Murder in Whitechapel.

A unique take on an old story. Jack the Ripper meets immortal Judas Iscariot. This is the first of 8 novels going back in time from Best Selling Author Aiden James 



About Murder in Whitechapel:

Emmanuel Ortiz holds an ancient and dark secret...
His real name is Judas Iscariot.
Forced to walk the earth as a cursed immortal, Judas' disguise as Emmanuel does little to ease his eternal loneliness. Having recovered nine of his thirty blood coins, his focus is not yet on redemption for his treacherous role in the betrayal of Jesus Christ. 

Distractions come easily for the rich entrepreneur and sometimes sleuth who presently resides in England, 1888. Fascinated by the spate of murders in London's poverty stricken Whitechapel, Emmanuel soon realizes the killings resemble others he is familiar with, and the bloody signature of killing and taunts speaks to the unholy talents of yet another immortal...an enemy from long ago.

This knowledge fuels his determination to track and apprehend the infamous Jack the Ripper at any cost.

With the backdrop of a Victorian Society, rigid and moralistic, along with the plight of those less fortunate, Emmanuel seeks to align himself with Scotland Yard. With the help of his immortal pal, Roderick Cooley, and by pretending to be an American private investigator interested in the horrific prostitute killings, he sets out to stop the senseless bloodshed. But, has he bitten off more than he can chew, by immersing himself in the slums and disease of the Ripper's hunting grounds? 

As the mystery unfolds it becomes the ultimate test...not only of his abilities as an immortal, but also of his very soul.




http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BPWU43A

The Book. Why we can’t be without....                                    

                                              

Way back in the 14th century when a man called Johannes Gutenberg created the very first printing press it was squee for authors and readers everywhere, yes there were some lurking in the shadows even back then. 

Now their cherished work of art could be replicated into copies heralding the birth of distribution and marketing. The big bad world of publishing was born, somewhat premature but destined to grow into a robust and survivable industry constantly undergoing a metamorphosis. 

I grew up surrounded by books. My father owned stacks, there were bookstores on every corner and the local library always refreshed it’s shelves. There was nothing quite like undoing the Christmas wrapping paper to reveal a brand new hardback smelling of freshly pressed paper and the promise of a great story. Fast forward a couple of months. Self same book would be unceremoniously dumped under bed, pages well turned and cover dog eared. So what it was too big to fit on the shelf? I still loved the book, often dragging it out for a second read, just in case I’d missed anything. 

With time paperbacks became de rigueur. They fitted in my bag and nicely on the shelves. Cheap and often acquired from friends I couldn’t have enough. The dark side was not being able to wait for the latest best seller to become the not so best seller resulting in a big price slash. Too bad for those, who like me had no patience and paid full whack. But saving a buck was a minor issue compared to the buzz of a best seller hot off the press with premium shelf or window space for the world and I to see, enticing, mesmerising and needed. Just like the pair of ‘meant for me right now’ shoes staring alluringly from a store window two weeks away from the summer sales. I could never say no. 

Fast forward 2013. We’re not quite controlled by robots but books have changed beyond recognition. Now we read from a thin metal slab filled with components allowing us to store thousands of e.books and read like it’s going out of style. Short books, long books, classics, new authors, eriotica, teen stories, unedited books and a zillion how to books are at our disposal. We pay anything from 99 cents to 20 bucks or more for our reads and often enjoy downloading hundred of free promotions. (for later) So what does this all mean? Is it the beginning of a brave new world for the written word with much more to come, or will we regress? I have to be honest and say not even in my wildest dreams can I be sure what we’ll be reading from in twenty years or even if we still do.

Maybe we’ll hanker after the old style, just as there’s recently been an upsurge in sales for record decks to play vinyl we could be doing the same?  Will I be holding my precious books gently in my hands extolling the delights of it’s post millennium published date. Of course I’ll be careful not to pull out the already loose pages of The Diary of Anne Frank given to me by my mother for my 13th Birthday.

She’s no longer here but the book remains. A memory. In spite of nostalgia, I love the changes. The indie writer has never been so respectable, e.readers are no longer eyed with suspicious curiosity and we’re still so in love with reading. If Gutenberg were alive today I wonder what he’d think of the new ways we found to read the word? I suspect he’d be impressed.