Only the Thunder Knows – East End Girls

by Gord Rollo, Rena Mason

William (Billy) Burke and William Hare were two real-life, beer-swilling, fist-fighting lowlifes who managed to stumble their way into infamy in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 1820’s. Step by step, they graduated from the unemployment line to petty thievery, to grave robbing, and then on to cold bloody murder – ultimately becoming Britain’s first documented serial killers.

What history doesn’t know about, or consider is the possibility that Burke and Hare may not have been acting on their own; and the blame for those heinous crimes might not entirely be theirs. Two mysterious strangers have arrived in the city – an old sculptor and a stunningly beautiful actress – both of which use their money and influence to manipulate the young Irishmen into searching for an ancient artifact rumored to have the awesome power of Heaven and Hell combined.

Seized by the vicious killings of Jack the Ripper, Victorian London’s, East End is on the brink of ruin. Elizabeth Covington, desperate and failing to follow in her beloved father’s footsteps, risks practicing medicine in the dangerous and neglected Whitechapel District to improve her studies. News of a second brutal murder spreads. Elizabeth crosses paths with a man she believes is the villain, triggering a personal downward spiral taking her to a depth of evil she never knew existed. Only she knows the truth that drives the madness of a murderer.

Genres: Horror

267 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2013

About the author

Gord Rollo was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, but now lives in Ontario, Canada. His short stories and novella-length work have appeared in many professional publications throughout the genre and his novels include: The Jigsaw Man, Crimson, Strange Magic, and Valley Of The Scarecrow. His work has been translated into several languages and his titles are currently being adapted for audiobooks.

Besides novels, Gord edited the acclaimed evolutionary horror anthology, Unnatural Selection: A Collection of Darwinian Nightmares. He also co-edited Dreaming of Angels, a horror/fantasy anthology created to increase awareness of Down's syndrome and raise money for research. He recently completed his newest horror/dark fantasy novel, entitled The Translators and can be reached at his website www.gordrollo.com

Reviews

[Christopher Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

William (Billy) Burke and William Hare were two real-life, beer-swilling, fist-fighting lowlifes who managed to stumble their way into infamy in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 1820’s. Step by step, they graduated from the unemployment line to petty thievery, to grave robbing, and then on to cold bloody murder – ultimately becoming Britain’s first documented serial killers.

What history doesn’t know about, or consider is the possibility that Burke and Hare may not have been acting on their own; and the blame for those heinous crimes might not entirely be theirs. Two mysterious strangers have arrived in the city – an old sculptor and a stunningly beautiful actress – both of which use their money and influence to manipulate the young Irishmen into searching for an ancient artifact rumored to have the awesome power of Heaven and Hell combined.

Seized by the vicious killings of Jack the Ripper, Victorian London’s, East End is on the brink of ruin. Elizabeth Covington, desperate and failing to follow in her beloved father’s footsteps, risks practicing medicine in the dangerous and neglected Whitechapel District to improve her studies. News of a second brutal murder spreads. Elizabeth crosses paths with a man she believes is the villain, triggering a personal downward spiral taking her to a depth of evil she never knew existed. Only she knows the truth that drives the madness of a murderer.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Info: Genre: Dark urban fantasy/Historical fiction
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of horror, dark fiction, reading about serial killers
Trigger Warnings: murder, body snatching, serial killing, mutilation

My Thoughts: This is a double-feature, so to speak: two books in one binding. They are each a blend of historical fiction with urban fantasy, each dealing with a serial killer or killers. They are not available to review separately as nearly as I can tell, so I'll just be writing two reviews here. First up:

“Only The Thunder Knows” by Gord Rollow: Combining the story of Britain's first serial killers with a dose of horror and a bit of Arthurian legend, this dark story was a real pleasure to read for someone like me who is interested in the mythology of the British Isles. The point-of-view is limited third person, so there isn't a lot of introspection, although we do go into both William and Billy's heads at different times for short periods. Still, the point of the story is the mystery and the search, and that is what this novella focuses on, moving from Edinburgh to London, spending time in cemeteries and dive bars and creaky boarding houses. A really great story that feeds nicely into the second novella in this book...

“East End Girls” by Rena Mason: This is Ms. Mason's debut book, and it creates an interesting theory about Jack the Ripper. Unfortunately I can't provide many details so as to avoid spoiling the story, but it was a really good book, very well-written. It provides an interesting look into the lives of women in Victorian England, and through Eliza we see how imbalanced society was. She dreamt of being a doctor, but of course was expected to drop all that once she married. An outstanding book and character study, this is an author whose work I'll be wanting to read again in the future. I see a bright future.

These two stories fit together well and were both a highly entertaining read. For those who enjoy reading horror, dark fiction, especially about serial killers, you will definitely want to check this double book out. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received this two-book combination novel from JournalStone in exchange for an honest review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer's program. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: “Only The Thunder Knows”: William (Billy) Burke and William Hare were two real-life, beer-swilling, fist-fighting lowlifes who managed to stumble their way into infamy in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 1820s. Step by step, they graduated from the unemployment line to petty thievery, to grave robbing, and then on to cold bloody murder—ultimately becoming Britain’s first documented serial killers. 

What history doesn’t know about, or consider is the possibility that Burke and Hare may not have been acting on their own; and the blame for those heinous crimes might not entirely be theirs. Two mysterious strangers have arrived in the city—an old sculptor and a stunningly beautiful actress—both of which use their money and influence to manipulate the young Irishmen into searching for an ancient artifact rumored to have the awesome power of Heaven and Hell combined. 

“East End Girls”: Seized by the vicious killings of Jack the Ripper, Victorian London’s, East End is on the brink of ruin. Elizabeth Covington, desperate and failing to follow in her beloved father’s footsteps, risks practicing medicine in the dangerous and neglected Whitechapel District to improve her studies. News of a second brutal murder spreads. Elizabeth crosses paths with a man she believes is the villain, triggering a personal downward spiral taking her to a depth of evil she never knew existed. Only she knows the truth that drives the madness of a murderer.

[Frank Errington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Copy

JournalStone Books first foray into their new Double Down series is an absolute success. This is where JournalStone puts together a single volume featuring two novellas, one from an established writer and another from a relatively new voice in horror. If this effort is any indication of what to expect in the future, then the future looks so bright I gotta wear shades.

Both stories take known events and extrapolate them into entertaining tales of horror. First up is Only the Thunder Knows from Gord Rollo who was born in St. Andrews, Scotland, and now lives in Ontario, Canada. Fittingly he choose the story of William (Billy) Burke and his friend William Hare who took to bodysnatching in Edinburgh, Scotland as a way to make easy money. They would dig up the recently dead and sell them to Dr. Robert Knox for use in his dissection school. That much is history, but where Gord Rollo takes us from there is wonderful.

I enjoyed much of Rollo's prose as he placed me right into the midst of the action, "No, it was the fog he truly despised, the thick Edinburgh pea-soupers that left the cobbles invisible beneath his feet as he trudged along the empty streets." And later, "That was how he liked to think of it - not that the fog came and hid the houses but that it took them away to some distant land where if the sleepers awoke they would see wonders aplenty through their shuttered windows."

Aside from being a well written story about the Ressurectionist period in Great Britain, it takes a number of dark twists and turns into the eternal fight between good and evil. No spoilers from me, but I think most readers will will enjoy the twists in this story.

The second novella is East End Girls from newcomer Rena Mason. Rena takes another famous villian from Great Britain's past and weaves a believable tale of Jack the Ripper where Catherine Elizabeth Covington is studying to be a doctor and performing abortions on the street for East End prostitutes. When one of those abortions goes bad Eliza manages to do a fairly convincing Ripper copy-cat. Although, not at all what I expected, I found East End Girls captivating and well realized on the page and I absolutely loved the final twist.

Only the Thunder Knows/East End Girls is available now in a Signed, Limited Edition flip book. This is where you read one story and then flip the book over to read the other, and in e-book format as well. JournalStone Books plans another in the Double Down series in September from Lisa Morton and Eric J. Guignard. I'm already looking forward to that one.

[Vincenzo Bilof · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up this book, I expected a dose of historical horror, based on real events. Alan M. Clark’s introduction was significant to me because I’m familiar with his own historical horror, and I enjoy his work. I wanted to be entertained, and both authors delivered exceptional stories that were heavy on atmosphere, mood, and research. The setting came to life in both stories, with well-written dialectics and characters with strong personalities. *SEMI-SPOILER* (I enjoy stories written from the perspective of anti-heroes, which was an attractive feature when I picked this one up).***

I initially purchased the book for Rena Mason’s novella; I was interested to see what she did with the Jack the Ripper legend. Ripper-aficionados will be impressed with the amount of care and attention to detail Mason employed in the story, and the circumstances surrounding the murders didn’t disappoint; I felt that Mason’s ability to slowly develop a character and change them over time made for an intriguing premise. I feel that there is plenty of room to explore the Ripper legend without damaging anyone’s sensitivity to the subject; the story was meant to entertain. Mason is a first-rate storyteller, and she doesn’t shy away from gory details.

Rollo’s novel relied heavily on the setting and character interaction, which impressed me. I didn’t know anything about this particular topic, but I was interesting in reading further; sometimes you get a television show that is based on real events and you want to jump on the computer to discover what happened, and Rollo’s ability to make the setting come to life really paid off. This story also deals with the development of a serial-murderer psychosis, and I enjoyed the unexpected twist. Once again, we have an author who slowly develops the story and allows the reader to become immersed.

I found the two stories to be completely different, although sharing qualities that fit them together thematically. Overall, I was pleased with this book, and I recommend it if you’re a fan or Ripper-lore, and if historical fiction is something you enjoy.

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is actually two novellas in one. One of the books is "Only the Thunder Knows" by Gord Rollo and the other is "East End Girls" by Rena Mason. The first book is about Billy Burke and William Hare - two wastrels from early 19 century Scotland. This precious pair start out by working for a strange gentleman. They are asked to dig up very old graves. They're not told what they're looking for, but they are supposed to know when they find it. They also discover that there is money to be made as Resurrectionists. They also dig up fresher graves for their own gain, and sell the cadavers to a medical school in Edinburgh. They go from being grave robbers to serial killers as they find its easier to kill people and turn in the bodies than to dig up graves. Hare and Burke are actual people that did live and kill in Edinburgh in the early 19 century. This book is actually a fantasy. Even though Hare and Burke were real people we are introduced to witches and Merlin the Magician, and a strange resurrection of King Arthur. A very strange tale indeed.

The second book is a take on the Jack the Ripper story. (later 19 century in London). Ms. Mason presents a unique viewpoint that the Ripper murders were in fact committed by two different people. A young English woman who is training to be a doctor uses the Jack the Ripper MO to commit some murders of her own. I found this book to be rather graphic, and didn't really enjoy it that much. I also found that both books did not use the language and slang from the eras that they were written from. I found a lot of modern day anachronisms and words that never would have been used at these times. This made them both rather unbelievable. These books were both so strange, but both so different I couldn't understand how they were released together as an early reviewer book.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received "Only The Thunder Knows" and "East End Girls" through Library Thing Early Reviewers. "Only The Thunder Knows" by Gord Rollo is about William Hare and William Burke who were grave robbers during the late 1820's in Edinburgh Scotland. They went from grave robbing to cold blooded murder. This book considers the idea that these men might not have acted alone. In this book two strangers come into town and they tell Hare and Burke to find something special for them. Both strangers offer to pay both men handsomely for their grave robbing. Then a doctor offers to pay Hare and Burke to bring him fresh dead bodies. Hare and Burke let greed overcome them and they pay dearly for it in the end. I enjoyed the plot twists of "Only the Thunder Knows" When I found out the true identities of the strangers I was extremely surprised. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. It had plenty of gore in it and I enjoyed it.


"East End Girls" by Rena Mason is set in Victorian London during the viscous killings of Jack The Ripper. The main character is Elizbehth Covington a doctor's daughter who is studying medicine and desperately wants to follow in her father's footsteps. She often goes visits the East End to "study female anatomy' from the prostitutes. When she learns how much trouble these prostitutes cause, she gets angry and decides to punish them. When she hears about the murders and how they are committed by Jack the Ripper; she could not be happier. I enjoyed this book and the unique take on the Jack the Ripper murders. I actually liked and rooted for the character of Elizabeth. Rather than take the role of a weak, good lady of society, she handed down her own brand of justice.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Since I got this book for free, I feel bad about the review I am giving this book, but it's not like the book didn't have good things about it, too. I just feel there was more negative things about the book than positive things. However, if this had been only one novel, instead of two, I might have given it three because one of the novels I liked quite a bit more.

I thought both stories portrayed the historical events they were based on in interesting ways that most people wouldn't think of. I thought that "East End Girls" might have a fantasy ending, too, but it didn't, which I was happy about even though I liked "Only the Thunder Knows" better.

What I didn't like about "Only the Thunder Knows" was the plot twist that happens about fifty pages from the end. I just didn't feel like there were many clues to it, so it seemed random to me. Maybe it wouldn't have been as random if I knew more about certain characters, which I'm not going to mention because I don't want to ruin the plot twist to anyone who might read this book. It might have worked better if the fantasy part of the novel happened earlier than it did. I, however, loved the ending of the book.

I really couldn't sympathize much with Eliza in "East End Girls". I suppose that might have been the point, but when I don't like the main character, then I generally don't like the novel as much. I also feel like the book was rushed.

Other people might also like these novels more than I did. They just might not have been meant for me. However, overall I would give them two stars, but I do think that other people should give these books a chance.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is comprised of two separate novels, Only the Thunder knows, a new twist on the story of grave robbers, and East End Girls, a new twist on the Jack the Ripper tale. Both are well written and extremely interesting. I finished the entire book in a very short time because they were well written and totally held my interest. In the first book, the author puts a new twist on the story of William (Billy) Burke and William Hare, two men in Scotland accused of robbing graves to sell to medical schools in the early 1800’s. The author has put a new spin on the well-known story of these two lowlifes, introducing a new element combining a bit of horror fiction and legends, so seamlessly that I barely even noticed it. In the other work, the other author introduces a new idea about just who exactly the well-unknown Jack the Ripper was and how and why he committed his infamous rash of murders, again, in the early 1800’s. Like the other, I found this story totally engrossing and had difficulty putting it down once I had started. The authors have done a superb job of bringing the reader right into the environment in which all occurred and, though introducing new twists to the familiar, did this so well that the reader almost never knew that they were doing so and found themselves believing the tales as told. I think anyone who enjoys a good story or is interested in historical fiction would find both of these stories well worth the effort. I am looking forward to more by these authors. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.

[Lyle Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a two novella collection from Journalstone (a publisher to keep and eye on!). The first novella is Only the Thunder knows by Gord Rollo. I liked the strange setting of this story and was instantly drawn to the characters. It is a strange story about two drunks who one day take a dead lady to a Doctor because they don't know what else to do and the Doctor pays them money to use the cadaver in his school. This takes the story on a real interesting twist and keeps twisting and turning throughout. I thought the author did a great job of telling so much story in so few words! I did think that parts of the story felt rushed but I rather enjoyed it!

The second novella is East End Girls by Rena Mason. Again, I liked this story a lot and was instantly drawn in to the characters. This was a very unique twist on the historical famous slasher Jack the Ripper. I liked that this author was very knowledgeable about the human body and had very descriptive gruesome wording in this book! I won't go much into telling you about the story because I don't want to spoil it for you. I can say this, if you like Jack the Ripper this one will take you for a ride! Buckle up!!!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. I found them well written and they both kept my attention till the end. I would definitely recommend this "Double Down series book" to anyone. I look forward to reading more of both these authors.

[Jo-Anne Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story about Burke and Hare, the two grave robbers, was enjoyable until it became too fantastical with magic. I enjoyed the story because of its historical setting that I was familiar with.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received Only the Thunder Knows by Gord Rollo through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. In came as one ebook alongwith East End Girls as a special double-novellas ebook that the publisher is putting out that includes one novella by an established writer along with one from a relatively new voice in horror. This set had to do with real life events in Victorian times which both authors took and used in their own unique fictional interpretation of events.

In Only the Thunder Knows, Gord Rollo take the story of Billy Burke and William Hare, two real life body-snatchers from the early 1800s who dug up fresh corpses and sold them to Dr. Robert Knox, who used them to teach anatomy to medical students, and later turned to murder to keep Dr. Knox supplied. In Rollo's story, however, Burke & Hare are part of a much bigger story that is wrapped in magic and age-old battles, legend and religion. I don't want to say too much because it would spoil the story, but the author does a wonderful job creating an atmosphere that will raise the hairs on the back of your neck and creating characters that stand out as powerful and frightening. I enjoyed the story and found it to be a page-turner! Great twist on the real life story of Burke & Hare!

East End Girls by Rena Mason was also a fascinating read and a unique take on the Victorian slasher Jack the Ripper. The story follows Elizabeth Covington, daughter of a medical doctor to the Royal family, and a girl determined to become a doctor herself during a time when women were not encouraged to pursue such occupations, especially not girls of her high standing. She is fiercely determined to complete her medical training despite being engaged and due to be married to a "good match", leaving all the planning of her nuptials to her mother who is not pleased by her daughter's untraditional obsessions. Desperate for real life experience and first hand knowledge, Elizabeth often goes to the dangerous East End where she wears a hooded cloak and goes by the name of Jane offering her medical services, often performing abortions for prostitutes in back alleys. When one procedure goes horribly wrong, and with her medical future at risk, Elizabeth decides to use the crimes of Jack the Ripper that have just begun and provide another corpse for the police to ponder, using his methods so that they believe her victim is part of his killing spree. Her disdain for the prostitutes and their lives comes through strongly and continues to grow and influence the decisions that Elizabeth makes along the way in order to achieve the goals most important to her. An interesting glimpse into the social class structure of Victorian England and a unique twist on Jackj the Ripper.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed both of these books, though in completely different ways. First I really enjoyed having the two novellas joined together, I thought it was a great idea to have them being printed in reverse of each other, it really added to the feel that you were reading two separate books.

The first one, Only the Thunder Knows by Gord Rollo, I ripped through in less than two days, it was hard to put down. I loved the atmosphere, he really did a good job of creating the feel for the gaslight era of London and I loved his take and twist on the Burke and Hare resurrection story. He had just enough of the actual story done correctly for a nitpicker of history such as myself that the liberties he took with the story felt seamless and appropriate. I knew there was a twist coming at the end but I deliberately did not try and figure out what it was until I go there in the story, there were subtle hints (and some not so subtle) that the reader could easily guess at the direction things were going in but I found it way more fun to just go along for the ride. This was a really fun story.

The second story, East End Girls by Rena Mason I got through almost as quickly as the first. It wasn 19t as fun as Only the Thunder Knows but just as well written. This is a new take on the Jack the Ripper story and while you could tell immediately where it was going it was still fascinating to watch the story unfold. There were a few twists and conceits of the story that felt a bit too coincidental and convenient but I feel that has more to do with the story of The Ripper being to well known that any folding in of the facts with this story would have felt that way and only one really at the end that stood out and was bothersome but even at that it fit the story.
No one in this story was particular likable and this is usually a detriment for me but in this case it worked really well and felt appropriate. And again, the author did a great job of creating the atmosphere of the time in a very short amount of time.

I am adding these to authors to my watch list as I really enjoyed their new takes on old, well worn and used stories.

[Sabrina Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this from a Goodreads giveaway.

Only The Thunder Knows - Gord Rollo
Only the Thunder Knows begins based upon fact about two Irishmen in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 1820s (William Hare and William Burke) who quite by accident supposedly became the first serial killers. They did so through sloth and stupidity, not through any real anger or desire to kill. The narrative is very good - it is an easy read and the story is very factual - to a point! About 2/3 of the way through it takes a hard left to some very unexpected events you will probably not see coming! If you enjoy mixing history with fantasy, you will enjoy this story.

East End Girls - Rena Mason
East End Girls deals with the Jack the Ripper facts and brings a completely new spin to the story! The protagonist is Elizabeth Covington, daughter of Lord and Lady Covington of Northumberland. Eliza is going to school to become a doctor to follow in her father's footsteps. The series of events that follow took me by surprise! Rena Mason has re-imagined the Ripper fact and fiction to create a whole new possiblilty, and has done it in a very convincing manner.

[Danielle Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of packaging two connected novellas into one package. JournalStone publishing is doing just that by taking an established writer in the genre and pairing them up with an author new to horror. The two novellas are centered around real life events with some twists and turns.

I read the first novella Only The Thunder Knows in record time. I really enjoyed it and was engaged throughout. The twists always kept me on my feet.(If I reviewed this story alone, it would have gotten five stars.) The second story East End Girls, I kept putting down and forcing myself to pick it back up. It took me a bit to get through it. Looking back, it was a really solid story on it's own, but the bar was set to high for me after finishing the first story.

I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but for fans of horror it will make an interesting read.

I received a review copy of this title from LibraryThing

[Crvh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will rate these as two books as I feel the authors different styles and storylines does not need them to be rated together.

Only the Thunder knows: Storyline about 2 Victorian era gadabouts who become embroiled with Arthurian legends. I like the storyline and how it plays out 4/5 for this. The 2/5 comes from the writing style. The writing becomes very repetitive and overly descriptive. The words seem to stagger and start instead of flow together.

East End Girls
I enjoyed this alternate explanation for Jack Ripper. This author's words flowed together better. There were times when the phrasing was awkward but overall I would give this story a 3 to 3.5/5