HomeMysteryThe ruby in the smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)

Cover of The ruby in the smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)

Mystery · 1985 · PG-13

The ruby in the smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)

by Philip Pullman

Her father is dead. His last words are a riddle. And someone wants her dead for knowing it.

For14+GenreMysteryLength230 pagesRead time~6 hoursCommunity ratings0

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Some

Victorian mystery violence and some period danger

Language

Barely any

Period language; mild

Sexual Content

None

No sexual content

Substance Use

Some

Opium trade is central to the plot; some substance use depicted

Emotional Intensity

Some

Themes of independence, identity, and the cost of knowing too much

What this book is about

Sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart receives a warning about the Seven Blessings — and discovers it makes people want to kill her. Pullman's Victorian mystery series opener establishes Sally as one of YA fiction's great heroines: financially shrewd, unconventionally skilled, and determinedly self-sufficient in 1872 London.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

Opium trade content

Victorian mystery violence

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