• Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation

  • By: Trevor Marriott
  • Narrated by: Norman Gilligan
  • Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
  • 3.6 out of 5 stars (116 ratings)

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Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation  By  cover art

Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation

By: Trevor Marriott
Narrated by: Norman Gilligan
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Publisher's summary

There have been countless attempts to solve the brutal murders committed by Jack the Ripper more than 100 years ago. It seems that almost everyone has their own theory and their own suspect, ranging from the reasonably likely to the entirely preposterous. What this most famous of British criminal cases has always required is a professional eye to analyse it with all the benefits of modern investigate techniques.

Now that has been provided in the shape of the man most qualified to solve the case: former British murder-squad detective Trevor Marriott. His long and arduous investigation dispels the rumours, fantasies, and urban legends that have for so long stalked through the shadowy world of this vile killer. The results are startling: for many years it has been accepted that Jack the Ripper killed only five. But now, it can be revealed that up to nine were victims.

And, most astonishing of all, a new prime suspect never previously considered has emerged, with evidence linking him not only to the Whitechapel cases, but to murders all over the world. Jack the Ripper: the 21st Century Investigations reveals the Ripper's true identity at last, and the fate that befell him.

©2007 John Blake Publishing (P)2012 Prospero Media

What listeners say about Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A must for the Ripper-obsessed

Would you listen to Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation again? Why?

Probably not. The details are pretty gruesome, so once is enough.

What other book might you compare Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation to and why?

Patricia Cornwell's "Jack the Ripper: Case Closed"

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The author identifies a suspect I'd never heard of before, and makes a compelling case for his theory.

Any additional comments?

Let's be clear - the author writes exactly like the former Scotland Yard investigator that he is. The book reads like a precisely written, scrupulously detailed, professionally objective crime scene report. Mariott lays the groundwork for his theory methodically, never mind if it requires that he repeat himself or that he covers familiar ground. In other words,don't expect early Patricia Cornwell. Likewise, Norman Gilligan reads the book with all the passion and drama of a courtroom stenographer.

BUT - as the actual eyewitness testimonies given at the coroner's inquests were read, I slowly became mesmerized. This was real, not the Sherlock Holmes version seen through the lens of a novelist's imagination.

So if you're fascinated by this most dreadful series of crimes as I am, pick this one up and stay with it. Marriott offers the most plausible solution to this 150 year old mystery that I've heard yet, and makes his argument extremely well. I believe him.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An excellent reference

This is a fascinating look at the investigations into the ripper killings. The daily lives of the victims is vividly illustrated by the testimony of the people who knew them personally as well as the police and examiners who worked the case. The actual facts of this case are more compelling than any fictional account. These accounts serve to underscore the absolutely brutal and soulless nature of the killer.

This book has received some negative reviews on amazon.com. One of the main complaints is that this is a rehash of other books. A good deal of this book does come from verbatim testimony taken during the investigations. This is necessary detail for a serious investigation that adds to the credibility of the work.

The author, Trevor Marriott; a retired police investigator, does raise some very worthwhile points and challenges some long accepted points in the case.

- The Goulston Street graffito; the famous "The Juews..." message, long assumed to be the work of the killer, may have and may not have had anything to do with the killings.

- While not new, Marriott explores killings beyond the canonical five victims that may have been the work of Jack the Ripper.

- Many more...

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Plodding account of an interesting subject

Wow, this book sure could have used a book doctor or decent editor to improve the pacing and structure. It actually presents an interesting and plausible theory as to Jack the Ripper's identity, but feels plodding and padded, probably because a lot of extraneous material was included to expand what should have been an article-length work into a book.

Marriott pads the first 9-10 chapters with exhaustive excerpts from the original coroners' inquests, then spends the next 16 chapters examining existing suspects and theories (and dismissing the work of others because of lack of evidence...ironic, because Marriott's own pet theory relies just as heavily on speculation and circumstantial "if blah-blah-blah, then suspect COULD HAVE..." types of statements), as well as describing his own failed lines of investigation.

Just when I thought this audiobook would never end, we got an extra-long Chapter 28 with a very interesting and plausible (albeit unprovable) assertion as to the identity of Jack the Ripper, and how the Whitechapter murders can be linked to similar killings in Germany and the US.

Never thought to find a book about Jack the Ripper boring, but here you have it. Not recommended for anyone but hard-core Ripperologists.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully detailed...

analysis of the "Whitechapel Murders." The two reviewers that complain that the book is "dull" and "repetitive" clearly do not understand that this book is not a cheap pot-boiler meant solely to thrill and chill but rather a thorough attempt to go back and research crimes committed during a time when "forensics" did not even include finger-printing, let alone DNA analysis, and try to systematically put together the pieces in a way that might reveal the truth. So...is this a book for the critically and historically minded?--yes. A book for those seeking gratuitous guts and gore and the vicarious thrill of gothic blood-letting?--no. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other places the latter can turn and not nearly enough for the former. So those of us in the former category are grateful for Marriott's "Ripper."

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I'm Convinced

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the exhaustive archival detective work, and the very clear way in which the evidence was put forward.

What does Norman Gilligan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Yes, the writing is fairly dry. Gilligan brings personality and emotion to the material.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was on the edge of my seat toward the end.

Any additional comments?

I am convinced that Marriott is correct and has, after more than a century, solved the mystery.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I Wanted to Like This but...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not really. As a reference book, I think this would be helpful with all the detail, but I found that that did not translate well into a recorded book. So much of the first volume sounded like a reading of the transcript of the coroner's inquest. I found this to be pretty slow and not engaging. Also, the narration was done with little inflection and something approaching a monotone.

What could Trevor Marriott have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Summarize more of the records that were read, presumably, in their entirety.

Would you be willing to try another one of Norman Gilligan’s performances?

No.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Doubtful.

Any additional comments?

This recorded book might work well for a researcher but I did not enjoy it.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Was this the Ripper?

A new theory on the identity of the Ripper. The author starts with all the information available on each murder (police, coroner report, etc.) then continues in the same manner with all the past and current Ripper identities. The organization of data in this manner brings to light some very interesting conclusions. The author thoroughly supports his new entry into the ongoing Ripper mystery.

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Poorly Written and Poorly Narrated

The narrator of this book sounds like an automaton, though the book is poorly written to begin with so it's not like he had a lot to work with. Every other sentence starts with the word "however". Its use is gratingly repetitive. The author of this book seems to think too highly of his theories and his investigational inquiries. I didn't mind the lengthy section of coroners' notes and witness testimony. Truth be told that was the most interesting part. The last few chapters absolutely reek of pomposity and self aggrandizement. He makes passive aggressive remarks about other published Ripperologists and then has the chutzpah to declare that he, and he alone, has found out the true identity
of Jack the Ripper.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A New Take On An Old Mystery

Would you consider the audio edition of Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation to be better than the print version?

I would not know since I have not read the print version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jack the Ripper: The 21st-Century Investigation?

I am not certain how this question applies to what is essentially a "documentary" account. What I found compelling about this book is that the author has uncovered new information ad perspectives on one of the greatest unsolved cases from the 19th century. Just when I thought there was nothing more to say about the Ripper murders, Trevor Marriott uncovers clues and leads left uncovered for over a century, leading him to an entirely different conclusion than other authors on the topic.

Such leads include a conclusion that Jack the Ripper need not have had any supposed surgical skill at all. He further disputes the list of canonical victims. Rather than the usual five (Nichols, Stride, Eddows, Chapman and Kelly) he includes victims before Polly Ann Nichols and victims after Mary Jane Kelly, as well as victims in foreign countries. By expanding his view of victims he also expands the list of suspects.

While the Ripper Killings will never be definitively solved due to the long passage of time and the loss of physical evidence, Marriott has presented a compelling circumstantial case for his chosen suspect.

Which scene was your favorite?

This book is not an actual mystery, but instead is a book about a mystery. I suppose if I had to name a favourite part it would be the description of the author came to discount the theory that Jack the Ripper possessed advanced surgical skill.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I am not allowed the luxury of listening to books in a single sitting, and I deem this a silly question.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

interesting

interesting and interesting suspect. very well told from the view of a police detective

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