Ripper Confidential by Tom Wescott (2017)

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I suspected that might have been the case!!!

I really can't put your book down (well only the write this thread anyway...). Have also bought part 2 can't wait to read that one next!!!!

I'm delighted to hear that! Since we're talking about Reid, who I find to be a very fascinating man, if you have not read The Man Who Hunted JTR by Connell/Evans, that is a must-have. It was crucial in helping me better understand and appreciate Reid.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[drstrange169]

Hello Dave,

It's something that has touched our family, so I have at least an inkling of what you might be going through and I genuinely wish you all the best.

[drstrange169]

Hello Station Cat,

>>Am currently reading.....The Bank Holiday Murders by Tom Wescott
I must say I'm finding it enthralling and highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it. It gives a total fresh perspective on the case.<<

Couldn't agree more. Bank Holiday Murders is very well placed in my top ten best ever ripper books.

Ripper Confidential, I regret buying, seems a bit of a cop out book, to me, but I'm still confident Tom has another BHM's in him.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hello Station Cat,

>>Am currently reading.....The Bank Holiday Murders by Tom Wescott
I must say I'm finding it enthralling and highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it. It gives a total fresh perspective on the case.<<

Couldn't agree more. Bank Holiday Murders is very well placed in my top ten best ever ripper books.

Ripper Confidential, I regret buying, seems a bit of a cop out book, to me, but I'm still confident Tom has another BHM's in him.

Read it again. More carefully this time.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[drstrange169]

Hello Tom,

>>Read it again. More carefully this time.<<

That's exactly why I regretted buying it.

By reading it for the first time I was reading it again!

The vast bulk of the book is composed of material, that already sits in my bookcase.

It's like an Iggy Pop fan going into a record store, seeing an album that says it's a brand new Iggy Pop album, laying the money down, rushing home, eagerly putting it on the turntable, only to discover it's just a selection of old Stooges songs.

Same deal with Ripper Confidential. Ok, part of the blame lays with me, Caveat Emptor, but whooped up by the quality of BHM's and the subtitle, "New Reseach Into The Whitechapel Murders", and the Amazon blurb reading. " ... jam-packed with newly unearthed finds and fresh insights ..." I bought this book without checking, only to find it's mainly old material, re-packaged.

Just like old Stooges songs, that not a bad thing in itself, a lot of people who buy the book will not have read Ripper Notes, Examiner etc or read Debra's posts on Jtr Forums and some of the articles still have some merit. But for me, it felt like I'd been conned.

There were some other significant problems I had with the book too, but, as I wrote previously, I still believe you have a worthy follow-up to BHM's in you and I'd love to see that.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hello Tom,

>>Read it again. More carefully this time.<<

That's exactly why I regretted buying it.

By reading it for the first time I was reading it again!

The vast bulk of the book is composed of material, that already sits in my bookcase.

It's like an Iggy Pop fan going into a record store, seeing an album that says it's a brand new Iggy Pop album, laying the money down, rushing home, eagerly putting it on the turntable, only to discover it's just a selection of old Stooges songs.

Same deal with Ripper Confidential. Ok, part of the blame lays with me, Caveat Emptor, but whooped up by the quality of BHM's and the subtitle, "New Reseach Into The Whitechapel Murders", and the Amazon blurb reading. " ... jam-packed with newly unearthed finds and fresh insights ..." I bought this book without checking, only to find it's mainly old material, re-packaged.

Just like old Stooges songs, that not a bad thing in itself, a lot of people who buy the book will not have read Ripper Notes, Examiner etc or read Debra's posts on Jtr Forums and some of the articles still have some merit. But for me, it felt like I'd been conned.

There were some other significant problems I had with the book too, but, as I wrote previously, I still believe you have a worthy follow-up to BHM's in you and I'd love to see that.

You're a hard core Ripper reader. You, me, and maybe 10 other people. Half those articles couldn't be on your 'shelf' because they were published in defunct e-journals. I was ALWAYS getting requests for the articles, or people telling me they bought issues of Ripper Notes to read them. I said 'Hell, I might as well fix them up and put them out.' Half the book is all new stuff and I put more new stuff in 50 pages than you're generally find in any three other Ripper books. Bank Holiday Murders was 200 pages, this one is 350.

Two chapters NO ONE but How Brown has mentioned, and yet are alone worth the price of the book, are What Fanny Didn't See and Israel Schwartz - A Critical Analysis. That's about as hardcore Ripperology as it gets.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[drstrange169]

>>Half those articles couldn't be on your 'shelf' because they were published in defunct e-journals<<

When you wrote "couldn't" did you think I was making it up? ;-)

If it's not on paper, it's not real to me.

[Tom_Wescott]

The next time I use the term 'hardcore Ripper reader' there will be one name in my mind - Dusty Miller.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[drstrange169]

Now, if my wife discovers those magazines hidden under the bed, I'll tell her, it's just hardcore ripper reading!

[Patrick S]

I'll buy it tonight. I wonder if Tom has felt the wrath of Christer Holmgren yet.

Hey, Tom.....I'm heading to London for the East End Conference in August. I think you're listed as presenting via Skype. Will the contents of this book comprise a good bit of your presentation? If so, I'm sure I'll have a host of questions and commentary. Lechmere is someone I've gotten to know quite well myself.

PDS

[Tom_Wescott]

I'll buy it tonight. I wonder if Tom has felt the wrath of Christer Holmgren yet.

Hey, Tom.....I'm heading to London for the East End Conference in August. I think you're listed as presenting via Skype. Will the contents of this book comprise a good bit of your presentation? If so, I'm sure I'll have a host of questions and commentary. Lechmere is someone I've gotten to know quite well myself.

PDS

Hi Patrick. Nope, no Christer wrath, but lots of feedback from his master, Ed Stow. I'm sure stuff from the book will be part of my talk, though probably not the BIG stuff. I'm told you have to have a 'theme' when presenting a speech, so I'm working on that now. Thanks for buying and reading the books.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Patrick S]

Hi Patrick. Nope, no Christer wrath, but lots of feedback from his master, Ed Stow. I'm sure stuff from the book will be part of my talk, though probably not the BIG stuff. I'm told you have to have a 'theme' when presenting a speech, so I'm working on that now. Thanks for buying and reading the books.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Great! I look forward to hearing your presentation and reading the book! Too bad you're not going to be there in person.

[Fisherman]

Hi Patrick. Nope, no Christer wrath, but lots of feedback from his master, Ed Stow.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

I am quite content reading up on Facebook, Tom. It seems Edward is your master too.

[Monty]

I'm looking forward to Ed's book.

Monty

[Tom_Wescott]

I am quite content reading up on Facebook, Tom. It seems Edward is your master too.

Consider if you will that I asked Ed to critique my book. The hours of his life spent toiling over my text are hours that now belong to me. I do not pay him. He works for free. I shall separate the wheat from the chaff and will - at my own leisure - make corrections to my manuscript based upon his feedback. This makes my work better. He has my gratitude.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott