Requiem For The Ripper

The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper #3

by Brian L. Porter

Criminal psychologist David Hemswell receives a desperate call from a worried man. William Forbes, former solicitor to serial killer Jack Reid believes himself to be threatened by the living soul of the notorious Victorian enigma, Jack the Ripper. Convinced that Reid was a descendant of the Ripper and that the evil that first entered the current era through the inheritance of the Ripper's journal by psychiatrist Robert Cavendish, Forbes turns to Hemswell as his last hope to free himself from the demons he believes are pursuing him. Forbes travels to Skerries Rock, David Hemswell's private island home off the bleak, barren west coast of Cape Wrath, Scotland, where Hemswell soon realises that there is much about his visitor that is disquieting and frightening. Hemswell summons help in the form of paranormal investigator Kate Goddard, and together, the pair attempt to free Forbes of whatever strange phenomenon has assaulted his mind. As their investigation gathers pace, however, they soon begin to believe that the three of them are not alone on the tiny island. Has the soul of Jack the Ripper found a way to encroach upon the present day? Is William Forbes the living embodiment of The Ripper, or is he too a victim of the curse that appears to have been handed down across time by the unfortunate Cavendish family? As time begins to run out, and the danger surrounding them grows ever stronger by the second, David Hemswell must face his own demons and is faced with the most terrible decision of his life, as the story that began with A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper and continued in Legacy of the Ripper reaches its shattering and terrifying conclusion!

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2010

About the author

Formerly a member of the Royal Air Force, Brian L Porter is an award-winning author, and a dedicated dog rescuer, with the distinction of having more than twenty Amazon #1 bestsellers to his name. He has written under three pseudonyms, with bestsellers coming under each of his writing guises. The majority of those have come under his Brian L Porter name with four coming under his Harry Porter and Juan Pablo Jalisco names.

Nowadays, he divides his time between writing his popular Mersey Murder Mystery series of books, and his immensely successful true-life Family of Rescue Dogs series, all featuring the dogs that form part of his own family, and all having been Amazon #1 bestsellers.

Reviews

[John Dizon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Requiem For The Ripper by Brian L. Porter is the third installment in the author's Ripper series, and Porter ratchets it up a notch in keeping his fans spellbound. The trilogy continues with Dr. David Hemswell providing the first-person narrative from his new home on Skerries Rock. The idyllic coastal property becomes the backdrop for the case of William Forbes. The former attorney of Jack The Ripper is suffering from hallucinations after the infamous case. Fans of Thomas Harris will be enthralled at how the tension builds in the doctor/patient relationship.

The element of psychological conflict prevails as Katherine Goddard is introduced to Forbes by Hemswell in a desperate effort to tie up the patient's unraveling testimony. Kate is a parapsychologist who plays the occult angle in diagnosing Forbes' malady. It is a masterful gambit by Porter, creating a triple-tiered platform upon which the protagonists contend with the specter of the Ripper as the backdrop. Chaos reigns as the violence is unleashed at the turbulent climax --- but who will survive?

Requiem For The Ripper by Brian L. Porter is guaranteed to mesmerize suspense/thriller fans and audiences of all ages.

[Jennifer hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent third instalment of a brilliantly written trilogy.

Nothing more to say. All three books fascinating reading. Creepily believable ha ha so glad I found this series. GREAT.

[John Broughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The remote setting of this tale makes it even more gripping. Exposed to the elements, the three vulnerable people involved find themselves assailed by something far more sinister than Nature can throw at them. William Forbes, one-time lawyer of the serial killer, Jack Reid, is convinced that he’s possessed by the infamous Victorian Ripper’s soul. Desperate, he begs psychologist, David Hemswell to help him. Author, Brian L. Porter ably depicts a man brought to the brink of madness by terror, so reduced to a gibbering wreck that the reader can barely catch his breath between the storm-tossed Atlantic surroundings and tormented brain of the lawyer. When Hemswell enlists the brilliant paranormal investigator, Kate Goddard, things become very creepy. Is it the touch of a Victorian Music Hall melody that induces goosebumps? It certainly is when we learn the origins of the innocent tune. I won’t introduce spoilers, so let’s say that Mr Porter’s brilliantly conceived ending brings a superb trilogy to a fitting end. 5-stars without hesitation

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series

The series is good. The last book seemed kinda rushed though. I feel the first book was the best of the trilogy.

[Morgaine Post · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zzz

Every time I picked up the book almost fell asleep after 20 min of reading. Had to force myself to finish. Hate dnf ing books

[David Fraser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best volume of the trilogy, but the author draws the story out too long.

[Berk Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a flash of realization David Hemswell knows what must be done, and the story is wound down to its final conclusion. Can I tell you the ending? No. That would ruin the development of the story which you simply must read. This is without doubt the pinnacle of the three books dealing with Jack the Ripper which have been written by Brian L. (Harry) Porter. The story starts mildly enough, introducing David and soon introducing the solicitor of Jack Reid, whose name is William Forbes. Forbes claims to be dogged by the spirit of the ripper. He claims he is in mortal danger and in desperate need of David's help. It is evident that Forbes is scared witless, that he is possessed by dreams of hellish nature and that these things seem to come from his representation and conversations of and with Jack Reid. Reid of course was confined to Ravenswood, a hospital for the violent mentally ill. In time it becomes clear that David has been chosen by Reid to help deal with the malevolent spirit of the ripper.
A psychological drama with supernatural or outer space connections becomes an occupier of one's time, one's mind and consumes. It is impossible, from the time of the entry of Kate Goddard into this miasma of drama, to put the book down. It draws you to its astounding and unexpected conclusion just as a moth is drawn to light. The manifestations of super natural or outer space involvement cannot be divulged either because given those you would divine the rest, perhaps? Perhaps not! Still it is tempting to tell all but then your entry into this world of Jack the Ripper would not be enhanced.
This is a real tour de force, a story of unnatural intensity and draw. It started for me on one day and finished on the next. In the first session I read not quite a third of the book. In the second session I simply could not put it down and read straight through to the end. The author used his prior tales of the ripper to enhance the fear, the possession that is palpable as you read. He used his ability to build the drama to its incredible explosive finish and in so doing created a real masterpiece of surprise.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Does it rate five stars. What else? It is a wonderful example of the skill and the tale telling of the author. It is in short a really excellently written story that was created from what can only be described as a different mind. Congratulations Harry. You have certainly given the world something to think about in this thriller.

[Martha Cheves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Requiem for the Ripper – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘Forbes jumped, nerves getting the better of him, and in an instant the fear had returned. As a bolt of brilliant lightning rent the sky and lit up the room through the sturdy windows of my home, William Forbes shrank still further into himself. I watched, fascinated, as the well-built solicitor, a man whose entire life should have been built around logic, order, and the law, and who I’d have imagined to be one of the least likely to panic at the forces and sounds of nature, backed away from the window, until, his eyes once ore displayed the fear of one hunted by terror unknown, his back came to rest against the wall beside the fireplace. His body shook and his mouth opened in fear. His lips moved, but not a sound came from them. Though he remained in the room with me, I felt as though William Forbes were no longer with me, but had retreated to some dark place, locked away in his own private world of fear and dread.'

David Hemswell, a criminal psychologist and William Forbes, solicitor to the serial killer Jack Reid, have now been admitted into the world of Jack the Ripper. Forbes seeks the help of David to dispel the spirits that are threatening his own being. According to Forbes, David came recommended as the person to help. Question is, who recommended him and can he really help? After meeting Forbes, David decides to ask for the help of his old and dear friend Kate Gooddard who is a paranormal investigator. By combining their own knowledge and forces, the two hope to save Forbes from what he believes to be the spirit of Jack the Ripper.

A Study in Red, Legacy of the Ripper and now Requiem for the Ripper have been three books that held my attention through every page. Each book has its own distinctive ending, or should I say continuation but only a writer such as Brian L. Porter can give the whole story an ending such as the one in Requiem for the Ripper. I promise you, the ending will shock you as it did me. Great writing!


Available in paperback and e-book
2010
Double Dragon Press
214 Pages
ISBN# 978-1-55404-763-5

Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat

[Peter Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spine-chilling conclusion to a surpassingly drawn trilogy, not at all what I expected; it was better.

What can I say, this trilogy is so engaging and is nothing like I expected. It is important, in my view, to read the three books in series to get true enjoyment, or is it fear, from the narrative.
This trilogy introduces the concept of the ‘spirit’ of Jack the Ripper being passed through generations of a family causing them to feel the need to act out the former crimes, this being done by a journal, thought to be written by the Ripper. However, that is far too simple an explanation, because not until the very end of book 3 do we understand what is truly happening and it is a twist to beat all twists – I never saw it coming and it is a wonderfully drawn conclusion.
Because of all this it would be wrong of me to talk about the plot of Requiem, except to mention that action in the book takes place on a tiny, wild, windswept, isolated island off the coast of Scotland, scary enough before you even meet the characters, because it feeds off books 1 and 2 that are more than just a little psychologically disturbing and sometimes influenced my dreams – I couldn’t wait to read book 3, what on earth was happening and, I was not disappointed.
So, that is it. If you have the constitution for frankly, scary, thought-provoking, nightmarishly unearthly suggestion, then venture forth – 5 stars.

[Malcolm Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago, I was driving the rural roads of the Scottish Borders with Radio Scotland on the van radio. A narrator was reading out Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and her words were so engrossing that I pulled into a lay-by to listen. I still remember that moment, when the mesmeric quality of the text captured my imagination.
This book, Requiem For the Ripper, the third of Porter’s Jack the Ripper Trilogy, gripped me in a similar manner. I prefer not to put spoilers in my reviews, for that would reduce the pleasure of any future reader, but I will say that a large part of the story is based on an island the far north of Scotland, my country, which increased my interest.
How does a story of a 19th century murderer in London have a Scottish connection? Well, as I said, no spoilers! I will say that Frankenstein opens in the Arctic, so another link to that incredible classic, placing a monster – if the Ripper can be named as such – in a remote location and the winding up the tension.
The characters are finely-drawn, with human characteristics – I dislike books with super-heroes with unbelievable skills and iron nerves, and Porter’s could have stepped out from the house next door. They are scared in scary situations, horrified at scenes of horror and relieved when things are calm.

Overall- an easy five stars.