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The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "ON A COLD, FRETFUL AFTERNOON IN EARLY OCTOBER, 1872, hansom cab drew up outside the offices of Lockhart and Selby, Shipping Agents, in the financial..." (more)
Key Phrases: checkered suit, Miss Lockhart, Seven Blessings, Major Marchbanks (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (163 customer reviews)

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Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover, October 31, 1988 $12.45 $12.45 --
  Paperback, September 8, 2008 $7.99 $3.87 $3.18
  Mass Market Paperback, November 11, 1988 -- $2.00 $0.01
  Audio, CD, Audiobook, Unabridged $28.47 $19.00 $18.99
  Unknown Binding, Unabridged, Audiobook -- -- $2.78
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $13.46 or less with new Audible membership

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man." Philip Pullman begins his Sally Lockhart trilogy with a bang in The Ruby in the Smoke--a fast-paced, finely crafted thriller set in a rogue- and scalawag-ridden Victorian London. His 16-year-old heroine has no time for the usual trials of adolescence: her father has been murdered, and she needs to find out how and why. But everywhere she turns, she encounters new scoundrels and secrets. Why do the mere words "seven blessings" cause one man to keel over and die at their utterance? Who has possession of the rare, stolen ruby? And what does the opium trade have to do with it?

As our determined and intelligent sleuth sets her mind to unraveling these dark mysteries, she learns how embroiled she is in the whole affair. As riveting and witty as the sensational "penny dreadfuls" of Victorian England (but thousands of times better written), Pullman's trilogy (including The Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well) will have readers on the edges of their seats. Ruby is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson



From Publishers Weekly

Sally Lockhart finds herself enmeshed in the perplexing clues surrounding her father's death, in this rousing Victorian thriller. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Product Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Mass Market Paperback: 230 pages
  • Publisher: Laurel Leaf; later printing edition (November 12, 1988)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0394895894
  • ISBN-13: 978-0394895895
  • Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (163 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #132,975 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #81 in  Books > Teens > Mysteries

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More About the Author

Philip Pullman
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
ON A COLD, FRETFUL AFTERNOON IN EARLY OCTOBER, 1872, hansom cab drew up outside the offices of Lockhart and Selby, Shipping Agents, in the financial heart of London, and a young girl got out and paid the driver. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
checkered suit
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Lockhart, Seven Blessings, Major Marchbanks, Madame Chang, Holland's Lodgings, Burton Street, Hangman's Wharf, Henry Hopkins, Van Eeden, Captain Lockhart, Matthew Bedwell, London Bridge, Turk's Head, Frederick Garland, Reverend Bedwell, Sally Lockhart, Aunt Caroline, British Museum, Peveril Square, Warwick Hotel, Ernie Blackett, Matthew Lockhart, Samuel Selby, South China Sea, Foreland House
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The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy, Book 1)
76% buy the item featured on this page:
The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy, Book 1) 4.2 out of 5 stars (163)
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Customer Reviews

163 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (163 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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81 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A keeper - here's proof, May 17, 1998
By A Customer
It's been nearly ten years since I first read this book... I'm 22 now, and it remains one of my favorites. Pullman tells the story of a desperate teenage girl's search for the truth about her father's death without pulling any punches or talking down to his audience (which is probably between the ages of twelve and fifteen or so); there are allusions to sex and violence, but they are not explicitly descriptive. The novel's mystery is intricate and pervasive, but almost as important to its texture is the look we are given at how several lonely and unhappy people become a family for each other, even in the face of danger and loss. Sally Lockhart is a wonderful protofeminist heroine, whose bravery, intelligence, and independence should inspire most readers; the secondary characters, such as Fred and Jim, are charming and more than up to the challenge of being Sally's associates. The conclusion is stunning, and readers who enjoy this novel will want to read the other books about Sally and her friends (Shadow in the North is particularly heartrending). I find the Sally books generally more emotionally-involving than _His Dark Materials_, but the high quality of the writing remains constant. I still make a point of picking up Pullman's newest books when they come out, and _The Ruby in the Smoke_ is the book that started it all.
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50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Keep your powder dry", July 10, 2002
After being blown away by "His Dark Materials," I went questing for more books by Philip Pullman. I found Sally Lockhart.

"Ruby in the Smoke" is a very different style of book. There is no fantasy in this series, no armored bears or magical implements. This is straight historical mystery, set in England of 1872. Sally Lockhart is our young hero. She is an amazingly well-rounded character, at times a plucky, spirited lass, at times a shy young woman. She is looking for facts about the death or her Father. Someone else is looking for her, and her connection to the lost Ruby of Agrapar.

While this book does not have the sense of wonder and captivation of "His Dark Materials," it does posses it's own strengths. Pullman has gone very deep into accuracy and social relevance with this trilogy. The story is as much Sally Lockhart's battle with women's conventions of the time, as it is with the villains of the series. The story is very dark, and the opium trade and the Indian Mutiny are all major story points. (In fact, anyone taking up "Ruby in the Smoke" would do well to review this historical events.)

A very good, intelligent book. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as His Dark Materials, but still gripping, November 9, 2000
By A Customer
This trilogy is the story of Sally Lockhart, a young woman who overcomes obstacles and enemies to build a life in Victorian England, where young ladies should be seen and not heard. In this book, she discovers the true story of who her father is, and how her mother died. She will also hunt for a fabulous ruby, and travel through the lower depths of the East End of London.

I think that this is the best of this trilogy, although the last book is very good. The mystery is very compelling, and Pullman is brilliant at drawing you into the world of Victorian England. This will have you on the edge of your seat! Sally Lockhart is an attractive character, and takes everything that is thrown at her by Pullman in good heart. I definitely wanted to read the whole series after this one.

I came to this story after The Golden Compass and the Subtle Knife. I think that His Dark Materials is much richer and deeper than this series, but maybe the Sally Lockhart books are easier for a younger audience to read. They are set in a more familiar world, and the stories do not interwind. At the same time, Philip Pullman is a cut above most children's storytellers, as his characters and stories are more original and modern - Sally is definitely a feminist heroine. Will definitely keep this one for my daughter to read.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read but I expected more.
`On a fretful afternoon in October 1872, sixteen year old Sally Lockhart stepped out of a hansom cab, and within fifteen minutes she was going to kill a man. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Deborah Sandford

4.0 out of 5 stars Angieville: THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE
I remember buying my copy of THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE at a B. Dalton bookstore in San Antonio, Texas. I liked the cover with the young girl in the cape holding something mysterious... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Angela Thompson

3.0 out of 5 stars Close but no cigar for Pullman
I have an unnatural love of Philip Pullman. I have his words inked into my skin, I've written term papers on his books, I've read and absorbed his "His Dark Materials" trilogy so... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michelle Springer

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Potential - but fell flat too many times - Lengthy Pros and Cons - Spoilers
The Ruby in the Smoke is a melodramatic mystery story that takes place in London and its surrounding areas during the Victorian Era. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jennifer Williams

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com
Fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series will find Ruby in the Smoke very different, but in many ways just as pleasurable to read. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Cynthia Hudson

4.0 out of 5 stars reprint of an entertaining Victorian young adult thriller
In 1872 London, sixteen years old Sally Lockhart lives with her scornful Aunt Caroline Rees following the death of her father at sea. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within 15 minutes, she was going to kill a man
In The Ruby in the Smoke, Phillip Pullman combines three of my favorite things: young adult fiction, a good mystery and a Victorian era setting. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Ruth R. King

4.0 out of 5 stars Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within 15 minutes, she was going to kill a man
In The Ruby in the Smoke, Phillip Pullman combines three of my favorite things: young adult fiction, a good mystery and a Victorian era setting. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Ruth R. King

4.0 out of 5 stars A Different Face of Philip Pullman
A strange facade of Philip Pullman's writing is displayed within the pages of the novel, The Ruby in the Smoke. Read more
Published 17 months ago by T. VanderSchaaff

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Sally, Go!
A terrific example of a "Kid Power" book. A spunky 16 year old herione takes on a faceless enemy and a host of dangerous characters and, with the help of a troupe of intrepid... Read more
Published 19 months ago by F. Oakley

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