Two recent books that Ritter endorses are Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill.

Ritter is completing the sequel to Jackaby.I guess the best I can say is, I don’t regret that I spent time reading it. Furthermore, it plays on enough mythology and folktales to appeal to Percy Jackson and Harry Potter fans. It also has an appeal for fantasy/sci-fi/mystery fans as a crossover book. Be still my heart…įor that alone, Jackaby is worth having in a collection. He currently teaches high school language arts, including reading and writing, mythology and heroes. If my niece is any indication, Sherlock and Doctor Who are very popular among a subset of teens (and adults). Jackaby is looking for an assistant and hires Abigail on a trial basis while they investigate a series of murders. Jackaby, a private detective versed in both the scientific and the supernatural whose quirky, idiosyncratic style is alienating to some and magnetic to others. After scrambling to find lodgings and a job, she is employed by R. Set in New England sometime during the 19th century, Jackaby counts its narrator and heronie as Abigail Rook, an English woman who has recently come to America in hot pursuit of adventure. On its own, though Jackaby doesn’t have a whole lot to offer. Surprisingly enough, I did not mind that, even though Sherlock is one of my favorite shows. In the author picture at the back, Ritter is very obviously imitating the BBC Holmes with the expensive coat and scarf. I have not seen many episodes of Doctor Who but I can definitely see the Sherlock elements. Jackaby has been heavily branded as “ Doctor Who meets Sherlock,” by the publisher and by reviewers, and to some extent it lives up to that tag line. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police–with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane–deny.ĭoctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.Ritter, William. sort by Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. Books by William Ritter (Author of Jackaby) Books by William Ritter William Ritter Average rating 3.93 56,412 ratings 9,521 reviews shelved 145,640 times Showing 19 distinct works.

Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant.

Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary–including the ability to see supernatural beings. Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.” “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion–and there are many illusions. “Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said.

Jackaby by William Ritter