The Autobiography of Jack the Ripper: In His Own Words, The Confession of the World's Most Infamous Killer

by James Carnac

"It's either a genuine confession by Jack the Ripper, or it's an extraordinary novel...Only you can decide."—Paul Begg, author of Jack the The Definitive History

In the Whitechapel neighborhood of London in 1888, five women were horribly mutilated and murdered by the infamous killer, Jack the Ripper. Though there were many suspects, the monster was never caught.

This recently discovered memoir from the 1920s introduces a new James Willoughby Carnac, a little-known figure who claims to have been the Ripper. Carnac describes the events and geography of Whitechapel in 1888 with chilling accuracy, including details of the murders that appear to have been unavailable to the public at the time. He presents a credible motive for becoming Jack, and, for the first time ever, a reason for ending the killing spree. Ultimately, you, the reader, must decide if this is simply one of the earliest imaginings of the case—and a groundbreaking literary addition to the Ripper canon—or if it is the genuine autobiography of Jack the Ripper himself.

"A text that will no doubt be debated for years to come."—Alan Hicken, Montacute Museum, Somerset, England

"Intricate and creepy."—The Daily Express (UK)

"Easily read and worth it for the ending."—Kirkus

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2013

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was entertaining but I believe it to be a fanciful work of fiction.

[Tecre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it's a work of fiction and as a suspect Carnac doesn't have a leg to stand on. But. Has anyone tried to verify the people mentioned? Might be interesting.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to do this, but I just cannot get into this book. I keep telling myself one more page and one more chapter just to see if it gets better. But it's all over the place in my opinion. And I'm just throwing this book into the DNF!! Normally I would power through but it will take me a month to finish this book. Some parts were interesting but not enough for me to keep reading!

[Linsey clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Autobiography of Jack the Ripper was a fascinating and thought-provoking read. The story was engaging, though there were moments where the dialect in the manuscript made it a bit challenging to follow. I wish the manuscript went into more detail about the killings and what Jack the Ripper thought/felt during such activities, but it is revealed why the murders themselves were not described/ added in the final copy…which added to my suspicion about its authenticity.

Do I believe James Carnac was the infamous killer? No — and I suspect Paul Beggs, the author, doesn’t fully either. The manuscript leaves many questions unanswered, presenting Carnac’s claims while subtly allowing the reader to question their authenticity. But there are those who are completely convinced James Carnac is Jack the Ripper. Maybe you will be one of them. I did have a lot of fun analyzing the evidence, cross-referencing it with historical facts, and forming my own conclusions. The book really invites the reader to speculate: Did James Carnac actually exist? Was he really responsible for the Whitechapel murders, or is he just another Ripper-obsessed figure trying to make history? There’s even the theory that the manuscript editor or someone else may have invented Carnac entirely. If you’re intrigued by historical mysteries and enjoy piecing together your own theories, this is definitely a book to pick up.

Side note: for in-depth details of the Jack the Ripper case, the podcast Morbid: Jack the Ripper on Spotify does an excellent five-part retelling, relaying all facts related to the case and exploring numerous theories .

[Faith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure why there are such negative reviews of this book. Yes, It’s very dark and no, I have no idea whether it’s fiction or not. But either way I found it to be very fascinating and it definitely held my attention.

[Meghan A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was based on a memoir from the 1920’s were someone named James Willoughy Carnac claims to be the notorious killer Jack the Ripper. Where he explains the murders he committed in scary accurate detail.
My thoughts upon this book are simply just questions that will never be answered. I mean how can we be sure that this was really written by the supposed “jack the ripper.” Which can never be answered because we will never know. Or if this was written by the man himself why? Is it to relive the murders and simply look back at the past you and say “I did that?”
We’ll never really know the thoughts of why he really wrote it. I think this also may or less be more fiction since their is no solid proof that this is written by Jack the Ripper himself.

[Jasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read but i feel like there is too much information left out to be the true jack the ripper.
Just so happens the one person took out the more "offensive" parts?? Like the details of the murders?? Sure
Also, in my opinion, serial killers *have* motives for killing. People just dont always like hearing that it was for sexual needs, so sadomasochism.
It was overall a good story to read, but i in no way believe it to be an actual confession from Jack the Ripper.
I do super appreciate the people who helped publish it (i believe it was mainly Paul Begg) was also leaving it open. It wasnt like he fully believed it right away, but encouraged the reader to make their own decisions. We will never know who jack the ripper was, too much time has passed. But it is fun to try to be a little detective and solve some mysteries lol

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars
although the book itself is an excellent work of fiction, i took a star off for the marketing tactic of how it is presented to readers as allegedly the autobiography of jack the ripper.

the author was an obvious fan of forensic and criminal studies. as i read i found the novel to be parallel with the writings of edgar allen poe in many sections, which makes sense as the author- no matter what their identity- had obvious inspiration from his work.

for itself marketed time of creation, to me, this novel is a surprising work of speculative fiction.

if you like the show criminal minds, you’d probably enjoy this book.

[amaya the cactus · Rating 3 out of 5]

3½ Stars

Still so many unanswered questions - but this was an intriguing trip into 1880s London, and I'm glad I read it. It makes as compelling a case for its veracity as it does its being a hoax (OK, slightly higher on the fiction side, but I digress), and for those interested in JrR lore, it's at least worth reading.

Whether or not 'James Willoughby Carnac' was the Ripper, or even a real person at all, the book was definitely entertaining enough in its own right.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting book and intriguing since it could have been written by Jack the Ripper himself, but after reading the whole thing (which I must admit was difficult at times because it dragged) I’m not sure I can get on board with this being an actual autobiography.

[Marissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretentious, annoying, and boring AF.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

7.5 - 8.5

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with the other reviews about it being a work of fiction. For such a popular “historical” figure it was hard to keep reading. About 80% of the way I quit.

[Brooke Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting. At the end you have to decide for yourself if you think this was really Jack the ripper. I'm not sure if it's him or not.

[fallinginlovewithbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Very interesting, I personally find certain events to make the story seem somewhat fictitious. Although I guess we will never know for sure.

Intriguing though very dark.

[Alisha Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish it had more detail about some stuff. Otherwise, it was a pretty good book.

[Hannah Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book has a lot of details about the crimes but also a lot things that were proven false. I would love to see what other people think.

[Brooklyn Carlton · Rating 2 out of 5]

very interesting book about j.r., although, I don't think it's a genuine confession. there are too many inconsistencies to account for.

[leeloo g · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know what? i believe this to be true. or, at least, somewhat. though, it could still be a work of fiction. i guess we’ll never know.

[Alex Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally think this is a great book. Interesting and creepy. Can be slow at times but definitely a trip. 4 stars because I don’t know (but want to believe) that it’s actually written by Jack the Ripper himself.
In my personal opinion, I think parts 1 and 2 might actually be genuine. Part 3 and the epilogue might have been written by someone else. The way part 2 ends was a great way to end the entire manuscript. Why continue writing after your explanation of ending your murder spree?

[Elaina Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it’s obvious the book was written as a fiction due to its unrealistic descriptions of a killers inner thoughts: a sane man trying to write as a ‘lunatic’ in better words. But it was entertaining and good for what it is!