The Ripper Trilogy: The Highs and Lows by Amy Reeves

The Highs and Lows of Completing a Trilogy

The final book in the Ripper trilogy, Resurrection, will be out in April. Wrapping up the series and finishing Abbie’s story was, frankly, an emotional roller coaster for me. At times the process was bittersweet, at times fun and exciting, and other moments were sheer agony. 

The Highs

Travel! I wanted to end the book well. When research veered my imagination to places in London that I had never seen, I knew that a trip to London would be necessary. St. Pancras Old Church, a lovely little chapel along Old St. Pancras Road near the railway station, struck me as the perfect background setting for some of Abbie’s last adventures. The problem was that I had never been there!  With the first draft of Resurrection due at the end of May, I took a quick trip to London to visit the Church and to explore some of my other favorite places again—namely Highgate Cemetery.

The first two books in the series end with cliffhangers, and Abbie’s story continued in my mind, unsettled, until I brought it all to an end. I wanted her to decide once and for all which man she loved. I wanted her to finish avenging her mother’s and Mariah’s death. I thought about how I would end the story even while I wrote Ripper. It felt very satisfying to bring the story to a close. 

The Lows

It’s over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Although yes, there is the satisfaction of wrapping up the series, it’s also rather sad. It’s like that feeling at the end of the holidays when you’re not quite ready to move on. It’s like the beginning of a snowy January. Or a rainy Monday. You’ve been caught up in spinning the story for so long that it’s depressing to have to finally finish it. 

One of the worst parts of writing Resurrection was killing off a main character. I knew, even as I wrote Ripper, this character’s fate, but it was still awful to write. Just awful! I kept putting off writing the scene, and yes, I did cry as I wrote it. It didn’t seem realistic or right to let everyone have their “happily ever after.”  

Final Thoughts

Writing the Ripper trilogy was a very satisfying endeavor. In spite of writing deadlines and making difficult decisions about characters’ fates, I enjoyed the project. I love receiving messages fans begging to know how things turn out for Abbie, telling me that they can’t wait to read Resurrection in April. And this, I think, is my favorite part of a writer. From the moment I learned to read, I would stay up late, reading into the early hours of the morning, sometimes with a flashlight if I was supposed to be asleep. (Probably the main reason I’m super-nearsighted today!) But during those late nights, I always thought it would be so wonderful to create worlds for other people to leap into and enjoy.

Author Bio:    

Amy Carol Reeves has a PhD in nineteenth-century British literature. 

She lives in Columbia, South Carolina where she works as an Assistant Professor of English at Columbia College and writes young adult books. When not teaching, writing, or spending time with her family, she likes jogging with her Labrador retriever, Annie, and daydreaming about Brontё novel hunks. 

Resurrection is her third novel.