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The Reaper's Kiss
London 1891Sir Simeon Harkness has joined his son in the pursuit of the infamous killer. With his resources, it is not long before the scent of new lines of investigation are detected. The Ripper can feel the oppressive breath of his pursuers upon his skin. He must hide his tracks and remove those that once called him master. The hunt is on but the Ripper will not go quietly to the gallows.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 10, 2019
About the author
Robert Southworth
15 books30 followersI was born and raised in a small village in the midlands of England. I have enjoyed a varied working life, from my first job as a box boy at a hosiery firm to senior team for a retail company. In between, I have been a soldier, engineer and sole trader. I started writing professionally late in life but was lucky enough to have my first novel accepted by a traditional publisher. After, looking at the publishing trade in general, I decided that I prefer to have control over all aspects of the creative process. However, if the right offer came along, then I am of course open to discussions. Seven further novels completed and I am delighted with that decision.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 26, 2019
We are back with William Harkness and his men but now the full force of Sir Simeon Harkness is added to the game..If you haven’t already you should read the first two instalments in the series. The Reaper's Breath and The Reaper's Touch.
William is on the hunt for his greatest enemy again.. The Ripper..and the followers of Cronos that he controls.
Along the way in the final hunt there are twists and turns everywhere that turn the whole series on its head… nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
This was the best yet from the author. The character development of William and his partner Emily was brilliant. The story belonged to Sir Simeon for me though.. he’s the game changer..you learn so much more about the man and it really changes your views of the man just as it does for his son William.
If I’m honest there’s just too many characters I loved in this instalment.. Faraday, Finch and Tallow to name a few. Every character is unique and has their own place in the tale.. Have you ever read a book when the characters are all quite samey.. yeh not Robert Southworth's characters..each are memorable in their own right.
I’ve followed the authors work from day one and he never fails to get the plot spot on!..there’s so much jam-packed into this book it was gripping.
Southworth is a master of alternative history. He has a talent of seeing a story where no one else does and I hope there’s many more tales to come. The way he can take a snapshot in time..meld it into something he can work with then write 3 books will always amaze me.
Towards the end of the book the action comes thick and fast and the author saves the best bits until the last few chapters..simply breathtaking moments that had me on edge.
The Reaper's Kiss ticks all the boxes on my list..a first rate plot..real character development that doesn’t feel forced and twists that give the wow factor.
Robert Southworth never fails to amaze me with his storytelling skills and I can’t urge you enough to give his work a try.
William is on the hunt for his greatest enemy again.. The Ripper..and the followers of Cronos that he controls.
Along the way in the final hunt there are twists and turns everywhere that turn the whole series on its head… nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
This was the best yet from the author. The character development of William and his partner Emily was brilliant. The story belonged to Sir Simeon for me though.. he’s the game changer..you learn so much more about the man and it really changes your views of the man just as it does for his son William.
If I’m honest there’s just too many characters I loved in this instalment.. Faraday, Finch and Tallow to name a few. Every character is unique and has their own place in the tale.. Have you ever read a book when the characters are all quite samey.. yeh not Robert Southworth's characters..each are memorable in their own right.
I’ve followed the authors work from day one and he never fails to get the plot spot on!..there’s so much jam-packed into this book it was gripping.
Southworth is a master of alternative history. He has a talent of seeing a story where no one else does and I hope there’s many more tales to come. The way he can take a snapshot in time..meld it into something he can work with then write 3 books will always amaze me.
Towards the end of the book the action comes thick and fast and the author saves the best bits until the last few chapters..simply breathtaking moments that had me on edge.
The Reaper's Kiss ticks all the boxes on my list..a first rate plot..real character development that doesn’t feel forced and twists that give the wow factor.
Robert Southworth never fails to amaze me with his storytelling skills and I can’t urge you enough to give his work a try.
April 9, 2019
BLURB
London 1891
Sir Simeon Harkness has joined his son in the pursuit of the infamous killer. With his resources, it is not long before the scent of new lines of investigation are detected. The Ripper can feel the oppressive breath of his pursuers upon his skin. He must hide his tracks and remove those that once called him master. The hunt is on but the Ripper will not go quietly to the gallows.
REVIEW
True confession time. I know very little about the real Jack the Ripper, only that it has remained a mystery to this day. Therefore, based on that scant amount of knowledge, I can, without a doubt, or fear of recrimination, state that the version of The Ripper portrayed in Mr. Southworth's series is real enough for me.😎 The Reaper's Kiss, the finale of the three, is a page turner filled with wonderfully descriptive scenarios, as the search for the evasive Cronus cult leads to many places, and to many treacheries. Surprises? Oh my, yes, there are many of those. The kind of surprises that makes one put the book down for a moment to regain ones composure. Camaraderie, lost friends, brutal action, plain old nasty villains, long hid emotions; yes my fellow readers, The Reaper's Kiss is an excellent ending to a well done series. 5 stars
London 1891
Sir Simeon Harkness has joined his son in the pursuit of the infamous killer. With his resources, it is not long before the scent of new lines of investigation are detected. The Ripper can feel the oppressive breath of his pursuers upon his skin. He must hide his tracks and remove those that once called him master. The hunt is on but the Ripper will not go quietly to the gallows.
REVIEW
True confession time. I know very little about the real Jack the Ripper, only that it has remained a mystery to this day. Therefore, based on that scant amount of knowledge, I can, without a doubt, or fear of recrimination, state that the version of The Ripper portrayed in Mr. Southworth's series is real enough for me.😎 The Reaper's Kiss, the finale of the three, is a page turner filled with wonderfully descriptive scenarios, as the search for the evasive Cronus cult leads to many places, and to many treacheries. Surprises? Oh my, yes, there are many of those. The kind of surprises that makes one put the book down for a moment to regain ones composure. Camaraderie, lost friends, brutal action, plain old nasty villains, long hid emotions; yes my fellow readers, The Reaper's Kiss is an excellent ending to a well done series. 5 stars
August 29, 2024
The Reaper's Kiss brings the author's Ripper Legacies trilogy to a gripping end after a trail of murders, intrigue, and revenge. The balance tips first one way then the other, as William Harkness and his intrepid band pursue the mysterious Alpha and his Cronos cult through the back street and docklands of London, to stately country homes, and a climatic denouement in the wilds of Scotland.
An action-packed story, with compelling plot twists, well-crafted characters. and an evocative sense of time and place.
An action-packed story, with compelling plot twists, well-crafted characters. and an evocative sense of time and place.
August 29, 2020
The Reaper’s Kiss
Robert Southworth
The Reaper’s Kiss is the final volume of a three-book series The Ripper Legacies, and I’ve enjoyed them all. There’s a wee twist at the end which caught me out. If you want to know what it is, have a read of the set. As you might guess the inspiration for these is of the Jack the Ripper murders in 19th Century London, but the writer doesn’t claim to name to the real Jack, no he uses the Ripper killings as way of moving his story line along. Anyway …
Our hero is William Harkness and ex-Army infantry officer who fought in Afghanistan before returning to England to keep promises he made to one of soldiers. Women are butchered and soon enough so are men. Through many adventures in and around London William becomes aware to a group called Cronus, a secret cult who kills anyone in their way.
Hartshill Castle becomes a major location for this final part of the story. The Castle does exist, well, a ruin of the Castle is still evident. In this story it’s the home of an order of nuns who get in the way of Cronus and all killed so that they can use the place as a base. Not far off is William’s family home where his girl friend is living under the watchful eye of his father, Sir Simon Harkness. Now that idea is very naughty of Mr Southworth cos now I’m wondering which house is his inspiration for it. Is it Arbury Hall, or Merevale Hall, or Astley Castle? Whatever, a small fight takes place at Hartshill after which the chase goes on a sea trip to Scotland.
Of course, in the end the goodies win and the badies are all killed, England can continue to be a nation divided by poverty and wealth; that sounds familiar eh, nothing has changed really. Back to the book then; the writing is easy to follow and entertaining as moves along, and I loved it, it means that I have now read all of this writers seven books and enjoyed them all. So come on folks, give them a go, I’m sure you will enjoy them.
Robert Southworth
The Reaper’s Kiss is the final volume of a three-book series The Ripper Legacies, and I’ve enjoyed them all. There’s a wee twist at the end which caught me out. If you want to know what it is, have a read of the set. As you might guess the inspiration for these is of the Jack the Ripper murders in 19th Century London, but the writer doesn’t claim to name to the real Jack, no he uses the Ripper killings as way of moving his story line along. Anyway …
Our hero is William Harkness and ex-Army infantry officer who fought in Afghanistan before returning to England to keep promises he made to one of soldiers. Women are butchered and soon enough so are men. Through many adventures in and around London William becomes aware to a group called Cronus, a secret cult who kills anyone in their way.
Hartshill Castle becomes a major location for this final part of the story. The Castle does exist, well, a ruin of the Castle is still evident. In this story it’s the home of an order of nuns who get in the way of Cronus and all killed so that they can use the place as a base. Not far off is William’s family home where his girl friend is living under the watchful eye of his father, Sir Simon Harkness. Now that idea is very naughty of Mr Southworth cos now I’m wondering which house is his inspiration for it. Is it Arbury Hall, or Merevale Hall, or Astley Castle? Whatever, a small fight takes place at Hartshill after which the chase goes on a sea trip to Scotland.
Of course, in the end the goodies win and the badies are all killed, England can continue to be a nation divided by poverty and wealth; that sounds familiar eh, nothing has changed really. Back to the book then; the writing is easy to follow and entertaining as moves along, and I loved it, it means that I have now read all of this writers seven books and enjoyed them all. So come on folks, give them a go, I’m sure you will enjoy them.
April 29, 2019
Gr8 read.
Highly recommend this book. A great finale to the trilogy! Looking forward to reading more of his books!! Gripping from beginning to end.
Highly recommend this book. A great finale to the trilogy! Looking forward to reading more of his books!! Gripping from beginning to end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews