This book stands in the middle of two genres, true criminology and
fascinating fiction. The answer to where it deserves to
be placed revolves around one simple fact, the diary in question. The diary is said to be that of James Maybrick a Liverpool cotton merchant with London connections, and is a journal of his
activities and gruesome murders in the East End that have become known as the Jack the Ripper case. The diary was in the possession of Mike Barrett having aquired it from a friend who died without revealing where it came from. Mike found himself a literary agent to try to verify the validity of the book and the resulting research and analysis is presented here.
The book makes a good case for this Ripper theory. The possibility of James Maybrick being the ripper is very plausible, and the research that backs up his account is very thorough indeed. The diary itself is the
fascinating part of the story. Although some of the pages have been removed, wha remains is a gory account of Maybricks supposed activities. The book contains a facsimile of the handwritten account and provides an insight into the mind of a serial killer. The authors job in making the case is proving the activities Maybrick writes about match the known evidence. Although convincing their is always the possiblity that the book has been put together after the event and is just a clever forgery based on what emerged from the case at a later date. And this is the crux of the matter. Is the book a forgery or is it the evidence that will clear up the confusion once and for all.
Whether the book is for real or not, the story of the book is just as interesting. James Maybrick did exist and died of poisoning at the hands of his wife. The story of that crime and the life of Florence Maybrick after his death is in itself just as fascinating.
Many now believe that the book is a fake, the use of language in places points towards a later writing date and much of the information matches improper reporting from newspaper stories of the time. It could be that a twentieth centuary forger is trying to pull the wool over our eyes, but whether you believe the diary to be true or not it is a fascinating read.