Jack the Ripper At Last? by Helena Wojtczak

[pinkmoon]

I've just re read Philip sugdens excellent book and his examination of Chapman is very good.Here we have a suspect who we know has killed has been violent towards women would have resided in the area had some surgical training and when he departs area murders stop very interesting indeed

[Amanda Sumner]

Hello Robert,
Yes, the question mark is intriguing isn't it? Was he or wasn't he?
For me, personally, I am more interested in his story than whether he was the Ripper or not but it will be interesting to read what the author's conclusions are.
I am quite happy to be persuaded either way but I have always felt, based on what I know, that the two are not the same man. I shall reserve any further opinion until I've read the book.

[Robert]

Well it gets a thumbs up from me for having a question mark in the title, which is a nice piece of restraint in Ripperworld.

[Amanda Sumner]

I'm a new member on here, and I noticed that Helena Wojtczak is a member on here too. I've read one of her books, which was excellent, and I've been aware for some time that she is writing a book on George Chapman and his crimes. I believe it's about to be published very soon.
I am very interested in George Chapman, first and foremost because he was a murderer, and I'm very interested in crime,and secondly because one of his victims was an ancestor of mine. Maud Marsh was my grandmother's cousin, and her grandmother was my great, great grandmother.
I know about George's crimes fairly well, he was nick named the 'Borough Poisoner' but I've never been totally convinced that he was Jack the Ripper.
It will be interesting to read Ms Wojtczak's stance on this case and how he fits in as a candidate, if at all. As I know she is a historical writer rather than a criminal one, her book will be very factual, no doubt, and it will be a refreshing change to read it from a historian's point of view. I am really looking forward to reading this. It should be interesting to learn about things that I don't know and Chapman's crimes are fascinating in themselves, in my opinion. There is an air of mystery about him, I think, so I am eager to find out more and about poor Maud too.

What do others think?