Product Description

Sally Lockhart's father was an unconventional man. When he dies suddenly on a voyage to the Far East, Sally receives a mysterious letter containing a strange warning. Soon Sally finds herself at the heart of a deep and dangerous mystery, one she is determined to solve at all costs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100688 in Books
• Published on: 1999-03-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
Set in 19th-century London, an echo of Collins' Moonstone - an orphaned 16-year-old unravels the mystery of her heritage and tracks down a fabulous Indian ruby, which has left murder and mayhem in its wake. Sally Lockhart is a competent, self-reliant heroine. She walks out on the oppressive relative who's been housing her, gets her lawyer to rearrange her investments to raise her meager income by 20 percent, and finds a new home and job with an attractive, talented, but unbusinesslike young photographer and his sister, using her precocious business acumen to rescue their floundering finances. Meanwhile, trying to decipher messages from her father, recently lost at sea in the Far East, she encounters mysterious Mr. Marchbanks, who gives her a long document, which is stolen before she can read it, and also various unsavory denizens of the East End, including villainous Mrs. Holland, who has trapped Matthew Bedwell, messenger from Lock, hart, by his addiction to opium. A whiff of opium smoke induces a vivid repetition of Sally's recurring nightmare, convincing her that it is actually memory; later, she deliberately breathes opium fumes in order to retrieve further pieces of the puzzle. After kidnappings and escapes, several murders, the finding and losing of the ruby and finding of a more moderate but useful inheritance hidden by Lockhart, everything is sorted out with surprisingly few loose ends, given the plot's many threads. An entertaining yarn, enlivened by humor and vivid characters, with the added historical interest of early photography and the evils of the opium trade. Sure to please readers of historical romances. (Kirkus Reviews)

Synopsis
Sally Lockhart's father was an unconventional man. When he dies suddenly on a voyage to the Far East, Sally receives a mysterious letter containing a strange warning. Soon Sally finds herself at the heart of a deep and dangerous mystery, one she is determined to solve at all costs.

Customer Reviews

A first class book
I was bought this book as a child by my parents yet, at 31yrs old, it is still one of my favorite books!
It has wide appeal to children and adults alike as it is a gripping story of mystery, intrigue and discovery set amidst the seedy and cruel Victorian London.
The heroine of the tale captures your heart as, at a young age, she is left alone to investifate her fathers death and all that follows...you see her develop and grow into a young woman through all that happens.
A must read and also a must see, as the BBC has made a film of it!

Gripping, Thrilling and Slightly Chilling!
There is something about the way this book is written that sucks you into the story. You become Sally Lockheart and you cannot put it down!
A thrilling tale of mystery murder and intregue! A great read for anyone of any age! With dark alleys, opium dens, and murderous villans who could want more?? There is a dark edge to the book which keeps your eyes glued to the page and your thoughts firmly set in Victorian London! Worth every Star!

A Wonderful Surprise!
The story is about Sally Lockhart, a 16-year-old girl, whose father is killed, leaving Sally with no parents. Her father has left her a note, and as she tries to decipher the meaning, the story unfolds in to an exciting thriller!

I started reading this book, not previously interested in Philip Pullman, and not really paying attention to the story, but by the time I had finished I was entranced, and eager to read the next one.

I recommend it to teenagers and adults, and to anyone interested in mysteries/Victorian crime novels/historical books.