The Ruby in the Smoke

The Ruby in the Smoke
source
Name	The Ruby in the Smoke
Author	Philip Pullman
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Sally Lockhart Quartet
Genre	Historical mystery
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Pub date	1985
Media type	Print
Pages	224
Isbn	0-19-271816-6

The Ruby in the Smoke is a 1985 historical mystery novel by Philip Pullman that inaugurated the Sally Lockhart Quartet. Set in Victorian era London, the work interweaves crime, commerce, and imperial intrigue around a precious gemstone. Pullman's narrative connects urban Westminster and Whitechapel settings with international locations such as Bombay, while engaging with social figures like financiers, detectives, and aristocrats. The novel launched Pullman's reputation alongside contemporaries in children's literature such as Roald Dahl and C.S. Lewis.

Plot

A concise, suspenseful narrative follows young heroine Sally Lockhart, the daughter of a deceased banker and a former British Raj merchant, who confronts a conspiracy tied to a fabled ruby. After the death of her father and the ambiguous suicide of an associate, Sally allies with Jim Taylor, a streetwise sailor turned companion, and hires investigator Frederick Garland to untangle forged bills, a shadowy syndicate, and a murder ring operating from Covent Garden to the docks near Tower Bridge. The plot moves through encounters with Inspector Reed, dealings at Bank of England-adjacent chambers, voyages to ports like Southampton and memories of Calcutta—then still commonly called Kolkata—where imperial trade and jewel provenance intersect. Betrayals by aristocratic figures, violent clashes in alleys near Whitehall, and revelations connected to smuggling routes lead to a climactic confrontation and the recovery of the gem.

Characters

Sally Lockhart is an intelligent, resolute young woman and the novel's narrator, shaped by associations with Victorian fiction heroines and progressive contemporaries. Supporting characters include Jim Taylor, whose background evokes urban life in districts such as Soho and Bethnal Green; Frederick Garland, an investigative ally recalling tropes from Sherlock Holmes stories; and Mrs. Holland, a matronly figure with ties to philanthropic circles like those of Florence Nightingale's era. Antagonists comprise mercantile and criminal interests with links to global trade networks tied to East India Company history and figures resembling mercenaries active during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Secondary figures populate scenes at institutions such as St Thomas' Hospital, private clubs on Piccadilly, and legal chambers in Middle Temple.

Background and themes

Pullman situates the narrative within the realities and myths of Victorian Britain, invoking locations like London Bridge and cultural touchstones such as Victorian literature and the period's sensational journalism exemplified by papers in Fleet Street. Themes include the aftermath of colonialism through commodities sourced from India and the British Empire, the role of women in 19th-century society echoing activists like Emmeline Pankhurst, and the moral ambiguities of finance reminiscent of scandals involving institutions like the South Sea Company in earlier centuries. The novel engages with detective tradition influenced by Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle while incorporating realist attention to social conditions documented by reformers akin to Charles Dickens and political observers like Benjamin Disraeli. Pullman's prose also examines identity, inheritance, and the ethics of commerce amid the rise of industrialization centered in places such as Manchester and Birmingham.

Adaptations

The book was adapted as a 2006 BBC television drama starring Billie Piper as Sally Lockhart and Matthew Macfadyen in a supporting role, produced within the context of British period adaptations like those of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens works. Stage adaptations and radio dramatizations have been produced by companies linked to institutions such as the Royal National Theatre and independent troupes that tour venues across United Kingdom theatres. International translations led to editions published by houses with ties to markets in France, Germany, and Japan, and audio versions narrated by actors known from West End and television.

Reception and legacy

Upon release, reviewers compared Pullman to figures in children's literature and adult Victorian revival prose, noting the novel's engagement with history and mystery in the tradition of Wilkie Collins and Mary Shelley. The book's continuing presence in school reading lists and reprints by major publishers parallel the careers of contemporaneous British authors such as J.K. Rowling and Gillian Flynn insofar as crossover appeal between adult and young adult markets. The Sally Lockhart series influenced subsequent historical mysteries for young readers, inspiring scholarship in literary journals and discussion at conferences hosted by universities including Oxford University and University of Cambridge. The 2006 BBC adaptation renewed interest, prompting retrospectives in outlets referencing adaptations of Brontë material and prompting new editions and audiobook releases.

Category:British novels Category:1985 novels Category:Historical mystery novels