I've never read anything by Maureen Johnson and since I heard so many great things about her, I had to pick up her latest novel and give it a read. It's different from her usual types of books like "13 Little Blue Envelopes", but I wanted to see how far her creative juices could travel. Overall, I was thoroughly pleased. 
 It was the whole mystery and murder premise that drew me in. Even though I didn't know much about The Ripper, I thought it was a pretty cool story and wanted to see how Maureen would twist it. Obviously, there are ghosts involved, but the way she works them into the story and how her character Rory fits into all this plays out nicely. Maureen sure knows how to paint a realistic picture of life in London and I found Rory's school life to be particularly entertaining and had me laughing at times, I loved it. Rory was also a highlight of the book as I loved her character and quirky background. 
 It wasn't much of a thriller as I thought it was going to be, but since it's not really a horror story, I guess I shouldn't expect much. The villain is pretty wicked though. Their history, agenda, and methods is very different and intriguing, a plus to the creative mind of Maureen Johnson. The ending was intense and even the whole "Ripper" plot was well written and had me hooked from the start. I wouldn't call this a page-turner or one you can't put down, but it's a great book and one you won't want to miss!