The Devil's Workshop

The Devil's Workshop by Alex Grecian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Anyone dabbling in Ripper lore with the aim of identifying the killer must eventually deal with the ultimate question. Why did the killings stop? Did he die? Did he embark for South America to continue his career? Was Mary Jane Kelly his actual target and, having killed her, was killing no longer necessary? Here Alex Grecian ingeniously suggests that the Ripper was taken captive by a group hell bent on having the punishment fit the crime, a bit like Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado’s Song but without the sense of humour. This is not a spoiler, I hasten to add; it’s where this book begins.
My Penguin edition tells me Grecian is acclaimed for his comic book series Proof (they probably meant graphic novel series, bless them), and as I made my way through the text I could practically see the images being inked up as I read. The underground network of tunnels branching off a sunken street; the blind, colourless fish slapping at the surface of an unlit lake; the deer cantering off into the distant gloom. I could almost discern which frames were to be rendered from a ground-level point of view.
Unsurprisingly Jack is a leading player, and Grecian does a great job in developing his character—showing us his madness and slowly revealing his moral code—to the point where we’re never quite sure how he’s going to react, no matter how well rounded the character might be. By contrast the police (including the heroes of the piece, DI Walter Day and his sergeant, Nevil Hammersmith) appear at best well-intentioned if entirely ineffectual, and at worst positively inept at their jobs.
The blood bath, when it comes, is definitely a blood bath. Some of the characters you’ve met are going to die. That said, strangely I found it an emotionally satisfying experience, which I suspect other readers will too. It’s nicely handled.
If you’re looking for a cozy thriller with a bit of detection and a wealth of historical detail, you won’t find it here. If you’re looking for a decent page-turner involving Jack the Ripper, you will.
But that’s just my own humble opinion…what do you think? Do let me know!

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