London Dust

Set in 1850s London, this enjoyable tale teems with lawless rogues and wronged heroines. The plot concerns Natalie Meadows, a 'fallen woman' on a quest to unravel the mystery of her friend Ellen's murder. We are presented with a Dickensian array of suspects, most of whom guard dark secrets. The novel is tightly structured, interweaving character, setting and circumstance with great skill. Jackson allows no time for breath, and the final chapters hurtle through a number of twists before providing a satisfying, if rather bleak, conclusion. Jackson's characterization is robust. The friendship between Natalie and Ellen is convincing and poignant, and also impressive are the criminal Henry Shaw, anguished Daniel Quill and the obsequious Arthur Wilkes. But perhaps the most remarkable character is London as it broods over the whole proceedings. Jackson's descriptions of the grubby, deprived back streets are highly evocative: Victorian social life is depicted unflinchingly, and the descriptions of scurrilous gutter press men, sooty commuters and gin-addled prostitutes remind us of how little as well as how much has changed. Jackson's dialogue is lean yet effective, communicating a vivid sense of Victorian hierarchy - the competitive conversations between prostitutes are particularly well observed. This is a taut thriller that will be enjoyed by all who harbour no illusions about Victorian England. (Kirkus UK)