Bloodline

Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper was never caught--the murders simply stopped--and theories as to his identity continue to abound. A century later, FBI profiler Victoria Thomas, on a London holiday, attends a Ripper seminar, where she hears handsome Scotland Yard Inspector Jonathan Blake deliver a provocative lecture that sets off a string of copycat killings in London and the U.S. Although a strong suspect surfaces early, Jones (who specializes in historical mysteries, such as Emily's Secret and The Scottish Rose) throws out compelling red herrings to confuse the reader. Victoria, who became a profiler after her sister was brutally murdered, suddenly becomes the quarry as the chase accelerates, and her sister's unsolved case becomes integral to the current killing spree. Complicating matters further is the hot romance that springs up between Victoria and Jonathan. In this entertaining tale, Jones offers a plausible, inspired take on the mystery of the elusive Ripper, complete with (fictionalized) diaries, as well as a look into modern FBI/Scotland Yard procedures and the sinister power of secret forces within governments. A caveat: the grisly killings aren't for weak stomachs. (June)