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The Whitby Ripper
Whitby, April 1977. A vicious serial killer stalks the North Yorkshire seaside town, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses drained of blood.
Under intense pressure from his superiors to cover up the madness, DI Rob Vance hunts a flesh-and-blood murderer, completely unaware of the true horror.
A centuries-old coven of vampires has descended upon the coast-just as Whitby prepares for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. To make matters worse, a television crew has arrived to film an ill-timed adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
As the lines between fiction and reality bleed together, Vance is forced into a desperate alliance. His only hope is Artie Penhaligon, a local investigative reporter who possesses the dark knowledge needed to finally put an end to the slaughter.
But as the coven closes in, both men must face a terrifying question: to stop the unholy, what are they willing to sacrifice?
Under intense pressure from his superiors to cover up the madness, DI Rob Vance hunts a flesh-and-blood murderer, completely unaware of the true horror.
A centuries-old coven of vampires has descended upon the coast-just as Whitby prepares for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. To make matters worse, a television crew has arrived to film an ill-timed adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
As the lines between fiction and reality bleed together, Vance is forced into a desperate alliance. His only hope is Artie Penhaligon, a local investigative reporter who possesses the dark knowledge needed to finally put an end to the slaughter.
But as the coven closes in, both men must face a terrifying question: to stop the unholy, what are they willing to sacrifice?
- GenresVampires
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 27, 2026
Some monsters leave clues. Others leave nothing but blood.
Whitby, April 1977. A seaside town should be preparing for celebration, but something vicious is stalking its streets. Bodies are turning up drained of blood, the pressure is mounting on the police, and DI Rob Vance is desperately trying to catch a killer. There’s just one problem: the horror haunting Whitby is far older and far more terrifying than he realizes. The premise of The Whitby Ripper immediately grabs attention by bringing together two different kinds of nightmare: the brutality of a serial killer investigation and the ancient evil of a vampire coven. Set against the atmosphere of 1970s Whitby, with the Queen’s Silver Jubilee approaching and a television production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula arriving in town, the story creates an intriguing collision between history, fiction, and supernatural terror. What makes this setup especially compelling is the question of what happens when the familiar rules of an investigation stop being enough. DI Vance is pursuing a flesh and blood murderer, but the real threat demands that he look beyond conventional explanations. His uneasy alliance with investigative reporter Artie Penhaligon promises a partnership built on necessity, dangerous knowledge, and the desperate need to stop the slaughter. I love the thematic possibilities at the heart of this premise. Vampires are frightening enough on their own, but placing them alongside a serial killer investigation creates an especially sinister question: when the truth is more horrifying than the official explanation, who will believe it and what will it cost to expose it? The setting also offers a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop. Whitby’s connection to Dracula makes it a natural home for Gothic horror, while the late 1970s period setting adds another layer of character to the mystery. The arrival of a television adaptation of Stoker’s classic creates an especially intriguing contrast between a fictional monster being brought to the screen and a genuine supernatural threat closing in on the town And beneath all the bloodshed lies the question that gives this story its moral weight: How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to stop something truly evil? For readers drawn to Gothic horror, vampire fiction, supernatural crime thrillers, and dark mysteries where the line between human evil and something inhuman begins to blur, The Whitby Ripper has a premise worth investigating. JG Caruso brings together the ingredients for a chilling clash between detective fiction and classic vampire horror, with Whitby providing the perfect atmospheric stage for the darkness to unfold.
Whitby, April 1977. A seaside town should be preparing for celebration, but something vicious is stalking its streets. Bodies are turning up drained of blood, the pressure is mounting on the police, and DI Rob Vance is desperately trying to catch a killer. There’s just one problem: the horror haunting Whitby is far older and far more terrifying than he realizes. The premise of The Whitby Ripper immediately grabs attention by bringing together two different kinds of nightmare: the brutality of a serial killer investigation and the ancient evil of a vampire coven. Set against the atmosphere of 1970s Whitby, with the Queen’s Silver Jubilee approaching and a television production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula arriving in town, the story creates an intriguing collision between history, fiction, and supernatural terror. What makes this setup especially compelling is the question of what happens when the familiar rules of an investigation stop being enough. DI Vance is pursuing a flesh and blood murderer, but the real threat demands that he look beyond conventional explanations. His uneasy alliance with investigative reporter Artie Penhaligon promises a partnership built on necessity, dangerous knowledge, and the desperate need to stop the slaughter. I love the thematic possibilities at the heart of this premise. Vampires are frightening enough on their own, but placing them alongside a serial killer investigation creates an especially sinister question: when the truth is more horrifying than the official explanation, who will believe it and what will it cost to expose it? The setting also offers a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop. Whitby’s connection to Dracula makes it a natural home for Gothic horror, while the late 1970s period setting adds another layer of character to the mystery. The arrival of a television adaptation of Stoker’s classic creates an especially intriguing contrast between a fictional monster being brought to the screen and a genuine supernatural threat closing in on the town And beneath all the bloodshed lies the question that gives this story its moral weight: How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to stop something truly evil? For readers drawn to Gothic horror, vampire fiction, supernatural crime thrillers, and dark mysteries where the line between human evil and something inhuman begins to blur, The Whitby Ripper has a premise worth investigating. JG Caruso brings together the ingredients for a chilling clash between detective fiction and classic vampire horror, with Whitby providing the perfect atmospheric stage for the darkness to unfold.
October 26, 2026
The Whitby Ripper by JG Caruso is simply gorgeous! I have been avoiding everything vampire because A. Anne Rice is the GOAT and B. Vampires do not, and never have sparkled. No sparkles. None. Thank you.
I digress, The Whitby Ripper is pure gold. Blending a strong mystery with historical fact and local lore while adding a healthy dose of the type of vampire that Anne Rice would give an ovation to.
You've got my attention and by eckers it was kept locked in!
North Yorkshire is being terrorised by a serial killer of the worst kind, leaving those lost souls behind desanguinated and devoid of life
DI Rob Vance is serious, dedicated and pursuing the case by the book. But when the clues become more grisly and the time pressure reaches boiling point, he is forced ot team up with a local investigative reporter who is far more informed on the depths of the dark lore of Whitby. Will they be able to hold back the hordes?
There was a clear dichotomy between DI Rob Vance and the Journalise Artie Penhaligon, both pursuing the case and very much the good cop / bad cop dynamic, although this applies more to their nature than a literal description
As for the weaving of timelines, the character constructs and the locations, chef's kiss, stunning! The coven are absolutely blinding as villains and the battle between good and evil is sheer brilliance
More please. Thank you.
My sincere gratitude goes to the author for the opportunity to read this book. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
I digress, The Whitby Ripper is pure gold. Blending a strong mystery with historical fact and local lore while adding a healthy dose of the type of vampire that Anne Rice would give an ovation to.
You've got my attention and by eckers it was kept locked in!
North Yorkshire is being terrorised by a serial killer of the worst kind, leaving those lost souls behind desanguinated and devoid of life
DI Rob Vance is serious, dedicated and pursuing the case by the book. But when the clues become more grisly and the time pressure reaches boiling point, he is forced ot team up with a local investigative reporter who is far more informed on the depths of the dark lore of Whitby. Will they be able to hold back the hordes?
There was a clear dichotomy between DI Rob Vance and the Journalise Artie Penhaligon, both pursuing the case and very much the good cop / bad cop dynamic, although this applies more to their nature than a literal description
As for the weaving of timelines, the character constructs and the locations, chef's kiss, stunning! The coven are absolutely blinding as villains and the battle between good and evil is sheer brilliance
More please. Thank you.
My sincere gratitude goes to the author for the opportunity to read this book. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
October 8, 2026
The Whitby Ripper by J.G. Caruso is a gory, gruesome wonder of a novel that took me completely by surprise.
Set in 1970s Whitby, the story follows a journalist with a fascination for penny dreadfuls and Jack the Ripper who notices alarming links between a new string of local deaths and a series of unsolved murders in distant London history. His investigation uncovers an ancient vampire presence quietly feeding on the seaside town.
Caruso masterfully marries the rich, dark lore of Anne Rice with the sharp, methodical mystery structure of Agatha Christie. The narrative weaves in brilliant time jumps into the past, giving rich background and depth to the various vampire characters without ever losing momentum.
While it delivers all the visceral horror and blood-soaked thrills you could ask for in a vampire thriller, it also carries a genuinely sweet, tender romance at its heart. The language throughout is breathtaking, sweeping me into the setting completely. By the time I reached the end, I was in tears.
An absolute 5-star read for anyone who loves dark gothic horror with deep emotional stakes and brilliant storytelling. I cannot wait to see what J.G. Caruso writes next!
Set in 1970s Whitby, the story follows a journalist with a fascination for penny dreadfuls and Jack the Ripper who notices alarming links between a new string of local deaths and a series of unsolved murders in distant London history. His investigation uncovers an ancient vampire presence quietly feeding on the seaside town.
Caruso masterfully marries the rich, dark lore of Anne Rice with the sharp, methodical mystery structure of Agatha Christie. The narrative weaves in brilliant time jumps into the past, giving rich background and depth to the various vampire characters without ever losing momentum.
While it delivers all the visceral horror and blood-soaked thrills you could ask for in a vampire thriller, it also carries a genuinely sweet, tender romance at its heart. The language throughout is breathtaking, sweeping me into the setting completely. By the time I reached the end, I was in tears.
An absolute 5-star read for anyone who loves dark gothic horror with deep emotional stakes and brilliant storytelling. I cannot wait to see what J.G. Caruso writes next!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5⭐️
Did I binge this book in 24 hours? Yes. Yes, I did.
This book has everything you want from a book: 1970s Whitby nostalgia, a DI and journalist trying to find answers after a series of brutal murders, vampire lore, some genuinely uncomfortable horror moments, gore, and a sweet MM romance.
I loved Artie! He was competent and intelligent, and I was rooting for both him and his relationship. I also really enjoyed DI Vance as a character, despite him being intentionally unlikeable.
The female characters in this story were fantastic. The vampires were definitely badass in their own right, and their backstories were the perfect blend of horrific and sympathetic.
Overall, this book will have you desperately turning the pages for more. I genuinely could not put it down, and I’m excited to see what the author comes up with next.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!
Everyone else… add this to your TBR if you like horror, vampires, crime thrillers and sweet MM romances. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Did I binge this book in 24 hours? Yes. Yes, I did.
This book has everything you want from a book: 1970s Whitby nostalgia, a DI and journalist trying to find answers after a series of brutal murders, vampire lore, some genuinely uncomfortable horror moments, gore, and a sweet MM romance.
I loved Artie! He was competent and intelligent, and I was rooting for both him and his relationship. I also really enjoyed DI Vance as a character, despite him being intentionally unlikeable.
The female characters in this story were fantastic. The vampires were definitely badass in their own right, and their backstories were the perfect blend of horrific and sympathetic.
Overall, this book will have you desperately turning the pages for more. I genuinely could not put it down, and I’m excited to see what the author comes up with next.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!
Everyone else… add this to your TBR if you like horror, vampires, crime thrillers and sweet MM romances. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
October 20, 2026
Absolutely brilliant book. The pacing is fantastic, and the story is gripping from start to finish. Told through multiple perspectives, the characters all feel incredibly human and relatable in their own ways.
The violence is visceral and often incredibly gory, but there’s a real intelligence and nuance to how it’s written. Nothing feels gratuitous for the sake of it.
The shifting timelines are another highlight. At times they seem almost randomly scattered throughout the book, yet somehow the transitions feel completely seamless. Rather than disrupting the story, they add another layer of intrigue and make it even harder to put down.
As someone with ADHD who often struggles to finish books, even ones I’m thoroughly enjoying, I can’t overstate how impressive it is to find something that holds my attention so completely.
Caruso has created something genuinely special here. Brutal, clever, brilliantly structured and utterly captivating. An absolute masterpiece.
The violence is visceral and often incredibly gory, but there’s a real intelligence and nuance to how it’s written. Nothing feels gratuitous for the sake of it.
The shifting timelines are another highlight. At times they seem almost randomly scattered throughout the book, yet somehow the transitions feel completely seamless. Rather than disrupting the story, they add another layer of intrigue and make it even harder to put down.
As someone with ADHD who often struggles to finish books, even ones I’m thoroughly enjoying, I can’t overstate how impressive it is to find something that holds my attention so completely.
Caruso has created something genuinely special here. Brutal, clever, brilliantly structured and utterly captivating. An absolute masterpiece.
October 3, 2026
It a vampire Horror mystery thriller set in 1977 Whitby following an intrigued reporter investigating alongside the overwhelmed police department who can't believe what they are witnessing with the grotesque murder scenes they stumble across.
We have gore, vampire origin stories. Found family, a beautiful healthy budding relationship and a town that will be wrecked by a tragedy that they will never recover from.
This is a horror that takes you on a case to unpick the mystery of the murders Agatha Christie would be proud of the fast pacing and clever relationship developments.
This will have you living in nostalgia while questioning if the 70s was really long enough ago to avoid stumbling upon these vampires.
Great read and a hell of a start to spooky season.
No spoilers but the ending and twists. Thank you. That is a horror.
We have gore, vampire origin stories. Found family, a beautiful healthy budding relationship and a town that will be wrecked by a tragedy that they will never recover from.
This is a horror that takes you on a case to unpick the mystery of the murders Agatha Christie would be proud of the fast pacing and clever relationship developments.
This will have you living in nostalgia while questioning if the 70s was really long enough ago to avoid stumbling upon these vampires.
Great read and a hell of a start to spooky season.
No spoilers but the ending and twists. Thank you. That is a horror.
October 18, 2026
Written to what I can only describe as Anne Rice and Agatha Christie, but with a very unique flair that is totally its own, you will be utterly surprised by this story. Characters that are not only memorable, but who feel alive. Places and details so well discribed you can almost feel the interiors as you step into the story. The vampires, well... I'm not going to spoil it for you, but Ripper is in it's name, horror sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. At the very end, you hunger for more... Reminds me of Interview with a Vampire and Dracula, it's that good. The writing superb. Also the level of detail is immense, a lot of research behind it, that's for sure. 5 stars. J.G Caruso writes with such intricate elegance it almost hurts. You'll definitely be pining for more...
October 5, 2026
A fast paced murder mystery, I found hard to put down. It felt like an excellent mix of the police show Shetland mixed with Dracula and a dash of Van healing.
I loved the idea of gothic vampires in ‘modern day’ (the book is set in the late 70s when punk was on the rise)
It wasn’t overalls intense gory which was excellent especially when there are some scenes which where described vividly
I enjoyed reading from different povs from detectives to the vampires themselves.
Fun read and would read more in this world
I loved the idea of gothic vampires in ‘modern day’ (the book is set in the late 70s when punk was on the rise)
It wasn’t overalls intense gory which was excellent especially when there are some scenes which where described vividly
I enjoyed reading from different povs from detectives to the vampires themselves.
Fun read and would read more in this world
Review of advance copy received from Author
JG Caruso is really onto something with this. I cant say too much since I dont want to give spoilers or ruin the experience for readers, but trust me, its something truly unexpected in all the best ways. Great read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Magnificent debut! A chilling blend of 1970s nostalgia, gothic atmosphere, and relentless vampire horror. The pacing is fantastic, the characters (especially Tilly!) are unforgettable, and the imagery will make your skin crawl. An absolute must-read for indie horror fans this October!"
October 13, 2026
Great take on gothic vampires! I love the gritty, hazy atmosphere this captures. The characters are so charming, I was desperate for them to solve the case and make it out unscathed! The perspective shifts are engaging and keep the story moving along. I'm looking forward to the sequel!
October 5, 2026
Brilliant debut novel, not my usual genre of choice but I was gripped from the start! Beautifully written, fast paced, graphically gory and also quite moving.
October 8, 2026
Reads like a modern classic. It’s fast-paced, bloody, and surprisingly intimate. If you love Dracula, Agatha Christie, Anne Rice, you’ll appreciate the writing of JG Caruso.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews