The Ruby in the Smoke - Phillip Pullman

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Grades 7 & up

I’m not sure how many mystery books I have read, but it is not many. That is why I was kind of excited when I began reading The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman, the first book in the Sally Lockhart trilogy. This book was a great introduction to the mystery genre and definitely left me wanting to read the rest of the trilogy and other mystery books.

Sally Lockhart is a sixteen year old girl living in London during the 1870’s. Her father, Matthew Lockhart, was a successful shipping agent. I say was because Sally’s father died a couple of months before the start of the book when his ship sank while sailing the seas around south China. Because her mother died when Sally was just a baby, Sally must live with Mrs. Rees, her spiteful “aunt.”

Sally was still coming to grips with her father’s death but at least accepted that it was an accident until she received a cryptic note her father had penned before his death. The note mentions someone named “Marchbanks” and warns her of the “Seven Blessings.” Sally goes to her dad’s office to ask one of his co-workers about the message, and the man has a heart attack when he hears the words “Seven Blessings.” This is all Sally needs to know that something much more sinister led to her father’s death. With the help of some new found friends, Sally is able to piece together the puzzle, battle her new found enemies and figure out what really happened to her dad.

I thought this was a great book. The plot is exciting, not at all predictable and the story is well written. Phillip Pullman does a great job of helping you visualize what London was like during the 1870’s (it seems like a pretty dirty place!!). I would definitely recommend this book to older teens looking for a tension filled mystery.