Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

17 February, 2015 Reviews 14 comments

I have a confession to make: I totally picked this one based on the cover alone.  What I didn’t know but soon found out is that Jackaby is a ridiculously fun read that draws inspiration from both Sherlock and Doctor Who. Perfect much? Not quite but oh so close.

What I loved the most about William Ritter’s debut novel is the humor. The numerous laugh-out-loud moments stood out because they were clever and showed a deep understanding of the character Jackaby is based on. There’s a sarcastic edge to the dialogue, which makes sense if Sherlock and Doctor Who were used as the templates for this new series. While the world building was good and enjoyable, the introduction of the main character was even better. The author did an excellent job developing Jackaby’s character and showcasing his quirks. Abigail, his assistant, doesn’t stand in his shadow. Rather, she’s a very interesting female character working with the limitations of living in New England, 1892. Even though the vast majority of background information was left untold, I trust this will be fixed in the upcoming books.

The only issue I had with the novel is that it alternates between great and average writing. The average is only seen here and there but I’m being picky at this point. There are really great moments between Jackaby and Abigail and the monsters are described in a very vivid manner. However, some scenes left me wanting more. This applies more to the conclusion than anything else but my complain is nothing major if we keep in mind that I loved everything else. The “negatives” end up being silly compared to the awesomeness surrounding everything else.

Our mad detective is eccentric and detailed-oriented while his assistant is brave and sharp. Combine this with the monsters that can only exist in a Doctor Who episode and you have a winner.  Even though it took me about six months (gasp!) to finish, I am counting down the days until the sequel comes out.

14 Responses to “Review: Jackaby by William Ritter”

  1. Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally

    Great review! I loved this book. It was one of my favorites of the year. The humor and interactions between Jackaby and Abigail were my favorite part as well. I also really like the mystery. It wasn’t very surprising but it was solvable which I always love in my mysteries. I’m excited for book 2 and I’m so glad we’re getting more Jackaby!

  7. Shannelle

    I have no idea how it can take someone six months to finish a book, but this sounds awesome! You’re not the only one who wanted it for the cover, but I’m scared to read it, because what if it doesn’t deliver on being a good mashup of Sherlock and Doctor Who? I can’t even.

    • Paola Carolina

      I had an eARC but I prefer physical copies sooooo I would only read a few pages every couple of days D: I’m terrible to my kindle hahaha. Anyway, I would give it a chance! I’m a fan of both and I wasn’t disappointed 🙂

  8. Francesca

    I had this book on my reading list purely because the cover caught my eye too, but when I read the blurb it sounded really good so thanks for the review!