Jackaby (Jackaby #1), by William Ritter
Publish Date: September 16, 2014
Published by: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 320
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy/Mystery
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars)
Synopsis:
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 the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local authorities–with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane–seem adamant to deny.
My Review:
This was pretty good, a little bit more than what I expected (and I still can’t decide if it’s in a good way or not? Definitely not bad otherwise I probably wouldn’t have finished it). I really liked the characters and the mystery was intriguing.
I thought, when I first started it, that there was going to be a love triangle of sorts, but then it turned out that Jackaby and Abigail have zero romantic chemistry and Charlie was all shy and adorable when we first met him that I instantly went, yes him.
Picking up the next one right now!
Books Beyond Imagining 
I’ve heard from Goodreads that this was similar to Lockwood and Co. Would you say they are? I’ve added Jackaby to my TBR list as well, but I’m interested in hearing how it compares to L&C (or even if it should be compared).
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Sorry for replying to this so late, I’ve been in tech for a show all week. In answer to your question: It’s similar only in the sense that there is a ghost in it. One, and not like the ghosts of Lockwood & Co. I’ll admit reading Lockwood & Co was kind of the reason I went into Jackaby next, but Jackaby is definitely different. For one thing it’s historical fiction, and for another, there are many more supernatural beings represented in it. It is, however, strong in mystery like Lockwood & Co is, so I would still say if you enjoyed the overall elements of the mystery and paranormal of Lockwood & Co, then yes you might find yourself enjoying Jackaby too. But on a different caliber most likely.
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Thanks, that helps a lot! I will definitely bump up Jackaby in my TBR list!
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