I got this on a two-for-one deal via Audible. I thought it was a recent Pullman release, but it was originally published in 1985. It’s the first part in a quartet of Sally Lockhart novels.
There’s plenty of mystery and intrigue as you follow the protagonist — the aforementioned Sally Lockhart — but everything just falls into place far too easily. Every time she needs something — a new home, a helping hand, a crucial clue — one falls in her lap with little or no effort.
I can live with that at the start when you want to get the narrative on its feet, but it gets a bit ridiculous towards the end.
I wouldn’t class it as a bad book, or a bad story, it’s just a bit too much of an easy read. It’s the equivalent of a popcorn movie — switch off and enjoy. I suspect that, had it been written today, it would be a bit more complex.
I enjoyed it, but not sure I’d recommend it to anyone out of their teens.
Browse books related by genre: Young Adult
See other books in the A Sally Lockhart Mystery series
This was an Audiobook copy of the book
Reviewed: 5th July 2019