William Ritter's debut novel, Jackaby, was sold to me as Doctor Who meets Sherlock Holmes. This might be the most apt book pitch I've ever heard. Take a dash of supernatural, mix it with the (good) Doctor-Companion dynamic and top it off with a preternaturally brilliant, but socially oblivious detective and you have the basic recipe for Jackaby. I'm desperately hoping that this is the start of a series that I will get to enjoy for sequels to come.
The titular character is the detective in question whom our narrator becomes attached to via employment as his investigative assistant. Abigail Rook escaped the life of proper ladyhood to run off on an archeological dig that proved fruitless. When her travels washed her up in America, she was desperate for income and a roof over her head, two things Jackaby and his supernatural roommates were willing to provide; provided she was willing to accept their reality. At its core, Jackaby is a supernatural murder mystery and it skillfully keeps you at bay and tosses out the occasional red herring. As it turns out, we should have had our eyes peeled for something else red. One thing I should point out that I particularly adored was, and mind you, this book is branded as Young Adult, it is not a romance!
I dressed a modern Abigail in a casual look. A skirt was a must since she was pretty much over wearing those wretched trousers during her unsuccessful foray into archeology. That bad-ass cuff is another reminder of her chasing after dinosaurs; just because it didn't work out doesn't mean it didn't launch her adventures. Speaking of adventures, some "Autumn Adventure" earrings seemed appropriate. The Ghostbusters tee was too great to pass up and balances the potential dressiness of the skirt so well. The secret frog socks are a great, just-for-Abigail touch, but remember: DO NOT STARE AT THE FROG! A turquoise talisman to ward off the creepies and a proper notebook to complete her look. What about the striking red hat, you say? Read the book!
The titular character is the detective in question whom our narrator becomes attached to via employment as his investigative assistant. Abigail Rook escaped the life of proper ladyhood to run off on an archeological dig that proved fruitless. When her travels washed her up in America, she was desperate for income and a roof over her head, two things Jackaby and his supernatural roommates were willing to provide; provided she was willing to accept their reality. At its core, Jackaby is a supernatural murder mystery and it skillfully keeps you at bay and tosses out the occasional red herring. As it turns out, we should have had our eyes peeled for something else red. One thing I should point out that I particularly adored was, and mind you, this book is branded as Young Adult, it is not a romance!
I dressed a modern Abigail in a casual look. A skirt was a must since she was pretty much over wearing those wretched trousers during her unsuccessful foray into archeology. That bad-ass cuff is another reminder of her chasing after dinosaurs; just because it didn't work out doesn't mean it didn't launch her adventures. Speaking of adventures, some "Autumn Adventure" earrings seemed appropriate. The Ghostbusters tee was too great to pass up and balances the potential dressiness of the skirt so well. The secret frog socks are a great, just-for-Abigail touch, but remember: DO NOT STARE AT THE FROG! A turquoise talisman to ward off the creepies and a proper notebook to complete her look. What about the striking red hat, you say? Read the book!
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