This has been in my TBR list for so long that I’ve forgotten where I first heard of it. I’m actually kind of regretting that because I would really like to give my thanks to the person who introduced to this really fun paranormal Holmes-esque adventure.

Jackaby opens with Abigail Rooks arriving in New England. Fresh off a disappointing dinosaur dig, she looks for a job to avoid having to go back to her parents. A chance coincidence leads her to R. F. Jackaby, an investigator with an eye for the supernatural who’s also looking for an assistant. As they help, Abigail and Jackaby are pulled closer and closer towards a serial killer with a thirst for blood.

I enjoyed this right from the start. Abigail, still smarting from her failure to make her way as an independent young lady, is determined to do her best for the case. She makes a good partner to Jackaby, who reminds me of Sherlock Holmes, only Jackaby has the ability to see the supernatural. While Jackaby is annoying to everyone around him, he comes across as charmingly eccentric in the story.

The supernatural element was pretty cool too. The first time I saw it, with Jackaby determining the travel history of Abigail by noticing the droppings left by the supernatural creatures on her, I knew that there was going to be a good balance between the detective story and the supernatural elements. And of course, I really enjoyed how the story played out.

Overall, this was a really fun first book in the series. Despite the serial killer angle, the book was surprisingly fun (I wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘light’, but I was very amused by Jackaby) and I am excited to read the rest of the books in this series.