Any plausible suspect books?

[JTRSickert]

Hi everyone. While I myself don't put much stock in any suspect-based Ripper books (like many of you I prefer fact-based research books on the subject), I was wondering if any of you consider any books that put forward a suspect to not be so ridiculous and may even be plausible? Or, if any of you know any that you found entertaining.

[DVV]

Books on Cutbush, Bury, Kelly and Hutch are worth reading, as will certainly be that on Kosminski from Rob.
To some extent, Sugden and Begg are also suspect-based, at least some chapters.

Amitiés,
David

[The Grave Maurice]

David, in my view, is pretty much on the money with his suggestions. If you want to look at suspect books, the ones that I found to be at least reasonably plausible and entertaining were:

James Tully, The Secret of Prisoner 1167 (James Kelly)
Bruce Paley, JtR: The Simple Truth (Joseph Barnett)
William Beadle, JtR: Anatomy of a Myth (William Bury)
Bob Hinton, From Hell: The JtR Mystery (George Hutchinson), and
Martin Fido, The Crimes, Detection and Death of JtR (Nathan Kaminsky)

[JTRSickert]

I see. Thank you.

What about R. Michael Gordon's books on Klosowski/Chapman?

[The Grave Maurice]

Well, Gordon is certainly enthusiastic about his subject but I find his books neither plausible nor very readable.

[DVV]

David, in my view, is pretty much on the money with his suggestions. If you want to look at suspect books, the ones that I found to be at least reasonably plausible and entertaining were:

James Tully, The Secret of Prisoner 1167 (James Kelly)
Bruce Paley, JtR: The Simple Truth (Joseph Barnett)
William Beadle, JtR: Anatomy of a Myth (William Bury)
Bob Hinton, From Hell: The JtR Mystery (George Hutchinson), and
Martin Fido, The Crimes, Detection and Death of JtR (Nathan Kaminsky)

Hello GM,

I share your taste, and indeed had Tully and Beadle in mind, too. I haven't read Martin Fido's essay, and unfortunately read Bob Hinton only once, years ago.
I may find Paley interesting, but his arguments lookseem particularly weak.

In fact, the more I read a suspect-based book, the less I find it plausible.
They have a limited life expectancy. That makes them lovable, whatever their flaws...

Must also say I appreciate Ap Wolf portrait of Cutbush, although, imo, it hasn't surpassed the Sun articles - quite impressive and atmospheric, with something of a B-movie.

Amitiés GM and JTRS,
David

[The Grave Maurice]

Actually, I may have been a little too hard on Gordon. His first book, Alias Jack the Ripper: Beyond the Usual Whitechapel Suspects, isn't all that bad. It's in his later books that his arguments become rather thin and repetitious.

[Sam Flynn]

As far as "suspect" books go, it has to be Martin Fido and Garry Wroe for me. They are also very good reads.

[Uncle Jack]

I would highly recommend The Secret of Prisoner 1167 by James Tully and I also find Gordon's books on Klosowski very good.

The ones I didn't find very convincing was Evans/Gainey's Tumblety book, the Lewis Carroll book and Patsy's Sickert book. I also find any books on Barnett are always non-starters but that is just me personally

[Sam Flynn]

As far as "suspect" books go, it has to be Martin Fido and Garry Wroe for me. They are also very good reads.

I should have added that those are the ones in which I've found the most compelling arguments. I've enjoyed other suspect-based books as well, notably those by Beadle, Tully, Evans/Gainey and Melvin Harris... not that I was convinced at their suspects' viability.

[m_w_r]

Just a screenshot, not a suggestion.

Regards,

Mark

[John Bennett]

Don't forget that many books are decidedly 'suspect'!

[JTRSickert]

I thought Stewart and Neil's book The Lodger (or, as it is known here in the States. Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer) would be considered a good "suspect" book. Would everyone agree?

[Roy Corduroy]

Yes I agree. And it can be used for factual research.

One of my favorites is Euan Mcpherson's The Trial of Jack the Ripper. I like the format. The first half is the story of William Bury and his wife Ellen. The second half covers the Whitechapel Murders.

Roy

[Uncle Jack]

Yes I forgot to mention that is probably best to avoid the book whose title I share my username with!!