Hyde & Seek by John A. Hoda - Book Review

Series: A Jekyll & Murphy Mystery #1

Publication Date: 11th Nov 2025 

Genre: Historical Mystery 

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: Slow but interesting

1888

Kind, gentle, quietly brilliant Dr. Jekyll created an alter ego, a dark and dangerous Mr. Hyde, and he isn’t even aware of this. Hyde hunts down criminals, but his actions go too far when he is wanted for murder. However, with his love interest potentially targeted by Jack the Ripper, Hyde has to use his exceptional investigating skills to save her. 

Meanwhile, Francine Murphy, a social reformer, has been working hard to identify Jack the Ripper. But as she gets close to the truth, she could become his next victim. 

The story comes in the first-person POVs of Dr. Jekyll, Hyde, Francine, and the mysterious serial killer. 

My Thoughts: 

I requested this book mainly to tick off a reading challenge prompt: a retelling of Jekyll & Hyde. 

The book uses the main characters from the original (J&H, the lawyer, the butler, the dead man, etc.). What it also does is introduce Jack the Ripper into the setting. So, we have a double retelling of sorts. 

The setting is wonderfully done. It is dark, stinky, and horrible, even when we explore the so-called richer parts/ people of London. The book presents the situation starkly, without any sugar coating. 

The themes are triggering, too, though not everything is mentioned in detail (no gratuitous graphic content). Some scenes are still a bit descriptive. These cannot be avoided since they establish the patterns and the killer. 

The jumps in POVs are neatly marked, which is helpful since we have four first-person voices. They are distinct to a good extent, so that’s a plus.  

The mystery, as such, is not that compelling. Yes, it has some intrigue, but I guessed the identity of the killer early and had to wait to see if I was right (I was). The slow and uneven pacing is a bit of a hindrance, as I didn’t really feel compelled to pick up the book when I stopped. 

This is the first book in the series and has a decent ending, though it leaves the overarching plot open to continue in book two. My ARC had an excerpt, but I wasn’t in the mood to read it. 

To summarize, Hyde & Seek is a dark and interesting historical mystery with famous fictional and real character(s). The book should work as a standalone. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley 

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TW: Pedophilia, child abuse, rape, assault, violence, bigotry, murder, stalking…