Following an explosion in his laboratory, Dr Henry Frankenstein believes his monstrous creation to be destroyed so decides to make a new life with his wife in London. He couldn’t know that the creature had survived and would follow him to England.

Arriving in the city the monster finishes up in Whitechapel where the local prostitutes, believing him to be scarred and mentally disabled, look after him and make sure he is fed and kept safe. But when one of the prostitutes is brutally murdered people start to look at him in a different way. The killing has all the hallmarks of Jack the Ripper but fifty years have passed since the famous murderer’s previous victim so surely this cannot be the work of the same man? When the monster is confronted by the true killer, the truth becomes apparent with the killer wanting to use the monster to ensure his own immortality.

The Shadow of Frankenstein is a book that asks the question "what happened after the end of Frankenstein" and follows the experiences of Dr Henry Frankenstein, his wife and his monster as they travel to London and find themselves in a Whitechapel in the grip of a murder spree.

Whenever an author brings out a new book based on a classic story they are taking a risk. There will inevitably be a core of fans of the original work who spend most of their time looking to pick faults with the new book rather than enjoying it for what it is. Personally I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable story and thought that the author managed to combine the Frankenstein story with the Ripper legend to make a wonderful new concept.

I find Stefan Petrucha's style eminently readable, he maintains the tension and pace right to the very end. If you are a fan of gothic horror I definitely recommend you try this book. It maintains the same kind of atmosphere as the classic gothic novels painting a strangely sepia-toned picture of the seamier side of London life.

Synopsis
Following his lab's explosion, Henry and Elizabeth Frankenstein head to London for a rest (and to avoid possible criminal charges). The monster, still alive, follows, but winds up in the Whitechapel district. There, he's mistaken for a disfigured, mentally disabled man and befriended by local prostitutes. When one of the whores is horribly murdered, the creature roams the area, hoping to protect the survivors. This brings him in contact with the real killer Jack the Ripper. After 47 years, he's back in action. His 1887 slayings (sacrifices) extended his life. Now he's aging again and desperate to remain alive, and sees in the reanimated corpse of the Frankenstein monster a possible new way to live forever. Henry, the monster and Jack the Ripper's fates become entwined as Jack the Ripper hatches a plan to frame the monster for the killings, to force Henry to reveal his secrets of life and death.