When first we met, I was sold on William Ritter’s first Jackaby novel by the descriptor “Doctor Who meets Sherlock Holmes with a lady protagonist.” Now he is publishing a new book which means the return of his heroine, Abigail Rook, and her erstwhile employer, the very Tennant-ish R.F. Jackaby. Luckily, we have the exclusive cover reveal of Ritter’s new book, Beastly Bones, which will hit shelves this coming September. The design certainly calls back to Jackaby‘s blue and black cover design and continues to feature the profile of the lady who keeps Mr. Jackaby so on task.

I was super impressed by his first foray into fiction, Jackaby, the novel that introduced Abigail, Jackaby and a whole host of other magnificent and entertaining characters–not all of whom are still alive but that doesn’t stop them from interacting with the live ones. I was, in fact, so impressed that I lent my precious review copy to a friend because I knew she would love it and made her swear on the souls of her pets that she would return it. I was right and she did love it. Don’t worry about the pets–she returned the book too.

Ritter’s new book will again feature Miss Rook and Jackaby as they go up against a whole new challenge. Here’s the description:

First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Personally I cannot wait for Ritter’s new book to hit the shelves. In fact, I’m kind of feeling taunted now that I know the plot and cover and have to wait nearly six months to actually get the book into my hot little hands! The upside is that I will hopefully get to read this book just as the seasons change in the fall. I can only hope that it will have the same wonderful atmosphere as Jackaby and will again be a wonderful title to curl up with in front of the fire as the temperatures drop!

Have you had the chance to read Jackaby yet? Tell us what you thought in the comments below!