Philip Pullman, The Ruby in the Smoke Review

Good Points
The Ruby in the smoke is a gripping mystery that I really enjoyed and couldn't put down,(and I can't say that about many books!)

Bad Points
None whatsoever

General Comments
I read The Ruby in the Smoke, by Philip Pullman, the author of the famous His Dark Materials.



Ruby in the Smoke is about a girl called Sally Lockhart who is sixteen, she doesn't have a mother, and unfortunately Sally's dad has just died a most mysterious death.

On hearing of her fathers death Sally is sent a note on which states:

Sally beware of the seven blessings

Marchbanks will help

Chattum

Beware darling

Sally tries to find out what these words mean, she first goes to her father's old work place. She asked one of her fathers colleagues whether he knew anything of the seven blessings. He did know what the seven blessings were but was unable to tell Sally as he died on the floor at the sound of the words.



Ruby in the Smoke is a gripping mystery set in rat haunted streets in the depths of Victorian London. I really enjoyed reading this book and rated it a five star, it was a book filled with interesting language, that weren't hard to read. Ruby in the smoke is one of a series including Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well and The Tin Princess. I would confidently recommend this book to anybody over the age of 10 and I will be gob smacked if anyone is bored by the first chapters or if they don't like the plot.