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Life seems perfect for American socialite Florence, at eighteen years old Florence has traveled the world and is now on her way to Liverpool onboard the SS Baltic. While traveling, she literally falls for the cotton magnate, James Maybrick. By the time the cruise has ended, Florence and James are engaged. Florence is in love, but struggles as an American within English high society and quickly learns that while she may look the part of lady of the house, she is essentially a prisoner. As she learns more and more about her husband's true disposition, habits and cruelty, Florence herself falls into madness.

A suspenseful and thrilling view into the murders of Jack the Ripper. I was happy to find out that this version of the story was loosely based on an actual diary that was found concerning the lives of Florence and James Maybrick, as I love writing based on actual history. Starting out as a perfect romance, with a meet-cute akin to Titanic, even taking place upon a White Star Line Ship, I felt swept up in the gorgeous descriptions of the elegant clothing and setting of the time period. Sometimes, though the descriptions seemed a bit exaggerated at times. I even felt myself rooting for the relationship between Florence and James to move forward, even though I knew how it would end. The honeymoon phase of their relationship does not last long, right away Florence begins to find clues that James is not who he says he is. As the suspense builds, the madness begins to fill in and both James and Florence begin to act erratically. I liked that the point of view was shown from both Florence and James' points of view, as both had separate reasons for their actions based on what they believed the other was doing. When the Jack the Ripper killings begin and the view shifts to James' diary, the story picks up in gore and violence, but that makes for the perfect Jack the Ripper story in my eyes. What I found even more interesting was what happened to Florence after the death of her husband and what she chose to do with the knowledge in the diary.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

I didn’t know the story of the Maybricks going into my reading of The Ripper’s Wife so this whole story was quite new to me. Florence Chandler met James Maybrick on a cruise and despite a short acquaintance and a bit of an age difference they married in England. She, though was not accepted by his family or his friends. Her American ways were so alien to the rigid Victorian sensibilities. Then her husband went a little Jekyll and Hyde on her and started beating her, not to mention his assorted affairs. To compensate she had a couple of affairs of her own so you can tell this was not a match made in heaven but it was not a time when divorce was really an option.

The book opens with a statement that liberties were taken with history but I really wished for more of an author’s note so as to separate more fact from fiction. I did end up googling but was still left with some questions – I do prefer my historical fiction with that explanation at the end.

The characters were all well developed and honestly none were very likable. Florence was self involved and as she writes – the book is a memoir of sorts – a maker of poor decisions. At times I really just wanted to ask her what she was thinking. James was just a total bastard and there is not other way to describe him. How much of it was personality and how much was all of the arsenic and strychnine he was ingesting I have no clue. The ancillary characters were equally unpleasant for various reasons. So it’s really amazing that I found the book so compelling; usually when I don’t like the characters I find it hard to read the book. The writing pulled me into the story and just wouldn’t let me go.

It was a page turner. I finished it in one sitting over the course of a day as I found I just could not put it down. Parts of it were very difficult to read – the diary sections written by The Ripper in particular. Ms. Purdy did not spare her reader from The Ripper and his degradations. Whether he was James Maybrick or someone else he was a very sick man. This book certainly offers a fascinating look at the world around his evil.

Florence Maybrick was most assuredly railroaded into a murder conviction she did not deserve and she lived a life full of ups and downs. This is her story and it would be a tale to tell even without the possibility that her husband committed those murders. Ms. Purdy tells the tale well and it was a book that stayed with me for days. ( )

Jack the Ripper has been a topic of speculation over the years as to who the Ripper really was. There were numerous suspects, including Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, son of King Edward VII. This novel however, is about Florie and James Maybrick, loosely based on the Jack the Ripper Diary. Florence Chandler (Florie) met James Maybrick, a cotton broker, onboard ship and were married shortly after that. It appeared to be a fairytale marriage, but not is all as it appears. James was taking arsenic, strychnine and other chemicals at an alarming rate for his supposed illnesses. His personality changed and he became extremely violent to Florie, often beating her senseless. He was also unfaithful, having many mistress and five illegitimate children. Florie had purchased a diary for her new husband he started writing his 'crimes' against women and his dark and demented thoughts. Florie has an affair which even fuels James even more to commit and have a reason for his murderous nature.

Because of his drug use, he becomes very ill and asks that Florie help end his life which she does try to do but can't complete the request. A bit of arsenic is left in the water she gives him and he eventually dies. Florie is suspected, tried and convicted of the murder. She loses everything in her life including her children and place in society. There were many different motives as to why she may have killed him, but I like to think that she didn't do it and was unjustly punished. She spends 14 years in prison and is released. She returns to America where she does the lecture circuit proclaiming her innocence, she also writes a book about her life.

The Rippers Wife is a dark, sad story of a woman who only wants the love of her husband and to be a mother. With James and his addiction their life is anything but happy. I think that the author did an amazing job telling their story, infusing the acts of a murderer with demented and cruel thoughts and deeds. I personally don't think that Florie killed him, he had a lifetime of arsenic poisoning that ultimately ended his life but with people who did not like Florie, it was easy to convict her of murdering him. This is not a story that you can read in one sitting, Brandy's writing is very descriptive and compelling. I love her books and this one is no exception and I find it refreshing that she is able to write something besides the Tudors with such conviction. Be warned, this is a book that has a lot of colorful language and if you are offended by that this may not be the book for you but I feel that because the book is about Jack the Ripper, there can be no other way to tell the story without the vulgarity. I thoroughly enjoyed the book recommend it for anyone who is interested in Jack the Ripper and wants a different perspective to who he really was. ( )

THE RIPPER'S WIFE is a dark and gruesome story, told from the point of view of the famous murderer's wife, Florie. James and Florence Maybrick were real people - James, a cruel cotton broker with a drug addiction, and Florie, his much younger, shallow wife. They had a troubled marriage almost from the beginning, but was it enough to drive James over the edge of sanity? This novel is an intriguing blend of historical fact and fiction, answering the question of what might have happened if James Maybrick was the deranged killer, Jack the Ripper.

It took some time for me to get into the book, but once James's diary entries were revealed, I was hooked. This book was well-researched, and the author has a knack for including historical details - though readers be warned, some are quite disturbing. I can't say that any of the characters were particularly likable, but maybe they weren't supposed to be. There were a few times I wanted to shake Florie and tell her to snap out of it! Of course, James/Jack was horrible, but it was so interesting to get a peek inside his head and learn what drove his madness.

Though not for readers sensitive to violence or foul language, THE RIPPER'S WIFE is compelling historical fiction that gives a convincing argument that perhaps James Maybrick was Jack the Ripper.

Rating: 3.75 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. ( )