Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Taking Care of BusinessBook Eleven of the Bloody Jack Adventures
By L.A. Meyer
Available now from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR
Review copy
Read my review of Viva Jacquelina!
Jacky Faber has returned to Boston, this time to discover that her shipping business is losing money, the Irish are becoming unwelcome in Boston, and that Jaimy Fletcher hasn't made it back yet. The first bit of BOSTON JACKY feels very same old, same old, and the new elements introduced never go as far as they might. The various extortionary fire companies are introduced, but I can only remember one fire in the book - and it's not a particularly big fire.
I did like the introduction of women's suffrage and the Temperance Union to the series. Jacky, of course, is all for women's suffrage. But she's not for the cause when the women behind it are also calling for alcohol to be banned. As always, Jacky's truest loyalty lies with her purse and her wellbeing. There's also a good development that means the series might get a true villain. However, her machinations mostly succeed because Jacky and Jaimy both make some very dumb moves.
Indeed, my biggest problem with BOSTON JACKY is that I hated Jaimy in this book. He acts like a complete jerk to Jacky, thinks terrible things about her, and ignores all past evidence that she's never been unfaithful . . . despite the fact that he has. His language about her is just gross and unbecoming of a character who is supposed to be the romantic hero. If he doesn't seriously repent and grovel for forgiveness in the next book, then Jacky better kick him to the curb. BOSTON JACKY just about killed my interest in the romantic storyline.
There's a lot to like about this series. Jacky is at a low point, but she's clever and tough enough to start turning things around. But I doubt I'll read BOSTON JACKY again. This is definitely a low point in the series.
