Casebook Review:

An independently-published book by veterinary pathologist Dr. David J. Speare which purports to look at the Ripper crimes from a modern CSI perspective. There are no new findings or suspects here, but rather a re-telling of the five canonical murders, coverage of social conditions in London at the time, glimpses of modern serial killer behavior, and a review of several suspects. Dr. Speare doesn't attach much favor to any suspect, though he believes the Ripper diary is "worth a look."

Unfortunately, the book is in need of an editor. A few too many spelling and grammar mistakes break up the flow of reading, and a fair number of factual errors creep into the text. Perhaps most glaring was the inclusion of an entire chapter on George Chapman (instead of Michael Ostrog) as "the second suspect cited by Macnaughten (Sic)".

Nevertheless its a generally well-written book which covers all the bases and adheres to no particular theory. Recommended for novices as a general overview, with the caveat that there are some important errors peppered throughout the text.

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