of those chapters end very quickly which is an accurate representation of how quickly and unexpectedly the crimes happened. I also love the 3 main women, and their courage and outgoing nature is inspirational.

Overall, this is a great historical fiction novel that dives into the lives of all the women affected by this tragedy, and it is both heartbreaking and entertaining.

Rating: 4/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I wasn't really sure there were any more takes to be had on the story of Jack the ripper.
But I was wrong.
This takes three characters somewhat connected to the story and turns them into detectives.
It was really enjoyable.
It weaves in the facts as I know them (I'm no expert) of Jack, and builds a story nicely around them.
There's also a couple of moments I almost laughed out loud.
I have to be honest, if Emma,Bet and Maggie popped up again in some other historical mystery, real or fictional, I would not be mad.
I would in fact be asking the bookseller to take my money.