Is there such a thing as a charming thriller centered on Jack the Ripper? Indeed, there is: A. Rae Dunlap’s The Dreadfuls features a young protagonist who finds herself all but imprisoned in the Whitechapel Hall Reform School just as the infamous serial killer begins his slaughter. Fans of Dunlap’s well-received debut, The Resurrectionist—a gothic thriller about a medical student in 19th-century Scotland who is lured into a body-snatching scheme—will be charmed by another rollicking blend of ominous but upbeat adventure, a smattering of gore and a creative blend of fact and fiction.
An orphan cast aside by her aunt and uncle, irrepressible Dell arrives at Whitechapel Hall with a secret stash of beloved but forbidden penny dreadfuls—sensationalized tales of crime that gave rise to folkloric characters like Sweeney Todd. Dell soon finds a crime-loving partner in her roommate, Pippa, and the pair pore over Dell’s broadsides instead of their assigned Bible verses. Luckily, their isolated annex room gives them secret access to the roof, where they enjoy nightly smokes while gazing down at the busy London streets. With this eagle-eyed perch, they can easily keep tabs on the neighborhood. One night, Dell sneaks out in the middle of the night via a dumbwaiter in an attempt to run away from the school. On her way out, she is shocked to encounter her religion teacher, Miss Kaye, whom she begins to suspect may be none other than Jack the Ripper.
Dunlap is not only a breezy narrator but also a skilled plotter who unveils the story with a multitude of twisty surprises. There are plenty of close calls and spine-tingling moments, but none of the dour, moody narration often featured in novels set during this period. Think of it as gothic serial killer lite, if you will.
That said, Dunlap manages to weave in a fair bit of history, such as showing how the killings fueled antisemitism in Victorian London. Dell begins to understand the inadequacies of penny dreadfuls in addressing real-life issues like mental illness. She and Miss Kaye also have some interesting exchanges on religion, with Miss Kaye noting, “We prefer the black-and-white narrative of your penny bloods, instead of the far more complex realities that surround us.”
As Dell notes, “for the first time in my life, I was privy to the spoils of detective work well done. It was a reward greater than gold.” The Dreadfuls will heartily reward readers who want only a spoonful of chills and carnage.
