Product Description

America's top crime writer solves the infamous case that has baffled experts for more than a century.

Abridged, five CDs, 6 hours

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1518833 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 562 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"I knew the identity of a murderer and couldn't possibly avert my gaze," declares bestselling author and Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine chairman of the board Cornwell (The Last Precinct). Claiming to have cracked the unsolved case of Jack the Ripper, the author, combining superb investigative skills and meticulous research with modern technology, presents strong, albeit largely circumstantial, evidence as to the true culprit in this uncharacteristic work of nonfiction. Cornwell's man is the handsome, educated actor-cum-artist Walter Richard Sickert, and she delves into his life, probing the psychological pain and sexual deformity which led to his "impotent fury." Screen, stage and TV actress Burton's splendid, professional narration deserves much of the credit for the book's smooth translation to abridged audio format. Transporting listeners to 19th century England, Burton easily transitions between American and English accents, bringing an authentic, resonating flavor to the era and to the desperate lives of London's "unfortunates" who became the killer's prey. Despite some tedious and over-detailed readings of medical records, laws and police reports, as well as descriptive accounts of Cornwell's experiences re-opening the case, this audiobook turns potentially dry material into an enthralling exploration.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Can truth be stranger than Cornwell's fiction? Here, the best-selling novelist claims to uncover the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Kate Burton is the voice of mystery writer Patricia Cornwell, who is out to convince us that the infamous Whitechapel Slasher was really Walter Sickert, a well-known British artist (1860-1942). Using her training as a forensic scientist, the author thoroughly researched what's left of the physical evidence, autopsy reports, and newspaper accounts of the killings, as well as Sickert's paintings and life. Burton is emphatic when making a point and skeptical when the facts don't fit. She quotes the Ripper's many letters to the police using a lower-class accent--though Sickert was well-educated, if decidedly weird. What remains post-abridgment is a coherent theory on what might have happened on those murky London streets, but "might" is the operative word. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine