View to a Kill: Deciphering the Murder of Mary Jane Kelly

by Paul Bellocq

In the small hours of 9 November 1888, 25-year-old Mary Jane Kelly was murdered with more barbaric brutality than perhaps any other victim in modern history. Her abominable fate was perceived by Londoners, the British people, and indeed the whole world as the terrible crescendo of the gruesome murder spree of 1888 known officially as the Whitechapel Murders. For over 130 years, scholars and armchair detectives alike have proposed, theorized, waxed and conjectured on the question of the killer’s identity. Despite much enthusiasm on the part of these researchers, no theory has succeeded in clearing the bar of the generally accepted legal standard, beyond a reasonable doubt. Such a protracted struggle has given rise to the now common sentiment that nothing new can be learned from the Whitechapel Murder case. I beg to differ. Although nearly every book about this case devotes itself to answering the question who, the more important questions, ones which have not been given their due heretofore and which are central to the thesis of this volume, are how and why. In the pages that follow, I will decipher the harrowing events of the 8th & 9th November 1888 during which a young woman, much down on her luck but whose warm charisma and bright eyes were unmistakable to those who knew her, was murdered in such a ghastly display of cruelty and disregard for the sanctity of life that all of humankind suffered an offense for it.

Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2020

About the author

Paul Bellocq is a researcher in criminology and behavioural science. A linguist with a working knowledge of seven languages, he travels the world in search of history's greatest mysteries.

Reviews

[Ghizlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

View to a Kill: Deciphering the murder of Mary Jane Kelly is an outstanding book. It's beautifully written and very captivating. Buckle up and get ready to time travel to 1888 in order to discover the details of Mary Jane Kelly's life, her cruel faith and the whitechapel murders.

[Carey Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cool! A profiler's view of this famous case. Loved it!

[Deborah Guidry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging!

This was an interesting profile and enjoyable read. I liked the author's writing style, his description of the crimes and psychological opinions.