Jack the Ripper?: Edward Buckley: East End Thug and Gang Member

by Jonathan Tye

Genres: True Crime

232 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 30, 2026

Reviews

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been vaguely aware of Jack the Ripper—the Whitechapel murderer of prostitutes—but that was the extent of my knowledge. I never watched any movies or delved into theories; I simply knew he wasn’t a fictional Dickens character, that the murders were real, and that was it. I’m not entirely sure what compelled me to pick up this book, but I think I assumed that my own lack of knowledge was universal, and that this book might offer some groundbreaking revelation about the identity of Jack the Ripper.

I started reading it at night and had to stop almost immediately. It was far more disturbing than I anticipated and forced me to confront, in a very real way, that these murders truly happened. Even though I knew that, I apparently hadn’t let it sink in. The author presents a fairly compelling case that Edward Buckley could have been Jack the Ripper, but stops well short of claiming it as fact. There’s no definitive proof, and the book is very clear and objective about that. The evidence is presented thoughtfully, with the author consistently noting when something is more circumstantial than solid.

What surprised me most was the portrayal of the women and the broader community. In my lifetime, we tend to view female victims as passive, almost ghostly figures overtaken by violence. While the Ripper’s victims were certainly overpowered and victimized, they were not meek, fragile figures drifting down quiet streets. Life in Whitechapel was chaotic, harsh, and full of criminal activity—committed by both men and women. That was an eye-opener for me and something I had never really considered.

This book is as much a study of daily life in Whitechapel as it is a study of Edward Buckley. I’m not sure enjoy is the right word for reading about such horrific events, but I appreciated the depth of detail and the broader context beyond just the suspect himself. The descriptions of the living conditions, behaviors, and tensions of the time were fascinating—and unsettling.

If you’re already fascinated by Jack the Ripper, some of this material may be familiar to you, though the Edward Buckley angle might still feel fresh. For me, it was all new, and I’m not sure whether that reflects a genuinely new theory or simply my own previous ignorance. But if you—like me—tend to think of Jack the Ripper as more of a storybook or movie figure, I would encourage you to read this and absorb the sobering reality of what happened. Whoever the Ripper was, the terror he brought to Whitechapel was very real, and this book brings that sharply into focus.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩵 🧚‍♀️ Wishes do come true🧚‍♀️ 🩵

I have always been interested in Jack the Ripper books since I was a teenager, so when I saw "Jack the Ripper?" by Jonathan Tye, I had to read it, especially as I have read so many of these books. This book Jack the Ripper? was another interesting read and it was packed with so much information from the very first page.

This book is based on someone called Emma Elizabeth Smith who was a middle-aged woman, who was living in unfortunate circumstances, she was brutally attacked in a side street off Whitechapel Road. East End of late Victorian London, such violence was tragically common. This happened in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 April 1888, and just after the Easter Bank Holiday, Where violence was tragically common. Yet this particular attack marked the beginning of a mystery that would achieve worldwide notoriety: the Whitechapel murders, otherwise known as the Jack the Ripper murders.

Now, Emma Elizabeth Smith survived long enough to recount her ordeal, telling the local Police about her attack and that her attack was not at the hands of a lone madman, but of three men, and one them was possibly as young as 19. Her testimony has often been dismissed, as it does not fit the long-held narrative surrounding the Ripper's crimes.

Emma’s story has been overlooked, so many times and was put down to Jack the Ripper has stuck again!

This book Jack The Ripper? seeks to reconcile all the Whitechapel murders of 1888 and beyond, and it has critical context about the streets where these crimes occurred and the shadowy figure who haunted them.

Now, Could Edward Buckley, a violent local thug with a history of knife attacks as early as 1884, hold the key to understanding the 'Autumn of Terror'?

Now, It's time to finally listen to the voice of Emma Smith, the first victim of Jack the Ripper.

I found this book very good and an excellent quick read about Emma Elizabeth Smith life leading up to this dreadful night!

[Pippa Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Jack the Ripper?’ is the biography of Edward Buckley; an East End gang member who terrorised Whitechapel at the time of Jack the Ripper.
This book is not primarily about the murders, but the culture and gang land personalities prevalent at the time of the Whitechapel killings. The research and level of detail in the book is immense and highlights gang culture and why this is relevant to the Whitechapel murders. Indeed, the author has an intriguing theory that the police were initially on the right track (gang related crimes) but became distracted by unreliable witness accounts.
The majority of the book concerns the life of Edward Buckely, with a detailed history of his crimes; which include pickpocketing, intimidation, and convictions for brutal assaults on women. Indeed, the nature of the assaults and facial injuries sustained by his long-term female partner echo some of the injuries found on the Ripper victims.
If psychological profiling was a thing back then, then Edward would have been a good fit. He lived at the heart of Whitechapel and had an in-depth knowledge of local geography and habits of the local women. He would have been well acquainted with the police patrol routes and timings necessary to evade interruption. Another interesting aspect is how few witnesses to the horrific murders came forward. There is an argument that Edward Buckley was widely feared in the local community, and people preferred to keep silent rather than risk his revenge.
A fascinating book for anyone with a deep interest in the theories surrounding Jack the Ripper.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed, sociohistorical investigation into the oft considered question, who was Jack the Ripper, written by Jonathan Tye and given by Pen & Sword and NetGalley to me, in exchange for an honest review.

I know very little of this period in history, however, I do think Tye did an admirable job explaining that life was as bleak as any Dickens novel. It’s quite gruesome in parts and part exploratory in decoding the East End culture.

While, I think this was readable, it was quite dense, i.e., there was a lot of information shoehorned into a book that covered several victims, villains and murders. I would probably recommend slightly shorter chapters and perhaps separate pages for characters, however, I’m very much glad I read this fascinating biography. And, yes, Edward Buckley could well be the Ripper.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting compilation of information about Jack the Ripper. I’ve always found this case fascinating. This book was a good viewpoint which helped inform the reader about facts and theories. Granted this was the first thing I’ve read about Jack the Ripper, but I feel like I understand the case than I better have. It was well paced and gave you little nuggets of information to keep you interested. If you’re curious about this topic then I highly recommend you give this a try. It’s hard to rate non-fiction, but I feel like this book nailed what it set out to do.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pen and Sword for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Megan Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a truly fascinating read! The unsolved mystery behind the Jack the Ripper murders of Whitechapel have always intrigued me and had sent me down many conspiracy rabbit holes as to whom it could be. I've heard many people mentioned including HH Holmes but I hadn't heard of Edward Buckley. Victorian era history is one of my favorite subjects to read and learn about and this hit every note for me and checked every box in my historical mental notebook.

I highly recommend this book to anyone else who is interested in the Jack the Ripper case and looking for a new mystery to unravel.

I would love to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read a lot of Jack the Ripper speculation, I found the book very interesting. However, I dont know how well the general true crime / thriller reader would enjoy the book. I felt like the author wrote assuming you would know some background about the canonical victims and the investigation. I have always felt that the killer lived in Whitechapel so I found this work quite compelling. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this work for my honest review.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I was bored, the set up dragged but as I read, it became more interesting. The story is plausible but I'm personally not convinced. Overall, an interesting story.