The Ripper by D.E. Athkins - Book Review
Release: January 1, 1992
Format: Kindle
Publisher: Point
Source: Amazon
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis: It all started out as a party and then there was a game of hide-and-seek and before anyone knew what was happening someone was killed. The game was over, but was there still someone out there - still playing the game?
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About the Author D.E. Athkins: D.E. Athkins (a.k.a 'Deathkins') is one of the pseudonyms used by published author Nola Thacker.
Nola has also written several other books under the pseudonym Tom B.Stone.
Chaotic Mess with One Bright Spot
I hate giving harsh reviews, but this Point Horror entry tested my patience from start to finish. As a fan of the series, I wanted to like this. Instead, I just wanted it to end.
What Works:Charity stands out as the single saving grace. While I constantly forgot who everyone else was, she at least had purpose of actively investigating the threats against her group gave the story some direction. Similarly, Georgina and Dorian's thread in the second half showed brief flashes of interest, though it wasn't enough to salvage things.
What Falls Short:The opening chapter hits you with character overload. Too many names, zero distinguishing traits, and suddenly they're all paired off in combinations that left me flipping back pages constantly. Who's with who? Why? The narrative jumps between these pairs so rapidly that following any thread feels impossible.
Moreover, the climax lands weird and unsatisfying after all that confusion. The pairings themselves bothered me. Char and Jones felt off, but Dade and Jane genuinely disgusted me for reasons I couldn't shake. Similarly, Jones's complete lack of backstory frustrated rather than intrigued; sometimes mystery works, here it just felt lazy. Also, Foy and Rick added nothing worth their page time.
There is a touch of supernatural element that arrives far too late, feeling tacked on rather than earned. By then, I was already checked out.
Verdict:The Ripper squanders every drop of potential. What could have been a solid slasher entry collapses under overcrowding, confusing structure, and questionable creative choices. I won't be revisiting this one, and I'd actively steer Point Horror newcomers toward literally any other title.
Perfect for:Series completists with high tolerance for chaos.
The Ripper
by D.E. Athkins
1.5
★
★
★
★★★
1.5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis
"It all started out as a party and then there was a game of hide-and-seek and before anyone knew what was happening someone was killed. The game was over, but was there still someone out there - still playing the game?"
Release
January 1, 1992
Format
Kindle
Publisher
Point
Source
Amazon
About the Author
D.E. Athkins
D.E. Athkins (a.k.a 'Deathkins') is one of the pseudonyms used by published author Nola Thacker.
Nola has also written several other books under the pseudonym Tom B.Stone.
My Review
Chaotic Mess with One Bright Spot
I hate giving harsh reviews, but this Point Horror entry tested my patience from start to finish. As a fan of the series, I wanted to like this. Instead, I just wanted it to end.
What Works:
Charity stands out as the single saving grace. While I constantly forgot who everyone else was, she at least had purpose of actively investigating the threats against her group gave the story some direction. Similarly, Georgina and Dorian’s thread in the second half showed brief flashes of interest, though it wasn’t enough to salvage things.
What Falls Short:
The opening chapter hits you with character overload. Too many names, zero distinguishing traits, and suddenly they’re all paired off in combinations that left me flipping back pages constantly. Who’s with who? Why? The narrative jumps between these pairs so rapidly that following any thread feels impossible.
Moreover, the climax lands weird and unsatisfying after all that confusion. The pairings themselves bothered me. Char and Jones felt off, but Dade and Jane genuinely disgusted me for reasons I couldn’t shake. Similarly, Jones’s complete lack of backstory frustrated rather than intrigued; sometimes mystery works, here it just felt lazy. Also, Foy and Rick added nothing worth their page time.
There is a touch of supernatural element that arrives far too late, feeling tacked on rather than earned. By then, I was already checked out.
Verdict:
The Ripper squanders every drop of potential. What could have been a solid slasher entry collapses under overcrowding, confusing structure, and questionable creative choices. I won’t be revisiting this one, and I’d actively steer Point Horror newcomers toward literally any other title.
Perfect for:
Series completists with high tolerance for chaos.
