A gripping mystery from an incedibly talented author. Sally Lockhart is living quietly in London with her obnoxious cousin, after her father's tragic death at sea. But the peaceful, if hateful, existence is about to end. Sally's father left her a message, and deciphering it will lead her into a world of danger and excitement such as she's never known...
I really enjoyed this. It was a straightforward mystery with a great cast of characters. I loved Sally. She reminded me a lot of Claire Trevelyan from Magnificient Devices. She's smart and capable if not a little unsure of herself, but she's determined and creative enough to solve her own problems. I loved all the characters - they were all smart and kind and cheeky. Jim was my favourite, although Rosa was a pretty close second. The mystery was interesting and a little spooky with the whole opium element. There was lots of intrigue and I loved Jim going off on his own (he solves the riddle and goes and gets the ruby from the pub) to execute plans inspired by his Penny Dreadfuls. For all Sally is the main character, she's not the one who really solves the mystery. Rather it instead unfolds with both the villains and the heroes portraying their part in the story.
