The Last Dance Of Mary Kelly

by E. David Brown

339 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Juliew. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good decent fictional account of who Mary Kelly may have been.I loved the atmosphere of Victorian London and I thought the plot was pretty imaginative.It very much kept my interest throughout and also kept me wondering just how many experiences like these did Kelly have.I've always been interested in the victims stories so I can honestly say this book nudged my interest just a little deeper.

Much thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review

[Pippa Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is exciting – a new take on the last of Jack the Ripper’s victims, the Mary Kelly of the title. It promises to focus on Mary’s life rather than death, and hints at a twist with part of the book’s description reads “Until you turn the final page you won’t know the whole story.”
Unfortunately, for me at least, the book failed to deliver and it was a struggle to reach the end. There is a bold attempt to build Mary’s character, but it failed to connect me, the reader, to her.
Again, the blurb promises a gritty description of London; something altogether more sinister and real. This is achieved, but in a way that dragged me out of the story. An example was the use of offensive words to describe certain religious and ethnic groups within society. The terms were written on a poster read by Mary and whilst I appreciate the language of the day was not politically correct according to modern standards, but the use jarred badly in a novel written in the 21st century. I never quite shook off the distaste of seeing those terms in print, and for me at least, severely detracted from the read. Just my opinion…others may disagree, and argue it was a valid use as it reflected the language of the day.

[Leonard Shenker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific book! A vividly written and engrossing historical fiction.

The author tells a fascinating story based on the so-called Jack the Ripper murders in London in the 1880s. But it’s much more than that.

It is a vivid and sometimes deeply disturbing portrayal of the lives of workers in the factory districts of industrialized London. Brown’s descriptions of the conditions in which the working classes live and work are graphic and evocative, as are his portrayals of the cruelty and contempt with which they are viewed and treated by wealthier classes. It is a description of the uglier underbelly of industrialized society which, sadly, is not limited to that specific time and place.

It is also a story of the murders of women, widely presumed to have been prostitutes murdered by the notorious sexual predator, Jack the Ripper. However, Brown skillfully debunks that belief, and reconceptualizes those murders, proposing a vastly different and completely plausible explanation. In the process, he focuses on the lives of those victims. I won’t disclose the conclusions here; these powerful stories are gripping as they unfold in the book, and the murders are centrally intertwined with the societal conditions he so graphically describes.

Leonard Shenker

[David Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brown takes you on a time-machine to late 19th century England. Using brilliant descriptions of its sounds, smells, and most of all, its societal fault lines, the reader is immersed in a time and place largely forgotten. But the book delivers even more, by intertwining famous personalities of the time such as Richard Burton and Oscar Wilde to help drive the plot.

Although "The Last Dance of Mary Kelly"  ostensibly revolves around the classical story of Jack the Ripper's Whitehall murders, its real aim is to remind us of the human suffering that was unleashed by unbridled industrialization...suffering that subsequently spread across the world. At that time, capitalism tested the boundaries of what it means to have a sustainable society.

The novel follows its protagonist, Mary Kelly, on her simple quest to save the remnants of her family. She enters an England, fighting for its soul as it builds empire, delivering its fortunes to an aristocratic few.  Innocent and young,  Mary must navigate the powers swirling around her. Will she succeed? Read this wonderfully researched book and find out.

[Carl Vonderau · Rating 5 out of 5]

E. David Brown, a Canadian writer, has written a terrific book that his publishers have now made available in the U.S. It is an historical novel taking place in London during the time of Jack the Ripper in the late 1880s. It follows Mary Kelly from Ireland to her brutal employment in a textile factory in London. She gets caught up in the worker’s movement. An American journalist, Bryson Ward, investigates the movement and wonders if there is a connection to Jack the Ripper. Some of the female leaders in the protest movement are his victims. The book includes many famous figures of the time like Bret Harte and Oscar Wilde. The characters are well shaped and distinctive with voices that match the period. The violence and terrible city conditions are realistically drawn. It is a very fine piece of work. A compelling read for those who like historical fiction!

[Shawna Briseno · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this one, described as sort of a reimagining of the life of Mary Kelly, final victim of Jack the Ripper. Alas, it was a struggle for me to finish. I felt that it was a stretch for the author to make that connection between Mary and journalist Bryson Ward. This caused the story to drag for me at parts. The descriptions of Victorian-era London were excellent, though, causing me to feel as if I were actually there.

[Ioanna Steliou · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard for me to finish the book.

On the one hand, it intrigued me to find out who the murderer was (even though in the end my initial guess was correct, so no twist on that) and also learn about the historical background behind the story.

However, on the other hand, I found it very hard to follow the way it is written and after I finished the book I had to turn to the internet to understand what the author was trying to depict.

[Samantha Cosgrove · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel offers a fresh and thoughtful take on Mary Kelly’s life, imagining her beyond the typical labels. It explores her escape from Irish poverty, her work in a factory, and involvement in social movements, all set against a gritty Victorian London. The atmosphere is dense and immersive, and the story kept me engaged right up to the end. A great read for fans of historical fiction with depth and mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no interest in Jack the Ripper history but picked this up on a whim. It’s not the average mystery genre book, there’s so much history and the author paints a fascinating picture of the time period. It’s one of those ‘page turner’ books you can’t put down and wish there was a sequel to when you’re done.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book, I’ve never seen so much focus on women in the Jack the Ripper books I’ve read, not just on Mary Kelly but definitely more attention to who she was, the socioeconomic inequality and political organization of the time.

[BartlebytheTA · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in historical fiction, Jack the Ripper and Victorian London.

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, thrilling and informative—I would recommend this to anyone interested in more literary historical fiction, mystery, suspense or true crime.

[Lin S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF