Kerri Maniscalco

The #1 bestselling series that started with Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula continues its streak in this third bloody installment . . . Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell find themselves aboard a luxurious ocean liner that becomes a floating prison of horror when passengers are murdered one by one, with nowhere to run from the killer. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria , Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. But privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow more and more bizarre. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation before more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

Escaping From Houdini

im in a mood to reread, and I wanna reread this series. the actual loml 🫶

Sarah 

“There was no world I wanted to live in where Thomas Cresswell wasn’t a part of it. No matter the odds stacked against us, I’d fight for him until I drew in my last, shuddering breath. Even in death I’d never stop coming for those who threatened my family. Because that’s what Thomas had become. He was mine—I’d chosen him just as he’d chosen me, and I’d defend him with everything I had. Our friendship had caught fire and blazed with something powerful and untamed. Something I’d been foolish to ever doubt.”

Jade Hérail 

Ellie M.

Creepy boarding school to a luxury liner with an infamous magician and illusionist on board? The adventures of Audrey Rose and Thomas never stop! We even have Uncle Jonathan back, so things surely got more interesting. The villain never stops with their clever schemes, and now our favorite heroes are trapped on a ship so they have to find a way to stop a series of horrors to come following the first murder.

Maniscalco knows how to captivate a reader’s imagination by painting the perfect picture of a murder mystery novel. As always, expect the unexpected from her books. Up to the very end I was hooked to the fact that I had no clue as to who the murderer really is. Truthfully, I either loved this or on the brink of not liking it so much. The lack of Thomas Cresswell in the picture for the majority of the book really put me off. And the conflict of Mephistopheles as a second-lead was more than enough to drive me nuts thinking if Cressworth will get their happy ending. And as much as I absolutely hate the idea of them parting ways, I suppose their relationship needed to become stronger and definite, and to make sure they’re not just equals in the forensic field, but to see if they can actually make it together as partners.

Jade Lexi

** spoiler alert **
           AYDEN COME BACK 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

nina 

** spoiler alert **
           because goodreads can’t let me rate this even lower :))

Vivi

★★☆☆☆ (2)
I’d fight a thousand battles and die a thousand ways before I allowed any harm to befall my love.
look, si tuviera una pareja de la cual estoy perdidamente enamorada y luego, dicha pareja, coqueteara y se desapareciera con alguien más en frente de mis narices, i would be fucking pissed. 

thomas is better than me, porque yo no la habría perdonado.

revesjrnal

the first book still my fav but I do think that this book is better than the 2nd one and the love triangle was just NOT IT it’s so unnecessary like ?!! but other than that I think this book has an interesting plot but idk it’s not enough to make me love it …

I still really liked this book but the murders were more convoluted and the all the clues were hard to keep straight. I like the 1 and 2 better.

Liz Hunsaker

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her ever-vexing companion, Thomas Cresswell, set sail on the luxurious RMS Etruria en route to their next investigation in America. On board, the ship's seven nights of carnival entertainment--starring a promising young escape artist--prove to be the perfect distraction from the grim task that awaits. But the voyage quickly descends into a horror show when young women begin turning up dead. For Audrey Rose, the Moonlight Carnival--with its disturbing acts and bizarre characters--becomes a nightmarish backdrop to her search for answers. With clues to the next victim's identity pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?--Book Jacket.

Escaping from Houdini

Courtney

Favorite one so far!

I’m really glad that I stuck with this series. The first book didn’t captivate me at all. Hunting Prince Dracula reinterested me in the series and this third one has me hoping for more books in this series! I love Cresswell and Wadsworth so much!

5⭐️. The journey of Miss AudreyRose and Cresswell continues as they board the RMS Etruria with Dr. Wadsworth and head to New York. However, their journey across the Atlantic isn't for the faint of heart. During the first night of the Moonlight Carnival performance upon the RMS Etruria, a woman is slain and thus our investigative duo set out on the hunt to find the killer as the bodies begin piling up. The suspect list is extensive with the carnival crew, including the ringmaster Mephistopheles, whom Audrey Rose begins a flirtatious relationship with. Will this flirting come between Audrey Rose and Cresswell? Will the murderer seek out Audrey Rose's loved ones? Who is the next victim? And who is the killer? The story brings another historical figure, Harry Houdini, into the carnival mix. The liberties Kerri Maniscalco takes in this murder mystery fit perfectly in the SJTR series. We delve deeper into Audrey Rose's thoughts on who she is and who she will become. We get more banter and some sweet secret meetings between our dynamic duo, but will the ringmaster come between this epic love? Well you have to read to find out. I loved this story and can't wait to dive into the finale.

Emelie

Thais Souza Passos

[2,5 stars just because] 

What this book gave me was a feeling of being unnecessary in so many ways, starting with a love triangle (that Kerri tried explaining at the acknowledgments saying about being undercover and believing in everything), then the “farewell” at the end (that was not a real one), also THE FREAKING REPETITION OVER AND OVER *screams* 

I got angry at so many books and authors because of repetitions, like repeating itself in the chapters and throughout the book and not really going anywhere but just... staying there. GOD, JUST... NO

The only thing that saved me from this sinking boat [no pun intended] was CRESSWORTH ALL THE FUCKING WAY (when Audrey Rose was not breaking Thomas’ heart and having some moments with Mephistopheles *vomiting sounds*) I understand that it’s the first time she actually has some freedom to make her choices, but... JUST DON’T. FOR PETE’S SAKE.

Amina Madadi (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ)

In Escaping from Houdini, we follow Cresswell and Audrey-Rose on a seven days cruise on board of the RMS Etruria heading to NYC.

The ship offers a special entertainment to its first class voyagers: The Moon Light Carnival, how interesting right? Not to forget that with every show comes a body.
The book started off well, first night, first kill, AR and Thomas on full detective mode, everything is fine until Mephisto comes into the picture, the mysterious –always masked- boss of the carnival and with him, came my frustration.

My main disappointment was AR, after picking herself up and acting brilliant in book two, she was just “ridiculous” in this one, and I mean it, from the first chapter to the last.
-	She made so many unbelievable excuses to justify acts only a brainless git can commit, like striking a stupid and meaningless bargain with Mephisto.
-	She’s always blabbering about her freedom of choice and independence, yet, she denies her cousin just that.
-	She claims getting close to Mephisto is for the greater good of the case, yet, there were a billion other ways to get the needed information and clues, especially with a sneaky partner like Thomas.
-	She lies to Thomas about the famous bargain, cheats on him, kisses Mephisto again and likes it!!! And the nerve of her telling him how confused she is about her feelings! Excuse me!! I’ll let you know she’s known Mephisto for two days and Thomas for about two books, and that Mephisto is just a copycat of Cresswell.
-	God oh god, the illumination she has when Thomas is facing death! He’s the love of her life! The one and the only! Seriously, if you need your significant other to die for you to be sure of your feelings, you don’t deserve that person.

To Thomas now, as much as I love that man, he too was a bit disappointing, not as much as AR but still. He wasn’t present enough in this book to begin with and add to that, his defeatist attitude. Letting AR go that easily? That is so not Cresswell! I get that he wanted to give her the right to choose but damn it mate! Fight for your woman!

All in all, and in spite of everything I didn’t like in this book, I found it to be very well researched, the plot was interesting and at a certain moment I was so distracted by the pseudo-love triangle, Audrey-Rose’s shameful stupidity and the numerous characters, it was a little hard for me to pinpoint anything in all the mess the RMS Etruria was becoming, but I did solve the mystery way before AR woke up!

Yora

Dit was weer echt een geweldig boek. Vooral de moorden te maken met de tarot cards vond ik erg origineel. Wel vond ik de second love interest absoluut vreselijk en kon ik me daaraan dood irriteren

the murders in this book were on a completely diff scale😭. absolutely loved this book! the ups nd downs of emotions especially the climax god. I haven't a clue on how to convince others to read this book from reading my review but man the book was jus so thrilling

yusra noorain

Nicole Dykeman

3.75 stars. This is the best book in the series so far. I am unbelievably invested in Thomas and Audrey Rose’s relationship. I wish she hadn’t spent so much of the book being a curious idiot with Mephistopheles. Not only did it seem a bit out of character for her, but THOMAS DESERVED BETTER. The little stolen moments with Thomas were my absolute favorite part of this book. 

The mystery of this one was better too. I never really know whodunit with Kerri Maniscalo, but that’s mostly because there are SO many suspects. Still, there were several points of this book that just seemed a little too unbelievable for me. Namely, the long villain’s monologue where all of their motives are revealed. And what are the chances that Liza would show up? 

Anyway, at this point, I’m excitedly looking forward to the next installment of this series and I’m glad I kept reading even when I didn’t really like the first book. And Thomas Cresswell has earned himself a spot on my ever-growing list of characters I would instantly marry if they proposed to me.

Casi todo el mundo odió este libro. ¿Yo? Lo amé con todo mi corazón.

Las aventuras de Audrey y Thomas están lejos de terminar. Ahora están de camino a la ciudad de New York para comenzar un nuevo capítulo en sus vidas, pero antes de eso tienen que resolver un nuevo misterio en medio del océano. De todos los pasajeros del trasatlántico, todo apunta a que al Carnaval, que se encarga de entretener a los pasajeros durante las noches, está detrás de esta serie de asesinatos; pero no será nada fácil descubrir quién es el asesino, no cuando todos parecen guardar más de un secreto y no pueden confiar en nadie, ni siquiera entre ellos mismos.

"Most stories are too good to be true. That's what makes them enchanting."

Como bien dije al principio, no ha muchas personas les gustó este libro, y hay diversas opiniones sobre este. En lo personal, a mí me encantó. Fue la combinación perfecta entre el misterio, el romance, y el drama; esos tres elementos fueron mi motivación para leer página tras otra sin detenerme.

Sentí que Audrey Rose cambió bastante en este libro, y de cierta manera, la sentí más auténtica y determinada a ir tras lo que ella deseaba.

Luego de tantas vueltas, ella aceptó sus sentimientos por Thomas, y cabe resaltar que fueron más que correspondidos. ¡Thomas la ama con todo su ser! Amé las escenas del principio, en donde no podían parar de lanzarse comentarios sagaces, ni mantener sus manos alejadas del otro; me hacían morir de amor una y otra vez.

Por otro lado, me gustó ver una faceta más vulnerable de Thomas, donde se reflejaban sus miedos e inseguridades, y dejaba de lado su sarcasmo e ingenio. 

No todos los días leemos a personajes masculinos sufriendo por amor (aunque cada vez que Thomas sufría, yo sufría con él). Además, nos confirma una vez más que ama a Audrey Rose con todo su corazón; tanto como para dejarla ir si ella realmente no era feliz con él.


  ¿Por qué me gustó tanto este libro?


El drama de este libro fue el triángulo amoroso, entre Audrey Rose, Thomas... y un nuevo personaje llamado Mephistopheles, el maestro de ceremonias del Carnaval.

En mi opinión, creo que todo el asunto con Memphis, además de generar drama y angustia, sirvió para que Audrey Rose por primera vez en su vida cuestionara sus opciones con respecto a su futuro, y a quién le entregaría su corazón al final. 

Esa duda que cargó durante todo el libro me gustó, porque recordemos que ella apenas tiene 17 años y vivió toda su vida bajo las reglas de su padre; y aunque Thomas sea el primer chico del cual se enamora, no por eso debe de ser su única opción o la persona con la cual tiene que terminar. Obviamente, ella escogió a Thomas, confirmando que su corazón le pertenece a él y solo a él; y siento que eso fue un paso decisivo en su relación y lo que veremos en el siguiente libro.

En fin, a pesar de todo lo malo que pudo tener este libro, realmente lo disfruté y se convirtió en mi favorito. Claramente tengo muchas ganas de leer el siguiente, pero me da mucha tristeza terminar esta saga y tener que decirle adiós tanto a Audrey Rose como a Thomas.

Una mención honorífica a la señora Harvey, esa mujer sí que me hizo reír. La adoro.

Ahora, ¡SPOILER ALERT!

(view spoiler)[Audrey Rose otra vez se convirtió en la heroína de esta historia. Aunque esta vez no pudo salir ilesa, debido a que la herida de su pierna fue mucho más grave y ahora tendrá que usar un bastón por el resto de su vida.

Si me lo preguntan, siento que era ilógico que no saliese herida o sin algún daño tras enfrentarse a cada asesino, simplemente no era realista. Además, para mí ese bastón ahora le dará un aire sofisticado, y estoy más que clara que no la limitará de ningún manera, ni mucho menos se interpondrá en su tarea de investigar asesinatos. (hide spoiler)]

Megan Lowe

I don’t think i enjoyed this book as much as the other two in the series. There wasn’t enough Thomas in it for me, although I did enjoy the addition of Liza.
I also feel as if the mystery wasn’t fully solved.
Still, this was a fun read and I’m looking forward to the final book in the series.

jaya

3.5/5 — i have developed a severe case of joker brain because of this book

Savannah Winchell

Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
2⭐️
- normally these books are fun but this one was so poorly executed I couldn’t overlook anything
- the mysteries have always been weak but this one was exceptionally so
- Audrey seemed willfully stupid when she’s always been smart

marilynn

"Hope is an invisible yet mighty force. Don’t dismiss its power.” 

Is my ship okay? Is it? Is it safe? I don’t know!! The epilogue didn’t bring me many answers either. They need to communicate, air it all out. THEY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. Hmph.

"But you have my heart wholly, Wadsworth. No matter what. The only way that will be taken is in death. And even then I will fight with every piece of me to hold your love near. Now and forevermore.” 

THAT MEANS THEY'RE OKAY RIGHT?

I can understand why this is the lowest rated book of the series. Audrey Rose acted like a typical YA character. Stupid. But even the best of us fall sometimes and that's okay I loved the book nonetheless. It was so good. The whole carnival thing, the tension, le danger.  Chefs kiss 
But my favorite will remain the second one.

I loved how the people were murdered (is that awfully bad of me to say? Oh well). It was very creative and the plot is way more complex than the previous two, combining all the clues and everything we have learned made me realize that my career as a detective is no Bueno. I, as per usual, had a long list of suspects, and the actual murderer was on it, (but let's be honest here with me everyone's a suspect) but I never actually gave that person a second glance. 

Damn my foolishness. 

Thomas Cresswell really is a dear isn't he? Just how much did he have to handle, how much patience and trust he had needed to not break down and retain his cool. You deserve a medal my guy.

Metamorphosis, (whatever his name is I can never for the life of me remember):

🧚‍♀️ C H O K E 🧚‍♀️

He's not  that  bad but he stood in the way of my ship and therefore he must succumb to death. I don’t make the rules. *shrugs*

Mrs. Harvey will forever and always have my heart. God bless her soul. How can I not like her when the comments she makes are absolutely divine? 

 “Look at those knots,” Mrs. Harvey whispered, “he’ll have a dickens of a time getting out of those. I wonder if he’s got a knife stashed in his trousers… certainly appears that way.” 

Harry Houdini was described as having his hair split from the middle and now I can only see him as an e-boy…
Yikes.


This book was the perfect way to end my summer as I start school tomorrow. So the pressure to finish it today were sky high.

Meghan M

I loved the mystery and Kerri Maniscalco again made me fall in love with the characters, both old and new! I recommend anything in this series and written by her!

jenn kause

This one is 1 star less than the others only because of how infuriating I found Audrey’s decisions in this book. I love Thomas with my whole heart and she just frustrated the HELL out of me in this one

A New York Times Bestseller! Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell find themselves aboard a luxurious ocean liner that becomes a floating prison of horror when passengers are murdered one by one...with nowhere to run from the killer. The #1 bestselling series that started with Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula continues its streak in this third bloody installment.... Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. But privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow more and more bizarre. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation before more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

Ingrid 

This left me feeling “meh”. It started out really strong. It gave me Caraval but more sinister. As we went along, I started to loose interest. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that left the “meh” feeling. Unsure if I will read the final book.

3.87⭐ oh my. I have got a lot to say on this one.

Love how the series gets better and better. This book was fantastic. While being equally bloody like the previous ones, this one had a carnival so the mystic-magical vibe is the real attraction. Again the ending was almost unpredictable but then Kerri never really throws any meat so expected that. The book is atmospheric & tense while also giving off a mystic-magical vibe which is a very interesting combination when combined with gruesome, unpredictable murders. From very early on we have a murder and it just gets better on and on. While the previous ones would get your head spinning around the murder, this one distracts you from it with its carnival & ofcourse the charming Mephistopheles. Also this time Audrey-Thomas are not just flirting & solving a case, they are going thr internal conflicts about their feelings, especially Audrey who is doubting her love & doubting herself & going thr all the chiche drama a female MC goes through in a love triangle, tho i really love how Kerri writes it into more of a character development for Audrey instead of just making Audrey sound like a confused teenager (which she kinda is tbh but well, aren't we all?). I did feel it wasn't justice for Thomas to just be standing there in the background i mean it felt like Kerri took all of Thomas's flirtation from Book 1 & gave it to Mephistopheles (which just shows Audrey clearly has a type). I wished she would've atleast tried to write his flirting lines a little different than Thomas's but whatever. The whole love triangle business annoyed me coz honestly look, i wasn't expecting Audrey to be moved by a certain someone but ig that was important to their relationship? Idk the ending, and i don't mean the killer part that was perfect i mean the way things ended for Audrey-Thomas, it did feel rushed. I was left a little disappointed tbh. Still, def diving my feet into the last one. Over-all, the plot is solid, the charm & unpredictability of the carnival adding to it. This one did feel a little long winded to me tho idk felt like Kerri was dragging the reveal of the killer a bit more than it was necessary which diminished the shock factor one might experience. 

Ipshita Kanungo

3.87⭐ oh my. I have got a lot to say on this one.

Love how the series gets better and better. This book was fantastic. While being equally bloody like the previous ones, this one had a carnival so the mystic-magical vibe is the real attraction. Again the ending was almost unpredictable but then Kerri never really throws any meat so expected that. The book is atmospheric & tense while also giving off a mystic-magical vibe which is a very interesting combination when combined with gruesome, unpredictable murders. From very early on we have a murder and it just gets better on and on. While the previous ones would get your head spinning around the murder, this one distracts you from it with its carnival & ofcourse the charming Mephistopheles. Also this time Audrey-Thomas are not just flirting & solving a case, they are going thr internal conflicts about their feelings, especially Audrey who is doubting her love & doubting herself & going thr all the chiche drama a female MC goes through in a love triangle, tho i really love how Kerri writes it into more of a character development for Audrey instead of just making Audrey sound like a confused teenager (which she kinda is tbh but well, aren't we all?). I did feel it wasn't justice for Thomas to just be standing there in the background i mean it felt like Kerri took all of Thomas's flirtation from Book 1 & gave it to Mephistopheles (which just shows Audrey clearly has a type). I wished she would've atleast tried to write his flirting lines a little different than Thomas's but whatever. The whole love triangle business annoyed me coz honestly look, i wasn't expecting Audrey to be moved by a certain someone but ig that was important to their relationship? Idk the ending, and i don't mean the killer part that was perfect i mean the way things ended for Audrey-Thomas, it did feel rushed. I was left a little disappointed tbh. Still, def diving my feet into the last one. Over-all, the plot is solid, the charm & unpredictability of the carnival adding to it. This one did feel a little long winded to me tho idk felt like Kerri was dragging the reveal of the killer a bit more than it was necessary which diminished the shock factor one might experience. 



jana <3

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD OMG IM SOBBING RN

IT TOOK ME LONGER TO GET THROUGH BUT ONLY BCS I STARTED IT IN THE MIDDLE OF FINALS AND STUFF SO I WAS JUST VERY BUSY BUT IT WAS LITERALLY SO GOOD

Escaping From Houdini

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