Book description
This memoir was recently discovered and appears to have been written
in the 1920s by somone who asserts that he was Jack the Ripper.
This person is James Carnac, this memoir written shortly before his
death is an account of his entire life, including a few short months
in 1888 when he became the murderer known to posterity as Jack the
Ripper.
This book introduces a new suspect for the infamous murders in
Whitechapel in 1888. There is information in this book that does not
appear to be derived from contemporary newspapers or any other
publications and the descriptions of Tottenham in the 1870s, the
visits to performances of Jekyll and Hyde, the intricate geography of
Whitechapel in 1888 are written with pin-point accuracy. There is also
a credible motive given for James becoming the murderer Jack and also
a reason for the end of the murders. Given the fact that the author
also appear to have knowledge about aspects of the case not in the
public arena at the time it could be that this actually is the
autobiography of Jack the Ripper.
Ultimately it is up to the reader to decide if they believe the
mystery has been solved at last but even if they end up deciding the
account to be a work of fiction it would still be one of the very
earliest imaginings of the Ripper case, written in the early years of
the twentieth century, a fascinating piece of period writing and a
worthy addition to the Ripper canon.
Whatever side they come down on there is no question that this book
will be a source of much debate.
