Escaping From Houdini -

☕ (Mild thematic spoilers, no major reveals) If you’ve been following my journey through the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, you know I’ve been holding my breath. Hunting Prince Dracula left us with a heart-stopping carriage ride and a promise of change for our favorite duo, Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell.

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Escaping From Houdini introduces a potential romantic rival for Thomas. Without spoiling who, let’s just say that a significant portion of the fandom found this detour frustrating. Escaping From Houdini

It’s Murder on the Orient Express meets The Prestige , with a heavy dose of teenage angst. Maniscalco is a master of setting. The rocking of the ship, the claustrophobic corridors, and the glittering ballrooms create a pressure cooker that standard land-locked mysteries lack. You can’t just run away when you’re stuck in the middle of the Atlantic. ☕ (Mild thematic spoilers, no major reveals) If

But when a first-class passenger is found murdered in a locked stateroom—with no visible way in or out—it becomes a race against the clock. The killer is leaving tarot cards with each body, promising a death per night until they reach America. Without spoiling who, let’s just say that a

Here is my honest take: The tension works in the moment . Seeing Audrey Rose navigate her attraction to the mysterious, dangerous "other guy" feels authentic to being a teenager. It complicates her relationship with Thomas, who is simultaneously more vulnerable and more arrogant than ever.

Escaping From Houdini is the "vacation episode" of the series—a little lighter on the historical horror, heavier on the shipboard romance and psychological tricks.