Kerri Maniscalco

Kerri Maniscalco is an American author best known for her young adult historical fiction and fantasy novels. Her writing frequently combines elements of murder mystery, romance, and the supernatural. Maniscalco's debut series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, launched in 2016 and became a #1 New York Times bestseller. The Victorian-era series follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth, a teenage forensics student investigating gruesome murders, and spans four books that take place across Europe. Her Kingdom of the Wicked series, which began in 2020, marked a shift into fantasy while maintaining her trademark gothic elements. Set in 19th century Sicily, the series centers on a witch seeking vengeance for her murdered twin sister and features supernatural beings including demons and princes of Hell. Prior to her writing career, Maniscalco worked as a makeup artist and continues to incorporate her knowledge of aesthetics and visual arts into her detailed historical settings and character descriptions. She is a graduate of Wagner College where she studied fine arts.

Readers praise Maniscalco's atmospheric worldbuilding and romance elements, particularly in the Kingdom of the Wicked series. Many note her skill at building tension and creating chemistry between main characters. Fans highlight her descriptive writing style and food descriptions: "Reading her books makes me hungry" is a common comment. The gothic elements and murder mystery aspects in Stalking Jack the Ripper receive positive mentions. Common criticisms include slow pacing in the middle of books, predictable plot twists, and repetitive internal monologues. Some readers find her female protagonists frustrating, noting they often make poor decisions. Several reviews mention issues with dialogue feeling modern for historical settings. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: - Kingdom of the Wicked: 4.1/5 (196,000+ ratings) - Stalking Jack the Ripper: 4.0/5 (158,000+ ratings) Amazon: Average 4.5/5 across all titles BookTok/BookTube: Regular positive features, particularly for Kingdom of the Wicked series

Stalking Jack the Ripper (2016) A Victorian-era murder mystery following Audrey Rose Wadsworth, a forensics student who investigates the Jack the Ripper killings in London.

Hunting Prince Dracula (2017) Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell pursue a potential Dracula-inspired killer at a Romanian forensics academy.

Escaping From Houdini (2018) During a trans-Atlantic voyage, Audrey Rose investigates murders connected to a traveling circus while questioning her relationship with Thomas.

Capturing the Devil (2019) The final installment sees Audrey Rose and Thomas tracking a killer in Chicago during the World's Fair.

Kingdom of the Wicked (2020) A witch named Emilia investigates her twin sister's murder in 19th century Sicily while working with a prince of Hell.

Kingdom of the Cursed (2021) Emilia navigates the Seven Circles of Hell while exploring her growing connection to Wrath and uncovering dark family secrets.

Kingdom of the Feared (2022) The conclusion of Emilia's story as she confronts her true identity and destiny in both the demon and mortal realms.

Kingdom of the Feared: Special Edition (2023) An extended version of the third Kingdom book featuring additional content and scenes from Wrath's perspective.

House of Marionne (2024) A gothic romance centered on Severin Marionne and Evangeline Fox in a cursed manor house filled with dark secrets.