A Sally Lockhart Mystery: The Ruby In the Smoke: Book One: Amazon.ca: Philip Pullman, Anton Lesser: Books

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From Amazon

"Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man." Philip Pullman begins his Sally Lockhart trilogy with a bang in The Ruby in the Smoke--a fast-paced, finely crafted thriller set in a rogue- and scalawag-ridden Victorian London. His 16-year-old heroine has no time for the usual trials of adolescence: her father has been murdered, and she needs to find out how and why. But everywhere she turns, she encounters new scoundrels and secrets. Why do the mere words "seven blessings" cause one man to keel over and die at their utterance? Who has possession of the rare, stolen ruby? And what does the opium trade have to do with it?

As our determined and intelligent sleuth sets her mind to unraveling these dark mysteries, she learns how embroiled she is in the whole affair. As riveting and witty as the sensational "penny dreadfuls" of Victorian England (but thousands of times better written), Pullman's trilogy (including The Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well) will have readers on the edges of their seats. Ruby is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Sally Lockhart finds herself enmeshed in the perplexing clues surrounding her father's death, in this rousing Victorian thriller. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

98 Reviews

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4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
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Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (98 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, Jan 25 2012

By

fantasywriter - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ruby in the Smoke (Paperback)

This is such a great book. Equal parts mystery, romance, murders, history of 19th century London and suspense. I borrowed it from the library more than once which is a sign that I had to buy it for myself!

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4.0 out of 5 stars Sally, Sailors and Sparkling Stones, Nov 17 2007

By

Craobh Rua "Craobh Rua" (N. Ireland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Ruby in the Smoke (Hardcover)

"The Ruby in the Smoke" was first published in 1985, and was the first of Philip Pullman's books to feature Sally Lockhart. It was adapted for television in 2006 by the BBC, with Billie Piper - formerly of Dr Who - playing Sally.

The book opens in October 1872, when Sally Lockhart is only sixteen years old and has recently been orphaned. She never knew her mother, and her father - a former officer in the British Army and co-owner of the shipping firm Lockhart & Selby - has drowned in Singapore on company business. Naturally, she had been very close to her father, who had also taken personal responsibility for her education . (As a result, she knew little of French, English Literature, Art and Music though few other young ladies would have matched her in military tactic, the affairs of the Stock Market, military tactics and book-keeping. His most useful advice, however, was probably "keep your powder dry"). Sally, who also suffers from an unpleasant recurring nightmare, now lives with Caroline Rees, a thoroughly dislikable aunt.

When we first meet her, Sally has recently received a cryptic letter. It warns her of something called the Seven Blessings, and that somebody called Marchbanks will help her. She first visits Lockhart & Selby's offices - there, she hopes to find out not only who Marchbanks is, but also what the Seven Blessings are. Unfortunately, the the firm's secretary - Mr Higgs - can't help her : he suffers a heart attack and dies the moment she asks the question. She doesn't have to wait too long for help, though : Marchbanks, a former army officer, and an ex-sailor called Bedwell are both looking for her - and they both have useful information. This information puts Sally on a collision course with a dangerous villain called Mrs Holland . Thankfully she will have help - most notably from Frederick Garland, his sister Rosa and Jim Taylor - a very resourceful office-boy at Lockhart & Selby's.

A short, easy and enjoyable read - though, given the constant references to opium use, it mightn't be to everyone's tastes.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A good mystery, not to be confused with His Dark Materials, Jun 11 2003

By

Jenn K. "Jenn" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book after finishing the His Dark Materials trilogy. It's obviously a Pullman work, from the strong female heroine down to the complex, fabled power of the titled ruby. Somehow, though, the book felt a bit like Pullman's test-run for the HDM trilogy. Sally, the daughter of a shipping and businessman, is suddenly orphaned when her father dies a half world away. Left to her own devices, she must piece together the clues of his mysterious death and his final message to her. Along the way, she meets and befriends a motley crew of helpers and makes startling discoveries about her own birth and parentage (a familiar tale to anyone who's read HDM).

The book is a solid and entertaining mystery, particularly for a younger segment of "young-adult" readers (ages 10 and up, I'd say), and Pullman's writing is lovely. The book has little of the darkness or subversive subtext that Pullman's more famous trilogy offers, though, and should not be considered a necessary next-read after His Dark Materials.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites as a teenager.
I love the Sally Lockhart trilogy. The stories read just like a "penny dreadful," only the writing is much more skillful. Read more

Published on May 7 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read that's hard to put down
Sally Lockhart has been orphaned at 16 by the death of her father. She has come to live with a relative that does not want her - and her life is in danger. Read more

Published on May 6 2002 by Erika Soeterik