What Alice Knew

 

(This is my 4th book for RIP/ Peril the First)

  What Alice Knew by 

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark;(September 1, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1402243553

From Booklist

At the request of Scotland Yard, American philosopher William James, an expert in the science of the mind, travels to London to assist in solving the Jack the Ripper case. Once in London, William has access to the evidence collected at the crime scenes, and he travels with Inspector Abberline to interview witnesses. He then shares the particulars of the case with his brother, novelist Henry, and his sister, Alice, who is bedridden but feels she can still contribute to the identification of the madman. The story is told from multiple points of view, and Cohen seamlessly blends fact and fiction into fascinating looks at late-nineteenth-century London, the Jack the Ripper case, and the lives of the James siblings. In addition, she weaves in provocative details about the philosophy, literature, and art of the era and makes room for cameo appearances by such real-life figures as Oscar Wilde, John Singer Sargent, and Walter Sickert, once thought a suspect in the Ripper killings. For fans of historical fiction as well as historical mysteries.

Through no fault of the book my reading has been at an all time low, but I finally finished What Alice Knew, and  I have to agree with the Amazon review when it is said that the blend of truth and fiction was done very well.

At first I thought the book was a little slow but then I settled into the speed of the story and was quite content with it. 

The story unfolded more at a pace in which real life would have it happening rather then overdone speed.  The belief that Sickert was the Ripper seemed quite spot on and then the detection of another was tossed in so well you wondered why it wasn’t thought of before.

The character of Alice was interesting. It wasn’t until the end of the book that you really wondered why she was bedridden most of her life.

I did enjoy the fact that besides Jack the Ripper a number of other characters were real for the time period of the storyline.  I know many don’t like when real famous people such as Wilde are used in fictional stories but as long as they are kept true to what is know about them I seem to enjoy recognizing names like that.

The book was a good read.  I should have been able to read it much faster but as I mentioned I am at a low at the moment.  My reading and taking photo’s and trying to do one more small edit and print out of my own story have all come down to a snails pace. 

However, I have fulfilled my obligatory 4 books for RIP and weather it be one more book or 4 more books (doubtful ) I will continue to read more for RIP!