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The Return of the Ripper? (Hardback)

The Murder of Frances Coles

P&S History > British History P&S History > By Century > 19th Century P&S History > True Crime > Jack the Ripper World History > UK & Ireland > England > London

By Kevin Turton
Imprint: Pen & Sword True Crime
Pages: 208
ISBN: 9781399064705
Published: 5th May 2023

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In the early hours of a cold February morning in 1891, the murdered body of Frances Coles was discovered beneath a railway arch in London’s Swallow Gardens. The nature of her wounds, the weapon used to inflict them, and the murder site itself were clear indicators for many that London’s most famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, had returned.

But just how does Whitechapel’s notorious murderer fit in with the facts surrounding the case?

Contentious then as it still is today, is it reasonable to assume Frances Coles’ death proved to be the last in the Ripper’s reign of terror? Or was he long gone from Whitechapel’s streets by the time of her murder?

There can be no doubting the facts surrounding the killing are just as mysterious as those that involved the murders of Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jane Kelly and, intriguingly, several others. All these women died in a similar fashion and their cases still sit in Whitechapel’s unsolved murder files. However, unlike those that had gone before, in the case of Frances Coles there was a serious suspect.

How involved was the suspect in the Frances Coles murder and did he have anything to do with any of the earlier murders carried out in Whitechapel? These questions have remained unanswered, until now. In The Return of The Ripper? Kevin Turton re-examines the facts behind the Coles murder case and the potential links with the unsolved Whitechapel murders of the 1880s.

The author takes a deep look into the murder of Coles; roughly half the book is spent there. We move through the case with the police, from the discovery of her body up through the inquest. he details the evidence against Sadler and explains how the case fell apart and why Sadler was never convicted.

Turton does an excellent job transporting the reader to the slums of Victorian London, a place I would love to see with my own eyes but then leave just as quickly as I arrived. Whitechapel itself remains an endless source of fascination for me, what it must have been like to work and survive in such a place.

NetGalley, Sarah Mueller

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

If you are fascinated by everything Jack the Ripper, this book is a must read. Frances Coles was murdered in 1891 is thought to be the last victim of Jack. History has always told us he stopped in 1888, but the way Frances was killed is so much like Jack the Ripper's MO that it is hard to deny he was still active, possibly for his last hurrah. Jack the Ripper will forever remain a mystery and fascination of true crime lovers.

NetGalley, Taryn Schilling

Must Read!

In the early hours of a cold February morning in 1891, the murdered body of Frances Coles was discovered beneath a railway arch in London’s Swallow Gardens. The nature of her wounds, the weapon used to inflict them, and the murder site itself were clear indicators for many that London’s most famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, had returned. This is a great suspense. I love the history of Jack the Ripper so this book intrigued me right off the bat and did not disappoint. Highly recommend.

5 Stars

Amazon Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In the early hours of a cold February morning in 1891, the murdered body of Frances Coles was discovered beneath a railway arch in London’s Swallow Gardens. The nature of her wounds, the weapon used to inflict them, and the murder site itself were clear indicators for many that London’s most famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, had returned. This is a great suspense. I love the history of Jack the Ripper so this book intrigued me right off the bat and did not disappoint. highly recommend.

NetGalley, Ashley Huffman

4 out of 5

This book includes some wonderful photos and illustrations of the area and people involved.

Read the Full Review Here

Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)

An interesting book about a possible murder by Jack The Ripper and the story of this serial killer.
It's well researched and informative.
Recommended.

NetGalley, Anna Maria Giacomasso

If you enjoy Jack the Ripper books and the different theories surrounding the murders then you will enjoy this one. I thought the research was well done and the book was interesting.

NetGalley, Lauren Hewitt

In 1888–1891, at least 10 women were murdered in the Whitechapel district of East London, England. Some of their cases are footnotes compared to Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Kelly—the canonical five who are considered victims of the serial killer newspapers nicknamed Jack the Ripper. All 10 murders remain unsolved.

In The Return of the Ripper, Kevin Turton takes an in-depth look at one case, the death of Frances Coles. The well-paced narrative begins with her early morning murder on 13 February 1891, then follows the detectives searching for her identity, a motive, and a murderer. Like the earlier killings, the victim’s throat was slashed, her body was found accidentally, and no witnesses saw what happened. Tying a few clues together, the police arrest a man for the murder, but after the coroner’s inquest, he’s released.

After laying out Frances Coles’ case, the author describes Jack the Ripper’s profile, the arrested man’s story, how the other nine victims’ murders fit, and what the investigators knew. For armchair gumshoes, Turton provides a map of the murders, images of Whitechapel, and a who’s who list, along with his conclusions.

NetGalley, Robin Mason

A very interesting read. Well researched and explained in understandable term.

NetGalley, Karen Burke

This is an incredibly well researched book giving a very detailed description of the events of the night of Frances Coles' murder and the following Police investigation and media reporting. The book also goes over the original 5 victims and the possibility of another.
We will never know who Jack the Ripper was, there is no physical evidence that could be tested and no DNA database of people living that long ago, so going into this book it's obvious you're not going to get any definitive answers, the murder itself never being solved and the Ripper murders were never solved either.
But the details given and insight into the way the Police dealt with everything from the crime to the investigation and exploring the lives of the people involved was all fascinating.

NetGalley, Cheryl Purnell

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Was drawn to this book by the blurb plus I liked jack the ripper crime case. I was intrigued by this because I always wanted someone to create a different out look for him. And this book didn't let me down at all. 5 star book. Might reread it later on in the year. Highly recommend this book and already told a few people that they need to read this. I was drawn to it by the blurb because it sounded interesting to read.

NetGalley, Alexis long

I thought this was a well written and researched book, and I enjoyed it.

NetGalley, Mrs S Reads

I love the world building in this book! The author presented the information in a way that engrosses the reader and keeps you in the world. I like that I was able to sit and read it all in one go. I didn't go in expecting the original case to be solved, but I was curious how closely her murder could be tied to those original slayings. All in all, I really enjoyed this and look forward to adding it to my physical shelf later this year!

NetGalley, Victoria Moxley

I would recommend this to readers with an interest in Jack the Ripper (which is a very large number) as well as those who just like to read about why a suspect may or may not be guilty of a crime. Again, don't expect to walk away with a definitive answer, though your position may be pretty solid in your mind.

NetGalley, Jack Messer

Wealth of Information..
An examination of the murder of Frances Coles and the possibility of the killing representing the return of the infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper. A wealth of information surrounding the crimes attributed to the murderer of Whitechapel is covered as well as how, or how not, evidence fit with the case of Frances Coles. The author provides a concise examination but ultimately it must be accepted that the questions that still remain unanswered may always be so. Interesting and informative.

NetGalley, Ruth Giles

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been interested in the Ripper case and have read several books on the cases. This book was very good and very well researched. I really liked this. I would recommend this to anyone that has been interested in the Jack the Ripper case.

NetGalley, Lori Clendenin

I was so excited to find a book dedicated to this case, knowing how contentious it has been in past discussions do Jack the Ripper’s crimes. I feel this book has given the victim the time and attention she deserves, rather than allowing her to be forgotten or a post script to other cases. This is a well researched and written true crime account.

NetGalley, Louise Gray

The Return Of The Ripper? The Murder Of Frances Coles by true crime author Kevin Turton is a fascinating read. With the plethora of material about Jack the Ripper, this insightful look into the Frances Coles case presented some new and interesting facts and theories about the Whitechapel murders.

This fascinating read was well written, well researched and thought provoking. Fans of true crime and Jack the Ripper will not want to miss this one. I will be looking for more true crime from this author.

NetGalley, Rachael Fryman

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This was a interesting read, it did a great job in presenting it's theory and presenting evidence. The writing was really well done and I could tell it was researched well. The author had a great style and I'm glad I got to read this.

NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer

A brilliantly insightful true crime on an area of history I am really intrigued by. Highly recommend.

NetGalley, Stephanie Humphreys

About Kevin Turton

Born in Yorkshire and now living in Northamptonshire, Kevin Turton has been involved in studying and writing about true crime for more than twenty years and is the author of several books on the subject. He has also written various articles regarding specific unsolved murders, as well as several books on local history. He is an avid fan of all things historical, be they fact or fiction.

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