The Confession of Jack the Ripper has an interesting story line, solidly written main characters (the police detectives duo) but sadly, the ending is a bit weak and underwhelming.
But I can appreciate how the author used a series murder case which took place in the modern time Tokyo (with a self-proclaimed Neo-Jack the Ripper as the murderer) to discuss the pro-and-con of organ transplantation from all sides and angles.
PS: and it isn't a good idea to read a novel about people being dissected (thankfully, after they were killed) and their entire internal organs being ripped out and removed before you ate your lunch. XD
This is a personal opinion — please use your own discretion 😭
I had really high expectations for this one, since the title incorporates Jack the Ripper, one of history’s most notorious serial killers, both in its name and as part of the plot. I have to say I was quite disappointed. Over 80% of the story is taken up by debates between scientific and ethical perspectives on whether organ transplantation is morally justifiable. But given that this book positions itself as a detective/mystery novel, the actual investigative content feels severely lacking. The setup builds tension nicely, but once it gets to the core conflict, it becomes surprisingly padded, quite a lot, actually. And when it comes time to reveal the mystery, the motive, the twist, or even the killer themselves, it’s honestly just confusing. Everything comes completely out of nowhere. It feels like random elements were thrown together and the reader is told, “surprise, that’s your twist.” I was genuinely baffled. There’s some logic to it, but not nearly enough.
That said, if the book’s main point is to spark discussion around the ethics of organ transplantation, it does achieve that goal, and it does a fair job of presenting both sides, helping readers understand each perspective. However, the way it weaves in the political dimension still feels underdeveloped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.