- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: September 16, 2025 (pre-order available)
- Language: English
- Print length: 448 pages
- ISBN-10: 1-5344-7081-6
- ISBN-13: 978-1-5344-7081-1
- Author: Julie Berry
If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry has a premise that sounds ridiculous, Jack the Ripper vs Medusa, but Berry pulls it off. This book is being marketed as a YA novel, but it is a very good story for all ages. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I appreciated the fantasy embedded in a realistic historical context.
Jack the Ripper has been stalking London, killing prostitutes and creating terror. He comes across one young woman who is more than she appears. Between that and the police bringing him under suspicion, he decides to return to his native America.
In New York, Tabitha is trying to come to terms with her beautiful roommate, Pearl. They are both reasonably new members of the Salvation Army, but Pearl is more devout and determined. As they attempt to make converts among the bars and the brothels of Manhattan’s Bowery, they meet a young runaway. When they try to help her, they come into conflict with criminals who do not appreciate their meddling. Of course, eventually they cross paths with the Ripper as well.
Berry has done a very good job creating a late 1800’s world and has incorporated the mythology of the Ripper with the mythology of Medusa. She has brought her own imagination to both stories. She names the Ripper as an historical person. She adjusts aspects of the Medusa mythology to bring it into the ‘modern’ world. I really liked If Looks Could Kill,and if you like alternate history, urban fantasy, or just a good story, I think you will as well.
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Matt Truxaw’s newest book is Monster, which released on 1/12/2026. This urban fantasy, horror, thriller will keep you turning the pages.
He is also the author of the hard science fiction thrillers: “Plastiphobia/Plastivore” and “Anthrophobia: A Teacher’s Tale”
You can find them all on Amazon in Paperback, Hardback, Kindle and/or free to read with Kindle Unlimited.
When you read any of them, he would really appreciate a review/rating on Amazon or your favorite book seller/book reader site.
More about Matt:
He was born in Orange County California many years ago and he still lives there. He has been reading books for most of those years and writing up book reviews for the last few years. He gets MANY of his books out of the library/Libby so expect a lot of old science fiction classics book reviews and other science related reviews in addition to newer books he comes across.
If you want to be ‘in-the-loop’ on these and other works, you can follow his author’s page on Amazon or his Facebook page.
For more reviews and articles by Matt here on Amazing Stories (Click here).
Monster: A Novel by Matt Truxaw
