The Ruby in the Smoke

Do not be put off by the fact this book, and the others in the Sally Lockhart quartet, are often marketed as children’s/YA literature. Like the best of fiction, they transcend categorisation.

The Ruby in the Smoke introduces us to the indomitable Sally Lockhart, orphaned and forced to uncover the secret behind her father’s death. She’s feisty and fiercely independent, navigating her way in a world where the chips are stacked against her. Pullman provides us with an impeccably researched foray into the 1870s, all wrapped up in a hugely entertaining read. 

This book came out before I was born so I am very late to this party, but I got told I had to read this (despite not being a huge fan of Phillip Pullman), and I was told right. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and it got me!!

There were genuine twists I didn’t see coming, but they made perfect sense to the story and didn’t feel silly or out of left field. I don’t know if I was foolish not to see it, but it happens to me so rarely at the moment that… show more.