Aimed at a Specific Audience

books:


	• Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed Patricia Cornwell G.P. Putnam Sons, 2002 - 387 pages view larger image
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Strange Brew

After spending millions of dollars of her own money, Cornwell claims to have solve the case (and bring some justice?). I'm not sure about the justice part. I have read Cornwell before and I'm not the biggest fan. This book is an interesting mess: it has both good points and bad points.

First, I'll cover the good points. The book does a great job of depicting the lives of the "unfortunates," the prostitutes of the East End of London. She describes the milieu, the hopelessness, the rampant disease, and the unsanitary conditions. She also explains how Jack the Ripper gets away with it. The police force did not have the resources to track him down. She also describes how current techniques could have caught him. She gives a multitude of arguments for Sickert being the murderer. She also addresses, at least partially, most of the objections to Sickert being the Ripper.

The bad points are legion. One is that the book really drags in certain sections. She also lists other possible murders that could have been done by Jack the Ripper. This drags. She also seems to be pressing. She seems to pick Sickert at a Scotland Yard detective's recommendation and then seems to twist the circumstantial evidence to fit. Since this case is very old, there is no way we can disprove her suppositions. She also makes several insinuations and then writes, we cannot know for sure because of the lack of evidence. Why bring it up? She pretty much thinks every anonymous crank letter is from Jack the Ripper. I agree it seems like Sickert did write some of them, but it really doesn't prove anything. He appears to have been a very strange fellow. She also makes a big point that his paintings seem to depict some of the murdered women. However, interpreting paintings is a very subjective skill and I don't give it much weight.

I've read a few of the reviews and they misunderstand how Cornwell used the DNA evidence. She does not use it to prove Sickert is the Ripper, she uses it to disprove some of the other suspects. The DNA evidence does not disprove Sickert.

I think Sickert could be a suspect. I agree with her that the evidence for him being in France for some of the murders doesn't seem convincing. Sickert seems to be very strange, very morbid and scary man. However, Cornwell does not prove her case.

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WORTHWHILE

I FOUND PATRICIA CORNWELL'S BOOK " portrait of a killer" very enlighting. Ms Cornwell knows her forensics, and she brings us up to date by giving the "MO" of the era. She has done a lot of research on this book. I throughly enjoyed the history and back round given.

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Aimed at a Specific Audience

This is the first Cornwell book I've read, and very likely the last. I started this book expecting something more mature than the movie From Hell, and found that there are actually several parallels and it's still purely circumstantial. While her accusations are compelling, they are not fact. Facts in this book are scarce. I give this three stars instead of one because the cover says "Portrait". She certainly does create a portrait. If this were a fictional novel and she didn't include herself in the book and make herself seem like Nancy Drew, this would've been a good, interesting read. But her constant interjections of "I found" or "I researched" or "I discovered" just make you want to slam the book shut and chuck it in the trash.
Thus, if you're wondering whether or not you should read this book, there is only a certain type of audience that will enjoy it. You'll enjoy this book if you know absolutely nothing about Jack the Ripper and the facts that dissuade people from thinking it's Sickert which Cornwell blatantly ignores. Or, you'll enjoy this book if you're willing to pretend that it's a work of fiction, because as a work of fiction, she does a really fabulous character description. The Walter Sickert she portrays is a morbidly fascinating person - if you're willing to pretend that it's a fictional character. If those two types of audience aren't applicable to you, don't bother with this one. There are better books on Jack the Ripper with far less bias and just as much research.

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The case IS closed!!

I've seen and heard all sorts of theories but without a DOUBT Patricia Cornwell has solved this case!! I couldn't put it down. I've passed the book on to others who are interested. ABSOLUTELY GREAT BOOK! The evidence found and the conclusions made are on the money! MUST READ if you have always found the Ripper case intriguing.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

America's top crime writer solves the infamous case that has baffled experts for more than a century.

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