Seen at Bookish Antics! 
 Doctor Who meets Sherlock, after reading those four words I knew I immediately had to read Jackaby. Usually publisher comparisons aren't so on point, but I can't think of any better way to describe William Ritter's debut novel. Jackaby is an incredible, eloquently written novel that features an eccentric, outlandish main character that readers will absolutely adore. Abigail and R.F. Jackaby are a duo that are just as engaging and entertaining as Doyle's Sherlock and Watson; I definitely want to stick around and see what zany adventures this pairing gets into next. 
 Abigail Rook isn't content with just being a proper lady, she wants to have adventures and experience the world. By chance, she meets R.F. Jackaby and is immediately whisked onto a serial killer case that's paranormal in nature. Nothing is quite what it seems and Jackaby can see beyond in ways mortals can't. 
 Jackaby is an even bigger mystery than the serial killer case; he has a peculiar ability to see paranormal creatures and he's extremely strange. He's such a wonderfully drawn-out character that's impossible not to love; from Jackaby's revolting hat to his ability to spout out random bits of knowledge, his personality is larger than life in the best of ways. Abigail is drawn to Jackaby and it's easy to see why, he's such an impossible and magnetic person. Jackaby is one part the Tenth Doctor and one part Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock to form one of the most imaginative characters I've read about this year. 
 I really loved Abigail Rook, she was a perfect companion to Jackaby with her insatiable need for adventure. Rook doesn't try to be the lady that society or her parents want her to be, instead she is the woman she wants to be and doesn't let the disapproving scowls of others get to her. I loved how even though she isn't the main hero of the story, she's far from being a sidekick and she is extremely helpful in the investigations with her resourcefulness. 
 Jackaby is an intriguing mystery with touches of the paranormal and humor, this is an exciting debut that is not to be missed. Ritter wrote a book with such massive appeal, clever dialogue, a surprising mystery, extremely likeable characters and historical elements help make Jackaby one of the best YA novels I've read in so long. Fans of BBC will love reading Jackaby while sipping a hot cuppa tea and will long for Jackaby's next adventure.