I was sold on Jackaby by William Ritter by the publisher’s description alone: “Doctor Who meets Sherlock” — but when the book held-up to this comparison and far-exceeded my expectations? Well, you can call me a fan – a BIG fan.
“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion–and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary–including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police–with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane–deny.
Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.
With a macabre crime investigation, witty banter, unexpected humor, and distinctly likeable characters, Jackaby won me over from the first page to the very last.
The publisher’s Doctor Who/Sherlock description is apt — with Jackaby’s Sherlock-like crime-solving skills and quirky Doctor-esque mannerisms, with Abigail serving as a sort of Watson/Doctor’s companion role with aplomb. And yet, as referential as Jackaby is to these comparisons — the book remains wholly unique. Jackaby, as a character, is fully realized — as is his plucky companion and our assertive narrator, Abigail, a thoroughly modern woman trapped in the 19th century.
I was enchanted by every moment in Jackaby, and when I wasn’t reading it, longed to return to its pages. And much as I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next — I wanted to prolong the reading experience as much as possible, so as to savor Ritter’s world and his characters all the more.
Jackaby is in stores September 16th.
Novel Novice 
I’ll definitely have to get a copy, it sounds wonderful!