If Looks Could Kill

Gr 7 Up–Jack the Ripper, Medusa, and early American Christian evangelism meet in this novel. The first half is primarily told from the perspective of Tabitha, a young missionary with the Salvation Army. As she evangelizes in 1888 New York City, Tabitha struggles to befriend her assigned partner (Pearl) and to reconcile her place in God’s plan. Meanwhile, Jack the Ripper serves as a secondary narrator, taking the readers along for his kills, which take an odd turn with a series of encounters with a snake-haired woman on the streets of London. This causes him to flee to America, where his story intersects with Tabitha’s. To Pearl’s horror, she has spontaneously become a gorgon, and Tabitha must help her discover the cause and purpose behind this strange curse. They are joined by a handsome Irish bartender, a plucky young female aspiring journalist, and a rescued prostitute. Together, they must survive a murderous Medusa, an angry brothel owner, and Jack the Ripper himself. In the end, the power of love, mercy, and God’s enduring love allows the friends to not only survive but also to improve the city around them. Readers should be aware that the book includes cannibalism, torture, and threats of rape.