The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

Sally Lockhart’s father has just died, and left behind a message that makes no sense. When she goes to his office in London to ask for help deciphering the message, a man dies of fear, just after hearing her words. Sally soon realizes that her father’s message has a sinister link, one that she must uncover before it hurts someone else, especially her. Sally finds herself pursued by villains she doesn’t even know, as she discovers two different, yet linked mysteries. One involves the deadly opium trade rampant in London’s seamier side, and the other mystery centers around a missing ruby of extraordinary value. Sally also finds some help along the way: a photographer, his actress sister, and their assistant take her in when she has no where else to go; an errand boy, Jim, devotes himself to helping her whenever he can; and an opium-addicted sailor and his curate brother aid her when the sailor’s health is restored. Sally helps her friends too; she is excellent with numbers and becomes an accountant of sorts for the photography shop, even creating a new product line. Sally finds clues along the way in the form of Mr. Marchbanks, a journal, and a mysterious reaction to the smoke of opium—visions of a past experience appear to her when she’s exposed to the smoke. After surviving threats on her life and on those around her, Sally eventually realizes that she must locate the valuable ruby before Mrs. Holland, an old woman who thinks the ruby should belong to her. In the end, Sally discovers that her father wasn’t the man she thought and this mysterious ruby has more power than she could have guessed. She must use the ruby to trick the Mrs. Holland, or she won't survive.

The book is beautifully written. Pullman is a master of very full descriptions and details, which can slow the pace of the book at times. The plot is complex and involves many twists, which also require the reader to slow down to appreciate the situations in which Sally Lockhart finds herself.

I read this book as a teen, and loved it. Rereading it as an adult, I can say that it hasn’t lost a bit of the intrigue that attracted me in the first place. I have recommended this book numerous times, and will continue to do so.

Note that this book is the first of the Sally Lockhart series by Pullman, which has four books.