Another great Sally Lockheart mystery by Philip Pullman. I think these are so much better than the Dark Materials Trilogy!!! Sally is her independent, fierce self in this mystery which takes place in Victorian England, this time involving financial fraud, psychic entertainers, and weapons of mass destruction. I listened to the audio book, which was read by the fabulous Anton Lesser, and totally loved it. ( )

Some years have passed since The Ruby in the Smoke and Sally Lockhart now has her own financial consulting business, and is a partner in Fred's photography business that is flourishing. While she starts investigations into the Anglo-Baltic shipping business that was run to ground in about a year, Fred is looking into a spiritualist and Jim ends up helping a magician in trouble--and it all turns out to be connected.

I'm finding these books require you to suspend your disbelief for a bit, but it wasn't all that bad for a book to read on the train. ( )

I read The Ruby in the Smoke a while ago. I guess I got distracted before I read the rest of the trilogy...Great continuation of the Sally Lockhart story -- wow, great ending! ( )

This book does not follow on directly from the events in the previous in the series and leaves some characters behind, with questions about their fate unanswered. The story is at times scary, disturbing and very moving. As for the previous book Pullman blends in historical refernces, although for a reader the literary references are more fun - Jim receives a letter about vampires from Bram Stoker and other characters are reading Jane Austen and Anthony Trollope. But it is Sally Lockhart, a stunningly original and independent character who is the heart and soul of this novel as her integrity of spirit drives the narrative. ( )

Excellent historical mystery series. ( )