The Murderer’s Ape

Amazing book which I read when it first came out. Really strong characters and a great mystery which has stuck with me for years. I would highly recommend this story to anyone.

I first read The Murderer's Ape when it was first published, it was the artwork (and the title) that drew me to it. It didn't disappoint, A brilliant mystery book that was written for children, but I'm sure adults will also enjoy it. The artwork is just stunning.

Jakob Wegelius knows how to tell a tale. The Murderer's Ape is a story of adventure, loyalty and love. The overwhelming emotion that guides the action is kindness, and kindness to strangers. The Ape is adopted by a young girl who sews but also sings. It's a small Portuguese sea town. The illustrations all made by the author are really exceptional in style and character. You cannot put the book down and after I finished it, I picked a sequel from the public library. I'm very grateful for Netgalley for alerting me to Wegelius' work.

I only made it two chapters into this adventure story translated from Swedish before ordering hard copy, and it has now leaped into my echelon of favorite books. The Murderer's Ape is intended for middle grades, and would be wonderful for someone this age, but the absolute charm of the narrator, the delightful illustrations, and the captivating mystery made it utterly enjoyable for this adult.

Sally Jones is an incredible character, a joyful and brilliant engineer, and the most loyal of friends. I should mention that she is also a gorilla. She and The Chief are devoted companions who run a cargo ship together; when a mysterious job offer goes awry, The Chief is falsely accused and convicted of murder. In spite of the danger to herself, Sally Jones then devotes herself to clearing his name and freeing him from prison.

This narrator touched me so much. She is such a steadfastly good character; she's an ingenious problem-solver, and if I could choose a fictional character to be on my team in a crisis it would be her. I was also moved by the kindness of several side characters, and the personal growth of some who started off not quite so favorably. The entire story was such an enjoyable one to read.

Thank you so much to Pushkin and Netgalley for this book to review!

This is an absolute gem. The book itself is rather long but the chapters are short and the illustration is absolutely stunning. The writing is done using words that children will find easy to understand. The story hooks me right from the beginning and keeps me hooked right to the very end. This is mystery done extremely well.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found that it had some humor and it also made me felt the emotions of each character. It is a lovely story that I think will appeal to many when trying to find a book to read or to add to their tbr list.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really intriguing young adult book focusing on the brave and tenacious Sally who just so happens to be an Ape. The book charts her adventures clearing her friend's name.

By far the best part about this book is the sumptuous black and white illustration throughout the book which really adds to the story.

This isn't the first book in the series but I don't think I've missed out, I certainly kept up with the plot and I would definitely seek out the first and third book in the series.

I'm so in love with this book and this world and this wonderful cast of characters, especially Sally Jones, the murderer's ape. (Never just Sally, always Sally Jones) When her friend is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Sally Jones goes from hope to depression to fully committed to helping clear his name.

Part of what makes this book so special is its multiple settings. Apparently, the portrayal of Lisbon is accurate, but Sally Jones has to travel far and make a lot of friends along the way. She's skilled and caring and persistent, but also very sensitive.

This is a children's book, but I'm an older adult and loved it. I'd recommend this for anyone who still has a sense of wonder. Thanks so much to NetGalley for letting me read this

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Children's Books in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book follows Sally Jones, a precocious gorilla that is a companion to Chief Henry. After a deal goes awry Chief Henry is locked up for murder and it's up to Sally to clear his name. Along the way she meets all sorts of interesting people. This book was a surprise and, a quick and easy read. The book included some drawings of the main characters and had good lessons to boot. I would highly recommend to all readers.

Also the translator should be commended as reading the book you wouldn't know that it was not originally written in English.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Children's Books for the advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book, it almost felt more YA than elementary in terms of themes. I'm not sure if it because the book is translated into English but it felt pretty dark for a children's book. I loved Sally Jones as the narrator, it made for an interesting viewpoint on how people interact with one another. I also really like that the story wasn't rushed. It took years to reach a conclusion but when I reached the ending I felt fulfilled by the narrative. I'm really interested to read the next book in the series and hopefully find the first book translated in English.

I received a review copy of this book from Pushkin Press via NetGalley for which my thanks.

Sally Jones may be a gorilla but it won’t be an exaggeration to say that she is one of the most endearing fictional heroines I have met—kind-hearted, talented and with many skills she acquires on her journey (she is first-engineer on a ship, able to read and write, play chess and was even trained as a jewel thief by an unscrupulous character in the past), a wonderful friend that anyone would want standing by them, and intrepid when the occasion calls for it. While Sally first appeared in a relatively short graphic novel, The Legend of Sally Jones (2008), The Murderer’s Ape is a full-length tale (at 588 pp in the print copy), which not only involves a proper mystery and adventure that keep one engaged but also thoroughly warms the heart. First published in 2017, the English translation by Peter Graves appeared in 2021. While this book is classed as children’s/middle-grade fiction and published under the Pushkin Children’s imprint, I felt its subtleties and the emotions it evokes would be much better appreciated by adults (not to say that younger readers won’t enjoy it).

The story is told in Sally’s voice (written by her on her Underwood typewriter, in fact) in retrospect. She tells of how when she was serving as First Engineer with her friend Henry Koskela, a Finnish sailor also known as the Chief, aboard his ship, the Hudson Queen, the acceptance of a seemingly simple cargo consignment when they were going through a bad patch leads them into plenty of trouble with the assignment going wrong and Koskela eventually accused of murder in Lisbon. Not only is Sally now alone, she is also hounded as the ‘Murderer’s Ape’, forced to keep out of sight. Eventually she finds a friend in Ana Molina, a young girl with a beautiful voice who works in a shoe factory. Ana’s landlord, Senor Fidaro who makes and repairs musical instruments, is initially disdainful but tolerant of Sally; over time, though, he too becomes a good friend. Sally’s hopes that the Chief will soon be found innocent are dashed when he is convicted. Must she wait all those years to see him again? But then Sally stumbles onto a clue which might just help clear the Chief—but what should she do? How can she track it down? The search for answers to clear the Chief’s name brings Sally face-to-face with many dangers and also takes her on many adventures including back on the seas and half way across the world.

The Murderer’s Ape was a story that captivated me right from the start and stayed that way all through. Had it not been for the length (or had it been a weekend when I read), I’d have finished in a couple of sittings. Jacob Wegelius has crafted a wonderful tale where Sally, without being anthropomorphic or magical in any way, is extraordinary is so many ways. Granted the author has equipped her with exceptional skills which real-life gorillas wouldn’t likely have (trained ones, I mean), but that doesn’t make her any the less believable. And it isn’t these skills alone that make her truly special—it is her character and her kind heart as you will see when you read; one can empathise and connect with her emotions.

This isn’t a fast-paced tale by any means but even though the action and important plot developments aren’t constant, at no point does the reader feel like the story is too stretched out or dragging. I enjoyed every page and every moment of this well-plotted and wonderfully written book and considering lately I haven’t been in a mind to read very long books, the fact that the nearly 600 pages of this didn’t feel so has much to say about its readability. While danger and challenges confront Sally at every step, the author handles these subtly with no unnecessary drama or melodrama, something I especially appreciated.

Sally’s journey in the book takes her places—on ships and planes, even trains—to among others, Egypt and a longer period in a princely state in Colonial India. In Lisbon (where Koskela is imprisoned) and on her travels Sally becomes the target of enemies, either for greed or for other reasons but no fault of her own. Alongside, she also makes a number of friends, even unexpected ones, and these one can entirely credit to her own character and appeal. I haven’t gone into too much detail in my description of the plot both because so much happens and it would be most enjoyable to simply read on and see how things unfold, but I can safely say that the book is full of warm moments sure to melt one’s heart.

A wonderful story with a mystery, excitement and adventure as also plenty of charm, likeable characters and numerous heartwarming moments, this is one I enjoyed thoroughly. (Can’t wait to pick up the next one; in fact part way through reading the book I ordered myself print copies of this and the next book). The book is also illustrated by Wegelius with its cast of characters also introduced through illustrations; I also absolutely loved the end papers which were colour maps tracing Sally’s journeys!