By  Dennis Fischman

Who is killing the streetwalkers of Whitechapel and taking various parts of their bodies? And who is the person that the widow of the late Dr. Jekyll had been paying to have boarded in a home for reformed prostitutes, simply noted in her accounts as “Hyde”? These are the two mysteries that Mary Jekyll, the daughter, must solve (with the aid of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson!

The answers lead her deeper into a third mystery: the Alchemical Society that her father and several other notable fathers belonged to and its arcane purpose. They also lead her to create a new family of extraordinary women…one of whom is the putative author of this book.

The murder mystery at the center of this story is worthy on its own. The true delight of the book, though, is the way Theodora Goss brings the fictional heroines (or daughters of main characters) in various horror stories together.

Each of them is true to her character in the novel or short story she first appeared in, or else she makes sense as the child of Jekyll, Hyde, or Frankenstein, for example. In this book, however (the first of a series!), each character expands into multiple dimensions, and their relationships enthrall the reader. Whether chatty, catty, or both, they are women you would know if you met them on the street (or at a formal tea).

It will add to your enjoyment if you have already read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Rappacini’s Daughter, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Frankenstein, and Dracula. You will get the references in more depth. This book makes sure to fill you in if you haven’t, however, and at the same time, it introduces subtle twists to make the members of the Athena Club more plausible. So, don’t feel like it’s going to be an English literature class. It’s a wonderful homage, and it’s also a great read on its own. (It may even make you want to go back and read or re-read those classics.)