The Captain’s Log – jackaby (William Ritter)

Ahoy there me mateys!  The crew swaps tales of how good this series be and I needed a new audiobook so I listened to their recommendation.  Glad I did cause this be so much fun.

The story is told from the perspective of Abigail Rook who has just landed in a New England port with no prospects but a grand sense of adventure.  She lands a job as an assistant to a private investigator who deals with the unusual which includes the supernatural.  Problem is no one but him can see the beasties.  Abigail gets thrown into the thick of things with a serial killer on the loose.

Don’t go into this expecting a good mystery.  Who dun it is obvious.  Do read this for the excellent characters.  I loved Abigail and her keen sense of observation.  I loved quirky Jackaby and his unique view of the world.  Their banter and developing relationship is fantastic and was the highlight of the book for me.

The other highlight was the narration done by Nicola Barber.  I am faster at reading rather than listening.  I switched to the ebook version but quickly found meself missing the voices of Barber and switched back.  The extra time spent listening was worth it because it enriched the writing.  I love that.

I will certainly be listening to more of the series in the future.  Arrrr!

Don’t want to take me word for it (though ye should!) check out what the crew been gossiping about.

Matey Milou said “The story is told through the eyes of Abigail Rook . . . She is a very likeable protagonist. She is just the right level of kick-ass and intelligence to be a strong female character, and also be totally relatable. Looking for a job she ends up on the doorstep of Jackaby. He is just… well… Mad Hatter mixed with the Doctor with some added Sherlock. He is totally odd but in an almost endearing way.”

Matey Cupcake & Machetes said “Abigail Rook takes shit from no man or woman. If you try to tell her the correct or proper thing to do, she’ll do something rude in response. She’ll have none of your sexist bullshit and because of that, she earns her way to a top spot in my ‘favorite female characters’ category.”

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary–including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. 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.

Doctor 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.

To visit the author’s website go to:

William Ritter – Author

To buy the book go to:

jackaby – Book 1

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List