The Whitechapel Mystery | A gripping historical crime novel set in Jack the Ripper’s Victorian London

by Tessa Harris

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2026

About the author

From the author's website:After studying History at Oxford University, I began my journalistic career on a newspaper in my home town of Louth, in Lincolnshire. I progressed onto a London newspaper, where I became women's editor. From there I moved to become a feature writer on Best magazine. After two years I was made editor of a regional arts and listings publication. This was followed by another two years as deputy editor on Heritage magazine. Motherhood meant a spell as a freelance, contributing to several national magazines, such as Country Homes & Interiors, Perfect Home and Woman's Journal, as well as newspapers such as The Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian. During this time I also worked as a literary publicist and for a documentary-making company. In 2005 I was made editor of Berkshire Life magazine.

In 2000 I won a European-wide screenplay writing competition run by the London Screenwriters' Workshop and the resulting screenplay was optioned by a film company. The script was set in 18th century London and my subsequent research led to the invention of Dr Thomas Silkstone, an American anatomist and the world's first forensic scientist.

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_...
Author Tessa Harris[5] also made him one of the main characters in her book The Dead Shall Not Rest which uses a fictional character Thomas Silkstone to examine the beginnings of forensic science, anatomy and surgery. The book, which is well referenced, emphasises the difficulty and need of anatomists of the time gaining access to bodies to dissect, and the illegal trade in dead bodies that eventuated due to this.

Reviews

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a free review copy by dppublishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.

An interesting twist on one of the Jack the Ripper victims and an altogether interesting case.

But this could have easily been a better book. I did not expect a supernatural element, but I absolutely don't mind it, some of my favourite series are supernatural whodunnits. However any sleuthing and deducting of Constance is completely replaced by her gift. It pulls her through the case without any actual thinking taking place. This is added by the chapters of Emily, who gives alibis to some decent suspects way too early in the story and just doesn't add anything of interest. This whole case would have been better presented, if Constance had to follow her footsteps and find stuff out organically. It just lost a lot of suspense with these two choices.

In addition there were just a lot of inconsistencies. Some classic continuity errors, some in character, language or just logic. As this is apparently a revised and republished edition, I am a bit astonished that they stayed.

Last but not least, I could call this book thought provoking. After just reading a book with so much modern political stances in it, that it threw me out of my suspense of disbelief, this one did the opposite. It mentions things obviously normal in previous centuries, where we've just made a lot of (fragile) progress. This book doesn't put these in perspective and in addition some of them just didn't have any relevancy to the story, which I had assumed when first stumbling upon them. Politics is obviously part of our lives and should be discussed in books as well. But especially in historic fiction, I think not mentioning things not relevant to the story, even though they might have been normal for this time, is the better way to go to not establish those stereotypes again.

[Mary Polzella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The foggy streets of London’s Whitechapel district have become a hunting ground for Jack the Ripper, and flower seller Constance Piper struggles to survive in a place where every woman fears the night. When a high-born stranger begs for her help in uncovering the truth behind a brutal murder, Constance becomes entangled in a dangerous search that leads far beyond the headlines. But in Whitechapel, the greatest danger may not be the killer everyone fears–but the one no one sees coming.

MY THOUGHTS A highly enjoyable read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love historical fiction that weaves elements of non-fiction into its narrative to create a riveting read that draws you into its story. This story is set during the 1800s when Jack the Ripper was said to be stalking the streets of Whitechapel, committing terrible crimes. Connie is a young flower girl searching for her teacher and friend and as the number of victims rises, she's drawn into the mystery and must decide who she can and can't trust.

Like many people, I'm fascinated by stories of Jack the Ripper and this book creates a rich and eerie sense of the Victorian England we imagine. Connie is a young girl living in the dangerous Whitechapel streets, caught up in a dangerous mystery but determined to find the truth. While I enjoy reading almost any story set in this era, this story whose female 'sleuth' with her unusual gifts makes for a unique and enjoyable read.

Thank you @digitalpublishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Linda Fallows · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most unique stories I’ve read in a long time. Mixing fact and fiction, the story of Connie, a young flower girl, searching for her teacher and friend, whilst the gruesome murders done Jack the Ripper occur close to her home. Told from the viewpoints of Connie and Emily, you are kept on the edge of your seat, desperately wanting to know what happens next.
Rich in detail and full of memorable characters, this book is a joy to read, but terrifying at the same time.
Thank you to do Digital Publishers for allowing me to read a review ebook in return for my review.
@dpDigitalPublishers

[Michael Rumney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Speculative historical fiction set against the backdrop of Victorian London and Jsck the Ripper. We follow several characters and view points and the author does well to include other murders at the time which may or may not be the work of The Ripper.
One is a dismembered body linked to one character and I foumd this part of the book more intesting than others
The author throws in spiritualism and ghosts from the afterlife which distracts from the reality of the situation but it allows for the author to give a unique perspective.
I am not sure there is enough to continue with the series as the conclusion of the book was enough for me.

[Talya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Victorian England during the reign of terror unleashed by Jack the Ripper, this novel follows Constance, a clairvoyant flower seller struggling in Whitechapel. As the murder number rises, fear grips the city and everyone lives in constant dread of being the next victim. When Constance’s tutor and friend goes missing, she's drawn into a mystery made more unsettling by the ghostly visions and messages that begin to haunt her. Are they warnings or clues?
I loved reading about Constance and was eager to discover what happened next. The eerie atmosphere of Victorian England had seances, spirit mediums (both fake and real). In shadow of a very real historical horror, the author creates a haunting twist on the events surrounding Jack the Ripper. I did not see the ending coming!

[Leanne Friday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down! The creativity and the descriptive nature of the book really made me feel as though I was there witnessing everything that was happening. I really enjoyed the mixture of long and short chapters and they always left me wanting to read more especially to find out what the mystery was and how it happened and it did not disappoint!
I would thoroughly recommend reading this book!

[Tulsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, Jack the Ripper really fascinates me, so this book already was right up my street. The writing & plot was fast paced and enjoyable, and I also liked the character story arcs & the overall plot. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Please note that I received a free copy of this book from DP publishers to review.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes historical mysteries. Love the characters especially Emily as Tessa Harris develops her uniqueness in the storyline. I've read other series by Tessa which are also good. I don't do spoilers as that ruins it for other readers to come to their own conclusions. Happy reading.

[donna hennebury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Constance

Interesting read.In this first book we get to meet Constance and share her journey through her story .We also meet Emily who tells her story.All this is set in Whitechapel in the time of Jack the ripper.

[ukbook reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 380 pages, this took me a bit longer to get through. I really enjoyed the setting and the story. There were times I really couldn’t put the book down, it really pulled me in. The main character was likeable, which always helps. The ending was great and I will look out for more by the author.